Local land trust works largely behind the scenes
Trying to get a handle on the dozens of invasive plant and animal species that pop up in the Okanagan is like a game of whacka-mole.
The game only gets tougher when people dump unwanted goldfish into waterways, and nurseries sell invasives like purple loosestrife which quickly spread out of people’s gardens.
But despite all that, the Central Okanagan Land Trust keeps on playing.
The trust is hard at work controlling invasive species, partnering with municipalities and other groups on environmental projects while assembling a portfolio of lands that are protected from development throughout the Regional District of Central Okanagan.
Executive director Wayne Wilson said a great example of their work on reducing invasives is the ongoing project at Munson Pond in Kelowna, where yellow flag iris and purple loosestrife crowd out native plants and clog up the water. Gigantic goldfish are found in the pond too – they prey on native fish species and out-compete them for food.
“Invasive species are a thing in pretty much all of the areas we work in. Purple loosestrife and yellow flag iris are very pretty and are sold as ornamentals, but they tend to take over and choke out native species. We’ve been working with the Rotary Club of Kelowna and the city of Kelowna to try to get rid of those species in Munson Pond,” he said. “You can never get rid of all of it, but you can do lots.”
Removing invasive plants is made more painstaking because the trust doesn’t use herbicides.
However their efforts are helped along by a partnership with Thompson Rivers University, where Dr. Catharine Tarasoff has developed a pulling technique for dealing with yellow flag iris. The trust is sharing the new method with environmental groups and local governments throughout the valley, Wilson said.
What can people do to help control invasive species? Wilson said it starts with education – and not planting invasives themselves. “Individuals can educate themselves on what invasive species are on their properties in their areas, how to identify them and how best to deal with them. And don’t go and buy these invasive plants and put them into your gardens as ornamentals,” he said.
“If you find them, you should pull them. And after you pull them, they need to be disposed of properly, which means they should go into the garbage and eventually into the dump. Don’t put them into your compost bin and don’t burn them because those seeds can last for a long time and some plants are triggered by burning,” he said.
The Central Okanagan Land Trust formed in 1991, as the Central Okanagan Parks and Wildlife Trust.
It’s one of 33 land trusts in B.C. More than 800 acres of land has been donated to the trust, and it has conservation covenants on 75 acres of that land.
Conservation covenants are agreements between the landowner and the organization holding the covenant that directs the ways in which the land may be used.
“We have conservation covenants, for example, along the Mission Creek Greenway, that allow us to apply for federal government grants that the city and regional district are not eligible for,” said Wilson. “But because we hold the conservation covenant, we can. On Munson Pond we were able to secure $100,000 which helped us build the viewing platform, trails and plant new stock. That $100,000 the city of Kelowna could not apply for.”
Wilson, who joined the land trust in 2012 and has a background in geography and landscape, said their work is fairly low-profile but impacts many lives.
Their success involves long-standing partnerships with environmental groups like Friends of Mission Creek, Friends of the South Slopes and Central Okanagan Naturalists Club, and with local government.
“Much of our history is about good partnerships with local governments. For example, if you look at Kelowna’s Official Community Plan, large parts of it talk about the need for environmental stewardship and sensitivity, so there’s a natural synergy there,” he said.
The assessed value of the trust’s land holdings is over $8 million.
These are lands it has acquired are from people in the community who are interested in protecting land from development and securing natural corridors for wildlife to be able to move around.
Wilson said they hope to make an announcement this summer on newly acquired lands from Okanagan donors, lands which have major conservation value for habitat preservation.
The land trust’s involvement sometimes makes it easier for local governments to acquire lands because of their reputation as environmental stewards and protectors of natural habitat.
“The city and the RDCO are always looking to purchase lands for parks, and they can do that on their own, but donors sometimes like to know that the land trust is involved as well,” said Wilson. “People sometimes feel more comfortable when COLT is involved. We’re seen as a trusted partner by all sides.”
For more information about the Central Okanagan Land Trust, how to support their work and how to donate cash or lands, go to coltrust.ca.