The City of Nanaimo is a community of 100,000 residents on the east coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The City has over 1000 Ha of parkland. 70% of it being natural area. The spread of invasive species and the fragmentation of habitat over the years has negatively impacted these spaces. To address this, the City is working with Snuneymuxw First Nation and a variety of community organizations on several environmental restoration projects to increase the ecological diversity of our parks and natural areas. 

City of Nanaimo

Future riparian and wetland restoration area adjacent to a neighborhood ball field in the Harewood Neighbourhood. Currently a biological assessment is underway and a restoration plan being prepared.

Catstream (Robin's Park)

The Eco-Cultural Carex Bed Restoration of the Nanaimo Estuary project is an initiative by the Guardians of the Mid-Island Estuaries in partnership with Snuneymuxw First Nation, and the City of Nanaimo and funded through the Pacific Salmon Foundation, Habitat Conservation Trust Fund, British Columbia Conservation Foundation, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Nature’s Trust of BC.

The goal of the project is to restore Lyngbei's Sedge (Carex lyngbyei) beds in the Nanaimo River Estuary. Lyngbei’s Sedge have a large network of rhizomes that help stabilize the banks of salt marsh platforms that provide key habitat for rearing young salmonids as they transition from the river to the ocean. 

A study from the 1970’s mapped out the Lyngbei’s Sedge beds throughout the Nanaimo River Estuary. When comparing the data from the study to the existing beds, it was evident that Lyngbei’s Sedge beds have been degraded and reduced over time as much as 90%. 

One of the leading reasons for the decrease in Lyngbei’s Sedge is due to overgrazing by Canada Geese (Branta canadensis). When eating Lyngbei’s Sedge Canada Geese will pull out the entire sedge including its rhizomes. This results in increased erosion of the salt marsh platforms by wave and tidal action and leads to a decrease in habitat for salmonids using the estuary. 

To restore balance, Geese ex-closures (fencing) were placed around beds of Lyngbei’s Sedge to prevent Geese from flying in and eating the sedge. When Geese are preparing to land, they look for open areas similar to an airplane run way, and they prefer open areas to watch for predators. The ex-closures create an unfavorable area for Geese to graze, and allow beds to recover. Furthermore, transplanting of Lyngbei’s Sedge from already established sites to impacted sites that were once areas of Lyngbei’s Sedge began in March 2021 to help restore severely impacted beds.  


Nanaimo Estuary Carex Bed Restoration

Between Bruce Ave. and Howard Ave., the riparian area along both sides of the Chase River has been significantly impacted from historic developments and disturbances dating back many decades. 

The riparian forest along the river's south bank consisted of a narrow width of tree/shrub vegetation that typically extends only 4 to 5 m from the top of bank of the river and in places is only 2 to 3 m wide. 

There are few large trees present within the riparian area along the south bank and invasive species are present throughout the narrow riparian forest. 

In some areas, invasive plants such as Himalayan blackberry are the dominant species present, preventing the return to natural forest conditions and choking out or competing with natural vegetation.

This restoration project is intended to reestablish a viable riparian ecosystem along an important fish bearing watercourse in the Harewood neighborhood.

Chase River (Harewood Centennial)

This project is a phased removal of invasive English hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and replacement replanting with native conifers and deciduous trees and a mix of native shrubs species along a wetland edge that feeds into the Catstream, an important urban watercourse in the Harewood Neighborhood. 

Much of this work is being coordinated with volunteer and participant help from students and faculty from Nanaimo and District Secondary School (NDSS) and the Parks Canada Club at Vancouver Island University.

Third Street Park 

Planned project (Summer 2021) with Snuneymuxw First Nation and Departure Creek Streamkeeprs to augment flow into a side channel downstream. Other stream projects in the park have enhanced instream habitat and planted riparian vegetation to address stream bank erosion issues.

Departure Creek (Woodstream Park)

Between Bruce Ave. and Howard Ave., the riparian area along both sides of the Chase River has been significantly impacted from historic development and disturbances dating back many decades. 

The riparian forest along the south bank of the river consisted of a narrow width of tree/shrub vegetation that typically extends only 4 to 5 m from the top of bank of the river and in places is only 2 to 3 m wide. 

There are few large trees present within the riparian area along the south bank and invasive species are present throughout the narrow riparian forest. 

In some areas, invasive plants such as Himalayan blackberry are the dominant species present, preventing the return to natural forest conditions and choking out or competing with natural vegetation.

Working with students and faculty from John Barsby School, this restoration project is intended to reestablish a viable riparian ecosystem along an important fish bearing watercourse in the Harewood neighborhood.

Chase River (John Barsby School)

A re-alignment of Departure Creek through a historically underutilized parking lot. New instream fish habitat was created (pool and riffle structures) along with a 15 meter wide riparian setback, The riparian area was planted with: 78 native deciduous and coniferous trees @ 1 for every 10 square meters; 831 native shrubs @ 1 for every 0.9  square meters; 40 semi-aquatic sedges, and 240 herbaceous plants @ 1 for every 0.5 square meters.  

Departure Creek Realignment (Bay Street)

A central cycling and pedestrian corridor that parallels an underutilized rail line. Tree planting and protection of natural seedlings is underway to help create green shady pockets along the length of the trail.

Esquimalt and Nanaimo (E&N) Trail corridor

East Wellington Park is a 12.7 ha undeveloped park located along the Millstone River and within the Agricultural Land Reserve. The City has prepared a draft Park Plan that proposes reestablishing the 30 meter riparian setback as well as opening the park to agricultural activity.  This plan has not been finalized or presented to Council for adoption.

Millstone River (East Wellington Park)

Reforesting a disturbed site adjacent to a wetland with a major trail and a neighborhood playground nearby.

Linley Point Gyro Reforestation

An urban wetland sits at the heart of the Museum of Life and Science’s Explore the Wild exhibit. This site was once a quarry pit for mining gravel. When the quarry was abandoned in the 1930’s, water filled the pit, and plants and animals began to move in.


The wetland now filters stormwater as it flows from the nearby city into Ellerbe Creek. Notice seasonal changes in plant life, water level, and water quality. Watch the wetland grow over time as nature reclaims this human-altered habitat.

The Museum of Life and Science

Mature pine and black willow trees surround this wetland habitat, part of the Explore the Wild exhibit at the Museum of Life and Science. Smaller, flood-tolerant species grow well in the rich soil at the water's edge. 

Once a quarry pit, this wetland is now a thriving urban habitat with over 130 plant and animal species.



Wetland - Upper Observation Deck

A boardwalk trail runs through this wetland habitat. The water quality changes dramatically with rainfall, seasonal plant growth, and the activity of the invasive red swamp crayfish. 

Once a quarry pit, this wetland is now a thriving urban habitat with over 130 plant and animal species.


Wetland - Lower Boardwalk 1

Small islands dot the landscape of this wetland habitat. Heavy rains completely flood the islands, while droughts reveal dry land and submerged tree trunks. 

Once a quarry pit, this wetland is now a thriving urban habitat with over 130 plant and animal species.


Wetland - Lower Boardwalk 2

We manage over 24,000 acres around the city of Cleveland, Ohio, USA.  As we restore habitat, we need help capturing images of how the site changes, to see if it is functioning as intended.  We would love your help taking pictures at these sites where recent restoration work has occurred.

Cleveland Metroparks

Thanks for helping us monitor this pond and stream restoration project.  Going back to 1915, there was a pond at this location where visitors could float in small boats, and they could ice skate in winter.  Over time, the pond filled in with sediment, and it has become more of a wetland.  Reestablishing the pond will bring back some of the previous recreational opportunities to the park.  Stream restoration activities will benefit Wolf Creek and Mill Creek downstream.  Photos from this site will help us monitor the functioning of this re-established pond and stream.  You can also help monitor other sites:  Astorhurst wetland, Bonnie Park Wetland Restoration, Bonnie Park Dam Removal, Brookside stormwater bioretention, Chagrin River at Jackson Field, and Euclid Creek headwater restoration at Acacia Reservation. This site is not yet ADA accessible.

Garfield Park pond/stream

Thanks for helping us monitor this stream bank restoration.  Urban areas have roads, driveways, and houses that create impervious surface where stormwater runs off more rapidly.  In addition, this sort of development often also fills in or redirects streams, and this can also cause increased runoff.  One consequence of this is increased erosion downstream of urban development.  This restoration work will reestablish the river's location from 2010, establish a floodplain bench, and encourage a wooded riparian area. Photos from this site will help us monitor the functioning of this restored stream bank.  You can also help monitor other sites:  Astorhurst wetland, Bonnie Park Wetland Restoration, Bonnie Park Dam Removal, Brookside stormwater bioretention, Garfield Park pond, and Euclid Creek headwater restoration at Acacia Reservation. This site is not currently ADA accessible.

Jackson Field stream restoration project

Thanks for helping us monitor these new floating wetlands. The shore in this area is hardened by steel bulkhead. The floating wetlands create a softer edge and provide habitat above and below the water using native plants. As plants mature, their roots will grow through the material and into the water, creating cover and food source for aquatic macroinvertebrates and fish. Above the material, the plants provide a source of food and cover for butterflies, bees and birds. Turtles have also been known to use floating wetlands for basking. Photos help monitor plant growth and blooms on these floating wetlands and will guide future shoreline improvements. You can also help monitor other sites:  Bonnie Park Wetland Restoration, Bonnie Park Dam Removal, Euclid Creek headwater restoration at Acacia Reservation, Euclid Creek park revitalization & trail extension, Garfield Park pond/stream, Rising Valley pollinator meadow and Wendy Park shoreline. 

Floating wetland @ E.72nd

Thanks for helping us monitor progress on this stream restoration.  Before becoming a golf course, this site was an important part of the headwaters feeding into Euclid Creek.  Wetlands and meandering small creeks would have slowed storm-water flow and helped improve water quality.  Photos of this site will help us to show how the restored headwaters of Euclid Creek are improving stream health and water quality.  You can also help monitor other sites:  Astorhurst wetland, Bonnie Park Wetland Restoration, Bonnie Park Dam Removal, Brookside stormwater bioretention, and Chagrin River at Jackson Field. This site is ADA accessible.

Euclid Creek Stream Restoration

Thanks for helping us monitor this revitalized park space. Historically, this area was part of Cleveland Metroparks until it was sold to the Euclid Board of Education in 1965. The sale included a reverter clause that if the site was no longer used for education, it would return to Cleveland Metroparks. Euclid Middle School was closed after 2019-2020, and in 2021 the buildings and most pavement were removed. Cleveland Metroparks is now renovating this property into park space for the community that features a newly reforested floodplain of Euclid Creek as well as an accessible all purpose trail connecting guests to park land to the south and eventually to Lake Erie to the north.  Your photos will help us monitor the growth and bloom of these beautiful plants.  You can also help monitor other sites:  Bonnie Park Wetland Restoration, Bonnie Park Dam Removal, Euclid Creek headwater restoration at Acacia Reservation, Floating wetlands, Garfield Park pond/stream, Rising Valley pollinator meadow and Wendy Park shoreline. 

Euclid Creek park revitalization & trail extension

Thanks for helping us monitor this new pollinator meadow. This site was previously a community soccer field. Due to lack of use and change in land ownership, Cleveland Metroparks decided to transition this space to a pollinator meadow planted with native wildflowers and grasses. Staff plowed, disced and rotavated the area to prepare it for seeding in spring of 2023. These native plants will benefit an array of butterflies, bees and birds. Photos from this site will help us monitor the growth and bloom of these beautiful plants. You can also help monitor other sites: Bonnie Park Wetland Restoration, Bonnie Park Dam Removal, Euclid Creek park revitalization &amp; trail extension, Euclid Creek headwater restoration at Acacia Reservation, Floating wetlands, Garfield Park pond/stream and Wendy Park shoreline. 

Rising Valley pollinator meadow

Thanks for helping us monitor the shoreline at Wendy Park. Over the past several years, Cleveland Metroparks has documented significant shoreline erosion due to high lake levels and storm events. The Park District received grant funding to design a nature-based solution to stabilize this shoreline and protect the park land behind it. Cleveland Metroparks hopes to implement this project in the near future. Your photos will help us monitor shoreline erosion in the near term and eventually track the nature-based project installation.  You can also help monitor other sites:  Bonnie Park Wetland Restoration, Bonnie Park Dam Removal, Euclid Creek headwater restoration at Acacia Reservation, Euclid Creek park revitalization & trail extension, Floating wetlands, Garfield Park pond/stream, and Rising Valley pollinator meadow. 

Nature-based shoreline stabilization @ Wendy Park

Thanks for helping us monitor progress on this dam removal and resulting river restoration.  The dam on this site was built to power a mill that stood here until the 1930s.  Dams that no longer serve their original purpose reduce the health of the river and its water quality.  Photos of this site will help us to show how the health and water quality of the East Branch of Rocky River is improving.  You can also help monitor other sites:  nearby Astorhurst wetland, nearby Bonnie Park Wetland Restoration, Brookside stormwater bioretention, Chagrin River at Jackson Field, and Euclid Creek headwater restoration at Acacia Reservation.

Bonnie Park Dam Removal

Thanks for helping us monitor this golf course restoration.  Sitting as it does, just uphill from Tinkers Creek, Astorhurst is an important location for improving water quality in the Tinkers Creek watershed.  Restoration work created a wetland uphill from the pond to store additional stormwater when it rains.  The wetland and the pond below it both capture water flowing off of the hill above and from storm drains along Dunham Road.  By capturing more stormwater, the restoration can help reduce downstream flooding while also improving water quality by filtering contaminants like salt from Dunham Road.  Photos from this site will help us monitor the function of this restored wetland.  You can also help monitor other sites:  Bonnie Park Wetland Restoration, Bonnie Park Dam Removal, Brookside stormwater bioretention, Chagrin River near Jackson Field, Garfield Park pond, and Euclid Creek headwater restoration at Acacia Reservation. This site is not yet ADA accessible.

Astorhurst Wetland

Thanks for helping us monitor progress on this wetland restoration.  Historically, this site would have been a patchy, forested wetland, similar to the wetlands to the north and south. During large storms, the East Branch of the Rocky River may have flooded into this area. Also, runoff from nearby hillsides would have fed this wetland. This restoration project restores these previous functions of capturing and filtering runoff to improve water quality. Photos of this wetland will help us to show how it is contributing to overall efforts to improve river health and water quality.  You can also help monitor other sites:  Astorhurst wetland, nearby Bonnie Park Dam Removal, Brookside stormwater bioretention, Chagrin River at Jackson Field, and Euclid Creek headwater restoration at Acacia Reservation.

Bonnie Park Wetlands Restoration

Thanks for helping us monitor this stormwater reduction project.  This big parking lot catches lots of stormwater whenever it rains.  Because the water cannot soak into the soil, it flows directly into Big Creek, causing major erosion problems downstream.  The goal of this stormwater retrofit is to replace some of the parking lot surface with depressions called “bioretention cells” that will catch, hold, and clean stormwater, releasing it slowly over time.  The Park District will also harvest plant material from these depressions to use as browse for zoo animals next door.  Photos from this site will help us monitor the functioning of these bioretention cells.  You can also help monitor other sites:  Astorhurst wetland, Bonnie Park Wetland Restoration, Bonnie Park Dam Removal, Chagrin River at Jackson Field, Garfield Park pond, and Euclid Creek headwater restoration at Acacia Reservation. This site is ADA accessible.

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City of Nanaimo

Catstream (Robin's Park)

Nanaimo Estuary Carex Bed Restoration

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