Bilston Headwaters

Conservation Success! New Nature Reserve Created in the Heart of a Rare Canadian Ecosystem


In May of 2024, BC Parks Foundation, in collaboration with the Metchosin Foundation, announced the creation of a nature reserve in the heart of the Bilston Creek watershed. This newly protected land includes dry Coastal Douglas-fir forest and associated ecosystems.  

“This is a story about natural spaces and wildlife that are facing big odds, and the great people that are saving them,” says Andy Day, CEO of BC Parks Foundation. “I love this project because it shows that if you set your mind to making a direct positive impact, you can create a fantastic legacy for people and animals now and far in the future.” . 

Both organizations worked with partners and the landowner family to secure the 32-acre parcel. About two-thirds of the Bilston Creek watershed is situated in Metchosin, a rural municipality just west of Victoria BC, known for its forests and farms. 

“We are pleased to see this nature reserve become a reality for Metchosin and recognize its contribution to ecosystem stewardship in our broader region,” says Metchosin’s mayor Marie-Térèse Little. “Metchosin is well known for nature so it’s wonderful to know that this special property will enjoy enduring protection. I offer my thanks and congratulations to all parties involved.”

BC’s dry Coastal Douglas-fir ecosystem is highly endangered due to ongoing development and urbanization. The newly protected land is habitat for keystone mammal species like bears, cougars and wolves as well as species at risk, such as sharp-tailed snakes. The property includes wetlands, mature forest and upland manzanita scrub.  

Says Valerie Jaeger, president of the Metchosin Foundation, “The Metchosin Foundation has worked for years to foster education and community support for wilderness in Metchosin. The purchase of this property in the heart of the Bilston Creek watershed, with its ponds, wetlands, and Coastal Douglas-fir forest, makes our hearts sing. Protecting ecosystems from hilltop headwaters to the seashore at Witty’s Lagoon is the goal of the Metchosin Foundation’s Bilston Conservation Corridor project. We hope this nature reserve is the first in a series of conservation outcomes for the Bilston Creek watershed in Victoria’s Westshore region.”

Protection was made possible through partnership between the BC Parks Foundation and the Metchosin Foundation, with support from Wilson 5 Foundation, the Victoria Foundation and private donors. This partnership holds promise for similar reserves in the future, because it is based on a mechanism that makes it easier for the owners of sensitive and biodiverse ecosystems to create a conservation outcome for their property.