Thank you to the knowledge keepers and speakers from the Kwantlen and Katzie Nations for providing the Halkomelem translations used throughout this blog post. The capitalized translations are Halq’eméylem (Upriver dialect of Halkomelem) and the lowercase words are hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (Downriver dialect).
The Langley Environmental Partners Society has finished planting at the new site of a landholder who recently signed on to be a part of the Foodlands corridor along the sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm (Salmon River)! In total, 283 whips and shrubs consisting of three species were planted by the team: t̕á:ts’elhp, t̕ec̓əɬp (hardhack), Tth’exwíyelhp, t̕ᶿəxʷiyəɬp (Red Osier Dogwood), and Qá:lqelhp, qelqəɬp (Baldhip Rose). These plants will create a stronger riparian habitat as they grow, forming a dense thicket that can increase bank stabilization, reduce erosion and provide essential vegetative cover for aquatic and terrestrial species.
With the addition of the newly planted site, the sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm Corridor now totals 11,035 m2 of restored natural area. The Foodlands team has worked hard to put 12,029 endemic plants in the ground, covering a total area of 7,785 m2, and have restored or created 2,870m2 of aquatic habitat.
Over the past year, Kerr Wood Leidal and Athene Ecological conducted Species-At-Risk (SAR) surveys and habitat suitability assessments along the sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm corridor. These SAR surveys were focused on four species; Little Brown Myotis, Western Screech Owl, xsʔə́tətət (Pacific Water Shrew), and wəq̓ə́q (Oregon Forestsnail). With recommendations from the surveys, the Foodlands team is moving forward with specific habitat improvements for each species in mind, such as incorporating big leaf maple and stinging nettle, a primary food source for wəq̓ə́q, into the habitat restoration work along the sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm. Foodlands will also be targeting priority areas for habitat restoration based on the habitat suitability data.
They also utilized acoustic surveys for the Little Brown Myotis, which recorded calls within some of the project sites and throughout the corridor, indicating that one or more large roosts are nearby. The Foodlands team has worked diligently to re-establish bat foraging habitat throughout the sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm corridor and have recently installed four maternity bat boxes at one of the restoration sites to enhance roosting habitat. Each box can host over 300 bats!
To wrap up all of these exciting updates, we are happy to announce that over the next year, Langley Environmental Partners Society and Kwantlen Land Guardians will be collaborating on the maintenance of project sites in the Foodlands corridor along the sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm.
This project was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada through the federal Department of Environment and Climate Change. Ce projet a été réalisé avec l’appui financier du gouvernement du Canada agissant par l’entremise du ministère fédéral de l’Environnement et du Changement climatique.
Additional funding support provided by Dr Bronner’s, InstaFund, the Pacific Salmon Foundation’s Community Salmon Program, and the Healthy Watersheds Initiative; a program funded by the Government of British Columbia and delivered by the Real Estate Foundation of BC in partnership with Watersheds BC.
We would also like to thank the Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance, Langley Environmental Partners Society, Kerr Wood Leidal Associates Ltd., səýeḿ Qwantlen (the business subsidiary of the Kwantlen First Nation), and local landholders for their collaboration and support.
Want to support the expansion of the Foodlands Corridor Restoration Program into other regions of the Fraser Watershed? Donate today!
Make sure to follow us on social media for weekly Foodlands Friday posts and subscribe to our newsletter, Rivershed Stories, below for more Foodlands updates!