Located at the end of York Road through the Timbercrest Neighbourhood, the Somenos Garry Oak Protected Area (SGOPA) is a beautiful Garry oak meadow, it is home to three endangered plants as well as several rare plants and both shallow soil and deep soil Garry Oaks. It is an important place for wildlife that use the area for food and cover and also an important cultural place for the Quw’utsun people, the SGOPA was used as a medicine gathering place and a place where Camas was ‘farmed’ and harvested. Cowichan oral memory and archaeological research show that Ye’yumnuts (nearby) is a sacred ancestral place that has a long history of use.

SMWS will be working in the SGOPA to remove invasive species that have taken hold in the area. We will be tackling English hawthorns, Himalayan blackberry, and Scotch broom. If you are interested in joining us for this invasive removal event, please let us know by emailing Phaedra at phaedra@somenosmarsh.com.