For nearly 70 years, the Ladysmith Saltair Garden Club has served as a fixture of community horticulture, traditionally celebrated for its focus on vibrant roses and zinnias. However, as the club approaches its seventh decade, it is spearheading a significant shift in local gardening philosophy: moving beyond pure aesthetics to prioritize ecological function, biodiversity, and climate resilience.
With a membership of nearly 70 individuals spanning from Yellowpoint to Cedar, the club is seeing a notable demographic shift. An influx of younger, environmentally conscious members is driving a collective interest in how backyard plots can serve as critical components of the broader ecosystem. This shift reflects a growing recognition that as natural biodiverse spaces become smaller and more fragmented, private gardens and patios offer a vital opportunity to bridge those gaps and provide essential habitat for wildlife.
“They’re talking about what to do now in your garden, but they’re all thinking of what to do for the wildlife,” says club member Gail Wiseman-Reed. This philosophy rests on the understanding that every backyard contributes to a larger environmental mosaic.
The club’s new focus addresses the historical habit of prioritizing pristine, manicured landscapes at the expense of native flora—a trend that has contributed to declines in native insect populations. “In the past, we eliminated all the natural plant stock, the growth that attracted the butterflies, hummingbirds, caterpillars, even bats,” Wiseman-Reed explains. “We didn’t look at how this whole ecosystem helped our gardens.”
The urgency of this shift is grounded in biology. For example, chickadees require between 6,000 and 9,000 caterpillars to raise a single clutch of nestlings. Furthermore, many of Vancouver Island’s butterfly species depend exclusively on specific native plants for reproduction. By integrating native species into home landscapes, residents can help support the pollinators, insects, and predatory species—such as bats and birds—that drive the local food chain.
To support this transition, the club has organized an ambitious speaker series titled “Regenerating Wonder, Hope and the Earth’s BioDiversity Through Gardening.” Running from September 2026 through May 2027, the series will host experts at the Ladysmith Eagles Hall to provide practical, science-based guidance on ecological stewardship.
The curriculum is designed to move from theory to actionable practice. September’s opening session features Pamela Walker on integrating native meadows and permaculture into seaside settings. Subsequent months address a diverse range of topics, including Linda Brooymans of the Nanaimo and Area Land Trust (NALT) on sheltering biodiversity, and Jay Rastogi’s exploration of native hedgerows as climate-resilient, water-retentive infrastructure.
The series also addresses practical challenges, such as Kurtis Howes’ session on creating water-rich, drought-resistant landscapes, and Bethany Couture’s introduction to urban permaculture. The series concludes in the spring with specialized looks at local species: Bernhard Juurlink will discuss the role of endangered insect-eating bats in Island gardens, and Lynda Stevens and Linda Brooymans will highlight the diverse pollinators that sustain local plant life.
By equipping residents with the knowledge to manage soil health, conserve water, and select sustainable plant varieties, the Ladysmith Saltair Garden Club is positioning the local backyard not as a separate entity from nature, but as a central player in its restoration.
The speaker series is open to the public, with sessions held on the third Thursday of each month at the Ladysmith Eagles Hall. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for a meet-and-greet, followed by the presentation at 7:00 p.m. Attendance is $5 per person.
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