By Times Chronicle Staff

A recent land purchase on the dry, lower slopes of Anarchist Mountain will greatly benefit the wildlife there.

So says the Southern Interior Land Trust (SILT) after acquiring the 16.6-hectare (41-acre) Bourguiba Spring property on Highway 3 southeast of Osoyoos.

The acquisition will provide the wildlife here with year-round access to drinking water in perpetuity.

The purchase was made possible in only a few months through the support of a variety of donors.

The Bourguiba Spring property is a steep, south-facing grassland with rock outcroppings above a ravine that protects a groundwater spring—the source of Bourguiba Creek which flows into Haynes Creek, a tributary of Osoyoos Lake.

Its steep slopes of sagebrush, bunchgrass, and scattered pines are home to California bighorn sheep, provide spring range for mule deer, and habitat for many species-at-risk, such as badger (endangered), rattlesnake (threatened), screech owl (threatened), and half-moon hairstreak butterfly (endangered).

Conservation of this habitat provides protection of valuable undeveloped land for wildlife, as well as offering opportunities for the public to enjoy birding and hiking in a natural setting with panoramic views.

Land Trust president Judie Steeves is thrilled with the acquisition.

“This is a beautiful piece of natural Okanagan landscape, where the aroma of sage and pinesap remind me of my childhood growing up in this valley.”

Steeves expressed her sadness about seeing so many of these natural features paved and built over in her lifetime.

“It’s very rewarding for me personally to participate in conserving a site where delicate mariposa lilies bend in the breeze, and I can hear the meadowlarks’ melody.”

Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, said the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss are two sides of the same coin, therefore, people must tackle them together.

“Protecting land plays a vital role in helping to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and contributes to the recovery of species at risk,” Guilbeault said.

Kyle Stelter, chief executive officer of the Wild Sheep Society of BC, noted the land purchase provides much-needed protection for larger wildlife in the area.

Visit SILT’s website to donate or for more information: siltrust.ca.