This summer we wrapped up a three year project to enhance habitat and better protect species-at-risk in the designated Off Road Vehicle Area of Lac Du Bois.

For this project we partnered with the Four Wheel Drive Association of BC, through their local rep Charlie Denbigh, and successfully applied for funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk.

We worked with the 4×4 crew to fence off several unique saline pond features and a fresh water duck pond, while putting up educational signage for drivers to enjoy. We share a goal of fostering greater stewardship of the area, as awareness increases of the many amazing species that call this area home.

At the same time, local biologist Brianna Powrie prepared a plan to inventory key habitat areas in the ORV. We knew great basin spadefoot were here, so she brought in Jo-Anne Hales, a spadefoot toad researcher and Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc band member, to analyze audio recordings and survey which areas the toads were using to breed. A small valley was located with some ephemeral ponds, but due to drought in recent years, and the long term impacts of climate change, they worried these ponds may be drying up before tadpoles could finish maturing.

Tay Powrie, a TRU MSc student studying hydrology, looked at the movement of water through the valley and devised a plan to use pool liner to collect and trap water into one area, that would last long enough into the summer that the spadefoot tadpoles could finish their metamorphosis.

Myself and TRU student Dani Lafleur learned about plant species that are adapted to grow in these pond areas. We collected seeds and worked with the TteS greenhouse to grow hundreds of plugs of these species. After the pond was installed, we used these plants to restore the area and make the artificial pond as close to a natural environment as possible.

By next summer we will know if the pond holds water and the spadefoot toads are using it. Fingers crossed!

Many thanks to all the TRU students, KNC employees and volunteers, BC Parks, and Grasslands Conservation Council of British Columbia for various contributions during this project.