Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site’s (FRHNHS) GO LEARN Restoration Project: Defining a Reference Ecosystem and Long-Term Propagation Planning Tool

Abstract

The Garry Oak Learning Meadow (GO LEARN) was approved in 2009 as part of FRHNHS’s efforts to increase and enhance Garry oak habitat on site. The goal is to restore .5 Ha of disturbed lawn to a mesic deep-soil Garry oak woodland, meadow, and rock outcrop complex: supporting habitat enhancement for native species (including wildlife) and fostering public engagement through ecological restoration activities and interpretive tours.
The project received initial funding of $170,000 to be allocated over four fiscal years from 2010-2014 (Tanner, 2011). A Camas Meadow Planning and Development Committee comprising representatives from both the SAR team and FRHNHS, was formed in June 2010. This was to facilitate site selection, development, and planning for the restoration site. Initial baseline plant surveys were completed in the spring of 2010, indicating that almost 100% of invasive species cover the site. Restoration activities began in September 2010 with the construction of a native plant nursery on-site, as well as the establishment of a native plant propagation program (Tanner, 2011). Restoration research, project planning, environmental assessments, archaeological assessments, material sourcing (ongoing), and site preparation (using leaf litter mulch) took place in 2011. During the spring of 2012, research on propagation techniques was undertaken, along with the construction of a deer exclusion fence around the site and research trials conducted by UVic undergraduate students- to determine the effectiveness of mulch treatments.