Saturday March 7, 2026 | SAANICH, BC [Updated March 8, 2026]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Rithet’s Bog Park in Saanich is an urban biodiversity hotspot and wildlife refuge.
Funding from the federal and provincial governments will help protect two species at risk that call it home, says the District of Saanich.
Environment and Climate Change Canada has awarded $10,000 to the District of Saanich through the federal government’s Priority Places funding, implemented through the BC Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.
The funding will support the development and implementation of a wetland stewardship plan for Chatterton Marsh within Rithet’s Bog park.
Two species at risk:
The plan will provide threat abatement and restoration recommendations and actions for Vancouver Island beggarticks (an annual herbaceous flowering plant in the daisy family) and northern red-legged frogs, which are federally listed species at risk.
Biodiversity conservation goals:
This initiative advances Saanich’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy goals of ecosystem restoration and enhanced public stewardship, the municipality said in a news release this week.
As a conservation park, Rithet’s Bog is known for its high level of biodiversity and for providing essential stormwater management such as filtration, flood storage and drainage control for the Colquitz watershed. The area faces pressures from urban development, invasive species and climate change, impacting water quantity as well as natural features.
Stewardship event this year:
To support implementation of the wetland stewardship plan once developed, Saanich Parks staff will host a volunteer stewardship event later in the year in collaboration with Pulling Together and Rithet’s Bog Conservation Society volunteers. The event will help foster a sense of community and environmental stewardship that is crucial for the care and preservation of our natural spaces. The Pulling Together page has more details.
