BC Nature Trust looking to purchase and protect area with six sensitive South Okanagan ecosystems

Photo: BC Nature Trust

The BC Nature Trust has introduced an acquisition project in the South Okanagan as one of their top priorities for 2021.

The Park Rill Floodplain is 153 acres, or 61 hectares, located in the White Lake Basin near Willowbrook, and it is full of species that need protection.

The Nature Trust is hoping the public will help their mission to keep the property safe in perpetuity for the rare ecosystems it holds.

It is home to six sensitive ecosystems: sagebrush steppe, grassland, open coniferous woodland, seasonally flooded fields, wet meadow, and sparsely vegetated rocky outcrops, all of which are conservation priorities for the Trust.

Vulnerable animals in the area include Nuttall's cottontail rabbits, one of the rarest rabbits in Canada which can only be found in the South Okanagan, and the Great Basin gopher snake, B.C.'s largest snake which can grow up to 2.4 meters long.

Endangered American badgers also burrow in the area, and threatened Western screech owls hunt for food at night after peregrine falcons have finished for the day.

The Nature Trust is looking for donations to help acquire the property, needing to raise $600,000 by June 30, 2021.

Find out more about the BC Nature Trust and how to donate here.