May 5 2023

We are excited to share that HAT has registered a new conservation covenant, the Purple Sanicle covenant! This covenant will protect 1.91 ha of rocky bluffs and Douglas-fir forest in Metchosin, BC.  

Rod Mitchell and Heidi Tonn came to HAT over a decade ago as Habitat Stewards through the Good Neighbours program. Initially, they reached out after finding a population of Purple Sanicle on their property. Mitchell says, “Having learned how rare that plant, as well as the ecosystem that supported it and other organisms was, practicing habitat stewardship became a welcome and valued responsibility". Over the years, they have cared for their land and grown to appreciate all the organisms that find refuge there.  

During their years as stewards, Rod and Heidi were introduced to conservation covenants and were inspired by their friend, Moralea Milne, who had registered a covenant on her nearby property. In Rod and Heidi’s words, “the more we saw the ecosystems in our region being turned into housing and commercial spaces for Homo Sapiens, the more the idea grew into an imperative”.  

The property contains rocky outcrops with a diversity of native wildflowers, including a healthy population of Purple Sanicle (Sanicula bipinnatifida) (BC red-list; COSEWIC “Threatened”). These rocky bluffs also contain potential habitat for Sharp-tailed Snake (Contia tenuis) (BC red-lit; COSEWIC “Endangered”). Additionally, there is dense forest and a small wetland that provides habitat and refuge for wildlife, including Northern Red-legged Frog (Rana aurora) (BC blue-list; COSEWIC “Special Concern”) and Western Screech-owl (Megascops kennicottii) (BC blue-list; COSEWIC “Threatened”).   

The conservation covenant will protect this land in perpetuity. About the experience Rod and Heidi said, “We have the knowledge and a feeling of peace that, even long after we are gone and forgotten, the plants and creatures that live here will be protected […] We would say to anyone contemplating putting a covenant on their land: think about what our species is doing worldwide to the homes of all those creatures and other organisms that have no say in the matter. Love them like you love your pets and do what you can to make a small lasting gap in our onslaught”. 

This project was made possible through the Natural Heritage Conservation Program (NHCP). The NHCP is a unique public- private partnership to support new protected and conserved areas by securing private lands and private interests in lands. The program is managed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). Federal funds invested in the program are matched with contributions raised by NCC and its partners, Ducks Unlimited Canada and the country’s land trust community. 

Protection of land, such as the Purple Sanicle covenant, is part of HAT’s mission to conserve rare and endangered ecosystems across southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. If you are interested in learning more about conservation covenants, visit https://hat.bc.ca/conservation-covenant, or reach out to the Land Protection Coordinator at 250-995-2428 and sara.yeomans@hat.bc.ca.