Fritillaria camschatcensis L. Ker Gawl (Liliaceae), is a herbaceous flowering plant that grows in estuarine and subalpine habitats within its range from the northern limit in Alaska to its southern limit in western Oregon. This plant holds cultural significance in the Pacific Northwest as an important root vegetable that was cultivated in estuarine root gardens by many Indigenous Peoples. The bulbs of F. camschatcensis offered an important source of carbohydrates to a traditional diet that was high in protein, fats, oils and fibre. Lhásem is the Squamish name for F. camschatcensis, commonly known as northern riceroot, or chocolate lily. The Squamish Nation is very interested in restoring traditional plant foods into the community along with the traditional knowledge linked to them. Lhásem is a plant that many Squamish people were interested in learning about, thus it was an excellent candidate for ethnoecological restoration. Ethnoecological restoration brings cultural context, practices and technologies together with contemporary ecological restoration approaches and offers culturally relevant ways to restore a plant to the landscape. The east side of the Squamish Estuary, which borders the town of Squamish, has been impacted by a range of human-disturbances over the past century including: draining for agriculture, redirection of the Squamish River, dredging and the presence of industrial sites in close proximity to the estuary. All of these impacts have likely contributed to the decline of lhásem populations on the east side of the estuary. Through an ecological survey of the east and west sides of the Squamish Estuary I determined that the populations of F. camchatcensis are present and thriving on the west bank of the Squamish River. I collected vegetation and abiotic data and found that salinity is the most important abiotic factor affecting lhásem habitat. A logistic regression showed that salinity and the presence of lhásem are negatively correlated. Results of the vegetation data analysis indicated that Maianthemum dilatatum was an indicator for where lhásem is found growing on the west side of the Squamish Estuary and Aster subspicatus was the indicator for lhásem on the east. Lhásem restoration gardens were planted to explore the growth within one growing season across two restoration treatments, terrestrial sites and estuarine sites. The results indicate that terrestrial garden sites were more successful than estuarine garden sites and that whole bulbs were more successful than bulblets in the first year of growth. Through community interviews with elders, adults and youth, I documented the contemporary interests in the restoration of lhásem and found that the major interest of the community was focused on health, traditional food revitalization and knowledge renewal. I facilitated educational events in which Squamish Nation youth and community members learned about the plant and how to manage it in the Squamish Estuary gardens. Overall this research provides information for the future restoration of lhásem in the Squamish Estuary as well as a template to restore other culturally important plants. / Graduate

This research examined the potential for protected areas with camas (including tall camas, Camassia leichtlinii (Baker) Wats., and common camas, C. quamash (Pursh) Greene; Liliaceae (Agavaceae)) habitat to support the renewal of Central Coast Salish camas traditions while at the same time maintaining and even expanding their ecological restoration and conservation goals. For many generations Central Coast Salish Peoples of northwestern North America have cultivated camas plants and harvested, processed, and consumed their edible bulbs in large quantities. Today, after camas use has almost completely disappeared from their lives, some Indigenous peoples are working to restore camas habitats and cultivation practices on southern Vancouver Island and neighbouring areas. Tall camas and common camas can still be found growing in many Garry oak ecosystems, which, due to the decreased range and the large proportion of rare species found within them, are frequently the focus of ecological restoration and conservation efforts. I interviewed people from the resource management and First Nations communities to gain an understanding of the current interests, opportunities, challenges, and potential approaches for incorporating traditionally based camas harvesting and management into protected areas today. Protected areas were identified as important areas for teaching traditional plant cultivation techniques to younger generations, and as bulb and seed banks for ethnoecological restoration projects. Overall, managers of protected areas and First Nations participants were receptive to collaborating on management of camas populations. Anticipated or existing challenges or concerns included ecological uncertainties of harvesting disturbance, ensuring safety, finding funding, and gaining trust. I conducted one season of experimental camas harvesting in a Garry oak savannah near Duncan, BC within an ecological preserve and monitored the effects of this harvesting on the extant camas populations, on surrounding plant communities, and on soil porosity. Harvesting of, primarily tall, camas bulbs, at both low and medium intensity, did not affect the weight or abundance of camas bulbs or the quantity, stem height or flowering/fruiting potential of the camas populations in the following year. Harvesting significantly reduced the abundance of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and common snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus, but significantly increased the abundance of Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) common cleavers (Galium aparine), hairy cat’s ear (Hypochaeris radicata), and nipplewort (Lapsana communis). Harvesting significantly reduced the level of soil compaction. Using the insights gained from the interviews and experimental harvesting I have proposed an “Ethnoecological Restoration Support Model”. This model explains how protected areas can support cultural restoration both within and outside of protected areas while maintaining and even expanding upon current conservation and restoration goals. / Graduate / 0329 / 0740 / 0471 / kproctor@uvic.ca

Chatham Islands are part of a small archipelago, Tl’chés, off the City of Victoria, southeastern Vancouver Island (British Columbia, Canada), in the Salish Sea, territory of the Songhees First Nation. Chatham and adjacent islands comprise nationally endangered Garry oak ecosystems, supporting a wide diversity of habitats for plant and wildlife communities. Chatham Islands are childhood home of Songhees elder Joan Morris [Sellemah], raised by grandparents and great-grandparents. Tl’chés has been uninhabited and untended for over 50 years now, entering in a process of rapid environmental change and degradation after Songhees residents left to live in the main Songhees Reserve in late 1950s. Sellemah longs to see the traditional gardens and orchards she remembers at Tl’chés restored, as well as her people’s relationship with their environment, for healthier and more sustainable ways of life. This thesis honours Sellemah’s vision by exploring best approaches for intervention in heavily degraded cultural landscapes in order to promote ecological and cultural integrity and long-term sustainability for people and ecosystems in Tl’chés, combining conventional ecological approaches with traditional ecological knowledge and wisdom (TEKW), cultural and participatory investigations, in the context of ethnoecological restoration. Ultimately, this research aims to provide assistance in the restoration of ecological and cultural features in Chatham Islands and within the Songhees First Nation, revitalizing traditional ecological knowledge on the landscape and reversing trends of biodiversity and cultural losses. / Graduate

MSc (Botany) / Department of Botany / Since time immemorial plants have traditionally been used for various purposes in many parts of the world including Vhembe district, Limpopo province of South Africa. The use of C. abbreviata plants at Matsa village of Vhembe district also contributes significantly to the livelihood of the community. However, little work has been made in the past to properly document and promote the knowledge. The purpose of the present study was to record and analyse the ethnobotanical knowledge of C. abbreviata within the people of Matsa village around Nzhelele in Vhembe district. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered on 50 informants from different households selected randomly to gather data regarding the local name of C. abbreviata, the uses and its availability. Significantly higher number of medicinal use was reported by elderly people including both men and women as compared to middle-aged, younger people. Other use categories included firewood, furniture and joinery production and shade for people in the area. Awareness on the importance of the species should therefore be created amongst the people, especially the young ones. Understanding the ethnobotanical knowledge of indigenous species within an area is crucial towards development of its management plan. / NRF