🌺 April 2026 Newsletter 🌺
- Apr 6
- 8 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Hi, friends!
Everybody better prepare themselves, because as the air warms and the sun shines, we at GWAS and all our partners are going to be busy getting into the swing, or should we say “spring” of things with all the amazing events and opportunities in April. So many new developments are happening from this month onward, and we’re not stopping anytime soon!
The Spring season means that our Nature House’s doors are wide open, ready for visitors to come on in, learn new things and have some fun. On top of that, you’ll see us getting involved with all-new restoration projects and making our presence known at community events. But don’t take our word for it—join us as a member or volunteer and find out yourself! Our ball is rolling, and we’re excited to see where it takes us!
GET INVOLVED
🌷 Volunteer With GWAS 🌷
Interested in getting involved at the Gorge Waterway Nature House? Volunteers support hands-on environmental education, restoration, and community outreach aligned with our Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) programming. From welcoming visitors to supporting shoreline learning, your time helps connect people to place and care for the Gorge Waterway!
Spring options for volunteering:
Saturday and Sundays at the Nature House
Ecological Restoration Community Drop-Ins on Thursday mornings from 9:30am to 11:00am, meet at the Nature House (no registration or experience required)
Dungeness Crab Light Trap Volunteering, email andrea@gorge.ca for more info
European Green Crab trapping, email andrea@gorge.ca for more info
💚 Become a GWAS Member 💚
An annual membership with GWAS helps fund vital restoration projects and environmental education initiatives, such as the operation of our youth-focused Nature House in Esquimalt Gorge Park. As a member, you will receive free admission to the Gorge Waterway Nature House, free tea and coffee, and you'll also receive voting privileges at the Annual General Meeting to help decide the future of GWAS!
MARCH RECAPS
🌊 Join the Wave 2 Recap 🌊
Ocean lovers united for the second Join the Wave Workshop last month, in preparation for Ocean Week Victoria. Representatives from nonprofit organizations, local businesses and government came together to network and brainstorm ideas to ensure that this year's Ocean Week Victoria, running from 🗓May 30 to June 8, 2026, will raise awareness for ocean conservation initiatives while supporting fun, creativity and community building! You can learn more about Ocean Week Victoria here.
💧 World Water Day Recap 💧
GWAS paid a visit to UVIC to take part in the World Water Day celebrations thanks to an invitation from the Project on Ecological Governance! We set up our table at the Resource Fair, where we got to meet lots of guests taking interest in what we do. Then, we sat down at the CINECENTA theatre to watch a screening of “Nechako: It Will Be A Big River Again,” an Indigenous-made documentary about the years-long struggle to restore the historic Nechako River after it was desecrated by the Kenney Dam in 1952. Present for the screening were director Lyana Patrick and former MLA SȾHENEP Adam Olsen, who answered questions after the film was finished. The project was an admirable and thought-provoking experience and we hope to see the struggle pay off in the future.
To learn more about the Nechako and the effort to save it, visit the documentary website.
🙌 Spring Celebration Recap 🙌
The sun was shining and the sky was blue at the Nature House on March 21st, giving GWAS a brilliant day to formally open up the House for the Spring season! We started off with a territorial welcome from Florence Dick, and then it was fun and games time as we let guests and visitors check out our resources, explore the touch tank and watershed model, and traverse the waterway through nature walks. There were snacks to enjoy and scavenger hunts to play, and with a well-sized turnout of children and adults alike, it’s safe to say the Nature House is raring to go for the spring!
🐟 Craigflower Creek Restoration 🐟
As part of the Craigflower Creek Coalition’s ongoing efforts, five GWAS staff members and one volunteer visited the fish fence site of the creek for a session of ecological restoration on March 27th. Together, we worked to remove clusters of invasive English Ivy from the creekside, and then planted various native seedlings around the area; which included Pacific willow, Red osier dogwood, and Hedge nettle, among others. Two hours of work later and the creek is looking quite nice!
The Craigflower Creek Coalition, made up of talented members of various environmental organizations, has been working hard to preserve and improve the watershed and its population of coho salmon and coastal cutthroat trout through data monitoring, restoration efforts, and community outreach. For more info on what this collaborative is doing to protect the Craigflower watershed, visit the new Craigflower Creek Coalition webpage on our site.
🟦 Sustainable Development Goals at GWAS 🟩
The Sustainable Development Goals are 17 global priorities set by the United Nations to create a more sustainable, equitable and resilient world by 2030.
Here at GWAS, we are excited to be continuing the work of advancing the United Nations SDGs 13, 14 and 15: Climate Action, Life Below Water and Life on Land. We are weaving these goals into everything we do, writing new programming, refreshing nature house exhibits and sparking conversations about how we can take both local and global action to protect ecosystems and promote sustainability.
If you haven’t been by the Nature House this spring, come take a look! We are revamping our exhibits to shine a spotlight on these important goals.
🍁 Federal Nature Strategy Announcement 🍁
In October 2025, GWAS and Greater Victoria NatureHood attended Nature Canada’s flagship nature advocacy event, Nature on the Hill, to discuss advocating for a robust federal Nature Strategy. Now, we are happy to announce that on March 31st, the Federal Government announced its long-awaited new Nature Strategy! Nature Canada is eager to see the direction that this new plan heads toward.
Click this link to view the news release from the Prime Minister’s website. Click this link to view the new Nature Strategy itself. Click here to view the statement from Nature Canada.
🌎 GWAS in the News: Green Shores Celebration 🌎
On March 5th, GWAS attended a celebration event for the completion of the Green Shores Restoration Project, which was designed to give Esquimalt Gorge Park the appearance of being untouched by humans. The minds and volunteers behind the project used natural materials to recreate the shoreline, making it look as if it had always been that way. The celebration event took place outside the Gorge Waterway Nature House, which sits next to one of the demonstration sites for the project, and featured a turnout of many organizations in support of the efforts. You can read the full article on the project here.
UPCOMING EVENTS
🏞️ National Urban Park Proposal 🏞️
Parks Canada and the City of Colwood have joined to collaborate on the potential creation of an all-new National Urban Park!
A National Urban Park in Canada is a protected green space located in or near a major city, designed to conserve nature, connect people with the outdoors, and advance Indigenous reconciliation. Managed by Parks Canada with partners, these parks protect biodiversity, offer $130 million in funding, and provide urbanites with accessible nature.
The Greater Victoria candidate site, which is one of seven candidate sites across Canada, is located on Parks Canada land located around Fort Rodd Hill. Both Parks Canada and City of Colwood representatives have stated that the envisioned National Urban Park has great potential and benefit for the area.
For more information, check out this article.
🌳 Petition to Save Garry Oak Trees! 🌳
A proposed development for a private property on Admirals Road will result in the removal of 33 Garry Oak trees. The Esquimalt Climate Organizers have started a petition to prevent this from happening.
This petition asks the Esquimalt Council to deny the current development permit for the property and require it to be redesigned to allow for the preservation of the Garry Oak and Douglas Fir ecosystem. The removal of these trees would have a large negative impact on habitat and hydrology for the community, and will require 66 replacement trees elsewhere as per Esquimalt’s tree protection bylaw.
To sign the petition and learn more information, click the button below!
🐳 Wonders of the Salish Sea April Webinars 🐳
Philip Lambert: “Sea Stars of the Salish Sea” | Monday, April 13 7-8pm
Jared Qwustenuxun Williams: “Feeding the People, Caring for the Land: Indigenous Food Systems of the SS” | Monday, April 13 8-9pm
David Droppers: “Gulls: Far More Than Just A Seagull” | Monday, April 20 7-8pm
Grant Lawrence: “Whale Tale: The true story of some of West Coast's most remarkable Orcas!” | Monday, April 20 8-9pm
🦋 Greater Victoria City Nature Challenge 2026 🦋
Join nature lovers across the capital region between 🗓April 24 and 27 as we celebrate Greater Victoria’s biodiversity during the international 2026 City Nature Challenge. The capital region will be competing with more than 900 urban areas around the world to see how many wild species can be recorded during this 4-day international bioblitz.
To participate, sign up for the Greater Victoria CNC Project on iNaturalist, and join the hunt by searching for local nature in your area. Take digital photos of things like wild native plants, animals, fungi, insects, tracks, or even scat and upload them to the iNat page. Be sure to identify them!
In honour of the City Nature Challenge, GWAS is hosting a Bioblitz in Esquimalt Gorge Park on 🗓Sunday, April 26, from 🕰11:00am to 2:00pm. Join us at the Nature House for fun and guided nature walks!
🌿 Knowledge Keepers Gathering 2026 🌿
Metis Nation of Greater Victoria invites you to join us for the annual Knowledge Keepers Gathering! This is an event where we highlight and showcase Metis knowledge from academic researchers, Metis-focused research, to cultural knowledge holders, storytellers, artists, musicians and dancers. This event is free, for anyone and everyone to attend, and there is no registration required. More info coming soon.
🗓Saturday, April 25 & Sunday, April 26
🕰TBA
🐦 World Migratory Bird Day 🐦
Rocky Point Bird Observatory and GWAS are partnering to kick off Victoria Bird Week 2026 with a day of activities and fun on World Migratory Bird Day!
This year, we’re imagining Beacon Hill Park buzzing with families, kids in costume, bird walks in full swing, and community organizations sharing their passion for birds and habitat conservation. We’re looking to engage families and young people through creative, hands-on learning, and celebrate migration and biodiversity in one of Victoria’s most iconic parks. Expect lots of bird species, interactive activities, and the return of the popular “Scream Like a Seagull” event!
We hope you’ll join us to launch Victoria Bird Week with energy, visibility, and real community pride. For more information, please see RPBO’s event calendar.
🗓Saturday, May 9
🕰10:00am-1:00pm
📆 Save the Date for these Events! 📆
ILLUMINAIRE: Wings of Silence Performance | Saturday, May 2 & Sunday, May 3
Marble of the West Performance | Sunday, May 24
Ocean Week at the Nature House | Saturday, May 30
GWAS Job/Opportunities Fair | Wednesday, June 3
Hadyn’s Seasons Performance | Saturday, June 6
We hope the spring season is treating you well and giving you energy for what’s ahead! We’ll see you in the next newsletter.
Sincerely,
The GWAS Team
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