GOMPS Nursery Update | Fall 2026
This fall, the Garry Oak Meadow Preservation Society (GOMPS) completed another season of seedling distribution, supplying young Garry oak trees to four municipalities across the Capital Region: Saanich, Esquimalt, Langford, and Victoria.
The distribution marks another year of work by GOMPS nursery volunteers, who cultivate locally adapted Garry oak seedlings to support restoration, biodiversity, and the long-term survival of this increasingly rare ecosystem.
Since 2017, GOMPS has distributed thousands of seedlings to municipalities and restoration partners throughout the region. The nursery’s work extends beyond growing trees. It also involves experimenting with cultivation techniques, improving seedling quality, and collaborating with municipal partners to monitor the survival of trees after planting.
Exploring New Growing Techniques
The nursery’s 2026 growing program included an experimental air-prune bed designed to accommodate more than 200 + acorns. Alongside this trial, volunteers planted 594 acorns in air-prune pots during the spring. Air pruning is a growing technique that encourages healthy, well-branched root systems by exposing growing root tips to air rather than allowing roots to circle within containers. The bed trial offers an opportunity to explore alternative growing methods, improve nursery efficiency, and assess seedling development in preparation for planting. This fall, seedlings grown in the air-prune beds were carefully lifted and bundled into groups of ten, with five bundles placed together in each pot for transport to municipal recipients.
Preparing Seedlings for Distribution
Photographs taken during the fall distribution show the seedlings prepared for their municipal destinations, with separate groupings for Saanich, Esquimalt, Langford, and Victoria.
The distribution also reflects GOMPS’ continuing relationships with local governments. In fall 2025, the nursery supplied 117 air-prune pots to Saanich, Victoria, and Langford. This year’s distribution expands that group of recipients to include Esquimalt.
Growing for the Future
Garry oak ecosystems are among the most endangered terrestrial ecosystems in Canada, with approximately 95% of their original extent lost. These ecosystems provide habitat for a remarkable diversity of native plants, insects, birds, and other wildlife, including numerous species at risk.
Growing a Garry oak from an acorn is a small but meaningful contribution to restoring this ecological network. However, successful restoration requires more than planting. Young trees need suitable growing conditions, adequate soil, sunlight, water, and sufficient space to mature.
Through nursery experimentation, volunteer stewardship, and partnerships with municipalities, GOMPS continues to improve how locally adapted Garry oaks are grown and introduced into the landscape.
Thank you to the GOMPS nursery volunteers and municipal partners whose work supports the next generation of Garry oaks across the Capital Region.