Part I – Research
Before putting even a pinkie toe in the dirt, I needed to understand how to approach the land with respect. I am Indigenous – my nation is Tepehuan, the People of the Mountains in what is now known as Texas – but I’m not Indigenous here, and so I wanted to be a respectable guest. Giving credit where credit is greatly due, I’ve spent the past year learning about native plants and land restoration from First Nations People, such as Leigh Joseph’s Held by the Land, Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass, the Everett Crowley Committee through a nature walk led by Senaqwila, BC Invasives Species Council, Alisha at Moberly, Tao Orion’s Beyond the War on Invasive Species, and Jessica Hernandez’s Fresh Banana Leaves – Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous Science. I’m deeply grateful for my friends who drove me to Coast Salish Nursery and Gardenworks, my Mother-in-Law for driving me to Costco to grab refreshments for the community event, and my partner and friends for working alongside me throughout this entire process.
Part II – Implementation
After months of research, I had a list of native species that had not yet returned home in the pollinator meadows. The list included Salmonberry, Pacific Ninebark, Serviceberry, Salal, Nodding Onion, Elderberry, Baldhip Rose, Coastal Strawberry, Dense Blazing Star, Sea Thrift, Large Flowered Coreopsis, Wild Canadian Ginger, Common Camas, and Common Milkweed. My goal was to have shade-loving plants in the back and smaller heat-tolerant plants in the front, along with a sea of various hardy ground covers and wildflower seeds in between. I have attached a photo to showcase this design approach as the land and I move towards a thriving ecosystem.
For the community event, I hosted a guided tour with a speech that took me hours to produce. I wanted folks to know the native plants in their neighbourhood and to illustrate that nature and us are not separate, but have been and will be forever intertwining beings. For the tour, I covered topics ranging from the native plants in my area, the complexity of invasive species removal, and the importance of listening to and respecting Indigenous Land Knowledge. Once the tour had concluded, I offered hundreds of seeds for folks to throw. My goal was for attendees to create a connection with their local pollinator meadow by going, hey, I helped plant that!
Part III – Conclusion
With one half of the grant funds, I’ve successfully sparked the beginnings of a healing biodiverse ecosystem of thirty-eight different native species. These include shrubs, groundcovers, trees, and wildflowers that are all working together. The grant funds for the community event gave me a wonderful opportunity to proudly present all the knowledge I’ve gathered and connect with attendees. Some of the attendees included folks from the Seeding Stewardship program and members of the local community – a total of fifteen people! I can confidently say I’ve achieved my goals! I love stewarding my little area, and I’m excited about possible future opportunities. Thank you!
