Revisiting Nature

In this last post for 2022 I am revisiting an essential topic, one which is critical to my, and our, survival: nature.  

Nature is the whole composite of earth, wind, water and sun, and the plants and animals which use those forces. Put together, they comprise the ecosystem - and humans are part of that ecosystem. We exist because of nature.

No one single image can adequately capture my experience of nature in Victoria. Here are two.

Camas in morning sun. Camas is a vivid spring plant, native to the unique ecosystem of Garry Oak meadows, with a rich history of use as a food plant by the Lekwungen peoples.

Gull and oystercatchers at low tide. Much of Victoria's shoreline is designated a Migratory Bird Sanctuary, under the federal Migratory Bird Convention Act.

I've encountered these signs along many accesses to the ocean in Victoria. The Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary is the oldest in Canada. For more information, see https://vicharbourbirds.ca/. 

As I walk Victoria, I frequently encounter small pieces of evidence, like the signs above, that reflect efforts to educate us Victorians about the importance of nature here.

On the grounds of Government House, in the Garry Oak meadow, I encountered a NatureHood sign. Here is a photo from when it was installed, in 2017.

Bob Peart, then chair of Nature Canada, and Lt Gov Judy Guichon, 2017. This photo was taken during the unveiling of the NatureHood plaque at Government House. Source: https://naturecanada.ca/news/blog/naturehood-designation-in-victoria-bc/

Nature Canada, which represents organizations of naturalists across the country, describes NatureHood as a way of inspiring urban Canadians, especially youth, to celebrate, learn about, and care for nature.

There is now a NatureHood map of Greater Victoria. The brochure containing the map is jam-packed with information about places of especially high value for nature. 

Cover, NatureHood brochure / map. The map can be downloaded at https://www.gvnaturehood.com/greater-victoria-naturehood-map

Here is an image excerpted from the map:

Excerpt, NatureHood map of Victoria. The red highlighted area along the coast is the Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary.

I watched a short 4 minute video about three migratory bird sanctuaries in Greater Victoria, and the amazing richness of birdlife here. See https://www.gvnaturehood.com/post/new-videos-greater-victoria-s-three-migratory-bird-sanctuaries. The last speaker, Jacques Sirois, summed up his message: he wants those of us who live here to "pay attention".  

Those words remind me of the lines from Mary Oliver:

"Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it."

At a societal level, we pay attention when we map nature's features, and identify sensitive areas. And, at a personal level, when we explore nature mindfully.

These days, though, we need to do more than just "tell about it". Last year, 2021, marked the beginning of the United Nations Decade of Restoration. The purpose of this designation is big: to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean.

Logo of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

I mentioned how I see evidence of work to protect nature around Victoria. That work includes restoration. Here are a few examples:

Dinghy Dock and Gangway at Tod Inlet, where a partnership of organizations and BC Parks are working to protect and restore marine ecosystems. The sign indicates the organizations contributed to the construction of the dock and gangway.

Years ago I did a small piece of work for Seachange Marine Conservation Society, helping with a brochure about seagrass. Seachange is working to protect and restore seagrass beds which are a critical part of the marine ecosystem, providing habitat, food and nursery for many species. They are damaged by human activities including boat mooring methods, and runoff from land which reduce water clarity.

Image of seagrass. Source: Seachange Marine Conservation Society

The first step in protection is knowing what is there. Many coastal communities have participated in community seagrass mapping initiatives, and planted seagrass slips.

Communities with eelgrass mapping initiatives, from the Seachange website.  https://seagrassconservation.org/where-we-work/

Forest ecosystems are also the focus of restoration efforts; the next three photos illustrate signage in Cuthbert Holmes Park, which includes a section of the Colquitz River, its estuary, and a forest of semi-mature Douglas fir. 

This sign recognizes the role of volunteers in restoration efforts.

A very direct message for dog owners.

Signage emphasizing the sensitivity of this natural area, and the behaviour requested of users.

Restoration is time-consuming work requiring both expertise and willingness to put in laborious hours. Invasive plant management is one of the tasks that is particularly arduous; the reality is that invasive plants are a fact of life in many of Victoria's natural areas.

This sign, from the trail around Cedar Hill golf course, also recognizes the role of volunteers in helping with restoration.

Here is one final sign that involves education.

Sign near Gonzales Beach. I've noticed that humans are particularly drawn to "big" examples of nature such as whales and seals. Lifeforms such as pollinators, fungi and bacteria -- all of which are also essential to our survival -- are less exciting.

I started this post with the comment that we need nature in order to survive. Years ago the term "natural capital" was coined to express the unmeasurable importance of nature (although there have been attempts to quantify what nature brings us). A more common term now is "ecosystem services", used to describe what nature does for us -- divided into four categories of Supporting (e.g. cycling water and nutrients), Regulating (e.g. controlling processes like runoff), Provisioning (e.g.provision of food), and Cultural (e.g.recreation).

The four main categories of Ecosystem Services. Source: https://www.earthwiseaware.org/what-are-ecosystem-services/

The UN Biodiversity Conference ended in Montreal less than two weeks ago with a significant achievement -- an agreement to guide global action for nature, including focussing on biodiversity loss, ecosystem restoration, and protecting the rights of indigenous peoples. 

As one UN spokesperson said, the agreement is aimed at "truly making peace with nature". That sounds like a good goal for the next year.

May we deeply think about the consequences of our behaviour for nature, and make the changes nature needs us to make.

Golden Paintbrush, Beacon Hill Park. There are few populations remaining for this plant in this area; one small example of the need to strengthen biodiversity.