The Salish Sea archipelago, in which the Saanich Peninsula is included, is an enormously biodiverse region that supports unique mega flora with diverse topographies and microclimates. Throughout this unique ecological zone, there are populations of rare species that vary from area to area.
The following article in the Rain Coast Conservation Foundation talks about how, for both Washington State and BC, the Olympic Mountains shadow has created what they call a “profound amount of micro-habitat diversity in this area.” In the San Juan Islands alone, with only 0.26% of the landmass of Washington, it supports 30% of the native plant species. The same is true of the British Columbia side of the border.
The article speaks to the need, in times of our climate devolution, how important it is to protect this area’s species from extinction.
