2016 - 2026 Ecological Restoration Plan: Henderson Community Park Rob Underhill Mayne Island Conservancy Society 0 Acknowledgements We thank the community volunteers that have been actively engaged in the delivery of restoration actions at Henderson Community Park since 2006. This project would not be possible without the hundreds of hours community volunteers have contributed. We thank the Mayne Island Parks and Recreation Commission for partnering with the Mayne Island Conservancy Society to preserve the natural history of Henderson Park, and for creating recreation opportunities in the park that allow people to experience this amazing place. Funding for this restoration plan was provided by the following partners: 1 Contents Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................................. 1 Purpose .................................................................................................................................................. 2 Using the Restoration Plan ................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 1 General Site Description ...................................................................................................................... 2 Ecological Community 1 – CDFmm01 ............................................................................................... 5 Polygon 1a......................................................................................................................................... 6 Polygon 1b ........................................................................................................................................ 8 Polygon 1c....................................................................................................................................... 10 Polygon 1d ...................................................................................................................................... 12 Polygon 1e....................................................................................................................................... 13 Ecological Community 2 – CDFmm02 ............................................................................................. 15 Ecological Community 3 – CDFmm02/03/71/70 ............................................................................. 17 Polygon 3a....................................................................................................................................... 18 Polygon 3b ...................................................................................................................................... 20 Polygon 3c....................................................................................................................................... 22 Polygon 3d ...................................................................................................................................... 24 Ecological Community 4 – CDFmm04 ............................................................................................. 26 Polygon 4a....................................................................................................................................... 27 Polygon 4b ...................................................................................................................................... 30 Ecological Community 5 – CDFmm13/04/01 .................................................................................. 31 Polygon 5a....................................................................................................................................... 32 Polygon 5b ...................................................................................................................................... 33 Ecological Community 6 – CDFmm51/poorly described in existing literature ............................. 35 Polygon 6a....................................................................................................................................... 36 Polygon 6b ...................................................................................................................................... 38 Ecological Community 7 – Wm05/Ws53/poorly described in the existing literature ............... 39 Record Keeping and Monitoring ....................................................................................................... 40 Regarding Pesticide Use..................................................................................................................... 41 Appendix A – Methods for mechanical removal of invasive plant species .................................... 42 Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) ................................................................................................. 42 Daphne (Daphne laureola) ............................................................................................................ 43 English holly (Ilex aquifolium) ...................................................................................................... 44 2 Bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) ........................................................................................................ 45 Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) and Evergreen Blackberry (Rubus laciniatus) .... 46 English Ivy (Hedera helix) ............................................................................................................. 47 Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) ....................................................................................................... 47 Appendix B. Tree Protector Installation and Maintenance .............................................................. 48 Appendix C. Vegetation Plot Data .................................................................................................... 49 3 Purpose The purpose of this restoration plan is to describe the area known as Henderson Community Park, including its conservation values and ecological restoration needs, summarize restoration actions taken to date, and to provide direction for implementing restoration actions from 2016-2026. This document is an update to the original Henderson Park Restoration Plan written in 2008 by Chris Fretwell and Michael Dunn of the Mayne Island Conservancy Society. Using the Restoration Plan This document has been organized by Ecological Community and Polygon, in anticipation that it be used primarily by the staff and volunteers conducting the restoration work. All the information is organized by location, including vegetation descriptions, restoration needs, summaries of restoration work completed to date, and future restoration prescriptions. The park was split into six Ecological Communities based on the Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) system developed by the British Columbia Ministry of Forests (1949 – present), using the most recent field guide for the Vancouver Forest Region (Green and Klinka, 1994). Ecological Communities are further split into polygons (1a, 1b, 1c, etc.) if differences in disturbance history and restoration needs exist. Information that is not site specific such as the best practices for invasive species removal is found in the appendices. Introduction Ecosystem restoration has been ongoing at Henderson Community Park since it became a park in 2006. It was identified by the Mayne Island Conservancy Society as a priority site in which to apply ecosystem restoration resources for the following three reasons: The property contains ecosystems that are considered at risk by the Province of British Columbia, and that have been identified as a priority for conservation by the Coastal Douglas Fir Conservation Partnership. The property is zoned as Community and Regional Park (P) in the Mayne Island Official Community Plan (Islands Trust, 2008). The Mayne Island Parks and Recreation Commission has demonstrated that nature conservation is a high priority in their management of the property. The park has been embraced by the community of Mayne Island as a welcome addition to its small base of publicly accessible natural areas. The Mayne Island Parks and Recreation Commission, following the leadership of board member Peter Askin, has been very active in trail development and ecosystem restoration in collaboration with the Mayne Island Conservancy Society. It is anticipated that resources from the Mayne Island Conservancy Society will continue to be invested in achieving ecological restoration goals at Henderson Community Park. 1 General Site Description Henderson Community Park is made up of one 10.4 ha lot on southeast Mayne Island. The ecosystems within the park are primarily young Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) dominated forests with a lesser component of Garry oak (Quercus garryana) woodland along Vulture Ridge, and a tiny marsh in the lowland in the southwest corner. Most of the park has been logged to varying degrees in the past 60 years, and much of it as recently as 2005; immediately prior to receiving park designation in 2006. Despite its logging history, Henderson Park retains many conservation values and is on the path to recovery. It’s designation as parkland will provide the opportunity for forests to mature over time. The Park contains a very broad range of ecosystem