At this time, we are looking for properties that:

• Are located within the CRD. Preference will be given to properties within one of our main focus areas: Highlands, Metchosin, rural Saanich

• Are larger than the typical urban lot (greater than 1 acre)

• Have prairie oak ecosystem or associated ecosystems, or remnants of prairie oak or associated ecosystems (Not sure? Check out this link or feel free to send us an email)

If your property does not meet one or more of these criteria, but you feel that it would be a good fit for our program, we’d love to hear from you! Please fill out the site visit request form, and we will contact you.

Additionally, if your property falls outside of these criteria but you have important wildlife habitat for one of our focus species please reach out to us!

The first site visit is a great chance for us to get to know each other, chat about your land stewardship goals, and discuss how HAT can best support your goals. We’ll meet you on your property for a tour – you're welcome to show us stewardship work you’ve already been doing, areas you need support with, and anything else on your property that’s special and important to you! You can expect the initial site visit to be around one hour long.

HAT is here to help support our Good Neighbours in meeting land stewardship goals. We try to tailor our support to what each individual landowner and property needs. Types of support may include:

• Access to stewardship resources, including guides about native plants, invasive species, wildlife, and more

• A personalized site report, breaking down your property into different “management areas”, with guidance on your projects

• Access to Good Neighbours social events and Habitat Steward workshops, where you can connect with like-minded community members and learn new stewardship skills

For a small number of landowners, we are able to provide support with tasks such as:

• Purchasing native plants for your property

• Purchasing tools needed for your stewardship work

• Removing invasive species

• Accessing and installing wildlife habitat structures such as bat boxes, Western screech-owl nest boxes, and artificial cover objects

There is no cost associated with participating in this program, thanks to support from Environment and Climate Change Canada, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, The Metchosin Foundation, and the province of B.C. In return, we ask that our program participants are willing to dedicate their time to the continued stewardship of their property.

Our Habitat Stewards are Good Neighbours who sign an agreement with us to take certain stewardship actions, including removing invasive species, avoiding the use of pesticides, and maintaining habitat. The agreement covers a term of 5 years and comes with a steward sign for you to display on your property!

Not quite ready to sign an agreement? Becoming a Habitat Steward is not a requirement for participation in the Good Neighbours program. We’ll work with you to meet your stewardship goals over time and as you have the capacity.

If you have a steward sign and you’re moving, please reach out to us so we can come and pick it up. If you’re staying in the CRD and want us to visit your new property, please let us know! You can also connect your old property’s new owners with us, if they’re interested in continuing stewardship work.

Our main focus is on working with individual landowners at this time. School properties and other organizations with be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Please send us an email or give us a call for more information.