Ivy Green

Abstract

This study examines the Ivy green restoration process on Ryan street in the community of Oaklands, Victoria. The canopy is entirely closed by 17 Garry oaks dominated by a single large specimen 79cm in diameter but including others ranging from 50 to 15cm. The fragments of the endangered Garry oak ecosystems within the City of Victoria parks system are, with the exceptions of those within Beacon Hill Park and Summit Park. Most are less than .5 hectares. They are widely spaced and often in a degraded state, often as with this small patch, with only the Garry oak trees and none of the other elements remaining. Few other areas of public land in the city are maintained in a natural state (One notable exception is the southern section of the grounds of Government House) and those in private hands are always threatened by development. In other words, habitat patches for native species are small in the City of Victoria, and connectivity is poor. This study suggests that future greenway projects should facilitate the restoration process begun on Ryan Street Greenway by combining pedestrian values with natural ones, creating corridors for people and wildlife. Essentially, Ivy Green can function both as the keystone to greenways in the Oaklands and Quadra Hillside Victoria neighborhoods and as a template for similar work in other parts of the city, helping to connect fragments of Garry oak ecosystems throughout the city and the region.