Caring for Columbia Place – the Power of Community
From Saanich Our Backyard Magazine, January 2025
By Renée Cenerini, Environmental Education Coordinator, in collaboration with Celeste Ramsey
What could have remained just another unloved little easement, overrun by invasive plant species and trash, became a site of community care, learning, and connection among neighbours. This is the story of the magic that can happen when a great idea, a little bit of funding, and attitudes of curiosity and collaboration come together.
In 2023, Celeste Ramsey, a resident of Columbia Place and student working towards a bachelor’s degree in biology and environmental studies, saw this uncared-for space and imagined something different. She imagined a space where a vibrant meadow spills across the South slope under a large Garry Oak tree shading the road. Clusters of pink, yellow, and white blossoms jostle in the breeze while bees and butterflies bumble about. A young Dogwood stands between the oak and the mature Red Cedar, which sets the stage for squirrels darting between branches. As you cross over the lawns, residents are seen sampling the local edition of old favourites like Woodland Strawberry and Oval-leaf Blueberry. Sword Ferns hang lazily over ascending bricks that hold the flowering Thimbleberry and June Plum upslope. A medley of scents wafts from shrubs across the yard as bumbling bees and whistling hummingbirds are seen zooming from blossom to blossom.
Rendition images of Celeste’s vision with existing trees and infrastructure in black and white. Courtesy C. Ramsey
Celeste saw this as an opportunity to increase native plant and wildlife biodiversity, increase residents’ use and engagement with local ecosystems, and even reduce water consumption while maintaining utility access and slope stability. Driven by her passion for ecological restoration and her desire to make a positive change in her neighborhood, she approached the building strata and was able to start a Landscape Committee and engage other building residents with a survey, to find out what values they identified for their outdoor spaces. With this information under her belt, Celeste just needed some funds to get her vision going. The Saanich Neighbour to Neighbour Resilience Initiative was just the right fit. A community grant of $500 aimed at supporting Saanich residents’ projects to address emergency preparedness, climate action, and caring for nature at a neighborhood scale matched exactly with what Celeste, and the newly formed committee, were looking to do. The funds allowed for the purchase of much-needed tools, a first aid kit, and an assortment of beautiful and diverse native plants like Salal, Oregon Grape, Ocean Spray, Red-flowering Currant, Thimble Berry, and more.
With funding secured, the work began in the spring of 2024. Trash was cleaned up, invasive plant species were removed, and soils were improved with woody debris and leaf litter. At the same time, residents learned about native plants and ecological restoration and built a community of care for the land and each other. Neighbours got to know each other and what would have been a lot of hard work for one person, became a shared communal experience where, as put so well by Celeste, “people feel embedded and care about their space". While not everyone could do the physically demanding work of digging or planting, other residents contributed by making coffee or baked goods to share, contributing to the relationship-building so vital to the success of ongoing projects.
While the easement site itself has only begun its transformation, the change in relationships between residents, and the land they live on and care for, is well underway. There are plans for ongoing activities in continuing to tackle invasive species and plant or seed native species and to build on the solid foundation of trust and engagement that has been established. Celeste’s vision for the 435 square meters of neglected easement space is becoming a reality. It demonstrates a wonderful example of community building and caring for the land, showcasing how this can come together on a small scale, and that there are resources and support to help it happen. Projects like this are key to extending the wildlife habitat and biodiversity benefits of parks and natural areas beyond public lands, aligning with Saanich’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and fostering a strong community along the way.
Before - winter 2024
Current – winter 2024
Resident in Action – photo courtesy C. Ramsey
Learn more about the Neighbour to Neighbour (N2N) Resilience Initiative and other N2N projects.
Learn more about the Saanich Naturescape Program.