Caring For Your Space

The Okanagan and Similkameen is a special region with fantastic scenic beauty, abundant and unique wildlife, and clean air and water. As individuals we can have a positive impact on nature around us by caring for natural habitats in our own yards, our neighbourhoods, and in our communities.

Here are tips and links to resources that will show you how to create and care for your own spaces, and in doing so, help your local environment.

Sustainable Landscaping

Using native and drought-tolerant plants for landscaping requires less water, connects your yard to surrounding natural areas and will attract birds, butterflies and pollinating insects. For ideas and advice on using native and dryland plants visit these local nurseries and web sites:

Grasslands Nursery: A native plant and dryland species nursery located in Summerland with garden information and garden design services.

Sagebrush Nursery: A retail and wholesale nursery in Oliver with Okanagan native and arid landscape plants, providing restoration and installation advice and services.

Naturescape BC (Southern Interior): A guide to habitat gardening in the Southern Interior.

Xeriscape – landscaping for our region

During the summer, homeowners use more then sixty percent of domestic treated water for their lawns and gardens. With more people and a shrinking supply of freshwater, our communities face increasing regulations for saving water. Using drought-tolerant plants (xeriscaping) and low-water landscape techniques will save money and water.

Xeriscape Design Concepts for Large Lots

Waterwise Gardening for Home and Small Acreage Owners of the Oliver Area

Okanagan Xeriscape Association

Backyards are habitats too!

Build a pond to attract bird and amphibians. Identify local amphibians and learn how to ensure their safety. Click here to find out about frog calls and frog monitoring programs. Never release non-native fish, frogs or reptiles into natural ponds or lakes. Non-native bullfrogs and turtles will eat and out-compete local wildlife for food.

Be Bear Aware – Black bears are destroyed every year when they become habituated to human garbage. Bear-proof your yard with a few simple steps outlined in the Bear Aware web site.

Attract birds – Birds need trees and shrubs for nesting and safe resting habitat. Cats are a major cause of bird mortality so keep cats indoors. Bird feeders and nest boxes construction plans and advice on attracting birds can be found here.

Bat habitat – Tips on attracting bats and preventing bats from roosting inside your home can be found by visiting the Bat Conservation International website.

Control invasive plants – Weeds can overtake and ruin landscapes. The South Okanagan Similkameen Invasive Plant Society site will help you to identify and manage weeds.

Plant a butterfly garden – read about local butterflies and how to attract them.

Fire-proof your yard – learn how to care for the environment while preventing the spread of wild fires.

Preserve trees that provide homes for wildlife – learn more about wildlife trees and how to care for them.

Protecting and enhancing shorelines and creeks

Hard retaining walls can have an impact on sedimentation and erosion of lake shorelines, whereas natural vegetation provides wildlife habitat and helps stabilize shorelines. Replanting shorelines with small trees and vegetation will prevent erosion and help contain runoff from yards.

Minimize the use of herbicides and fertilizers which can end up in the lake and affect water quality.

Stream and lakeside property owners should familiarize themselves with regulations covering development and construction near watercourses. Dock structures require authorization by one or more government agencies, including permissions for ‘changes in and about a stream”.

Ministry of Environment Water Act
Information about building docks

Check out Living By Water and Home Tips for Healthy Streams for tips on creating a healthy natural shoreline and beach, building docks, and controlling run-off.

Riparian Habitat is the zone of water-loving plants along lakes, streams and wetlands. There are special regulations concerning building near riparian areas that you should familiarize yourself with. Learn more about riparian habitats and how to care for them and identifying wetland and riparian species at risk.

Land stewardship – building a legacy

Stewardship is a term used for the voluntary conservation of wildlife habitat by individual landowners and community groups. Stewardship groups can help landowners understanding more about the natural values on their lands and how to care for them. Sometimes this involves just leaving them be, other times it may require a bit of work fencing, restoring habitat or controlling invasive weeds.

The Land Conservancy (TLC) SOS Stewardship Program offers advice and brochures for homeowners who wish to provide habitat for species at risk on their property. Become a TLC wildlife habitat steward or click here to view publications and factsheets on a variety of wildlife and habitat stewardship topics.

Conservation covenants and gifts of land

16 hectares of bighorn sheep habitat at Bighorn Mountain Estates in Okanagan Falls was donated to The Land Conservancy

Land trusts can offer advice on establishing protective covenants to conserve natural areas on your property, they also accept donations of land. A covenant can cover all or just a portion of a property. The covenant places restrictions on land use and applies in perpetuity to the property title. Either a local government or land trust monitors the covenant, ensuring that the restrictions are being followed.

The following land trusts manage properties in the South Okanagan and Similkameeen:
The Land Conservancy of BC
The Nature Trust of BC
The Nature Conservancy of Canada

Tax benefits

Local governments may accept covenants or land donations if the area is deemed significant for recreation or environmental preservation. They also have the ability to issue tax exemptions for riparian areas protected on the property. If land protection is not required by a development permit, donations of land or conservation covenants can be treated as charitable gifts eligible for tax receipts. Placing a conservation covenant on a property may also result in reduced property taxes due to a lower assessed value. In most provinces, a reduction in federal tax payable will also reduce provincial tax. Sometimes an outright donation of land to a local government or conservation organization can be simpler that a conservation covenant.

Under Environment Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program, if the land is certified as ecologically sensitive it may be eligible for significant tax benefits. Check out further information on Ecological Gifts at www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/ecogifts. Legal advice should be sought on conservation covenants and the tax laws that apply.

Developing your land

Homeowners on small lots as well as large ones, have the opportunity to do their part in protecting natural areas on and near their property.

Minimizing development on the natural areas on your land.
Locate your driveway and structures away from important wildlife habitat and travel corridors.
Preserve and restore wetlands, lakeshores, riparian areas and grasslands on your property.
If you intend to fence your property, do so with consideration of wildlife movement and use a wooden rail/smooth wire top to help prevent injury to deer and other wildlife.
Locate buildings or driveways away from steep slopes to avoid erosion and loss of rugged grasslands or rocky outcrops.
Use native plants on disturbed areas to prevent weed invasion and habitat loss.

(You may wish to consult the section on sensitive land development on the SOSCP web site.)

Be an advocate for nature in your community

Residents can encourage decision makers to protect and conserve our important natural areas through appropriate planning and development, including protecting wildlife corridors and sensitive habitats, protecting adequate natural areas, and encouraging sustainable practices.