NCC Magazine - Spring 2020

Left: Volunteers work
together to remove
invasive species.
Bottom: Purple martin
nest boxes installed on
new wetlands at Chase
Woods Nature Reserve.
Transforming ecosystems
Lesley Marian Neilson, NCC communications
manager for BC, says volunteer efforts are
crucial in helping transform ecosystems heavily
affected by development or agriculture.
“Historically, these lands were tidally flooded
wetlands,” she describes, noting that, in
the past, wetlands have made up less than
three per cent of the BC coast. “This area
used to be directly connected to the estuary.
It would have been used by juvenile salmon
and other intertidal species. But that ended
when the dikes were built and the wetlands
were turned into hayfields. We have lost most
of the wetlands on Vancouver Island over the
past century. This has a serious impact on the
birds, fish, amphibians and other wildlife that
require wetlands to live. So restoring wetlands
is a vital conservation action,” she adds,
watching as violet-green tree swallows swoop
low over the landscape, darting in and out of
newly constructed nesting boxes.
The initial work required heavy machinery
to pull out the top layer of reed canarygrass
and dig channels to reproduce the winding
path of a creek that had been diverted into
a deep ditch to drain the marshland.
“Restoration projects can look very messy
at first, as we remove what shouldn’t be here
to recreate the environments required by
wildlife. Here, we have introduced piles of
logs and mounds of earth in and around the
The loss of species and habitats is the result
of death by a thousand cuts. It’s going to
require thousands of restoration actions to
bring some of that back.
ponds to establish a natural wetland structure.
These provide niche habitats for different species,”
Neilson explains.
“Nature is so resilient, and sometimes it
just needs a helping hand to undo some of the
damage and start coming back.”
The invasive reed canarygrass is a beast to
knock back since, if even a bit of root is left
the plant will start growing again.
“But, if we can reduce its abundance, the
native plants will become more established,
and the ecosystem will begin to shift to a natural
marsh wetland. It’s not a one-time endeavour;
it will take years of management and
restoration,” says Neilson.
Restoration ecology
Dan Kraus, NCC senior conservation biologist,
explains that the science of restoration
ecology developed out of a growing need to
bring back disappearing species and habitats,
not only to conserve biological diversity, but
also to benefit people.
“The loss of species and habitats is the
result of death by a thousand cuts. It’s going
to require thousands of restoration actions
to bring some of that back,” he says.
Kraus emphasizes that acquiring and restoring
one or two properties in an area can
be seen as a drop in the bucket, but when
cumulative restoration work continues for
decades, it makes a real difference.
NCC’s restoration projects include tree
planting, management of invasive plants
and reintroducing natural processes, such
as bringing fire back to the landscape.
“Traditionally, NCC has focused on habitat
restoration, hoping that, if we restore it, they
will come, but for some plants and animals, they
simply cannot get there on their own,” he adds.
“There is a growing need to reintroduce
endangered animals on our properties. For
example, we’re partnering with the Calgary
Zoo to bring back the greater sage-grouse,
a grassland bird that is endangered in both
Canada and the U.S.”
MELISSA RENWICK.
10 SPRING 2020 natureconservancy.ca