Learn About SILT Conservation Lands
Savary Island is probably the most rare and the most subdivided island in the Salish Sea. When the Savary Island Land Trust (SILT) began in 1997, there was no protected land on Savary. SILT's founding goal was to protect the Heart of Savary from development and this was achieved in 2018, after 22 years of focussed attention and fundraising. Today the Nature Trust of BC owns and stewards the Heart of Savary.
Savary Islanders have donated land and funds to SILT to acquire land for conservation on Savary over nearly 30 years. Thanks to the vision and generosity of our donors, SILT owns 18.5 acres, 22 parcels throughout the Island. We feature each of these gems here.
1 - Deer Sanctuary (Six Lots)
These six lots are preserved and protected thanks in large part to the generosity of the late Chris Harvey, former SILT trustee, beginning in 1999. William Johnson and Bill Oberdorf also contributed to the acquisition of Lot 8 in 2004. Five of these lots are located at the entrance to Indian Point, and provide a forest habitat for deer, a variety of birds, fire-scarred veteran Douglas Fir trees, Shore Pine, Western Red Cedar, Western Hemlock, Western Coral Root, Dwarf Roses and many other plants and animals. The sixth lot is on the water and adjacent to the Sands Right of Way beach path. A Salal and Lodgepole Pine forest, along with veteran Douglas Fir and Red Huckleberry cover this land, with Red Fescue and Gumweed at the beach edge.
2 - The Rowan Forest
Donated by adjacent owners Moira and Allan Rowan, this forested lot at the corner of Somerset Lane provides additional habitat for the species listed above.
3 - Sunset Trail Forest
This beautiful waterfront acreage has Western Red Cedar, Douglas Fir, Alder, Ferns and is part of the only wetland on Savary Island. As the owner of this parcel SILT owns a share of the 35 acre common land adjacent.
4 - Rodgers road - Three Wetland Properties
One of these lots was generously donated by the Outrim family of Calgary and two were purchased with money raised by the SILT community. Wetlands are a valuable part of the ecosystem for both their physical mechanisms, such as water retention and filtration. They also provide critical habitat to many species of wildlife. Read about SILT’s three wetland properties here.
5 - Vancouver Boulevard - Four forested properties
This land was acquired through the generosity of many Savary Islanders in 2013. The owners of the land, Tom and Ursula Robertson wanted to see it preserved and contributed generously towards the purchase and protection of this mature forest. Read about all the layers of this Douglas fir forest here.
6 - Gouin Family Forest
This land, generously donated by the Gouin Family, represents one of BC’s ecosystems at risk: a Douglas-fir/Salal forest. It has one of the largest grand fir on the island.
7 - Savary island road forest
The funds to acquire this land were generously donated by Savary Islanders in 2019. Learn about the unique grand fir and dull Oregon grape forest community featured on this SILT property here. (And about slime molds!)
8 - Tennyson
Dr. Maija Bismanis of Sooke, BC, generously donated this lot to SILT. The land is located on Tennyson Road in the Meadow neighbourhood, an area protected by the Savary Island Beach Lands Covenant. The lot is part of a sensitive ecosystem and a mature forest of native species including grand fir, red alder, western red cedar, western hemlock and Douglas fir with salal, sword and deer ferns.
9 - Hodgins Forest
Anne Hodgins donated this lot on Vancouver Boulevard because it was what her husband Don Hodgins had wanted; to protect more greenspace on Savary.
10 - MacDougall Forest
This land was generously donated to SILT by the MacDougall Family as an ecological gift in 2009. At the time of the gift, Hartland MacDougall said “this will be our gift back to the island that has meant so much to the MacDougall Family.”
The MacDougall Forest is a 2.5 acre parcel that protects two Ecosystems at Risk within the most threatened Biogeoclimatic zone in British Columbia. It also plays an important role in maintaining ecological connectivity between sensitive ecological communities at Mace Point and those of the forested dunes in the Heart of Savary.
11 - Macdonald-Hannay Nature Reserve
The Helen R. Mcdonald and J. Douglas Hannay Reserve, near the highest point of the Island above South Beach, is in the trough of a dune. A veteran Douglas Fir is protected here in a dry and often dark dune swale.
12 - Daryl Duke Memorial Forest
Anne-Marie Dekker gifted this forested lot to SILT in memory of her late husband Dr. Daryl Duke. Daryl was a Savary Islander all of his life. His long term view made him a vocal and inspiring advocate for protection of the Island’s sensitive ecology. Daryl was a founding trustee of SILT and was very dedicated to the organization, serving on the board for five years.