Pollinator Conservation

Edgewood Park

Edgewood Park includes a 330m² pollinator meadow adjacent to a newly planted biodiversity corridor. The pollinator meadow is situated on a south-facing, sandy mound. Selected plant species mimic vegetation found on coastal sandy dunes.

The pollinator meadow is intended to be self-seeding once established; however, because planting is experimental the project will be monitored for several years to determine what establishes and to assess what adjustments may be required. In addition to pollinator plants, leaf litter from adjacent trees will be incorporated into the meadow to provide habitat cover for invertebrates during the winter.

Clayton Community Centre

Two styles of pollinator habitat were installed:

1. Pollinator horticulture bed: Three beds were installed totaling an area of about 40m². A selection of primarily native plants were selected based on their suitability for the site and based on providing blooms throughout spring and summer. Natural items including boulders and downed woody debris were also placed in the bed to support nesting habitat.
    
2. Pollinator-friendly turf alternative: An area of about 65m² was selected to trial an alternative to traditional grass lawns. A mixture of clover and low-growing wildflowers developed by West Coast Seeds was used to seed the area. It is intended to replace lawns in urban settings in order to reduce maintenance costs and increase habitat and forage for pollinators. This blend requires less water, less fertilizer, and less mowing than conventional lawn grasses.

With the help of community members, this site will continue to be monitored and maintained throughout the year.

Natural areas restoration

Surrey’s natural areas are critical to supporting biodiversity in the City. Along with our urban forests these areas support habitats such as wet meadows, grasslands, and shrub thickets. They provide food, nesting and cover for wildlife.

We restore these areas by:

• removing invasive plants
• planting native plants
• applying low or no-mow strategies

You'll find restoration sites in parks all across the city.

Honeybee Centre bee gardens

• Queen Elizabeth Meadows 
• Stewart Farm at Elgin Park 
• PLOT: A Community Land Art Project 
• Darts Hill Garden Park 
• Ocean Park Community Orchard 
• Clayton Community Garden 

Low-mow zones

Surrey Parks is reducing its mowing frequency to once a year in several locations across the City’s Green Infrastructure Network to avoid disturbing habitat for ground nesting birds and pollinators over spring and summer.

You’ll see signage about low-mow zones in pilot locations like utility corridors and greenbelts.

No-mow zones

Some areas in parks will be left to grow naturally.

Examples: meadow at Redwood Park, Elgin Heritage Park.

Many areas within our parks are highly-maintained turf grass. Park users enjoy these areas, but they provide little if any food and shelter for pollinators or other wildlife. Many are within or near biodiversity corridors or adjacent to natural areas within the City’s Green Infrastructure Network.

Staff are investigating new ways to increase biodiversity values in these zones through trials with turf alternatives (e.g., clover blends, “bee turf”). These seed blends combine native wildflowers and grasses that are drought-tolerant and can withstand periodic mowing. Example sites:

• Clayton Community Centre: adjacent to the community garden
• Darts Hill Garden Park

Staff have planted a range of native flowering plants in shade tree wells to enhance pollinator resources in boulevards.

Surrey’s Natural Areas Partnership (SNAP) team monitors to see how they are being used by pollinators. Located along 24 Avenue at Orchard Grove Park.