Table of Contents SUMMARY..................................................................................................................... 4 INTRODUCTION TO KNOCKAN HILL PARK .................................................................. 5 PROJECT GOALS................................................................................................................... 5 PROJECT FUNDERS: .............................................................................................................. 5 PROJECT PARTNERS:............................................................................................................. 5 PROJECT DESIGN ......................................................................................................... 6 CONTACT POSTCARD ............................................................................................................. 6 CONTACT LIST..................................................................................................................... 6 TELEPHONE CONTACT ............................................................................................................ 7 SITE VISITS ........................................................................................................................ 8 CREATIVE OUTREACH TECHNIQUES........................................................................................... 9 CONTACT DATABASE ............................................................................................................. 9 NEWSLETTER & WEBSITE ..................................................................................................... 10 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION....................................................................................... 11 OUTCOME SUMMARY ........................................................................................................... 11 SIGNIFICANT RESIDENTIAL AND PARK ISSUES ........................................................................... 13 Ecosystem fragmentation ............................................................................................. 13 Soil Maintenance.......................................................................................................... 14 Impervious surfaces ..................................................................................................... 14 Landowner perceptions ................................................................................................ 14 Conifer In-growth......................................................................................................... 14 Weed Invasion............................................................................................................. 15 Synthetic Pesticides and Fertilizers ................................................................................ 15 EVALUATION .............................................................................................................. 17 COMMENTS FROM PROJECT PARTICIPANTS ............................................................................... 17 LESSONS LEARNED.............................................................................................................. 17 LIMITING FACTORS ............................................................................................................. 17 ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY ................................................................................................. 18 RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................. 20 RELEVANT RESOURCES.............................................................................................. 21 APPENDIX A: OUTREACH MATERIALS ....................................................................... 22 APPENDIX B: MEDIA MATERIALS .............................................................................. 27 ~ Creating a Conservation Legacy ~ 2 List of Figures Figure 1: Knockan Hill Park and surrounding areas. .............................................................. 5 Figure 2: Habitat Steward Sign. Stewards may post this sign on their property demonstrating their commitment to ecological-land care practices................................................................. 8 Figure 3: HAT hosted a speaker series featuring land managers including Ron Carter............. 9 Figure 4: Locations of project activities including community outreach events hosted, information packages delivered and landowners visited. ....................................................... 12 Figure 5. Flow Chart of Knockan Hill Outreach Results. ....................................................... 13 Figure 6: Many Garry oak woodland species of Knockan Hill Park are dying in the shade of faster growing conifers. ...................................................................................................... 14 Figure 7: A dead tree in Knockan Hill Park covered by invasive exotic species. ................... 15 Figure 8: Dr. Brenda Beckwith at a May Speakers’ Series Event explaining the ecology of Camas lilies; a Garry oak ecosystem wildflower and traditional First Nations food resource. .... 16 Figure 9: Local resident describing her woodland property to other residents ....................... 17 Figure 10: Cub scouts paint yellow fish at storm drains to promote awareness of sensitive salmon habitats downstream from the east side Knockan Hill Park Neighbourhood................. 18 List of Tables Table 1: Comparison of the performance indicators established prior to the project and the actual results achieved. ...................................................................................................... 11 Table 2: Knockan Hill Good Neighbours Project actual expenses versus budgeted funds........ 19 3~ Creating a Conservation Legacy ~ 3 Summary From January to June 2008, Habitat Acquisition Trust (HAT) worked with local residents, the Friends of Knockan Hill Park Society (FKHPS), Royal Roads University, the District of Saanich and the Town of View Royal to protect and restore the ecologically significant Garry oak ecosystems and Douglas fir forest of Knockan Hill Park in Victoria, British Columbia. Land trust staff co-ordinated a series of activities in the Knockan Hill Park community to raise awareness of local biodiversity, habitat values, park issues, and conservation strategies. HAT is a regional land trust established in 1996 to enhance the protection and stewardship of regionally significant habitats on southern Vancouver Island and the southern Gulf Islands. We do this through: • Community projects promoting environmental education and stewardship; • Legal mechanisms such as conservation covenants; and, • Acquisition of ecologically significant habitats. HAT is committed to creating a conservation legacy for current and future generations. Since 2002, our award-winning Good Neighbours project has assisted hundreds of property owners to protect water quality and enhance wildlife habitats from Sooke to Galiano Island. During the months of May and June 2008, HAT staff delivered postcards to 530 residential addresses in the Knockan Hill Park area. HAT spoke with over 150 landholders by telephone resulting in 97 residents accepting land care packages. Of those, 37 landholders opted for land care visits and received naturescaping prescriptions for their property. HAT signed 25 Land Care Agreements with visited landowners and posted 21 permanent Habitat Steward signs on participating properties. The project attracted new community volunteers to assist the ongoing efforts of HAT and the Friends of Knockan Hill Park Society. The Knockan Hill Park Speaker Series and conservation activities with local cub scouts generated television and local newsletter coverage. Activities co-ordinated by the project included storm drain marking, a four-part Speaker Series, and 40 hours of community volunteer weed control. HAT staff identified several common activities and trends that may have significant cumulative effects on the ecosystem integrity of Knockan Hill Park: 1. Vegetation clearing and soil depletion: replacing native vegetation with turf, asphalt, and buildings resulting in excessive areas of impervious drainage; 2. Loss of parkland functions: loss of biodiversity, water purification, storage, and infiltration due to past agricultural disturbance perpetuated by increasing suburban density; 3. Weed invasion: exotic species cultivated and spread by planting/dumping in natural areas; 4. Fertilizer and nutrients: dog waste, compost runoff, and fertilizer leachate entering streams; 5. Pesticides, herbicides, and other poisons: common in lawn treatments, cleaners and car fluids; 6. Inappropriate recreational use of parkland: unofficial trails, excessive wildlife disturbance by pets at large, and nutrient pollution from dog waste. HAT recommends that future outreach to landowners focus on key messages from the above list (see all recommendations on pg. 24). ~ Creating a Conservation Legacy ~ 4 Introduction to Knockan Hill Park Knockan Hill Park occupies the western boundary of the District of Saanich and the eastern boundary of the Township of View Royal. The park encompasses the summit and southeast slopes of Knockan Hill and is managed by the parks departments of the two municipalities in co- operation with the Friends of Knockan Hill Park Society (FKHPS). This park contains rare and beautiful examples of threatened Garry oak ecosystems (GOEs) and

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