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Waking up from winter

Garter snakes warm up next to Dutch Lake after emerging from hibernaculum
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Garter snakes gather on a rock near Dutch Lake last spring.

The property at the northwest corner of Dutch Lake definitely should be made into a park, say Clearwater residents Mike and Lisa Wilkinson.

One reason they give is that there is a garter snake hibernaculum located on the property.

The Wilkinsons estimate that at least 50 of the snakes hibernate in the space.

Garter snakes are an important factor in controlling the number of frogs in the lake, they point out.

“It’s the ecosystem at work,” said Mike Wilkinson.

The 57-acre property was the subject of last week’s editorial and Question of the Week. It was recently listed for sale through LandQuest Realty for $600,000. The property has a land use contract that allows for its subdivision into 43 strata lots.