We are collaborating with First Nations and agricultural landholders to restore portions of private land adjacent to waterways within the Fraser Watershed.
As a decolonized approach to habitat restoration, Foodlands features collaboration with First Nations through the co-design of corridor sites, the integration of traditional knowledge and language, and the creation of local jobs.
Foodlands strives to be an ethical space of engagement by convening people who wouldn’t ordinarily meet. Bringing together agricultural landholders, First Nations rights and title holders, and other community stakeholders to develop a collective restoration vision, the Foodlands program addresses both environmental and cultural concerns, creating a space for cross-cultural learning, together, on the land and about the land.
See this sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm Corridor document for more about the work taking place along the sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm (Salmon River).
The term Foodlands acknowledges a diversity of food harvesting systems, both from a western farming and traditional hunting and gathering perspective. Foodlands Corridors are created by restoring and connecting adjacent parcels of privately held land to form a natural corridor. A restored Foodlands Corridor supports a food system that is healthy, sustainable, just, and inclusive. The long-term goal of Foodlands is for fully restored corridors to be stewarded in perpetuity by local Nations, landholders, and other community members.
For hundreds of years, farming and other colonial land uses have caused degradation of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, subsequently impacting the communities that depend on the stɑl̓əw̓ for their food systems and livelihoods. Historically, Canada’s approach to conservation has been grounded in the colonial idea of preserving natural landscapes, often without the consent of those who have stewarded these lands for thousands of years and with little regard for their health and well-being.
Foodlands recenters local Indigenous knowledge, ecological values, and cultural practices, making them the heart of restoration and land stewardship work to connect, protect and restore the Fraser Watershed.
“stɑl̓əw̓” is the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ word for the Fraser River. hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ is the Downriver dialect of Halkomelem; one of many Indigenous languages spoken across the Fraser Watershed. Translations provided by Knowledge Keepers and language learners from Kwantlen and Katzie Nations.
“sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm” is the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ word for the Salmon River. hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ is the Downriver dialect of Halkomelem. Translations provided by Knowledge Keepers and language learners from Kwantlen and Katzie Nations.
Rivershed is implementing a Foodlands corridor on the sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm (Salmon River) in Langley, in the shared territory of the Kwantlen, Katzie, Semiahmoo and Matsqui Nations. We are working in collaboration with səýeḿ Qwantlen (the business subsidiary of the Kwantlen First Nation), Langley Environmental Partners Society, Kerr Wood Leidal, Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance, Kwantlen Land Guardians, and multiple landholders along the river.
At various stages throughout project planning, Rivershed is consulting and working with Kwantlen and Katzie Knowledge Holders to integrate culturally significant plants in the habitat restoration plans, which also focus on the animals and other targeted species that have been harvested and hunted for spiritual, nutritional, and/or medicinal purposes. To uphold the traditional place, plant and animal names, Knowledge Holders are providing translations in local dialects of Halkomelem.
Drag the line to the right and left to see a “before” photo of a floodplain at the site during construction, and “after” the restoration work was finished.
“Before” photo by Al Jonsson. “After” photo by Kendra Nelson.
In 2021, work began in the sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm corridor with two parcels located on the floodplain of the river. In an area wrought with invasive Reed Canary Grass, the team replanted 4,642 m2 of the riparian zone with endemic species that will provide abundant instream and overhead cover for salmon and enhance the biodiversity of aquatic, avian, and terrestrial species within the corridor. The project has also created approximately 2,870 m2 of new or restored wetted habitat for overwintering kwóxweth / kʷəxʷəθ (coho salmon).
As of Fall 2022, Foodlands has restored 6 of 12 potential parcels within the sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm corridor. With 12,000 endemic plants already in the ground and nearly 11,000 m2 (1.1 hectares) of restored natural area along the river, Foodlands aims to restore another 1.5 to 2.5 hectares to create a fully restored Foodlands Corridor on the sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm.
Drag the line left and right to see an off-channel wetted habitat that was created. The before image is during construction, and the after photo is the off-channel habitat one year later.
“Before” photo by Brendan Chu of NERV productions.
Restore species-at-risk habitat on the sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm (Salmon River) through the removal of invasive species, endemic replanting, building bat and owl boxes, creating off channel wetlands and creating a robust riparian buffer.
Cultivate cross-cultural understanding of Indigenous food systems and land management at the direction of səýeḿ Qwantlen and Kwantlen First Nation through the planning, implementation and maintenance of the project site.
Foodlands is currently enhancing and building new relationships within the Nechako region of the Fraser Watershed, within the territories of the Stellat’en, Nadleh Whut’en, and Saik’uz Nations. The Foodlands team is exploring an opportunity for establishing the first restoration sites for a Foodlands Corridor within the region. We are continuing to learn about priority areas and issues, the impacts of logging, farming, and ranching in the area, while working towards developing collaborative relationships with landholders, other organizations and local communities. Stay tuned for updates via our blog and socials!
“Rivershed is nothing short of a first-class organization. From the leadership down to the boots on the ground! The pilot project was well organized, and everyone involved knew exactly what the plans were on a daily, weekly basis. One day, I was building fencing and walked over to where the main stem channel connected to the Salmon River and was stopped in my tracks. I saw a six-inch Coho leave our habitat and enter the river! That moment made all the hard workdays worth it! The feeling of seeing that fish using a habitat I was part of creating will stick with me forever.”
Kelly Yates, Kwantlen First Nation Elder and key team member.
We’ve translated learnings from the Foodlands Program’s restoration project along the sc̓e:ɬxʷəyəm (Salmon River)* Corridor into a free resource to support collaborative restoration efforts. Download the Foodlands Toolkit to use as an aid to guide your project. It includes:
Tips and suggestions.
Worksheets to help with project workflows, processes and planning.
UNDRIP articles.
Stories about our experiences restoring the sc̓e:ɬxʷəyəm Corridor.
Interested in learning more about Foodlands? Please fill in the following information and a member of the Foodlands team will be in touch!
Mid-August to mid-October are busy months in the world of habitat restoration, and this year the Foodlands sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm (Salmon River)* Corridor has been no exception. The Foodlands Corridor Restoration Program team took on two new ambitious projects to expand the corridor this fall: another bank stabilization project and a marsh connectivity project. “sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm” is the…
In August 2021, Rivershed launched the Foodlands Corridor Restoration Program and began work on the first pilot restoration site along the sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm (Salmon River)* in Langley, in the shared territory of the Kwantlen, Katzie, Semiahmoo and Matsqui Nations. Two years later, the transformative impact of Foodlands is evident. Seven parcels along the river have undergone…
Planting at the new site. Photo courtesy of Langley Environmental Partners Society. 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…
This restoration work was supported by 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.
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 and the Pacific Salmon Foundation Community Salmon Program.
Support Foodlands, donate today.
Happy #FoodlandsFriday! 🌸 Today we are highlighting the sqʷəliʔəs (Red Flowering Currant)*, one of the species planted at the Foodlands corridor on the sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm (Salmon River). 🌸 sqʷəliʔəs are great for riparian restoration as the dense shrubs provide food and shelter for wildlife and their root system helps stabilize stream banks and reduce soil erosion. The shrubs are also drought tolerant and provide food and habitat for wildlife, especially migrating hummingbirds.
🌱 Want to learn more about the Foodlands Corridor Restoration Program? Check out the link in our bio!
*hәn̓q̓әmin̓әm (Downriver dialect of Halkomelem) translations provided by Knowledge Keepers and language learners from Kwantlen and Katzie Nations.
#SpeciesSpotlight #FraserWatershed #WatershedRestoration #Naturegram
In the quieter months, when restoration work slows for the year, we focus on growing relationships— an essential part of monitoring and maintenance so we welcome the new growth of spring in a good way. 🌱
This month, we took to the road to visit communities in the Upper Fraser. 🌊
Each tributary holds a different story, and we’re honoured to continue the slow process of listening, learning, and connecting initiatives across the Fraser watershed.
For every Foodlands project, we commit to at least five years of effectiveness monitoring. This isn’t just a regulatory requirement—it’s a shared opportunity to strengthen relationships, see what’s working, adapt where needed, and refine our approach to improve outcomes.
Looking for connection in your unique part of the watershed? ✉️ Sign up for our newsletter —link in bio!
#FoodlandsFriday #HabitatRestoration #UpperFraser #GenerationRestoration
This February was exceptionally cold in the Lower Fraser, which kept us from working on-site at the sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm Corridor, so some of our team members have been keeping busy by learning more about stream restoration. 🌊
This month’s #FoodlandsFriday is about large woody debris and how it can create in-stream structural complexity, a topic the team has been digging into. This video from the Foodlands site shows how big logs are driven into the streambed to anchor more logs and woody debris. This will allow the river to renew natural stream processes and improve its freshwater habitat. 🪵
Other benefits of large woody debris include the retention of sediment for spawning substrate, the creation of pool habitat to provide fish safe refuge in summer and mitigating the downstream effects of droughts and floods.
If you’re still reading this, congratulations! This is a dense subject matter, proving there is rarely easy solutions for difficult problems. If you are interested in learning more about latest restoration practices and research from the Pacific Northwest and beyond, check out the Knowledge Exchange Workshop Series at https://psf.ca/knowledge-exchange-workshop-series/ (link in bio).
#WetlandRestoration #HabitatRestoration #FreshwaterHabitat
A BIG thank you to our funders! 🎉
The Foodlands Corridor Restoration Program would not be possible without support from funders. With concern for watershed security across the province increasing, support from funders is key for local communities to build resilience. We deeply appreciate the generous financial support we receive to help connect, protect and restore the Fraser Watershed. 💚
@healthywatersbc, @governmentofbc, @refbc, @drbronner, @pacificsalmonfoundation, @canenvironment, @sparcbc, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation
#ThankYou #FraserWatershed #ProtectOurRivers #WatershedSecurity
Last summer, wetland connectivity and expansion were top priorities for the sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm (Salmon River)* Foodlands Corridor. The team worked to create new wetlands and enhance existing wetland habitats to help support the local ecosystem.
Along the sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm, wetlands provide important habitat for juvenile salmon species, beavers, birds, amphibians and insects. These animals are often sneaky, and we only find their footprints!
“sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm” is the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ word for the Salmon River. hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ is the Downriver dialect of Halkomelem. Translations provided by Knowledge Keepers and language learners from Kwantlen and Katzie Nations.
🌱 Learn more about our 2024 Habitat Restoration projects—link in bio!
📷 credits: Elise Carelse, Miki Eslake.
#WorldWetlandsDay #FoodlandsFriday #WetlandRestoration #HabitatConservation #RestorationProjects
Thanks to donors like YOU, incredible progress is being made at the Foodlands Corridor on the sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm sites, where we’re restoring vital habitat, protecting wildlife, and building resilient ecosystems in the Fraser Watershed.
Your support makes this happen—and there’s still so much more to do! Donate $50 or more and receive a beautiful set of notecards featuring birds of the Fraser as a thank you. 🦅💌
Let’s keep growing this movement together! https://rivershed.com/donate - Link in bio.
#WatershedCPR #GenerationRestoration #LangleyBC #FoodlandsFriday
Are you involved in land stewardship and interested in decolonization? We have something that may be of interest to you.
We have translated learnings from the Foodlands Corridor Restoration Program into a free resource called the ‘Foodlands Toolkit’. It is designed to support collaborative restoration efforts with a focus on decolonized approaches to land restoration.
The Toolkit includes:
↪ Tips and suggestions.
↪ Worksheets to help with project workflows, processes and planning.
↪ UNDRIP articles.
↪ Stories about our experiences restoring the sc̓e:ɬxʷəyəm Corridor.
As we share the Foodlands Toolkit, we acknowledge that we, too, are on a learning journey. The Toolkit is not an all-knowing document; it is meant to offer guidance and support, and to serve as a helpful resource for applying UNDRIP principles to land restoration projects.
Link in our bio to download the Toolkit 🔗
#Farmers #Rancher #Agriculture #LandscapeDesign
It’s #FoodlandsFriday and we have just wrapped up analyzing our marsh monitoring data for the 2024 season. This was our third year participating in the @birds.canada Marsh Monitoring Program to help track the success of our restoration efforts in the sc̓e:ɬxʷəy̓əm (Salmon River)* Corridor. There were numerous species seen and heard that are indicators of a healthy marsh, such as c̓q̓ʷɑq̓ʷɑʔ (red-winged blackbird), sməq̓ʷɑʔ (great blue heron), common yellowthroat, Wilson’s warbler, and black-headed grosbeak.
🔗 Check out our blog post linked in our bio to learn about the target species of this program!
📷
Common Yellowthroat (male and female) photo by Daniel Eslake.
Red-winged blackbird (female) photo by Elise Carelse.
Great Blue Heron photo by Daniel Eslake.
*hәn̓q̓әmin̓әm (Downriver dialect of Halkomelem) translation provided by Knowledge Keepers and language learners from the Kwantlen and Katzie Nations.
#GenerationRestoration #birds #marsh #birdnerds
