Important designation for biodiversity on Christmas Hill
Rick Marshall, Board Director at Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary
October 2024
Photo: Cara Gibson
Christmas Hill, the uplands section of the Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary in Saanich, BC, has officially been recognized as a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) by KBA Canada Coalition, a collaborative of national nature conservation groups working with federal and provincial governments to promote conservation and stewardship of natural biodiversity in Canada.
Christmas Hill is a valuable remnant of endangered Garry Oak ecosystems, an oak-forested urban hilltop with no roads or vehicle traffic, but with a well-defined internal trail system and strategic fencing to protect sensitive areas. The site “some of the region’s rarest plant communities, including deep-soil Douglas fir and Garry Oak woodland, rock outcrop, and vernal pond communities" (Beckwith 2011). The area supports some 250 plant species and numerous animals. These lands are important for Indigenous peoples, with hundreds of species of plants and game that have been harvested for food, clothing, medicines, shelter and ceremony. For the last 50 years, the land has been stewarded by a small, skilled team of dedicated staff, and active community volunteers.
Faced with a global environmental crisis, the KBA Program in Canada (and globally) supports the identification, mapping, monitoring and conservation of habitats to help safeguard the most critical sites for nature. We are pleased to receive this designation to help protect this special place!
Links
info@swanlake.bc.ca
Office Hours:
Mon - Fri: 9:00am – 4:00pm
3873 Swan Lake Road,
Victoria, BC, V8X 3W1
swanlake.bc.ca
We acknowledge the lək ̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Esquimalt) Peoples on whose territory the Nature Sanctuary stands, and the lək ̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.
We respect the vital relationships of First Peoples with these lands and waters for countless generations. We are honoured to receive Indigenous guidance and welcome collaboration in stewardship and appreciation of the Nature Sanctuary.
