Okanagan Wetlands Restoration

2011

$30,000

$20,000

The Okanagan Greens Society combined a broad coalition of corporate and community partners to form the Okanagan Wetlands Regeneration Alliance to apply the principals of ecological regeneration to the wetlands of the Okanagan Basin. The Alliance conducted months of in-depth habitat investigation and mapping of the wetland areas of Lake Country and contiguous areas to gain a better understanding of present and future watershed issues. Native and invasive plant species and their impact on natural water flow were identified to help determine which maintenance factors would ensure regenerative watershed behaviour going forward.

Based on the results of the habitat research, remediation activities were conducted on a priority basis and a comprehensive project report titled “The Discovery of Wetlands” was published. Learning resources were distributed and presentations were conducted to inform people – from students to stakeholders – of the benefits of regenerative practices and the tremendous ecological, economic, and social value of wetlands. This project could provide a roadmap to the application of regenerative principles to the future of watershed maintenance locally, regionally, and globally.