112543
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 09/11/2026 - 07:00
Management Area:
Cowichan
South Gulf Islands
Parks:
LAU, WELNEW/John Dean Park, Gowlland Tod Park, Mount Maxwell Park, Ruckle Park, Mount Erskine Park
Term:
5 years
Summary of Activity:
This quantitative and field-based project aims to understand the role of Arbutus in sustaining ecosystem services and ecological networks among plants, pollinators, and birds across different management regimes and stewardship legacies throughout Garry oak, bluff, and Coastal Douglas Fir ecosystems on Vancouver Island and in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia, Canada. This research is conducted in collaboration with Dr. Peter Arcese, professor emeritus at UBC, who has been studying flora and fauna in the region for decades and has productive working relationships with local Indigenous and settler communities. By working through Peter and his colleagues, we will cultivate connections and, ideally, co-develop complementary questions and project elements that support broader information needs in the region. The project also will engage a doctoral student from Cornell (Emily Hamant) and 1-2 undergraduate students. By fostering partnerships with natural resource managers, conservation practitioners, foresters, and community groups, we hope that our results can guide and inform restoration and management and conserve biodiversity. We plan to survey bird community, foraging, and vegetation characteristics.
Permit Type:
Permittee:
Amanda Rodewald,Emily Hamant,Peter Arcese
Issue Date:
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Region:
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