BC Small Wetlands Association

Pleasant Valley Wetland Heritage Park is open to the public year round. The BC Small Wetlands Association offers cultural ecological outreach programs to indigenous and non indigenous youth and children at the park. BCSWA also provides a summer employment program to youth of all abilities. Youth learned hands on through planting trees and removing invasive weeds. They monitor the wetland ponds and keep journals of the birds animals amphibians insects and native plants. This year youth and students were involved in the creation of a Miyawaki mini forest including digging and mulching the soil and planting more than 320 native trees and shrubs. They have been learning how to propagate some of the culturally important native plants and seeds that no longer grow in the area. BCSWA have now involved students teachers and community members in the development of three new Miyawaki pocket forests at the park including a Healing Garden dedicated to Residential School survivors. By densely planting native trees and shrubs we are creating mini forest that grow ten times faster than a traditional forest and offer 100% more biodiversity.