Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest is the woodland East of the Nature House that hosts many restoration projects to support wildlife and forest health.
Sherwood Forest is the last remaining segment of a continuous band of Douglas-fir forest that held the south banks of the Gorge Waterway prior to colonization and development. The first baseline inventory was taken in 2016 by our own staff member Stephanie Gurney, and multiple follow-up projects have taken place since. Our primary focus has been the removal of the invasive English Ivy (Hedera helix) and Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) across multiple areas to allow the native seed bank to germinate. Our newest project, funded by TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, is the Urban Forest Revitalization initiative which has enabled us to plant 100 m2Â of space with native trees and shrubs, with a focus on edible and pollinator-friendly species. This work was conducted with Indigenous guidance and consultation from the Songhees Nation.