Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team (GOERT)

Participate

Volunteer

• Volunteer at a restoration project near you to remove invasive species from local parks, schools, and other lands
• Salvage Native Plants. Rescue native plants from areas slated for development.
  
  District of Saanich
  Darren Copley
  Saanich Environmental Education Officer
  phone: 250-475-5579
  email: darren.copley@saanich.ca
  website: http://www.saanich.ca/living/natural/npsp.html
  Native Plant Study Group
  email: salvage@npsg.ca
  website: www.npsg.ca
• Attend workshops and other events sponsored by GOERT and our partners
• Become a member of the GOERT Society and volunteer your skills

Encourage Others

• Share what you know about species at risk and Garry oak ecosystems with your friends and neighbours
• Ask your local government to incorporate Garry oak ecosystem conservation into their local planning processes, and support initiatives to protect Garry oak habitat from development

Support

• Consider making an Ecological Gift
• Support land conservancies and land trusts that are acquiring lands for conservation, and engaging in land stewardship
• Become a member of the GOERT Society and demonstrate community support for the work we do

Learn

• Look through our website to learn more about Garry oak ecosystems and GOERT’s activities; join us for an event or workshop
• Contact the B.C. Conservation Data Centre to determine if the land you own, steward or manage has any documented occurrences of rare species
• Become familiar with Species at Risk legislation
• Attend workshops and courses offered by the University of Victoria Division of Continuing Studies or the Restoration of Natural Systems Program

Research

Contribute to research in Garry oak and associated ecosystems and their associated species at risk. If you are designing a research project, consider the research topics suggested by our Recovery Implementation Groups (RIGs).

Explore

• Visit Garry oak ecosystems
• Tread gently near sensitive areas (e.g. vernal pools, moss- or lichen-covered bluffs), and stay on designated trails

In Your Own Backyard

• Read The Garry Oak Gardener’s Handbook
• Sign a conservation covenant or stewardship agreement with a land trust so your property is protected forever
• Remove invasive species from your property or from your neighbourhood
• Plant nursery-propagated local native plants
• Plant and nurture Garry oak seedlings and protect existing Garry oak trees
• Restrict the use of pesticides and herbicides in the vicinity of these and other sensitive ecosystems
• Treasure the natural and wild areas in our yards, parks and all public and private lands