Module 1

Welcome to MeadowMakers and Introduction to Meadowmaking. 

Our opening day brings the MeadowMakers community together to explore why restoring native meadows matters and how each participant can contribute to this work.

The day will begin with a welcoming from BOḰEĆEN knowledge keeper SNEMIŦIYE Dominique James, followed by an introduction from Kristen Miskelly on why prairie-oak restoration matters, what MeadowMakers is building, and what participants can expect from the program.

Participants will hear from past MeadowMakers, including Nathan Docksteader, who will share their experiences transforming lawns and other spaces into native plant habitat.

W̱S͸ḴEM artist Sarah Jim will share her restoration experience, her work removing invasive ivy, and her journey reconnecting with language, art, and land. Sarah also designed the interpretive signs for the W̱SÁNEĆ Ethnobotany Trail at HCP and will introduce the trail before our visit.

Participants will have the opportunity to explore the W̱SÁNEĆ Ethnobotany Trail & Restoration Project. James Miskelly will introduce the ecology of Garry oak ecosystems, and  W̱JOȽEȽP knowledge keeper Beangka Elliott will share reflections on relationship with TENEW (land and water), ḰȽO,EL food systems, and the role participants can play in revitalization efforts.

The day will conclude with a MeadowMakers program overview and small-group reflection as participants begin imagining how this learning might take shape in their own spaces.

Module 2

Nature's Best Hope: Presentation by Douglas Tallamy

In this special virtual session, MeadowMakers participants will hear from Douglas Tallamy, author, entomologist, and professor of ecology at the University of Delaware. Tallamy’s work explores the vital relationships between native plants, insects, birds, and other wildlife, and how these connections shape healthy ecosystems.

Drawing from his book Nature’s Best Hope, Tallamy will discuss how individual gardens, yards, and community spaces can play an important role in restoring biodiversity. Participants will learn how planting native species can help rebuild ecological food webs and create habitat that supports pollinators, birds, and other wildlife.

This session provides important context for the ideas explored throughout the MeadowMakers program, including lawn-to-meadow conversion, native plant selection, and designing landscapes that function as habitat.

Tallamy’s books Nature’s Best Hope and The Nature of Oaks are available for purchase through our website and at Satinflower Nurseries on opening day. 

To learn more visit HNP - Homegrown National Park - Regenerate Biodiversity

Module 3

Selecting Native Plants for your Meadow with Kristen Miskelly

In this webinar, we explore how to select native plants that are well suited to your site and restoration goals. Participants will learn about the diversity of native species found in southern Vancouver Island ecosystems and how plant traits relate to different site conditions.

• Be introduced to a variety of local native plants & begin building a working list of species that could fit your site
• Start to consider a framework for selecting plants based on site features
• Consider the dynamics of meadow plantings and how different species function over time
• Gain a better sense of timelines for establishing meadow plants
• Understand how to balance diversity with manageability in a meadow planting
• Learn how to think about bloom timing and continuity across the season
• Have a better sense of when to use seed, pots, or a combination of both
• Build confidence in making initial plant selection decisions

Module 4

Supporting Pollinators in your Meadow with Dr. Lora Morandin  (Pollinator Partnership)

In this session, participants will learn about the diverse pollinators that live in prairie-oak ecosystems and how native plants support their life cycles. Dr. Lora Morandin, Associate Director of the Pollinator Partnership, will introduce the native bees and other pollinators that rely on meadow habitats and explain why these relationships are so important for healthy ecosystems.

Together we will explore how plant–pollinator relationships shape meadow communities and how thoughtful planting can support pollinators throughout the growing season. Participants will gain practical insights into creating habitat that provides nectar, pollen, and nesting opportunities for native bees and other wildlife.

Module 5

Growing Native Meadow Plants with Kristen Miskelly, Michelle Schlafen-Brown, and SNEMIŦIYE Dominique James.

Cohort 1: Sunday, April 19
Cohort 2: Sunday, April 26

Times will be assigned through a separate sign-up after registration. Participants will attend one session only, choosing a time slot on either April 19 or April 26.

Part of the joy of creating a meadow is learning the full life cycle of native plants. In this session, participants will explore how meadow species grow from seed to mature plants and gain an introduction to native plant propagation.

Dominique James will share cultural perspectives on native plants, including some of their names in SENĆOŦEN. Michelle Schlafen-Brown, Propagation Supervisor at Satinflower Nurseries, will share her practical experience growing native plants.

Many participants find themselves inspired to grow plants at home to expand their meadow patches or share plants with friends and community.

Additional Learning

Optional Field Trip: kwetlal (Camas) Day (Cattle Point)
lək̓ʷəŋən Territory
Annual event hosted by Friends of Uplands Park.
Sunday, May 3rd
12:00pm – 3:00pm

Participants are encouraged to attend kwetlal (Camas) Day, a long-standing community celebration of Garry oak meadow ecosystems and the culturally significant kwetlal (camas) plants (Camassia spp) that continue to shape these landscapes today. The event includes guided walks, plant interpretation, and opportunities to learn more about meadow restoration and the cultural importance of kwetlal (camas) landscapes.

Module 6

Meadow Site Preparation with Kristen Miskelly

In this session, we will explore some of the key techniques used to restore and establish native meadows. Participants will gain practical guidance on preparing a site for seeding or planting, including approaches to removing lawn or existing vegetation, improving site conditions, and selecting appropriate tools and materials.

You will leave this session feeling better prepared to take the next steps in bringing your meadow to life. We will discuss how to choose a suitable location for your meadow, the supplies you may need, and the timing of different restoration activities throughout the year.

This session will help you begin developing a plan for your own meadow project. In the following module, we will bring these ideas to life through an in-person visit to Satinflower Nurseries, where participants will see meadow restoration examples and explore plant identification and site preparation techniques in a real landscape setting.

Module 7

Meadow Ecology, Site Prep & Plant ID with Kristen Miskelly and James Miskelly.

Welcoming by Sc’ianew knowledge-keeper Sč̕uŋən Cristina Armstrong.

Cohort 1: Sunday, May 10th
Cohort 2: Sunday, May 17

Times will be assigned through a separate sign-up after registration. Participants will attend one session only, choosing a time slot on either May 10 or May 17.

In this session, participants will explore meadow ecology and plant identification while visiting several areas of the nursery, including a native meadow established on a septic field. Together we will look at plant communities, discuss site conditions, and observe how the site preparation approaches introduced in Module 6 are applied in practice.

The session will also include an indoor discussion in the Satinflower shop with James Miskelly on Garry oak ecosystem wildlife and the many species that native meadows can support.

Module 8

Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve with Quw’utsun knowledge keeper Siilh'na'mut Ken Elliott, Kristen Miskelly, and James Miskelly (hosted by Nature Conservancy of Canada & Cowichan Community Land Trust)

Cohort 1: Saturday, May 23rd
Cohort 2: Sunday, May 24th

Times will be assigned through a separate sign-up after registration. Participants will attend one session only, choosing a time slot on either May 23 or May 24.

In this field session, participants will visit the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve, one of southern Vancouver Island’s finest remaining examples of Garry oak prairie landscape. Together we will explore the ecological diversity of these rare ecosystems and learn about the restoration work underway to protect and recover them.

Quw’utsun member Siilh'na'mut Ken Elliott will share perspectives shaped by a lifetime of connection to the land. Ken grew up in Quamichan and learned traditional harvesting practices from his grandmother and great-grandmother, who taught him to approach plants with respect and intention. Through his work restoring riparian areas, operating a native plant nursery with his family, and leading nature walks for over 25 years, Ken has dedicated his life to sharing knowledge about native plants, traditional foods, and the relationships between people and the land.

Together we will explore Garry oak meadow plants, discuss restoration efforts in the region, and reflect on how restoring native habitats can support both biodiversity and cultural knowledge.

Module 9

Satinflower Nurseries (Metchosin) – With the Native Bee Society of BC.

Welcoming by Sc’ianew knowledge-keeper Sč̕uŋən Cristina Armstrong.

Cohort 1: Sunday, May 31st
Cohort 2: Sunday, June 7th

Times will be assigned through a separate sign-up after registration. Participants will attend one session only, choosing a time slot on either May 31 or June 7.

In this hands-on field session, participants will spend time in Satinflower Nurseries’ native seed fields learning to recognize some of the native bees that depend on meadow habitat. Master Mellitologists Jade Lee and Gwendolyn Williams from the Native Bee Society of BC will introduce key bee groups, including bumble bees, mining bees, leafcutter bees, and sweat bees. They’ll address common questions like – Where are bees found in the field? What do they use as nesting habitats? What plants are most valuable to Native Bees?
Participants will develop practical observation skills while exploring diagnostic features used to identify common native bees and to help distinguish between bees, wasps and flies. Learn how bee-life histories are connected to plant selection and meadow design in some surprising ways. 

Module 10

Visit the Garry Oak Learning Meadow with Kristen Miskelly and Dr. Lora Morandin Pollinator Partnership.

Supported by Parks Canada.

Time slots will be scheduled after registration. Participants will select a single time slot on Sunday, June 21.

In this final field session, participants will visit the Garry Oak Learning Meadow at Fort Rodd Hill, where Parks Canada, lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees Nation), and other restoration partners have been working to restore prairie-oak ecosystems and pollinator habitat. 

The day will begin with a welcoming from lək̓ʷəŋən knowledge keeper Cheryl Bryce.

This visit takes place on National Indigenous Peoples Day and during Pollinator Week.

Dr. Lora Morandin of the Pollinator Partnership will join us again to observe pollinators in the restored meadow habitat and discuss how plant–pollinator relationships shape these ecosystems.

The Garry Oak Learning Meadow is a prime example of a lawned landscape transformed into native meadow habitat. Together we will explore how meadow restoration supports pollinators, birds, and other wildlife, and reflect on how the principles learned throughout MeadowMakers can be applied in different landscapes.

This session offers an opportunity to observe a large-scale restoration project and celebrate the connections between native plants, pollinators, and community stewardship.