Plants are the foundation of life. They provide us with oxygen, filter our drinking water, control erosion, provide protection
Native plants are the foundation of all our ecosystems, as well as sources of food, medicine and housing. They also provide a variety of wild creatures with habitat that provides food, shelter and a place to rear their young. For many of us, native plants also provide much in the way of beauty and wonder.
In a word, native plants are invaluable.
Unfortunately, our native plants face all kinds of pressures, from residential and commercial development near cities and towns to invasive species that outcompete them for space, water, nutrients and light.
So, what can you do to help conserve native plants?
- You can join the Native Plant Society of BC and help promote knowledge about native plants in our province, as well as promote the sustainable use of those species and protection for those species at risk.
- You can learn more about BC’s plant species at risk. Using the BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer on the BC Ministry of Environment’s website, you can search in a variety of ways. You can search by plant name, by general group (e.g. vascular plants), by conservation status and more. Each species has a record and some provide significant information about the species.
- These 312 vascular plant species are red-listed (extirpated, endangered or threatened) in BC. BC_vascular_plants_redlist
- These 306 vascular plant species are blue-listed (of special concern) in BC. BC_vascular_plants_bluelist
- If you know of a natural area that is slated for development and that would mean loss of native plants or native plant habitat, let us know. In some cases, it might be appropriate to salvage native plants and replant them elsewhere. Here are two documents with important information:
- A personal take on the ethics of plant rescue by former NPSBC director Moralea Milne The_Ethics_of_Plant_Rescue
- Guidelines for salvaging native plants NPSBC_Native_Plant_Salvaging