Some troubled habitats are as vast as the Prairie grasslands. Others are much smaller, like the Garry Oak meadows of southern Vancouver Island. Despite its small size, more than one-fifth of British Columbia’s rarest plants are found in these meadows. Among them is Macoun’s meadow foam, which grows nowhere else on Earth!
Human development has been the biggest threat to this unique ecosystem. A close second has been the introduction of exotic plants, such as English ivy, gorse, purple loosestrife, and Scotch broom. These species and others are crowding out many of the native species that make up the meadows.
If we allow Canada's diverse habitats to disappear one by one, we'll lose a wealth of wildlife, and that loss could be catastrophic. We know that all species, from tiny insects to enormous mammals, are interdependent; they depend on each other for survival in ways that are remarkable and complex. Think of each species as a brick in a massive, carefully constructed bridge. How many bricks can be taken out before the whole bridge comes crashing down? In order to protect the planet and all its inhabitants - including human beings - it is imperative that we preserve the special habitats on which all life depends.
Many Canadians live in the midst of special habitats without even knowing it. Their backyards and communities are part and parcel of fragile habitats like the Garry Oak meadows, the Carolinian Life Zone, and the Prairie Grasslands Region. The projects in this section offer a wide variety of ideas on how to conserve imperilled habitats near you.