The new habitat restoration site at St. John Point has now been planted with native trees and shrubs thanks to the hard work of community volunteers and students from the Mayne School. All the plants were grown from locally collected seeds and cuttings and grown in our native plant nursery over the past two years.
In total we planted 126 trees, primarily Douglas fir with small amounts of western red cedar, grand fir, big-leaf maple, and western hemlock. We planted 145 shrubs from eight different species including red-flowering currant, oceanspray, black hawthorn, snowberry, sword fern, dull Oregon grape, and straggly gooseberry. We also sowed some extra wildflower seeds we had, so keep an eye out for species such as seablush which should add a splash of pink to the site in May of 2023.
The planting day with the students was rewarding and chaotic. Younger students were paired with older buddies and worked in teams of two to plant 100 trees and 43 shrubs. Hands got dirty, trees were named, shouts of excitement were heard, and hopefully some future land stewards were inspired. This site has the benefit of being easily accessible, so students can visit over time and watch the trees they planted grow, providing habitat for other wildlife.
Thank You
This planting would not be possible without the hard work of our community volunteers and students at the Mayne School, so thank you to everyone who has helped and will help with this great project. Thank you also to our funding partners Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Victoria Foundation, BC Gaming, and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation for their contributions.
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