“Form follows function” is a famous axiom in architecture from Louis Sullivan where the purpose of a building should be the starting point for its design. This can also be applied to ecological restoration where we identify what a functional landscape would look like and support the components to help make that happen. A restoration plan can help guide you in bringing a system back into ecological integrity, where the system is balanced and serving as many species as best as possible.
Step 1: Observe
There are several key steps in any restoration plan. The first step embraces a permaculture view (permaculture derives from the words “permanent” and “agriculture”) by observing the land to see how it is and isn’t functioning before any modifications are made. Ideally, a whole year is taken to observe to see important seasonal changes. What areas get seasonally wet or dry? Water pooling where there shouldn’t be will impact soil chemistry and dictate what (if any) plants can go there. Conversely, water draining away too fast will result in dry, barren soil that can blow away in summer months without the protective qualities that plants provide. Water is life and should be taken very seriously!
Light is also very important; how many hours of sunlight the land receives and at which aspect (North, East, South, or West). For example, if you have a flat backyard that receives East/West light, you have many more options for plants that will grow compared to a sloping backyard that only receives North light due to a row of tall trees shading the yard out. The amount of light that reaches the land changes in the seasons too. Those tall trees will also impact the direction and velocity of the prevailing winds, other components that impact land. By weaving together what you know about your seasonal wetness/dryness, light and wind you begin to understand your land’s moisture regime.
The moisture regime and nutrient regime work synergistically to dictate what types of plants will grow. For example, in Victoria’s moist maritime Coastal Douglas-fir (CDFmm BEC zone) ecosystem, a wet and nutrient dense regime could result in Western Cedar and Skunk Cabbage (aka Swamp Lantern). On the drier and less nutrient rich end of that same zone you will find Douglas-fir and Arbutus. Neither is unhealthy as each species occupies a specific niche. Your job is to observe the land to determine which species will fill the niches in a way that creates ecological integrity.
Unpacking ecological integrity a bit more reminds us that we must look at the land in a holistic way. No one plant or ecosystem component is better than another. A beautiful landscape is one that is functional as that will invite all sorts of wonderful critters to call it home. By taking the time to truly observe your land, you will also discover what its biggest challenges are. Maybe you already know the soil is too dry as plants just don’t seem to stay and grow. Maybe you already know you need to remove the invasive species that are choking out the native ones. But what you might not know is why that soil continues to be dry (sloping land sheds water before it can sink and spread), or why those invasives have outcompeted the natives (soil is compacted and receives too much full sun). Observing will give you important clues to address the root causes of landscape suffering, rather than simply trying to quell the symptoms.
Step 2: Make a map
After you observe, the second step in ecological restoration is to take a good inventory of the land and map it. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy, a hand-drawn map scrawled on a napkin will suffice! Mapping is an excellent way to bring all your observations together to visualize what the land currently is and helping you envision what it could be. All maps should include any built structures and are the easiest to draw from a bird’s eye perspective (please see Frankie Iwachow’s illustration as an example). Trees are generally drawn to show the extent of the canopy coverage so that you get a realistic idea of how much shade they will throw when fully leafed. Don’t get dismayed if you’re not an artist; this is not meant to be anything more than making sure you have truly captured everything currently on the land. Also, it’s a wonderful reference for years later after the fruits of your restoration efforts are seen!
Step 3: Understand the history
Next, you need to understand your land’s history: does it have naturally occurring soil or was it brought in during the construction of your house? Is there any potential soil contamination? This is very important if you hope to obtain any edible or medicinal harvests. If you don’t know and are concerned, soil testing can be done through your municipality and some districts even offer this service for free. Another component of site history is how long certain species have been present, especially invasive species. For example, if you have a well-established Scotch broom patch it’s important to know their seeds can stay viable in the soil for up to 80 years! Restoring that land will take more diligence than removing a patch of young plants that may not have seeded yet.
Step 4: Identify challenges and goals
Understanding exactly what needs restoring is important in developing your goals for the land, which is the fourth step in a restoration plan. Would you like to encourage as many pollinators as possible, as our friend Lisa has done with her backyard? Would you like to see native amphibians using your pond, as we hope to at our Alston-Stewart properties? Would you just like to have native plants take the place of all the invasive species in your yard? Identify your goals and above all let them be feasible! We all want a Shangri-la but starting small and building steadily will be far more encouraging, especially as you see change take shape and native species begin to call your home their home, too.
Step 5: Start small and monitor impacts
The fifth step is using small and slow solutions to “problems”. Reframing problems can help too, as a well-known saying of permaculture goes: you don’t have a slug problem, you have a duck deficiency (ducks love dining on slugs, yuck!). Changes should be deliberate, methodical, and as low impact as possible so you can let the system respond and recalibrate, always keeping a watchful eye as you go.
Step 6: Evaluate and adaptively manage: see the system as a whole to build biodiversity
The last step in any successful restoration project involves monitoring and adaptive management: watch for what works and change what doesn’t. Have patience with yourself as you learn and patience with the land as it responds. It will likely take years to see a whole system change but along the way there will likely be several small wins. The personal satisfaction I get from removing invasive species and seeing the “before vs. after” is truly wonderful. But don’t assume your work is done, especially with invasives as they generally require going back several times to remove seedlings. As we mentioned before, there is a reason those species have outcompeted the native ones so doing the initial work of understanding why (often soil compaction and/or dry soils) will ensure you reap the benefits of that effort.
Looking at your land as a part of a greater whole is important for functionality. “Integrate rather than segregate” is another permaculture tenet and this reminds us that while we may have legal boundaries on land, nature knows no such limits and flows freely between the systems on your land and your neighbours. If you know that a large pollinator meadow exists nearby then play to that strength and provide habitat for those who already have plentiful food. Maybe you can provide a much-needed water source for those thirsty pollinators!
Biodiversity is the key to a resilient ecosystem. Restoring even a small piece of land can have tremendous benefits. Even the simple act of changing your grass lawn into a field of native clover can provide food for native pollinators. And you don’t have to mow clover! A win-win. Another famous saying in permaculture is that the “designer becomes the recliner” meaning that in a successful system, over time you will expend less and less energy as the system is mimicking a natural state.
Let’s dive into a real-world example. TLC’s Alston-Stewart properties are located in the Blenkinsop Valley, an area known for its rich, fertile soils. Having been owned by the locally famous Lohbrunner family, we know that it was generally very well cared for. The three properties each have a house and residential area but also contain some dry CDFmm zones with arbutus and Garry oak, and some wetter Western cedar places. It’s a real mixed bag! All the more reason to get out there, observe, and map it.
One of the properties has a small man-made pond at the lower end, extending what appears to be a naturally occurring wetland. This pond is functional, as the local turtles and ducks will attest, but it isn’t optimal. It contains several invasive species (yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus), Parrot’s feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum), and pond lilies (Nymphaea spp.) that are out-competing the native ones and will eventually choke out the shallow pond of all water. As it is, the pond experiences seasonal drought and little open water exists in the height of summer. This isn’t ideal for animal species that rely on it as a water source: the greater the fluctuation in water level, the greater the strain on the plant species that exist at its edges. Last, the pond is artificial! It was hand dug by the Lohbrunner family. This doesn’t mean that it can’t become a functional wetland, but the presence of an earthen dam and a small culvert for outflowing water are indicators that the system was modified and may need to be augmented to increase functionality. By observing through the seasons, we will be able to better understand how the water table changes, and what the strains on the system are.
During our observation period we are going to map each invasive species to be able to prioritize their removal. Watch for our social media posts on this as we complete this task! Himalayan blackberry, English ivy, daphne laurel, and Scotch broom are all present in the forested areas in varying degrees of spread. Thankfully, native species also abound so we are confident that when we remove the invasives the system will likely do most of the work for us by repopulating those disturbed areas with natives. But as any good restoration plan reminds you, monitoring will be key to confirming this!
We look forward to stewarding these beautiful properties and restoring them slowly, carefully, thoughtfully, and with biodiversity in mind. If you are interested in volunteering with us on projects here, please get in touch by emailing us at covenants@conservancy.bc.ca. The more the merrier!
I hope you enjoyed this brief introduction to restoration. Every site presents unique gifts and challenges, and I implore you to enjoy the time spent getting to know your land. Everyone will be richer for it.
~ Torrey Archer, TLC’s Biologist & Land Manager
This article is continued from TLC’s Spring 2023 LANDmark newsletter
