BC Parks Foundation Purchases Saturna Island Acreage – January 31, 2025

BC Parks Foundation Purchases Saturna Island Acreage – January 31, 2025

Submitted by Bev Ramey

The BC Parks Foundation has successfully protected a large acreage on Saturna Island. The land includes two and a half kilometres of south-facing rocky shoreline, plus small coves with a grove of Seaside Juniper on the point (the threatened/vulnerable Juniperus maritima). The protected land includes the steep hillside extending up from the shoreline, the ridgetop itself and its north-facing slopes. The crowd-sourced funding campaign by the BC Parks Foundation began late December and reached its goal within the month to purchase the 150 hectares. The purchased land is located between two large parcels of land (Monarch Head and Taylor Beach) that have previously been protected as part of the Southern Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.

Saturna Island has a long connection with Nature Vancouver, dating back to Ian McTaggart-Cowan, Bert Brink and then Bob Harris who used to lead Nature Vancouver over-night camps based at the beach of Jim and Lorraine Campbell’s farm. Many students completed field studies, based at the Campbell’s farm, near this newly purchased land. Through BC Nature, Bev Ramey and Anne Murray led field camps for three years to Saturna Island two decades ago, with many NV members joining the camps each spring. The protection of this large parcel of land, with south facing views across Boundary Pass towards the San Juan Islands, is positive news for the Salish Sea. For more information, see https://bcparksfoundation.ca/projects/parks-bank/saturna-island/

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