BC Parks Foundation

A New Sanctuary – Rare and Pristine Forest and Creek Beside Gowlland Tod Park Now Protected Forever

Today marks a significant victory for BC’s least protected and rarest biogeoclimatic zone: thanks to your support, a 34-acre parcel of Douglas fir forest adjacent to Gowlland Tod Park is now protected forever—just in time for the park’s 30th anniversary. 

Three decades ago, a group of visionary conservationists recognized the profound ecological value of the Highlands area outside Victoria. Inspired by the European green-belt policy, which preserves natural spaces around major cities, they rallied their community and worked with the province to establish Gowlland Tod Park as a sanctuary for future generations.

Many of those same individuals continue that work today, and this newly protected land bears the fruit of their dedication. Michael Bocking, a lifelong advocate for the conservation of the Gowlland Range and a key figure in the creation of Gowlland Tod Park, knows the deep significance of this achievement. His nearby Earthspring Sanctuary, a place of meditation and reflection, highlights his deep connection to the land.

"For me, conservation isn't just about setting land aside; it's about building a relationship with nature," Bocking says. “When people experience these landscapes firsthand—walking among the towering Douglas firs or listening to birdsong by a clear, flowing stream—they begin to understand the intrinsic value of these spaces. That understanding is a key ingredient of successful conservation.”

This acquisition by BC Parks Foundation weaves a vital link in the ecological fabric of the region, connecting Gowlland Tod Park with Hazlitt Creek Municipal Nature Park. Bocking emphasizes that this connection is more than just a line on a map: “It's a lifeline for the region's diverse flora and fauna. With over 90% of Hazlitt Creek—a major tributary of Millstream Creek—now preserved within parkland, we’ve secured an uninterrupted corridor for wildlife and the natural flow of ecosystems.”

The 34-acre parcel is home to some of the oldest trees in the area, some reaching six to eight feet in diameter. The land also provides critical habitat for deer, birds, and several at-risk species, including the olive-sided flycatcher, the red-legged frog, and the Pacific sideband snail. As Bocking notes, “It’s a sanctuary not just for meditation, but for life itself.”

“A decades-long story of conservation lives on!” says Andy Day, CEO of BC Parks Foundation. “This newly protected place is a beautiful continuation of a vision that began thirty years ago with the creation of Gowlland Tod Park. The efforts of these local conservationists will echo through these expanded protected lands forever, inspiring more communities with what’s possible when we come together.” 

As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of Gowlland Tod Park, we also celebrate this newly protected place alongside it. The collective legacy of so many generous and devoted individuals and groups lives on in every tree, stream, and hillside now protected forever.

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