News

  • Ryan Senechal. Remote Sensing: Garry Oak Species Detection Project, GOMPS AGM, Nov 2024.


    The Remote Sensing: Garry Oak Species Detection Project is scheduled for June 2025.

    Garry Oak Meadow Preservation Society is a volunteer-run non-profit based in Saanich, BC providing advocacy functions around individual Garry oak and Garry oak ecosystem protection and stewardship. Mapping and analysis of the overall Garry oak ecosystem and individual trees in the Capital Regional District is out of date and utilizes methods that prevent cost-effective updates and efficient temporal analysis. Our interest is in developing a new approach to mapping Garry oak species presence using LiDAR and geoAI. By conducting species specific detection analysis to form a species composition baseline, we can enable future analysis opportunities that are Garry oak specific. 

    The Garry Oak Meadow Preservation Society (GOMPS) has partnered with Terra Remote Sensing, a geospatial data acquisition company, for an upcoming project. GOMPS is in interested in developing a new approach to map Garry oak species presence using LiDAR and machine learning. By conducting species specific detection analysis to form a species composition baseline, we can enable future analysis opportunities that are Garry oak and Garry oak ecosystem specific. This is an important contribution to a growing body of regional urban forest mapping that could influence changes in tree protection policies (e.g., enhanced existing tree protections and requirements for Garry oak replacement trees through private development), and management and planning for Garry oaks on public property.

    GOMPS initial analysis goals are to perform Garry oak species detection within two municipalities (City of Victoria, and District of Saanich’s Urban Containment Boundary), and eventually expand the method to survey all municipalities in the Capital Regional District. GOMPS hopes to have located and calculated the overall Garry oak canopy area. The goal is to offer the Garry oak mapping and high-resolution raw LiDAR/ortho data flown for this project publicly. This data sharing will support researchers, community members and other nonprofit organizations with our Garry oak species analysis, and also enable additional novel data analysis approaches supporting Garry oaks and Garry oak ecosystems. LiDAR Species Detection flight window is set for the week of June 23, 2025.

    Presentation Slides:

    presentationlidar.pdf

  • VCAN Garry Oak Community Mapping Project

    VCAN Garry Oak Community Mapping Project

    Final Report, Victoria Community Network Association Mapping Project (VCAN) 

    The Victoria Community Network Association Mapping Project (VCAN) was funded by the City of Victoria’s My Great Neighbourhood Grant (Resilience) program. Thank you to the VCAN Mapping Team for your time and significant contributions to the project. GOMPS provided a letter of support and urban forest expertise via a walking tour for participants. 

    From March 2024 to March 2025, the project aimed to assess biodiversity distribution within Victoria’s neighbourhoods on private property, complementing the city’s existing tree inventory on public land. The urban area of the City of Victoria is the Garry oak ecosystem (GOE)–– a fact often left out of discussions on the urban forest.

    Project Objectives:

    – Enhance awareness of cultural ties to the territory and the effects of settlement.

    – Foster connections between residents and the urban natural environment.

    – Develop a more complete map of Garry oaks and biodiversity elements.

    – Identify wildlife corridors for organism movement between complex ecosystems.

    – Assist in protecting and restoring the function of sensitive ecosystems and natural areas, including habitat corridors and assist with the parks acquisition strategy (9.2 of the Official Community Plan). 

    The project’s outcomes aim to inform ecological and cultural restoration, urban development, park acquisition, and canopy equity initiatives.

    Phase 1 Highlights:

    – Development of an interactive web map accessible and editable by community members.

    – Creation of tutorials for mapping significant areas.

    – Organization and conversion of data for analytical purposes.

    – Preliminary habitat analysis for statistical assessment.

    The VCAN Mapping Team also initiated a letter for discussions with builders and developers to address land use changes impacting the Garry oak ecosystem and consider planting native plants and trees as a tangible act of connecting with the territory.

    This project serves as a catalyst for dialogue to foster cultural and ecosystem awareness, ultimately promoting a healthier urban canopy and ecosystem through collaborative efforts.

    Final report:

    VCAN Community Mapping Project (.pdf) (March 2025)

    Project Documents

    Zoom to enlarge areas on the map. The City of Victoria Garry oak tree inventory data is noted in green. Other points represent individual trees or areas where Garry oaks exist. Please note, this is not an individual Garry oak tree count and does not represent all Garry oak trees in the City of Victoria. Neighbourhoods participating in this community building project included Burnside Gorge, Downtown, Fairfield / Gonzales, Fernwood, Hillside Quadra, James Bay, North Jubilee, South Jubilee, North Park, Oaklands, Rockland, Victoria West.

    Presentation Slides
    Presentation slides by Carollyne Yardley (.pdf) (Rockland Neighbourhood)
    Printed slide deck at wrap-up event by Jacklyn Jolicoeur(.pdf) (James Bay Neighbourhood)

    Mapping Tutorials
    VCAN Mapping Tutorial (.pdf) (Cedar Shore Consulting)
    Ken Wong’s Organic Maps Tutorial (.pdf) (Hillside/Quadra)

    Preliminary Suitable Habitat Analysis
    Preliminary statistical analysis of environmental characteristics at mapped Garry Oak Tree locations (.pdf) (Cedar Shore Consulting)

    Dear Developer: An Earthly Invitation template (.doc) (March 2025)

    VCAN_MAPPING_PROJECT_wrap_up_eventDownload

  • GOMPS. “Letter to Langford Mayor and Council,” Item 5.1 Nov 18th Council Agenda: Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP) Hiring an Arborist, Nov 17, 2024.

    GOMPS. “Letter to Langford Mayor and Council,” Item 5.1 Nov 18th Council Agenda: Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP) Hiring an Arborist, Nov 17, 2024.

  • Carollyne Yardley. VCAN Community Mapping Project, AGM Presentation, Nov 2024.

    A conversation about the distribution of biodiversity within and between the City of Victoria’s neighbourhoods.

    To complement the City’s excellent inventory of all trees on public land, the Victoria Community Association Network (VCAN) has involved each neighbourhood in an inventory of Garry oaks and other elements of biodiversity on private property. Each neighbourhood developed their own approach and will be reporting back to residents on what they learned and what we have learned about the larger patterns within our urban forest.

    The urban area of the City of Victoria is the Garry oak ecosystem (GOE)–– a fact often left out of discussions on the urban forest.  Objectives of the project include:

    • to connect people, cultural connections to the territory, map current Garry oak distribution, enhance canopy equity.
    • to directly benefit residents and wildlife, wildlife corridors for the movement and dispersal of organisms, and establish nodes of functioning.
    • assist in protecting and restoring the function of sensitive ecosystems and natural areas, including habitat corridors and assist with the parks acquisition strategy (9.2 of the Official Community Plan). 
      ​

    This project was made possible by a City of Victoria “My Great Neighbourhood Grant”, the volunteers, a GIC consultant, and support letters from the Sierra Club and the Rockland Neighbourhood Association who administered the grant.

    ​GOMPS provided a letter of support and urban forest expertise via a walking tour for participants. 

    Presentation Slides

    Presentation slides by Carollyne Yardley (.pdf) (Rockland Neighbourhood)
    Printed slide deck at wrap up event by Jacklyn Jolicoeur(.pdf) (James Bay Neighbourhood)

    Mapping Tutorials
    VCAN Mapping Tutorial (.pdf) (Cedar Shore Consulting)
    Ken Wong’s Organic Maps Tutorial (.pdf) (Hillside/Quadra)

    Preliminary Suitable Habitat Analysis
    Preliminary statistical analysis of environmental characteristics at mapped Garry Oak Tree locations (.pdf) (Cedar Shore Consulting)

    Dear Developer: An Earthly Invitation template (.doc) (March 2025)

    Final Report – VCAN Community Mapping Project (.pdf) (March 2025)

  • Annual General Meeting

    Picture

    Annual General Meeting

    GOMPS 2023-24 AGM will be held:
    
    DATE: Sunday, November 17, 2024
    TIME: 3:00 to 5:00pm
    LOCATION: Banquet Room, Cedar Hill Golf Course, 1400 Derby Rd, Saanich.

    Our meeting will include:
    ·      Presentation of various reports – President, Nursery, Treasurer & Volunteer
    ·      Election of officers, and 
    ·      An open discussion about Garry oak issues with focus on future directions
     
    As per GOMPS bylaws, there are 7 board members’ positions including:
    ·      President,
    ·      Vice-President,
    ·      Secretary,
    ·      Treasurer, and 
    ·      3 Directors at Large. 
     
    3 Director positions are up for election this year as 4 Directors continue in their 2-year terms and 1 Director becomes a Director Emeritus. Please consider joining our board or nominate someone for a board position by sending nominations to: Judith Carder (Secretary) at judeathome at shaw.ca by Friday, November 8th, 5:00 pm.
     
    In order to vote at meetings and to run for election to the board, you must have a current GOMPS membership.  
     
    The opportunity to purchase or renew your membership will be available at the AGM (cash or cheque only, at this time).
     
    Your attendance and input during the discussion period at our meeting will be greatly welcomed and appreciated!

  • Fall 2024 (Oct) Newsletter

    Garry Oak Leaflet Fall 2024 (PDF)

  • Hannah Link. Community fights to save trees set to be removed from Centennial Square, The Martlet. Sept. 26, 2024. 

    Community fights to save trees set to be removed from Centennial Square

  • Grace Golightly. Ryan Senechal: Removing Sequoia Would Violate City of Victoria Policies, Creatively United Community. Sept. 6, 2024. 

    https://creativelyunited.org/ryan-senechal-removing-sequoia-would-violate-city-of-victoria-policies

  • Summer (July) 2024 Newsletter

    Garry Oak Leaflet Summer 2024 (PDF)

  • Nusery Shelter is installed and with thanks to the Victoria Foundation

     After some hard work by Judy and Susan on Thursday to prep the base and today lining the interior with landscape fabric, our new shelter is ready for us to reinstall our workspace. The Tee Cee crew of Mike and Mike did a great job on Saturday. Another big thanks to Judy for being on site bright and early to let them in to get started. And thanks again to Judith for getting us the funds from the Victoria Foundation for this project.

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