Wetland Ecosystem Restoration at RRU

Wetlands and aquatic habitats are important parts of the natural heritage of Royal Roads University and Hatley Park National Historic Site. The Royal Roads University Wetland Ecosystem Restoration project will restore approximately 10 acres of land to a functioning wetland ecosystem. The land is located between the Mews Conference Centre and Cedar buildings, down towards Esquimalt Lagoon.

The site for this project was once a natural area with an abundance of water, a cedar forest and swamp complex, mixed with fir forests, large maples and streams. The site is also linked to the Esquimalt Lagoon, local streams and a pond system that is habitat for Cutthroat Trout and Coho Salmon. There is also a historic fish ladder connecting the pond system to Esquimalt Lagoon.

This area was converted to pastureland about 100 years ago by the Dunsmuir family, in their vision to create a sustainable family farm estate. In creating the pastureland, water was removed from the site. Today, with the drainage system now failing and alder forest taking over, the site no longer supports the diversity and number of species that could be present in a functioning wetland ecosystem.

Over the past year, the Office of Sustainability has worked with a number of partners in discussing the wetland ecosystem restoration project. These partners include: Ducks Unlimited, Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC, the University of Victoria's Restoration of Natural Systems program, Esquimalt Lagoon Stewardship Initiative, Aqua-Tex Scientific Consulting Ltd., Stantec, and citizens from the Westshore communities. Grant applications have been submitted to the Pacific Salmon Foundation and Vancouver Foundation to undertake the first phase of the project - site assessment, public envisioning sessions, design and planning. Letters of support have been received from many of the partners and have been included in the grant applications.

In addition to these partners, the artist Robert Bateman has offered his design advice for the restoration project.  His contribution will ensure the results are aesthetically pleasing, exciting and a natural treasure for everyone to enjoy. The design work will include boardwalks and interpretative materials.

Following phase one, applications will be made to organizations such as the Habitat Trust Conservation Foundation and others, to actually construct the wetland ecosystem, the boardwalk/trail system and the interpretative materials.

Not only will this project create an "eco-destination" for the Westshore communities, but it will also serve as a research/learning hub for students from RRU, UVic and  surrounding schools. The potential for carbon sequestration in wetlands will be a key research topic from the project and ties directly to the Province of BC's provincial water plan entitled Living Water Smart, which states that "The provincial government will integrate Living Water Smart with the Climate Action Plan to reflect the essential role healthy streams wetlands, and riparian zones can play in storing carbon in plants and soils; releasing water vapour to naturally cool landscapes; buffering the effects of extreme weather events, and storing and providing water during times of drought." The plan also stresses the importance of protecting and rehabilitating wetlands and waterway functions. A recent masters thesis has already been completed at RRU to develop a model to estimate the carbon sequestration potential of wetlands.

Royal Roads University has also become a member of the Wetland Stewardship Partnership, a group established to "work together in an effort to ensure that British Columbia is a province where the functions and values of wetlands and the larger watersheds of which they are a part are appreciated, conserved, restored and appropriately managed for present and future generations".

Another key partnership for RRU is the recently signed MOU with the BC Regional Board of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, a science based conservation organization, with expertise in ecosystem restoration.

Stay tuned for further updates on the Wetland Ecosystem Restoration Project and if you would like to be involved, please contact the RRU Office of Sustainability.