Heather Toles is an example of what can be taken from the WEP program and applied in one’s own backyard. After attending the Wetlandkeepers course in 2007, and the Wetland Institute in 2010 her interest in wetland conservation became a daily project. Her backyard was one of the sites of wetland construction for the 2010 Wetland Institute, and from her home she witnesses the flourishing of this site. We recently visited the wetland with wetland construction expert Tom Biebighauser in August 2011 and were pleased to see it teeming with life: signs of shore birds and deer and plenty of large dragonflies. Click here to be taken to a photo album that records this visit.
Heather now sits on a committee as an advisor for the Barnhartvale-Dallas Nature Park Wetland Restoration Project. She has recently attended the BCWF WEP Puddle Project 2011 in North Vancouver and the Logan Lake Restoration project put on by Marge Sidney and the Logan Lake Enhancement Group. Heather has now embarked on a new wetland-related adventure: participating in the BCWF Bog Blog as its’ first Steward author, and she is also sharing her photographs of her wetland work. Take a look at them here!
Also see Heather’s feature in our our article for Women’s Outdoor Life Magazine!
BCWF Bog Blog 
Heather, it was neat seeing the turtles (& the frogs) at your place recently. They looked quite at home there.
In researching the Western Painted Turtles, I now have a plan to enhance the turtle nesting site. They do not like vegetation around the nest site so I will clear the area and add more sand. They are small turtles and may not be mature yet to breed, however, there may be more turtles in the area that discover the pond and nesting site next year.