In 2004, the restoration of an old field on UVic’s campus was carried out. The area is four hectares of native plants, old fields and gardens. The restoration project was an experiment to see if native plant species, more specifically Camas, would be able to succeed upon reintroduction to an area that had suffered severe disturbance. The historical disturbances to the land included tillage, haying, mowing, transplantation of trees, compaction, and drainage. The field had been planted with approximately 100 exotic plant species and a minimal amount of native plants. The restoration project began with the mulching, scalping, and tilling of the land in order to clear the area of any invasive or exotic plants, and in some cases, improve soil conditions. Many native plants and seeds were collected for this project to ensure that a diverse genetic library of native plants was incorporated into the restoration experiment. Overall, the project has been declared a success. It was concluded that native species were able to thrive once they have been reintroduced to an area where invasive plant species once dominated.
(Written by: Isabelle Brunet)

Photo by: Shaun Wagantall