This project, located in the Cowichan Valley of Vancouver Island, will be conducted along three main avenues:

1. Stewardship of the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve's internationally significant oak woodlands to enhance wildlife habitat quality (exotic species control, and planting native species to enhance habitat quality, removal of encroaching native shrubs and conifers, maintenance of a nest box program, and so on);
2. Wetland habitat stewardship and restoration on newly acquired land, as well as on habitat awaiting protection through conservation covenants on adjacent landowners' properties (exotic species removal, planting of riparian oaks, sedges, rushes, and shrubs that will enhance the habitat value for wildlife); and
3. Habitat restoration connecting intact wetland habitats to intact upland oak habitats (removal of exotic ground cover and replacement with native grass and forb cover), as well as hydro-riparian corridor restoration and stewardship along an un-named fish-bearing stream (riparian plantings, bank stabilization, and so on).

The wetland habitats, dominated by emergent shrubs and a virtually extinct riparian Garry oak community, are nearly all that remain of the Quamichan Lake component of the Cowichan-Chemainus wetland complex identified as critical habitat for migratory waterfowl by the Pacific Estuary Conservation Program.

Inventory, and planning work will precede stewardship and restoration action. Detailed monitoring and evaluation of the project will enable the identification of best practices and techniques of interest to other managers in Canada and the United States.

For more information on this project, please contact Tim Ennis, Director of Land Stewardship, Nature Conservancy of Canada (B.C. region), Victoria, B.C.