Broadmead Newsletter

Articles from the Broadmead Newsletter and BARA Bugle

Introduction

This section contains articles reprinted from the Broadmead Community Association Newsletter that reference Rithet’s Bog.  This newsletter is published by the Broadmead Area Residents’ Association and was formerly called the BARA Bugle.  Rithet’s Bog Conservation Society volunteers regularly contribute articles.

The Fauna of Rithet’s Bog:  Townsend’s Vole

Broadmead Community Association Newsletter  –  2023 Spring

Townsend’s voles are medium sized microtine rodents that are closely related to muskrats.  They are native to Vancouver Island and inhabit wet meadows and the edges of wetlands.  Rithet’s Bog has long standing populations in several areas with suitable habitat.

Pulling Together

Broadmead Community Association Newsletter  –  2022 Fall

A summary of the Saanich Pulling Together Volunteer Program and the work Pulling Together volunteers do in Broadmead.  There are Pulling Together projects in Boulderwood Park, Chatterton Hill Park, Emily Carr Park, Lohbrunner Park, Rithet’s Bog Conservation Area and Shadywood Park.

Fawn Lilies, Harbingers of Spring

The  BARA Bugle  –  2022 Spring

The White Fawn Lily (Erythronium oregonum) is one of the earliest blooming of our native wildflowers

Rithet’s Bog – South Perimeter Ditch Restoration Project

The  BARA Bugle  –  2021 Spring

The South Perimeter Ditch is one of only a few sites in Rithet’s Bog that reliably retains standing water during the late summer dry period.  At the beginning of this project the ditch was completely over grown by invasive Reed Canary Grass and Hairy Willowherb, with no open water.  This article describes efforts to remove the invasive species, plant native aquatic plants and restore part of the ditch to a native aquatic ecosystem.

Rithet’s Bog – East Pond Restoration Project

The  BARA Bugle  –  2020 Spring

The East Pond is one of only a few sites in Rithet’s Bog that reliably retains standing water during the late summer dry period.  By 2016 it had become completely overgrown by invasive species:  Himalayan blackberry, Reed canary grass and Hairy willowherb.  This article describes efforts to restore part of the pond to a native aquatic ecosystem.

An Eclectic History of Broadmead

The  BARA Bugle  –  2006 Fall  – Valerie Green

An anecdotal tour through some of the history of the Broadmead area from the 1890’s through to the 1990’s.

A Healing Place

The  BARA Bugle  –  2006 Spring  – John Lucas

A personal account of how Rithet’s Bog and the healing powers of its natural beauty helped a relative through difficult times.

A Man of the Land

The  BARA Bugle  –  2005 Fall  – John Lucas

Some reminiscences of Jack Burge, whose family farmed Rithet’s Bog and much of the land now occupied by the Broadmead community from the 1930’s up until 1965.

Under the Blossom that Hangs Upon the Bough

The  BARA Bugle  –  2005 Spring  – John Lucas

An anecdotal tour through some of the history of the Broadmead area from the 1890’s through to the 1990’s.

Memories of Rithet’s Bog

The  BARA Bugle  –  2004 Fall  – John Lucas

A collection of some of the memories of five people about the place Rithet’s Bog played in their lives over the years.