Island Eco-Systems

It's not only the beaches that are different from one end of the island to the other, there are also different eco-systems in place. One of the most distinctive on Vancouver Island (and the Gulf Islands) is the Garry Oak and Arbutus forests on southern Vancouver Island.

A garry oak in Beacon Hill Park, Victoria

Garry Oak eco-systems are becoming quite rare, and are protected in many places on the southern islands. The system likes dry, partially meadowed areas, often along the seashore or on rocky hillsides.

Arbutus trees are very common south of Nanaimo, but they too have had stress on their eco-systems, and in recent years have suffered from diseases that threaten to do serious damage.

Garry oaks and Arbutus along the Westway walkway in Esquimalt

Both of these trees and the eco-systems they live in make Victoria a very special place to visit and walk in, and create the magic that is all part of Vancouver Island.

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Pass It On!