W̱míyeŧen Nature Sanctuary - Mary Lake

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W̱míyeŧen Nature Sanctuary - Mary Lake This Nature Sanctuary is 42 acres of protected forest and riparian areas ​supporting biodiversity and encouraging respect for nature.

It is under the care of the W̱MÍYEŦEN Nature Sanctuary Society in alliance with WSÁNEC Knowledge Keepers We acknowledge with respect that the land on which we work is the Traditional and present territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work in this territory. As a charitable environmental organization, we recognize that we have the responsibility to work towards truth and reconciliation, and to remain open to suggestions and consultations, with local Indigenous communities. The creation of the Mary Lake Nature Sanctuary began when the Greater Victoria Greenbelt Society initiated the purchase of the property in Dec. 2016 with the dedication of a small group of Highlanders and the support of Vancity. The property had been in private ownership since 1889 and for the past 70+ years had been lovingly conserved by the owners. It sits in the imperiled Coastal Douglas-fir Bioclimatic zone containing 7 connected ecosystems ​that supports biodiversity and wildlife habitat. Most importantly the Millstream watershed runs through it creating precious riparian areas including the 7 acre lake. These riparian areas contain the highest level of species diversity and in the local Capital Regional District we have lost over 80% of the wetlands to development. There are also several red listed plant ecological communities and threatened species on this property.

10/21/2026
08/27/2026
The forests are the best classrooms.😊🐢https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DYfpsGgnD/
08/16/2026

The forests are the best classrooms.😊🐢

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DYfpsGgnD/

Denmark has formalized outdoor learning as a core component of its national elementary school curriculum, requiring students to spend one full day every week learning outside, including in forests, parks, and natural environments. The initiative builds on Denmark's longstanding "friluftsliv" philosophy, a cultural commitment to outdoor life that has shaped Scandinavian education for generations. Teachers across participating schools report measurable improvements in physical activity levels, classroom focus, and emotional regulation in the days following outdoor sessions.

The Danish model goes beyond nature walks. Students conduct mathematics, language, and science lessons in outdoor settings, using the natural environment as a learning tool rather than simply a recreational break. Research from Aarhus University supports the approach, finding that children who regularly learn outdoors show reduced cortisol levels, stronger peer relationships, and improved attention spans compared to those in conventional classroom settings. Finland and Sweden have adopted similar frameworks, and education researchers in the UK, US, and Australia are increasingly citing Scandinavian outdoor learning as a model worth replicating.

Sources: Aarhus University, Danish Ministry of Education, The Guardian, World Economic Forum, various

07/18/2026

W̱SÁNEĆ’s Traditions During the PENÁW̱EṈ: Camas Harvesting and Tribal Journeys

Summertime brings three moons of W̱SÁNEĆ: the PENÁW̱EṈ (Camas Harvest Moon) in June, the ĆENŦEḴI (Sockeye Returns Moon) in July, and the ĆENHENEN (Humpback Salmon Returns Moon) in August.

Read more about these traditions here: https://wsanec.com/w%cc%b1sanecs-traditions-during-the-penaw%cc%b1e%e1%b9%89-camas-harvesting-and-tribal-journeys/

̱SÁNECPROUD ̱SÁNEĆ ̱SÁNECLeadershipCouncil

06/24/2026

Another day, another pollinator!

The moss' elfin (subspecies mossii) is a teeny tiny brown butterfly. This blue-listed species can be found fluttering around Garry oak ecosystems with sunny hillsides, rocky outcrops, and dry bluffs. Here you can find them with broad-leaved stonecrop: their favourite plant!

These little cuties will lay their eggs at the base of the stonecrop, who then hatch and munch on the stonecrop flower buds for fuel before they pupate in the plant litter. The adults then feed on the stonecrop nectar, and the cycle continues!

Unfortunately, their populations continue declining. Protecting Garry oak habitats, stewarding broad-leaved stonecrop, being careful where you step, leaving leaves on the ground, and not using pesticides, can all contribute to helping the moss' elfin survive.

You can also help by donating to HAT and helping us continue stewarding these precious oak habitats at hat.bc.ca/donate.

📷 Photo by Dennis Deck

06/24/2026

ȻETXIȽĆ is a flowering tree that often blooms twice each year — once in spring, and again in late summer or early fall.
̱SÁNECPROUD ̱SÁNEĆ ̱SÁNECLeadershipCouncil

The first river in Canada to be granted legal personhood. Progress is being made. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1A4wh...
06/14/2026

The first river in Canada to be granted legal personhood. Progress is being made.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1A4whJnEjp/

In Evening Thoughts: Reflecting on Earth as a Sacred Community, Thomas Berry articulates one of the most consequential sentences across his entire body of work:

"The natural world is the larger sacred community to which we belong. To be alienated from this community is to become destitute in all that makes us human. To damage this community is to diminish our own existence."

— Thomas Berry, Evening Thoughts (Sierra Club Books and University of California Press, 2006)

The argument is structural. Belonging to the larger sacred community is not optional. Alienation from it is not eccentricity. It is destitution. Damage to it is direct diminishment of the human.

The rights of nature movement is the slow legal restoration of the belonging the sentence describes.

What part of the larger sacred community have you been alienated from in the rhythms of your own week?

Carry the Great Work forward at thomasberry.org

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05/16/2026

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In memory of Leona Humchitt, and her work as a climate action coordinator and champion we share Coastal First Nations Youth Climate Action Award in her name and legacy. Please share with youth who are aspiring climate champions.

Applications are now open for the Leona Humchitt Youth in Climate Action Award, a $3,000 education award for Indigenous youth in BC (under 30) passionate about climate resiliency and clean energy.

This award honours the life and legacy of Leona Humchitt, a proud Haíɫzaqv (Heiltsuk) leader, mentor, and Climate Action Coordinator with ICAN.

To apply, you must be an Indigenous youth in BC under 30 and be able to explain how the funds will advance your learning and benefit your community.

Deadline: May 31, 2026

Apply: https://5nrdjw.share-na3.hsforms.com/29i1HtBKOSzKWywZHLuJSNw

Questions: [email protected]

Please share with anyone in your networks who may benefit.

Address

1772 Millstream Road
Victoria, BC
V9B6E4

Telephone

+12504785858

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