Grow Me Instead 🌿
This spring, consider a native plant swap.
Some popular plants can spread beyond your yard and become invasive, impacting local ecosystems. Choosing to grow native plants can help strengthen biodiversity and prevent the spread of invasive species.
Last October, we planted native species of Mugwort, Yarrow and Sword Fern outside our Fisgard headquarters. Today they are thriving, showing how well native plants adapt to local conditions and support biodiversity with less effort.
Instead of planting invasives:
Choose native, non-invasive alternatives.
Find Grow Me Instead guide from @ISCBC to help you decide.
Learn how to identify and report invasives in your area.
By choosing the right plants, you’re helping protect local ecosystems, one greenspace at a time.
Learn more about invasive species at crd.ca/invasive
The 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 Victoria will be held at Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park - Hamsterly Beach on Sunday, May 24. The event consists of a 1.9-km swim in Elk Lake, a 90-km bike throughout the Saanich Peninsula, and a 21.1-km run around Elk and Beaver Lakes.
For most of the weekend, visitors can expect heavy traffic and limited parking in the park, both at Hamsterly Beach and Beaver Beach. For more on traffic impacts elsewhere in the region, see here: https://ow.ly/brRm50YZeTV.
In addition, the Royal Canadian Air Force may be doing a low altitude helicopter flyover of Hamsterly Beach around 6:30 a.m., before the race starts, if conditions permit.
Today, we wear moose hide pins to honour, respect, and protect the women and children in our lives and to speak out about gender-based and domestic violence. Get your moose hide pin and join us in making a difference. https://moosehidecampaign.ca #MooseHideCampaign
Biodiversity Heroes is a guided walk for adults and kids ages 8+ happening at Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park on Saturday, May 23 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Biodiversity is crucial in maintaining healthy ecosystems, but it is threatened by invasive species. Discover the importance of biodiversity, learn what invasive species are and what impacts they can have. You will then become ‘biodiversity heroes’ by participating in park restoration! We’ll roll up our sleeves and help remove invasive plants from the park.
More info at crd.ca/parks-events.
Have you heard of compost tea? ☕
Throw your plants a tea party with this natural alternative to synthetic fertilizers. This tasty plant drink is made by steeping finished compost in water to create a nutrient rich solution that helps grow stronger and more resilient plants.
Using less fertilizer doesn’t just benefit your garden. Everyday activities can unintentionally send pollutants into storm drains, carrying them into local waterways like creeks, streams, and shorelines.
Simple changes at home like choosing alternatives to pesticides and fertilizers can help reduce pollution and protect our watersheds. Learn more at crd.ca/preventpollution
Summer 2026 nature programs are here! 🏖️☀️🦀
Step into summer with #crdParks naturalists and cultural programmer for guided walks, lively hikes, and drop‑in events designed to energize your days and inspire your curiosity.
🏞️ All of our nature outings and events are free or low-cost.
🙌 We offer engaging nature outings for many ages and abilities.
📋 Some programs require pre-registration, as space is limited.
View our online events calendar and register for nature outings online at crd.ca/parks-events or keep an eye out around the region for printed copies of our brochure! 📖
#yyjEvents #NatureOutings #VictoriaBC #crdBC
Look up, way up 👀 … and you may spot a bald eagle nest high up in the trees!
Bald eagle nests normally measure about 5 or 6 feet wide and 2 to 4 feet deep. They are made of branches and lined with softer material like lichen, greenery and down feathers. 🪶
Bald eagles return to the same nest year after year, adding on to grow it in size. This can lead to some massive nests! In fact, bald eagles currently hold the record for largest nest in the world with a nest in Florida that weighed over two metric tons, about the weight of a small pickup truck! 🛻
Keep an eye out for nesting birds this spring in #crdParks, and give wildlife lots of space from people and pets to #protectCRDparks.
#baldEagles #wildlife #natureEducation #yyj #birdNests
Out for a walk? Help protect the places you love 🥾
Small everyday actions can prevent the spread of invasive species. Use the Clean, Play, Go method:
Remove plants, mud, and insects from boots, gear, and pets.
Check your tires on bikes and ATVs for any plant material before moving to a new area.
Clean your gear before entering and leaving a recreation site.
Stay on designated roads and trails.
Learn to identify common invasive species and report them.
This Invasive Species Action Month, we will be sharing more actions from @InvasivesCanada and the @ISCBC to protect where we play.
Learn more about invasive species at crd.ca/invasive
If you love the stunning colours and vanilla scent of calypso orchids, you're not alone. Bees are attracted to them too, but calypso orchids aren't giving up the sweet stuff that easily.
Despite their attractive scent, they don't actually contain any nectar! By the time the bees discover this, they are already deep inside the flower and the pollination process has begun! 👀🐝
Always stick to designated trails so you don't accidentally trample these delicate flowers or their ecosystem - do your part to #ProtectCRDparks!
#crdParks #WildFlowersOfTheCRD #victoriaBC
Meet the deltoid balsamroot, an endangered species that is found nowhere else in Canada. Can you guess what family of plant it's in?
If you guessed sunflower, you're correct! 🙌🌻
There are only about 11 known populations of this rare native plant species on the southeastern side of Vancouver Island from Campbell River to Victoria. The placement of trails in #crdParks takes populations of endangered species like this into consideration, so you're doing your part to help #protectCRDparks when you stay on designated trails.
#endangeredSpecies #loveNature #natureEducation #conservation #yyj
Our electoral area Emergency Programs are great representations of this year’s Emergency Preparedness theme, “In it Together”.
We have hundreds of volunteers in our Neighbourhood and Pod Programs who demonstrate incredible leadership in community emergency preparedness. These volunteer groups form a network that enables each neighbourhood or pod to receive critical and accurate information in a timely manner. These leaders inform and encourage residents to be personally prepared for emergencies, and to be aware of communication processes during and after an emergency. Volunteers work hard to remind residents of the need to maintain personal readiness and resilience while also promoting the theme of “neighbours helping neighbours”.
Interested in volunteering in one of our emergency programs or want to learn more about these programs? Visit Fire & Emergency using the link in the bio.
Help Reduce Peak Demand💧
If you live in Greater Victoria, timing your watering is just as important as how much water you use. Irrigation timers are often set to 4, 5 or 6 am, creating spikes in water use that strain our systems. To help reduce sudden peak demand:
-Set your irrigation between 12:01 am and 10 am, and avoid the hours of 4, 5 or 6 am.
-Start your system at an off-time like 12:17 am instead of right on the hour.
Small timing changes help maintain steady pressure and reliable service across the region.
Get more seasonal watering tips at crd.ca/outdoorwater
