As the Biologist for the Mayne Island Conservancy, I get to visit some pretty cool places, and see some amazing things. Finding hidden patches of wildflowers in bloom, watching giant silk moths emerge from cocoons, and observing the graceful movement of kelp crabs balancing on the tips of an eelgrass Read more…
In 2017 our community came together in an amazing way, raising money to help purchase what is now St. John Point Regional Park. This 68 acre park is a huge addition to the small public land area on Mayne Island being managed for nature conservation and low-impact recreation. Since becoming Read more…
Henderson Hill Community Park is a place of great natural diversity. Vulture Ridge faces south into the unrelenting summer sun, plants clinging to thin soils subjected to an extended drought each year. A short distance downslope, conditions are very different. Here a small wetland is home to plants rooted in Read more…
A Place of Many Values Many of you are familiar with Bennett Bay Park, the 26-acre property that includes Campbell Point and the area between the beach and Wilkes Road. This part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is well loved by Mayne Island residents and visitors alike, with Read more…
Despite the popular Christmas lyrics, please don’t deck your halls with boughs of holly. As with many invasive species that have naturalized across the Pacific Northwest, English holly was brought here in the mid 1800s to be planted in the gardens of settlers as a familiar piece of home. More Read more…
Red Alder: Young Forest Community Members Red alder (Alnus rubra) is a deciduous tree that grows abundantly in the Pacific Northwest. Their range spans between California and Alaska, and they grow particularly well in British Columbia’s climate. In the past this species was thought of as being over abundant, but Read more…
Our staff and volunteers have been busy at St. John Point over the fall and early spring, creating habitat for native species to thrive. If you frequent the park you may have noticed two fenced areas were created in recent months, one down slope from the parking lot around a Read more…
Mayne Island may be better known for twisting arbutus trees and rocky shorelines than marshes and swamps, but our soggy soiled wetlands have an important role to play. Not only are they a bustling hub of life and energy for plants and animals, they also provide essential services to us Read more…
All plants are grown on Mayne Island by the Mayne Island Conservancy from seeds and cuttings collected locally by hand. The plants are grown in our plant nursery without the use of artificial fertilizer or any pesticides. We use 100% rainwater to water our plants. Care is taken to follow Read more…
A History of Habitat Restoration at Henderson Park 2004: Henderson Hill logged along with the other properties in the Beechwood Drive property subdivision. 2006: Henderson Hill Park designated as a Community Park. Community Parks are managed by the local volunteer run Mayne Island Parks and Recreation Commission. 2006: Habitat restoration Read more…