The Natural Edge
Does Your Waterfront Property have a Natural Edge?
Waterfront properties are among the most beautiful – and most valuable – places to live. With the serene water, the clear night skies, and fishing and swimming right out the backdoor, they’re the perfect place to live, relax, and enjoy with friends and family.
Shorelines are also among the most important places on earth for wildlife. Throughout their lifetimes, over 90% of aquatic wildlife species use these land-water interfaces for food, shelter, breeding, and rearing areas. Healthy layers of vegetation including trees, shrubs, ground cover, grasses, flowers, and aquatic vegetation benefit wildlife, protect these shorelines from degrading, and support natural processes that are essential to a healthy watershed.
With the growth of new cottage developments, cottage-to-home conversions, and commercial and industrial developments along shorelines, these sensitive areas are threatened. With the loss of natural vegetation, several benefits to the lake are compromised, including water clarity and quality, safe swimming areas, and loss of wildlife habitat.
Participate in the Natural Edge – Landowners
The Natural Edge is a shoreline naturalization program available to waterfront property owners to plant native trees, shrubs, groundcovers, wildflowers, and grasses along the water’s edge. With support from Watersheds Canada and generous funding support from Royal Bank of Canada, The Shawnigan Basin Society is able to provide landowners with:
A free site visit to discuss shoreline concerns, provide recommendations, and assess planting conditions;
A personalized planting plan, including photos of selected planting areas and ideal plant species;
Free resources to ensure that the newly planted vegetation thrives in the first few years of establishment and growth; and
Follow-up and support with your new plants.
Does Your Waterfront Property have a Natural Edge?
Waterfront properties are among the most beautiful – and most valuable – places to live. With the serene water, the clear night skies, and fishing and swimming right out the backdoor, they’re the perfect place to live, relax, and enjoy with friends and family.
Shorelines are also among the most important places on earth for wildlife. Throughout their lifetimes, over 90% of aquatic wildlife species use these land-water interfaces for food, shelter, breeding, and rearing areas. Healthy layers of vegetation including trees, shrubs, ground cover, grasses, flowers, and aquatic vegetation benefit wildlife, protect these shorelines from degrading, and support natural processes that are essential to a healthy watershed.
With the growth of new cottage developments, cottage-to-home conversions, and commercial and industrial developments along shorelines, these sensitive areas are threatened. With the loss of natural vegetation, several benefits to the lake are compromised, including water clarity and quality, safe swimming areas, and loss of wildlife habitat.
Participate in the Natural Edge – Landowners
The Natural Edge is a shoreline naturalization program available to waterfront property owners to plant native trees, shrubs, groundcovers, wildflowers, and grasses along the water’s edge. With support from Watersheds Canada and generous funding support from Royal Bank of Canada, The Shawnigan Basin Society is able to provide landowners with:
A free site visit to discuss shoreline concerns, provide recommendations, and assess planting conditions;
A personalized planting plan, including photos of selected planting areas and ideal plant species;
Free resources to ensure that the newly planted vegetation thrives in the first few years of establishment and growth; and
Follow-up and support with your new plants.
The Natural Edge – An Overview
A natural shoreline creates habitat for wildlife and pollinators, protects water quality, and stabilizes shorelines. Sister Pat of Stillpoint House of Prayer walks you through her experience with the Natural Edge team.
A natural shoreline creates habitat for wildlife and pollinators, protects water quality, and stabilizes shorelines. Sister Pat of Stillpoint House of Prayer walks you through her experience with the Natural Edge team.
The Natural Edge – A Site Visit
Trained delivery partners walk your shoreline with you to discuss any concerns you have. With your input, we choose appropriate plants based on your land characteristics and height preference, and let you place them where you like. Because we do everything on site using an iPad, you’re with us making key decisions!
Trained delivery partners walk your shoreline with you to discuss any concerns you have. With your input, we choose appropriate plants based on your land characteristics and height preference, and let you place them where you like. Because we do everything on site using an iPad, you’re with us making key decisions!
The Natural Edge – How It Works
Plan, Plant, Transform. The Natural Edge Program empowers you to re-naturalize your shoreline and help reduce erosion in your freshwater ecosystem.
Plan, Plant, Transform. The Natural Edge Program empowers you to re-naturalize your shoreline and help reduce erosion in your freshwater ecosystem.
GUIDES
Sponsor
Thank you to the Royal Bank of Canada for sponsoring the Natural Edge Program; we are ecstatic to have this chance to work with you. We will be able to continue improving the lake's Natural Edge and working towards the ecological preservation of the Shawnigan Lake Basin and the drinking water it supplies as a result of your support.
Thank you to the Royal Bank of Canada for sponsoring the Natural Edge Program; we are ecstatic to have this chance to work with you. We will be able to continue improving the lake's Natural Edge and working towards the ecological preservation of the Shawnigan Lake Basin and the drinking water it supplies as a result of your support.