The lands and waters of the Salish Sea host a wide range of diverse species.
There are 350+ rare and endangered species—much of their habitat on privately owned land.
Land stewards like you have an important role to play in the survival of species at risk.
Here are some simple things you can do to help protect, restore and enhance wildlife habitat:
- Leave tree snags in place to provide food and shelter for cavity-nesting birds and mammals
- When removing hazard trees, consider leaving a stump of 3-5 meters, creating a standing snag for birds and mammals
- Leave some fallen trees and branches on the ground for insects, amphibians, reptiles and small mammals
- Avoid disturbing wet or boggy areas where amphibians may breed
- Protect large birds’ nests by identifying nesting trees, leaving a protective buffer of 200-300 meters, and avoiding noise and disturbance within 1 km during the nesting season (January-September for Bald Eagles and herons)
- Keep your cats indoors to protect songbirds (at the very least, keep cats indoors when birds are most active: early morning and evening)
- Garden with native plants
Poachers and Polluters Hotline
You can also report sightings of people mistreating wildlife and their habitat to the BC Ministry of Environment either by calling their poachers and polluters hotline or submitting an e-form:
These options allow you to report wildlife abuse anonymously and without the risk of confronting the offender.
Tips and Resources
Find more about how to live sustainably with our natural ecosystems:
We are happy to share more about sensitive ecosystems on your land, and how you can steward and protect them.