BC Parks Foundation and the Metchosin Foundation have teamed up to create a new nature reserve in the heart of the South Vancouver Island Bilston Creek watershed.
“This is a story about natural spaces and wildlife that are facing big odds, and the great people that are saving them,” said Andy Day, CEO of BC Parks Foundation.
The two organizations acquired a 32-acre parcel of the Biltson Creek watershed, which was previously owned by a private family in Metchosin.
“I love this project because it shows that if you set your mind to making a direct positive impact, you can create a fantastic legacy for people and animals now and far in the future,” Day said.
The new reserve in Metchosin will protect a dry Coastal Douglas-fir rainforest alongside bears, cougars and wolves. It will include wetlands and mature forests.
It will contribute to the ecosystem, and the watershed will be a welcome addition to the municipality, said Marie-Terese Little, Metchosin’s mayor.
“We are pleased to see this nature reserve become a reality for Metchosin and recognize its contribution to ecosystem stewardship in our broader region,” Little said.
The purchase of the new property will protect the ecosystems from hilltop headwaters to the seashore at Wittys Lagoon, said Valerie Jaeger, president of the Metchosin Foundation.
“We hope this nature reserve is the first in a series of conservation outcomes for the Bilston Creek watershed in Victoria’s Westshore region,” Jaeger said.
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