Winter walking is limited once again in Uplands Park as Oak Bay closes the central meadow to protect the biodiversity of the critical Garry oak ecosystem there.
The meadow closes to foot traffic each winter as the wet season damages the endangered ecosystem.
Uplands Park is an ecological treasure of national and international significance, says Wylie Thomas a longtime restoration contractor with the district.
“Boasting one of the highest concentrations of endangered plant species in Canada, the park is also home to a rare complex of Garry oak meadows and woodlands, maritime meadows and vernal pools, which were once much more extensive in our region,” Thomas told the Oak Bay News.
Since the 1800s, Garry oak ecosystems have shrunk by more than 95 per cent, making them one of the country’s rarest. Uplands Park contains a sizable piece of what remains. This is the eighth winter the district has closed the meadow from mid-November to the start of the next May when the soil is most vulnerable to damage and native plants most susceptible to trampling.
“When the area is reopened in the spring, flowers will be reaching their peak, footpaths will have started to dry out and park users will no longer have to step into actively growing meadows to avoid the flooding in the trails,” Thomas said, noting the federal Habitat Stewardship Program provided funding to help build the wooden gates that protect the meadow.
“The meadow closure over the last few winters has resulted in a significant reduction in damage to soil and native plants, allowing more meadow flowers to reach maturity and set seed.”
The restoration specialist also noted that invasive species that also threaten the meadows are on the decline thanks to resources invested by the Oak Bay Parks Department, federal funding and the many thousands of volunteers who have given generously of their time.
In 2023, Friends of Uplands Park, who organize regular restoration events in the park, held 124 events that contributed more than 2,500 hours of volunteer labour removing invasive plants from the park.
