Category Archives: Facility work

Cleaning and Battery Maintenance

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Yesterday Jake and I worked in the morning cleaning out the basement of the Science Center to make it more functional when students and other guests stay there.  In the afternoon Jake did some organizing in the Eco Guardians basement and in the boat house and I worked on topping up the liquid in the battery bank.  It took me about 3 hours to get through half of the 96 batteries at which point it was dark and time to run the generator. I will try to finish the other half today or this weekend.  It looks like with the last rain water has been leaking through a roof vent on the NE side of battery room, there was water pooled on the floor which I mopped up, will keep an eye on this.

Misery was on the island all day yesterday near heli pad. Was vocal last night and is now over near the science center.

I had planned on leaving the island today to take Jake back to Pearson College and to run some errands in town but there is a gale warning, NE swell into the jetty, and barometer is falling so we will stay put until tomorrow.

Loaded, Blasted, Tilted, Misery

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Yesterday morning Erik came out on Second Nature with Julien,
Garry, and Jake.  He took off a pretty full load of wood scraps from a reno of the crane deck, garbage,  4 monitors, propane tanks, old composting toilet, etc.  DND blasting occurred at 11:11, 11:14, 11:35 (twice), and 11:36.   This morning around 4 am I heard a male elephant seal, presumably Misery, who has been back on the island all day.  I worked with Jake on installing the first solar PV tilt kit on the roof of the engine room.  The kit is apparently rated to withstand 125 mph winds.  It should provide greater solar exposure and accumulate less gull excrement thereby requiring less desalinated water to clean.

Visit to island- eco-reserve warden update

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Julien and I went out to the island to go over the various mechanical and recording systems on the island with Alex for the purpose of possibly  developing  an improved electronic data-logging system.
Many large blasts were noted throughout the morning  from the DND ordinance disposal pit on Rocky Point. Gulls on South west corner were dispersed on one of the blasts.
Material to be sent back for recycling was loaded by winch on the boat and Erik and Jake brought us back to the college. They picked us up in the afternoon bringing back the station whaler having undergone repairs over the last few weeks. Erik drove Julien and I in a rather rough return ride in the rigid hull inflatable which has been the substitute boat at the island.
Jake stayed out with Alex to work on the refitting of angle brackets on the solar panels on the roof of the energy building over the next few days. These are intended to increase efficiency by giving more of an angled tilt to the south.
Camera 1 panorama picture was redone to give better ability to click on the panorama image for control of camera.
I noted that a dozen or more of the introduced (non-migratory) strain of Canada geese still persist on the island. Their grazing in the area of the first nations burial cairns remains to be a problem as soil erosion is obvious. I have suggested that we might put up several netted enclosures to document the impact of their grazing.
5 dead immature glaucous -winged gulls were noted on various parts of the island, A full count is pending. This is probably from normal; fall mortality of new birds. On top of the south rocks today, 100 cormorants, probably double  crested lined the ridge.

Garry Fletcher- ecological reserve warden

orcas sighted again

Aside

The elephant seal was pretty vocal last night but there was no sign or sound of him today.  Yesterday at sunset I think I saw the horned owl on top of the flag pole. This morning several Bald Eagles were rounding up the gulls on great race.  Before noon a vessel from Pinnacle Divers came into the reserve.  They did a dive near the jetty and a second one off of the E rocks.  While unloading divers near the jetty the boat accidentally contacted the kelp bed off the NW side of the jetty.  I contacted the company by phone and left a message.  Around 14:00 hrs a Prince of Whales vessel entered the reserve.  There were around 30 Northern Sealions hauled out on N Rock.  On the vessels approach to N Rock some sealions exited into the water.  I contacted the company by phone and spoke with a staff member.   Around 14:30 hrs 3 or more Orcas approached the reserve from the SW passing W of the reserve heading N.  Have been gathering scrap wood, propane tanks, garbage etc. today for offloading tomorrow with a boat trip from the college planned for the morning.

Sea lion juvenile

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As Ecological Reserve Warden,  I was concerned with the report of continued blasting by the DND given the recent noting of a nursing northern sea lion at Race Rocks. The following is an account of the concern, starting with an e-mail and pictures from the Ecoguardian, Ryan Murphy

Subject “New Development”
Sept 27,2011

“I’m not sure if the LGL guys noticed this or not… but we have a nursing Steller sea lion pup on Great Race.  You’ll see in the photos that the mother is definitely lactating and the pup is nursing on the rock above the jetty (West side).  Since Eumetopias jubatus is listed under SARA as Special Concern, I believe this is very significant.  DND’s activity at Bentinck Island has not included intervals between blasts to reduce sea lion stampedes, and this pup is definitely at risk of trampling if DND continues their activities as they have for the past 2 days.-
Subject: continued blasting
Date:   September 28, 2011 8:30:18 AM PDT

“No need to worry about DND blasting, the landing of LGL personnel and subsequent standing around at the jetty caused a mass stampede with about 50 animals taking to the water including the pup.”

Subject Update
Date:   September 28, 2011 9:26:18 AM PDT
“Just so you know, the larger blasts are still coming back to back.  I don’t know if LGL communicated the need for increased intervals, but regardless there is no change.  The sea lions continued to be disturbed and take to the water with the rapid succession blasts.”

Subject: update
Date:   September 28, 2011 4:57:03 PM PDT
“The pup has been back since at least 14:30.  I have not seen its mother and it is sporting a fresh 2″ cut on its shoulder.  Otherwise looks to be ok, it has been sitting upright trying to stay awake and nodding off as babies will.”
Subject:    Re: New development
Date:   September 29, 2011 7:04:02 AM PDT

“The pup is still here this morning, the mother is not with it.”

Subject: DND report
Date:   September 29, 2011 9:21:24 AM PDT

“As per the log at 9:21 this morning:
Two absolutely massive explosions that shook the house occurred only 10 seconds apart.  The glass panes in the windows rattled against their metallic frames.  At least 70 sea lions stampeded into the water, completely clearing out entire haul out areas.  About 20 sea lions stampeded through the area where the Steller pup was resting.”

As a result of this account of events, I sent an e-mail to BC Parks and DND administration stating the following:

From: Garry Fletcher
Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 10:20 AM
Subject: Fwd: New development

I was very concerned to receive the following  reports and images  from Ryan Murphy our Guardian at  Race Rocks. I think it warrants a followup considering the concerns we have for marine mammals being disturbed by human activities, especially those which are SARA listed.
Surely they have enough data by now to show that the window for doing this blasting program might perhaps be reconsidered.  We would appreciate hearing of any followup .

FOLLOWUP:  So far ( November, 2011) there has been none. The juvenile and mother were not seen again, research by LGL  (LGL who are referred to are the DND contracted research group who is at the island again this year to make observations on the effects of detonations at Bentinck Island.) The disturbance to animals by DND blasting continued unabated over the next few days.  Their previous reports up to 2010 are included here. The report for this year will be added here when it is available.

Tidal Current Energy Experiment Comes to an End.

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September 17, 2011: Clean Current Staff and diving contractors return to Race Rocks to remove the generator for the last time. The generator returns to Vancouver for a final analysis of structural details after exposure in the ocean over the last three years . After cleaning,  it is to be sent to the Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa, since it was the first ocean tidal generator to be built and deployed in Canada.

“In conclusion: The Tidal Current Generator operation over the past six years has been an interesting experiment and a good demonstration of the potential power from tidal energy.  The added value to the availability of energy for Race Rocks  was however very disappointing.

The main value to the Race Rocks program has been in the infrastructure that has been developed and installed and the potential for further research. The provision now of most of the energy needs by solar power was only made possible by the large bank of storage batteries provided by the project, the island energy building electrical infrastructure and the partnership with the BC Ministry of Mines and energy which were instrumental in providing the initial solar panels.  Installation of further solar panels and upgrades by Lester Pearson College UWC has helped to ensure energy sustainability for Race Rocks.

–Garry Fletcher

 

Sea lion census

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Disturbance for sea water sampleEvery day an hour before high tide we have to take seawater samples for a long term database for DFO on Salinity and Temperature. It is unfortunate they have to be disturbed, but since they return directly afterward, the impact is minimal. The California sea lions stick to the docks as long as possible and reluctantly leave eventually . After the bucket has been filled, it is returned to the tank room  for the analysis.

California Sea Lion: 172

NE haulout – 97;
East Bay – 44
South Rocks – 8
S/W/NW Great Race – 30
Middle Island – 0
Northern Sea Lion: 95
NE haulout – 34
Middle Island – 61