Drag the circle with the arrows to the right and left to see a section of the pilot site before and during the restoration work. “Before” photo provided by Al Jonsson. “During” photo by Lara Volgyesi.
Planting is complete at both of our Foodlands pilot sites along the sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm (Salmon River). Despite the challenges imposed by the flooding at the sites, we were able to get 7,931 plants in the ground with another 1,000+ to be planted in the spring when the water recedes again.
See below for a list of plants that have gone in the ground to date!
Now that we’re wrapping up construction for the year, the Foodlands team is excited to start planning our next restoration sites within the sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm corridor.
We are filled with gratitude for the incredible relations and connections of this work, with people, place, plants and stories. The restoration work on the pilot sites goes beyond planting native species to include restoring connections to the land and to each other. Special thanks to our partners səýeḿ Qwantlen (the business subsidiary of the Kwantlen First Nation), Langley Environmental Partners Society, Kerr Wood Leidal, and the landholders who have made this important work possible.
Kelly Yates, a Kwantlen First Nation Elder and fisherman (above), has been at the heart of the project, and it truly wouldn’t be the same without him – and so he got to plant the last Xéltsepelhp – χeleʔəɬp (willow) whip! Kelly continues to inspire us with his joy, humour, knowledge and wisdom along with his hard work and site coordination.
Here is what we’ve planted at the pilot site:
Capitalized words in green are in Halq’eméylem (the Upriver dialect of the broader language of Halkomelem), and the lower case words in blue are in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (the Downriver dialect).
Black Cottonwood | Chewõ:lhp – cəw̓i:ɬp
Black Hawthorn | Máts’íyelhp – məc̓ənəɬp
Douglas Fir | Lá:yelhp – ley̓əɬp
Grand Fir | T’oxwelhp – taʔxʷəɬp
Hardhack | Tá:ts’elhp – t̕ec̓əɬp
Indian Plum Tree | Məlχʷələɬp
Nootka Rose Bush | Qá:lqelhp – qelqəɬp
Pacific Crab Apple | Qwe’ó:pelhp – qʷəʔapəɬp
Red Elderberry Shrub | Sth’iwuq’ulhp – t̕ᶿiwəqəɬp
Red Flowering Currant | sqʷəliʔəs
Red Osier Dogwood | Th’exwíyelhp – t̕ᶿəxʷiyəɬp
Sitka Spruce | Ts’qw’élhp – c̓q̓ʷəɬp
Snowberry | Pepq’éyó:s – p̓ip̓q̓əyas
Sword Fern | Slháwél
Thimbleberry | Tqwémelhp – t̕qʷəməɬp
Willow | Xéltsepelhp – χeleʔəɬp
We are working on learning the Halq’eméylem and hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ words for Baldhip Rose, Pacific Ninebark and Vine Maple, as well as the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ words for Indian Plum Tree, Red Flowering Currant and Sword Fern. If you know them, please share with us!
We are working in collaboration with səýeḿ Qwantlen (the business subsidiary of the Kwantlen First Nation), Langley Environmental Partners Society, Kerr Wood Leidal Associates Ltd. and local landholders along the river to restore this habitat to support over-wintering Coho salmon.
This restoration work is supported by the Healthy Watersheds Initiative, a program which is funded by the Government of British Columbia and delivered by The Real Estate Foundation of BC in partnership with Watersheds BC.