The Osoyoos Desert Society’s executive director Denise Eastlick made her annual presentation last week to members of Town of Osoyoos council to update them on what’s going on with the local society heading into another new year. The desert society continues to survive and thrive despite very strict budget restrictions due in large part to its many successful partnerships with local organizations and groups, said Eastlick. The popular Romancing the Desert fundraiser also continues to be a huge success and helps raise much needed funds, she said. Above is a photo from last summer’s Romancing the Desert event. (File photo)
Thanks to several long-running business partnership agreements, a strong group of volunteers and programming that attracts several thousand visitors from across the province, the Osoyoos Desert Society continues to be a success story.
Executive director Denise Eastlick made her annual presentation to members of Town of Osoyoos council last week and reported on another successful year in business for the non-profit organization, which was formed more than 20 years ago and has been operating the Osoyoos Desert Centre, located north of town limits off of Highway 97 since 1998.
The Osoyoos Desert Centre consists of an interpretive centre as well as walkways and several extended trails that showcase the region’s ecosystems and bushes that attracted more than 8,000 visitors in 2013.
That number is consistent with the number of visitors who have visited the tourist attraction over the past several years, said Eastlick.
At the end of the fiscal year, the Osoyoos Desert Society had only a $210 deficit and is proud to be able to offer so many programs and services while operating on a very strict budget, she said.
The society’s mission statement is to conserve and restore the antelope-brush ecosystem in the South Okanagan, while educating the public and inspiring active concern for ecosystems worldwide, she said.
A partnership program with FortisBC which has now been in existence for five years continues to reap rewards as more than 150 local students participated in free school tours, said Eastlick.
“These tours provide a great benefit to the community as they provide a unique educational experience for local students as no cost to the students or school,” she said.
The lifeblood of the organization will always be visitors who travel to the Osoyoos Desert Centre to participate in nature walks, tours and to view exhibits and interpretive signs and being able to attract more than 8,000 visitors indicates the centre is fulfilling its mandate, she said.
Another highlight in 2013 was the addition of a “virtual tour” of the Desert Centre on its website, said Eastlick.
The wildlife monitoring project, which tracks the amazing number of animals that gather at the desert centre by video monitoring, includes the development of several wildlife checklists for distribution to the public, said Eastlick.
A Cover Crop Study, which has tested native seed mixes for use between vineyard rows, has helped local wine growers control erosion, reduce dust and help attract beneficial insects, she said.
Numerous university and college students continue to access the desert centre to conduct restoration and research projects and has helped protect 67 acres of endangered habitat, she said.
A partnership deal with the Osoyoos Golf Club has seen a native plant garden at the desert centre grow and prosper over the past several years.
The Romancing the Desert fundraising event, which is held every July, continues to be a major success as people from across the region and many parts of B.C. and Alberta gather under the stars to enjoy the beauty of the desert centre property and enjoy a fantastic dinner and dance, said Eastlick.
Partnerships with FortisBC, Royal Bank Canada, the B.C. Real Estate Foundation, B.C. Gaming and the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen ensure many of the established programs continue to flourish and expand, she said.
The town’s annual $15,000 in funding support during the annual budget process the past two years has made a huge difference and the society’s board is hopeful the same funding commitment will be forthcoming during upcoming budget deliberations, said Eastlick.
“It makes a huge difference,” she said.
The organization has initiated a fundraising strategy to replace the trailers that have been the home of the interpretive centre since it opened 26 years ago, said Eastlick.
“It is a practical necessity as the trailers are well beyond their life span,” she said. “They have to be replaced … hopefully within five years or so.”
Eastlick didn’t go into details on how the organization plans on raising the significant amount of funds that will be needed to replace the trailers at the interpretive centre, but did note that there are many grants available to organizations like the Osoyoos Desert Society and she will continue to try and access those grants.
Mayor Stu Wells thanked Eastlick for her presentation and credited the organization for doing outstanding work in this community. A group of more than 50 volunteers deserve a great deal of credit for ensuring this small organization continues to flourish and succeed, he said. Council always looks forward to hearing from Eastlick and will consider her funding request during budget deliberations, said Wells.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
