The Galiano Conservancy Association (GCA) is excited to announce a new, ambitious collaborative project that we are calling “Restoring the Balance”, (RTB) – in the Hul’qumi’num language, Q’úyél q’úwen. The goal of this project is to improve the health and resilience of Galiano’s forest ecosystems through community-led stewardship activities, training opportunities, and hands-on education programs.
We do so in recognition that, since time immemorial, the lands and waters that comprise Galiano Island have sustained and been stewarded by Indigenous Peoples, many of whose descendants are active members of the community on Galiano, Penelakut, and neighbouring areas. Colonization, residential schools, and government policies interrupted critical relationships between and among Indigenous Peoples and to their culture, language, and territories.
The GCA is committed to meaningful reconciliation, and this project has grown out of a series of shared initiatives between the GCA and several Indigenous families over the past decade. In working to scale up these initiatives to steward ecosystems on Galiano, we have identified several critical barriers, including:
We believe that coordinated action and investment in capacity building – led by Indigenous People and supported by the Galiano Conservancy’s land base and organizational infrastructure – provides a strong path forward.
Our project has three key areas of focus
Stewardship of Forests focuses on addressing the damage caused by decades of destructive logging practices on Galiano Island. The legacy of industrial forestry has resulted in the establishment of plantation monoculture forests across Galiano that receive little to no management and have high fuel loads. These forests create a heightened risk of wildfire for our community, and are unable to support a diversified local forest economy. Our goal is to forge partnerships and build capacity to apply “fire-wise” ecological forestry to Galiano’s forests, reducing wildfire risk, promoting biodiversity, increasing forest productivity, and laying the foundations for a local, small-scale sustainable forest industry.
Stewardship of Deer focuses on returning balance to the island deer population. Deer are hyperabundant on Galiano due to lack of predators and reduced hunting pressure, resulting in negative impacts to the structure, function, and diversity of island ecosystems – as well as posing safety and disease concerns. Our goal is to bring the deer population back into balance by working with hunters and willing private landowners to create safe hunting corridors on Galiano Island for Indigenous-led hunting. These activities will provide high-quality traditional food to Indigenous families and elders, while also creating mentorship opportunities for youth interested in safe hunting practices.
Stewardship of the understory focuses on the revitalization of biodiversity on the forest floor. The goal is to facilitate projects and programs that bring Indigenous Families and Knowledge Holders together to share traditional foods, medicines, and material practices. Activities will include establishing native food and medicine gardens, offering workshops, and hosting community events.
How do we bring our forest ecosystems back into balance?
This image shows the current state of forest ecosystems on Galiano Island – a negative feedback loop of interactions between simplified plantation forests, bare understory communities, and overabundant deer.
Without coordinated community action, these negative interactions will continue to result in impoverished island ecosystems, loss of culturally- significant species, and heightened risk of disasters such as wildfires and disease outbreaks.
Galiano Island is not alone in facing these challenges. We have the opportunity to take a leading role in addressing these issues that can set an example for other communities in the Salish Sea.
This image shows improved relationships between restored forests, a rich understory, and a healthy deer population. To make this vision a reality will require a generational effort, as well as:
You can help us make this vision a reality!
This is a long-term effort with lots of opportunities for community involvement. Please reach out to our co-leads for more information.
We are so excited to roll out this project, working together to improve the health, productivity, and resilience of Galiano’s forest ecosystems.
We especially want to hear from community members who own forest lands on the island and are interested in pursuing ecological forestry, Indigenous-led hunting, and other proactive stewardship activities on their lands. You can reach out to us through our Nature Stewards program, to the Restoring the Balance program email address, or directly to one of our staff co-leads.
Get in touch!
Learn more about volunteer opportunities with the GCA and the Restoring the Balance project:
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