The Conservancy’s native plant nursery has limited availability this spring due to persistent high demand over the past couple of years (thank you for your support!). We do have a small amount of about 25 different native species, and will be offering an email-based sale for members only this spring Read more…
During my youth growing up in north-western BC, my first physical encounter with stinging nettle was while ambling along a creek side close to where my friends Joy and June lived. Although I was still in elementary school, I had some knowledge of the native plants that grew in our Read more…
I joined the Mayne Island Conservancy many years ago because their members are concerned about the land and the future of the earth, and take action where they live. When I joined the Conservancy Board in 2022, I did so because I believed the Conservancy would be a good organization Read more…
If you stand underneath a large Douglas fir this time of year, it may not be as quiet and still as you’d expect. Chickadees peck at the cones, chittering juncos scavenge fallen seeds, a nuthatch clings upside down on the trunk and regards you curiously, flickers hunt insects in the Read more…
Ethnobotanical gardens are landscapes that feature culturally relevant native trees and understory plants while also functioning as places that revitalize traditional knowledge. We are happy to announce that the PEPÁḴEṈ HÁUTW̱ Foundation, W̱SÁNEĆ artists, W̱SÁNEĆ Curator Rose Spahan, the Mayne Island Conservancy, and the Campbell Bay Music Festival Society are Read more…
If you’re enjoying the mild fall, you are not alone. Some native plants have evolved to take advantage of the remaining warmth and sun during this normally wetter end to the growing season. There are several annual wildflowers that germinate in the fall and establish leaves before hunkering down for Read more…
There are few things in life that provide as much satisfaction as watching plants grow. Many of us first experience this as small children, peering down at germinating bean seeds in classrooms scented by washable paint and warm peanut butter sandwiches. The small act of planting can have an impact Read more…
Did you know that we have six native species of flowering members of the onion family here in British Columbia, four of which you might encounter when out on the trails of Mayne Island? The most common is nodding onion (Allium cernuum), and the ones seen less often are Hooker’s Read more…
Oceanspray, also known as cream bush rock spirea, ironwood or arrowwood is a common native flowering shrub found growing in forests on the Southern Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island. In logged areas, or forests recovering from wildfire, it may be one of the first plants to appear. In July, we Read more…
This is part one of the “Below Our Feet” series. This series of articles aims to shine a light on the mysterious underground world of plant life beneath our feet. Held together by roots, soil organisms, bacteria, and fungi run this underground world of decomposing plant material. Plants whose aboveground Read more…