About
Wetlands reduce flooding, provide habitat for wildlife, and improve water quality. Engaging the community in the creation of urban wetlands is part of Still Moon’s major stewardship initiative, Shedding Light on Still Creek. In partnership with the Parks Board and the City of Vancouver, Still Moon is organizing the community to help to create wetlands in three local parks within the Still Creek watershed: Beaconsfield Park (next to the Italian Cultural Centre), Slocan Park (just south of Renfrew Ravine), and Falaise Park. The Parks Board and City of Vancouver conducted site testing and preliminary design work in 2021. Design work was carried out from 2022 to 2025, and Wetland creation is taking place during 2025 and 2026. You can read more about the city’s process here.
Past community engagements for the wetlands project includes
- Invoking Beaconsfield Wetland (2022),
- Bioblitzes and information sessions at Falaise and Slocan Parks (summer 2023).
- Community planting of the Beaconsfield Park wetland (2025).
In 2026, our plans include hosting community-engaged planting events at the Slocan and Falaise wetlands, and engaging local schools in caring for and monitoring them.
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Invoking Beaconsfield Wetland
This Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival event invoked the spirit of wetlands through sound. We gathered to celebrate this and welcome this important green infrastructure in the neighborhood.
The evening presented a unique and immersive sound installation brought to you by a collaboration of local sound artists Brady Marks + Mark Timmings (Wetland Project) and Giorgio Magnanensi (West Coast Radians). We listened to a high fidelity multi-channel recording of the ṮEḴTEḴSEN marsh soundscape (Wetland Project) emitted by flat audio panels made of native wood reclaimed from discard piles from mill operations on the Sunshine Coast of BC (West Coast Radians). Representatives from the Strathcona Community Gardens discussed the ecological importance of wetlands and the process of creating a new urban wetland. Finally, Mark Brady faciliatated an active listening activity.
Bioblitz Information Sessions at Falaise Park & Slocan Park
Beaconsfield Community Wetland Planting
Long-term goals
1. Provide new interactive green spaces for the Still Creek watershed community (Renfrew Collingwood)
Did you know that the Still Creek watershed has low access to nature and only 7% coverage of green canopy? Low tree canopy cover worsens the urban heat island effect which shows urban areas being hotter than surrounding rural areas.
2. Alleviate flooding by redirecting water into the wetland
Did you know that Vancouver is characterized by a high degree of impervious area (paved areas, roofs and other hard surfaces that don’t allow rainwater to soak into the ground)? Vancouver is facing ongoing flooding issues. Green infrastructure, including wetlands, increase permeable surfaces so that flooding is reduced. Urban wetlands also clean rainwater before it flows into major bodies of water.
3. Increase habitat for local flora and fauna, increasing biodiversity in the neighbourhood
Creating wetland areas in these three parks supports multiple objectives outlined by the city’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, Rain City Strategy Plan, Biodiversity Strategy, and VanPlay Master Plan. This project will:
- Enhance the long-term health and vigour of blue spaces, green spaces, trees and biodiversity
- Improve water quality of local water bodies
4. Create a wetland eco-art installation
Under future projects, we hope to work with the community to celebrate and engage with the wetlands by creating eco-art installations in the area.
Think Big: There is a remnant stream of Still Creek just 100m from the soon-to-be Beaconsfield wetland. Could the wetland one day be connected to the forgotten remnant stream?
Project Funders & Supporters
