Vancouver Island Region Environmental Stewardship



Vancouver Island lies within British Columbia's Southern Hypermaritime climatic type and includes ecosystems within the Mountain Hemlock, Coastal Western Hemlock and Coastal Douglas Fir Biogeoclimatic Units (Green and Klinka, 1994). Vegetation in the region can be generally described as lush and diverse, while the long growing season typically features water deficits, especially along the south eastern coastline.

Vancouver Island

Many people are attracted to the island because of its mild climate, picturesque landscapes and charismatic wildlife. The pressure of urban and rural land development and upland resource extraction however has resulted in many of the plant associations in the Coastal Western Hemlock and Coastal Douglas Fir ecosystems becoming some of the rarest in Canada. Much of this region's work involves outreach that is aimed at educating other agencies and landowners about the potential impacts of their activities on the finite resources and delicate systems in this part of the province.