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MeadowMakers - Community Creating Habitat

The MeadowMakers program invites people of all skill levels, from novice gardeners to seasoned experts, to work together to create and enhance native plant habitat in our communities. Garry Oak Ecosystems have the highest plant diversity of any terrestrial ecosystem in coastal British Columbia and are among the most endangered ecosystems in Canada. As a result, more than 100 plant and animal species that depend on these ecosystems are now at risk.

Through MeadowMakers, participants learn about the ecology of Garry Oak Ecosystems and explore how integrating native species and ecological processes can help restore lawns and other degraded spaces into functioning meadow habitat, with a strong focus on supporting native pollinators, insects, birds, and other wildlife.

As a MeadowMaker, you become part of a community of people who are passionate about nature and actively learning skills that directly benefit local ecosystems. MeadowMakers is an inclusive program with a multifaceted approach to restoration that values a diversity of perspectives and learning styles. This includes honouring Indigenous land management practices and acknowledging that many of the ecological changes we see today are tied to colonial land-use practices that disrupted long-standing relationships between people and place.

Across the Victoria region and beyond, transitioning lawns, boulevards, and community spaces to native plants creates opportunities for native species to thrive and supports the wildlife that depend on them. By working collaboratively, our efforts have a greater, more lasting impact on local ecosystems and our community as a whole.

Subsidized spaces are made possible through the generous support of Pollinator Partnership, Peninsula Landscape Supplies, and Wilder Restoration. Click here to apply. 

Some in-person MeadowMakers sessions are proudly supported by the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific (HCP) and hosted at their beautiful Pavilion 🌿

Past MeadowMakers

The MeadowMakers network includes hundreds of people who have completed the program and are helping to create habitat connectivity and ecological corridors within their neighbourhoods. With a wide range of backgrounds and experience, past MeadowMakers have developed skills, knowledge, and confidence in native plants, wildlife, and restoration practices.

Equipped with this shared learning, MeadowMakers have transformed lawns, boulevards, and community spaces into biodiversity-rich habitat. They continue to deepen their understanding by engaging with the native plants they’ve established and observing the wildlife these spaces support—such as birds, butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects. This ongoing learning and connection empowers MeadowMakers to contribute to restoration projects, support local stewardship efforts, and remain connected through an active and growing network.

The Program

The MeadowMakers program includes in-person workshops, field trips, virtual sessions, and an online classroom. Participants learn about native plants, local ecology, connections between plants and people, restoration techniques, and wildlife, with an emphasis on practical, place-based learning.

The program guides participants through restoring a variety of spaces, such as yards and boulevards, using native plants. Some MeadowMakers projects have also included larger natural areas enhanced through knowledge gained in the program. All participants develop essential skills in plant and bee identification, as well as basic plant propagation techniques.

MeadowMakers receive training from local experts in native plants, pollinator conservation, restoration, and cultural relationships to land, including food systems, through a combination of workshops, shared resources, and field-based learning. The program fosters a collaborative learning environment where participants connect with others who care about local ecosystems, troubleshoot challenges together, and support one another in creating and sustaining habitat for native plants and wildlife.

Learn more about MeadowMakers in the news!

Virtual sessions will be recorded and made available exclusively to participants for the length of the program. Field trips and in-person sessions are not recorded.