I live in the University of Victoria (UVic) area, situated between the Oak Bay and Saanich neighbourhoods on southern Vancouver Island. The land that UVic occupies has undergone significant ecological and cultural transformation over time. The Gordon Head area, known traditionally as SI CENEN, is of ethnobotanical importance and was used for gathering food and medicine, hunting, and collecting seafood. This history spans thousands of years, beginning with Indigenous land stewardship, followed by early settler agriculture, military use, urban development, and finally, recent stewardship actions aimed at ecological restoration and reconciliation. The land that UVic now occupies was, and remains, the traditional territory of the Lekwungen-speaking Peoples, the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations and the SENĆOŦEN- speaking W ̱ SÁNEĆ Nations, including the Tsawout (SȾÁ,UTW ̱ ), Tsartlip (W ̱ JOȽEȽP), Pauquachin (BOḰEĆEN), and Tseycum (W ̱ SÍḴEM). UVic specifically was home to Sungayka, a Lekwungen village meaning “snow patches,” occupied by the Checkonien family.

European colonization brought violent dispossession and significant ecological disruption. In 1871, Michael Finnerty, an Irish settler, purchased 330 acres of forested land that now includes part of UVic. He cleared large areas to establish pastureland for dairy farming. Finnerty’s activities, including grazing, trampling, and manure spreading, began the shift from an ecologically intact forest to a novel ecological regime, altering the forest understory.3 In 1931, the area saw further transformation when an airfield was constructed, followed by use as a military signal station and training camp during World War II. These developments laid the groundwork for future urbanization. In 1959, the University Development Board purchased the site and began UVic’s construction in 1962.

As one of the busiest hubs in Greater Victoria, UVic is well-connected through public and active transportation. The UVic bus loop is a major stop for BC Transit, with routes running frequently to downtown, Saanich, and other parts of the region. The campus is also linked into a larger cycling network, with bike lanes, racks, and even repair stations that support biking as a main mode of travel. I think walkability is quite accessible, with wide, shaded pathways that make moving between classes or buildings comfortable and accessible. Over time, the university has shifted toward more sustainable infrastructure, many of the newer buildings are LEED Gold certified, and the landscaping in some areas, like around the transit loop and newer residences, includes stormwater-friendly designs. These upgrades reflect a broader effort to support sustainable commuting and reduce the environmental impact of campus growth. Yet, this urban expansion since the land’s transformation ‘post-contact’ caused significant fragmentation of forests, hydrological disruption, and an influx of non-native species.

The ecological landscape of the neighbourhood features Coastal Douglas-fir moist maritime (CDFmm) forests, with interspersed Garry oak or Kwetlal (Camas) meadows. Historically, the CDFmm zone supported a dense and diverse range of species adapted to the post-Pleistocene landscape, including Douglas-fir, arbutus, salal, and evergreen huckleberry. Today, this biodiverse ecosystem faces ongoing threats from invasive flora and fauna. Non-native plants include Himalayan Blackberry, English ivy, and Scotch broom, Daphne which dominate areas like the Garry Oak Meadow and Woods nearby. Invasive animals include the common wall lizard, Eastern grey squirrels, and Eastern cottontail rabbits. Natural spaces such as Cunningham Woods, Mystic Vale, and the Ian Ross Memorial Garden support a mix of native and introduced species.

Yet, UVic remains ecologically diverse despite urban pressures. A 2020 biodiversity report, that one of my friends did, documented 785 species of flora and fauna on campus.9 Birding is a serious hobby here for environmentalists like us. The occasional barred owl is my favourite, though venturing into Mystic Vale during cougar sighting weeks is a level of bravery I haven’t quite reached. Major initiatives contributing to this biodiversity are the Ecological Restoration Club and the Restoration of Natural Systems program who ran the UVic Garry Oak Ecosystem Restoration Project, a student-led effort, that has removed over 17,500 square metres of invasive plants and introduced more than 30 native species, some propagated from the student-run Native Plant Nursery. Facilities Management has also changed mowing schedules to encourage native flowering and seed dispersal, and over 700 volunteers have participated, including many from the campus community.

Alongside environmental stewardship, UVic has made significant efforts in cultural and ecological reconciliation. In collaboration with the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, the university named the new student housing and dining buildings, Čeqʷəŋín ʔéʔləŋ (Cheko’nien House) and Sŋéqə ʔéʔləŋ (Sngequ House), reflect the area’s history; Cheko’nien House is named after the territory now known as Oak Bay and the Peoples who lived there, while Sngequ House is named after a village in what is now Cadboro Bay, once used for Kwetlal (or Camas) harvesting, trading, and cultural and spiritual practices. The process also prompted a proposal to decolonize UVic’s naming policy, aiming to embed Indigenous language, history, and culture more widely across campus infrastructure. This, rather, recent shift at UVic, from a history of land-use transformation to one of active stewardship and cultural responsibility. The campus I live in remains a site of anthropological and ecological complexity, where biodiversity, urban pressure, and reconciliation efforts intersect daily.

References

Campbell, A., & Kemp, M. (n.d.). A Model for Integrated Social Ecologies on University of Victoria Campus. The Changing Nature Project. https://changingnatureproject.weebly.com/uvic-campus.html?utm

Native Students Union (n.d.). Territorial Acknowledgements. https://www.uvicnsu.ca/about-us/lands

Solorza, F. (2025, March 6). What’s that animal on campus? https://martlet.ca/whats-that-animal-on-campus/

University of Victoria (n.d.). UVic Garry Oak Ecosystem Restoration Project. https://www.uvic.ca/sustainability/involved/sustainability-fund/projects/csf026-garry-oak-restoration-plan/index.php

University of Victoria (n.d.). Reclaiming Indigenous place names. https://www.uvic.ca/campus/indigenous-building-names/consultation-process/index.php