for Nex̱wlélex̱wm/Bowen Island
The Nex̱wlélex̱wm/Bowen Island Biodiversity Plan is the first of its kind for Bowen Island and gives us a stronger foundation for protecting what matters most. It reveals important findings on the richness of biodiversity on our island as well as the risks our natural environment face.
It helps us see more clearly. It helps us plan ahead. And it helps turn shared concern into practical action.
If you care about Bowen’s future, this Plan offers important new insight into where and how we can protect nature for generations to come.
Find out where the biodiversity is: interactive maps
Caring for nature starts with understanding what we already have.
Bowen’s forests, freshwater systems, shorelines, and wetlands support an exceptional range of life. Knowing where biodiversity matters most helps us protect what is working, restore what is under pressure, and make better choices about the island’s future.
The Biodiversity Plan brings together the best available science and local knowledge into one island-wide picture. It gives Bowen a stronger shared understanding of where biodiversity matters most, so residents, land stewards, and decision-makers can make better choices for the island’s future. It’s not just a scientific document. It’s a practical tool to help residents, landowners, the Conservancy, and the Municipality make more informed choices about stewardship, land use, and the future of this island.
Built to be used:
a shared resource for residents, stewards, and local decision-makers.
What it is
A clear picture of island-wide biodiversity.
The Plan compiles and maps the best available information to show where biodiversity is concentrated, where it is under pressure, and where protection and stewardship matter most.
A practical tool for decision-making.
The Plan is designed to help people understand biodiversity priorities early, before options narrow and conflict grows.
A living resource.
The Plan can be improved over time as new information and local knowledge become available.
What it isn’t
A set of new rules.
The Plan does not change zoning or create new regulations. It helps biodiversity be considered earlier and more clearly alongside other priorities, using better information.
“Nature versus people.”
It is about planning ahead with better information, so we can make room for both healthy ecosystems and healthy communities.
Just for experts.
The Plan supports practical decision-making by all of us, not only scientists or specialists.
The Nex̱wlélex̱wm/Bowen Island Biodiversity Plan grew out of a multi-year collaboration between Simon Fraser University researchers Dr. Wendy Palen, Dr. Tom Sisk, Jay Matsushiba and the Bowen Island Conservancy through the Caring for Nature initiative.
How the Plan was developed
Over 18 months, the work combined detailed scientific analysis with meaningful community input. From the start, our goal was to create something useful and trustworthy: a plan grounded in evidence, informed by local knowledge, and able to grow as new information emerges.
Science, strengthened by local knowledge: community input helped guide the work so the Plan reflects Bowen’s lived experience as well as the data.
Key Findings
The Plan looks across Bowen’s full land base— about 6,350 hectares—to show where biodiversity value is highest and where pressures are greatest. It gives us a clearer shared picture of where protection and stewardship matter most.
Biodiversity hotspots are not always protected
Some of Bowen’s richest ecological areas are under increasing pressure. High biodiversity value does not automatically mean long-term security.
Freshwater is a biodiversity backbone
Streams, wetlands, ponds, and riparian areas support an outsized share of life on Bowen. They are also among the island’s most vulnerable systems.
“Intact” doesn’t mean “untouched”
Some places that are healthy and productive today still reflect past disturbance. That means restoration, stewardship, and better management can make a measurable difference.
Parks alone will not protect what matters most
Much of Bowen’s highest biodiversity value lies outside formally protected lands. Long-term outcomes depend on what happens across private land, public land, and community-managed places.
Planning earlier leads to better outcomes
When biodiversity priorities are understood early, it becomes easier to reduce conflict, design better solutions, and make decisions with fewer surprises later.
The Nex̱wlélex̱wm/Bowen Island Biodiversity Plan gives Bowen a stronger foundation for protecting what matters most.
It helps us see more clearly.
It helps us plan ahead.
And it helps turn shared concern into practical action.
Acknowledgements
We are thankful for the substantial contributions made by the Bowen Island Conservancy’s Caring For Nature team, including B. Turner, J. Matheson, W. Husby, J. Dowler, S.E. Fast, A. Whitehead, J. Gedye, S. Johnson, E. Wachtman, P. Hay, E. Olsen, B. Brokenshire, P. Matthews, L. Gilday, and M. Toom, as well as by the photographers, public participants in our technical workshop and community meetings. Financial support was provided by the Sitka Foundation and the National Science and Engineering Research Council. We acknowledge the valuable technical and scientific support provided by V. Kwok, K. Rolfe, M. Persram, M. Tylo (SFU Research Team), D. Martin, C. Skuce (Bowen Island Municipality), and W. Shulba (Islands Trust).
We welcome your comments or questions about the plan.
Send us an email.