As the weather warms up, our gardens can offer a much-needed escape from the modern world. While urban gardens are places of beauty and refuge, their ecological value should not be underestimated.
The South Delta region has a high level of biodiversity thanks to its wide variety of ecosystems, and is home to a large number of native and at-risk species.
The Earthwise Garden, located at 6400 3rd Ave at Southlands, demonstrates how everyone can play a role in wildlife conservation and habitat stewardship.
Earthwise Society runs several wildlife awareness programs that support habitat conservation and benefit species at risk, both by creating or protecting habitat, and by promoting public awareness to encourage individuals to become actively involved in stewardship projects that improve habitat for local wildlife.
The Earthwise wildlife awareness programs involve monitoring, maintenance, enhancement, and the protection of wildlife, all of which can result in tangible wildlife conservation benefits.
Public demonstration gardens like Earthwise show the importance of creating habitat corridors for local wildlife in the midst of urban settings. Habitat corridors can be created in neighborhoods when home gardeners grow flowers that offer an abundance of pollen and nectar for bees and butterflies, or plant trees and shrubs to provide habitat for birds and other creatures. Taken together, these simple gardening actions support local wildlife species, many of which are threatened by habitat loss due to urban growth.
Outbuildings on farms and other properties also provide important habitat for wildlife.
For years, the white barn located at the Earthwise Garden has provided critical nesting sites for at-risk species. A breeding pair of barn swallows has nested in the rafters over the last month and hatched a hungry brood. The barn has also been a safe haven to a pair of breeding barn owls for many years. This barn owl pair now have two more healthy owlets, to add to the 18 that have been recorded successfully fledging from this nesting site over the past six years.
The nesting birds are carefully monitored by a dedicated team of Earthwise volunteers, supported by wildlife biologists.
“I have been lucky enough to be part of the Earthwise Barn Owl and Barn Swallow monitoring program for several years now,” says volunteer Dave Robinson. “This has been a most rewarding experience for our group of volunteers.”
Outside the barn, the garden itself has been home to a wide variety of other birds. Recently a nesting duck was discovered carefully hidden in a vegetable garden, where she successfully hatched three healthy ducklings. A robin’s nest, hidden by foliage, shelters eggs ready to hatch.
Rufous and Anna’s hummingbirds can be seen at the Earthwise garden year round, attracted by flowers that bloom almost year round.
The Earthwise Garden, which is open daily, provides habitat for a range of other animals and visitors are welcome to stroll along the meandering paths, sit on the benches, and observe nature. If you would like to learn more about what you can do at home to create safe habitat for urban wildlife, and to learn more about the Earthwise Wildlife Awareness programs, please email [email protected].
