Growing Together, Eco-cultural Restoration of Rare Ecosystems and Species at Risk Project.
Background
Parks Canada has received funding for five years to restore priority Garry oak and coastal sand ecosystems, species at risk, and species of cultural interest to Indigenous partners at Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site (Fort Rodd Hill) and Gulf Islands National Park Reserve (Gulf Islands).
We will collaborate with WSÁNEĆ community members, as well as with volunteers and other partners, to integrate traditional and scientific knowledge in order to accomplish this important work.
WLC Enviro Committee Member JB Williams speaks to group at ȾELXOLU (Sidney Island)
We are proposing to establish an Environment Committee with WSÁNEĆ partners to work with us collaboratively on restoration, particularly in identifying species of cultural interest to enhance through restoration activities, and in providing advice on eco-cultural practices that will support our collective restoration goals. In addition, we would like to work with WSÁNEĆ partners to guide the development of programs and events over the duration of this five-year project April 2018 to March 2023.
Scope
3.1 Species at Risk Environment Committee: Growing Together Initiative
The WSÁNEĆ Environment Committee will consist of community members who have been identified by the WSÁNEĆ people as plant or species at risk experts. This knowledge can be gained from their own harvesting (for their own use, for others, or harvesting for a living), talking with other community members, and/or knowledge passed down to them from others. Because the goal of the overall project is to restore rare ecosystems, species at risk and species of cultural importance, participants should know about how plants, Garry Oak and coastal sands ecosystems were managed, tended and harvested by WSÁNEĆ people in the past (such as knowledge about plants of cultural importance, what plants were harvested and when, traditional uses of plants, fire on the landscape etc.). Participants should know about how plants of cultural interest and species at risk are doing today, such things as: good areas for plants, ways to harvest plants, when plants should be harvested, and what plants were used for. Each participant does not need to know all this information, but the total knowledge of the group should cover most of these aspects.
The scope of this contract is limited to facilitating species at risk Environment Committee involvement in restoration events and 2018-19 meetings. 6-8 Environment Committee members will attend and share WSÁNEĆ knowledge and participate in restoration and fall/winter/spring meetings. Participants do not need to represent a particular Nation, but just need to know a lot about plants and Garry oak and coastal sands ecosystems. The coordinator, WSÁNEĆ Leadership Committee, will attempt to ensure representation from each Nation.
Read more about our partnership with Parks Canada and the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
