In the heart of the Churn Creek Protected Area, a passionate team of volunteers and community partners is working to protect and restore one of British Columbia’s most endangered ecosystems: the interior grasslands. These efforts not only help repair landscapes but also strengthen the cultural connections and stewardship practices rooted in this place.

The Friends of Churn Creek Protected Area Society (FCC), led by President Peter Opie, operates under a long-standing partnership with BC Parks to support ecological restoration, cultural engagement, and public awareness. With the help of dedicated volunteers, FCC has developed infrastructure that includes a welcome kiosk, interpretive signage, and an accessible trail—enhancing both conservation education and visitor experience.

Since 2015, FCC has led an ambitious ecosystem restoration program focused on reversing forest encroachment and in-growth across over 1,000 hectares of dry Interior Douglas-fir (IDF) and bunchgrass ecosystems. These landscapes were historically maintained by frequent, low-intensity cultural burns, which have been largely absent over the past century. As a result, open grasslands and forests have grown denser, threatening biodiversity and altering natural fire regimes.

Working closely with crews from Stswecem’c Xget’tem First Nation (Canoe-Dog Creek), FCC has removed encroaching trees and prepared the land for broadcast prescribed burns—helping to reintroduce fire as both a cultural and ecological tool. These efforts support the return of a healthy mosaic of grassland and open forest, while also investing in local economies and land-based knowledge.

This restoration work has been supported by a diverse range of funders, including the British Columbia Range Branch, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, BC Parks, BC Wildfire Service and the Federal Priority Places program.

FCC is also advancing ecological monitoring to better understand wetland hydrology in the protected area. In an on-going research project, ecologists Ordell Steen and Kristi Iverson have installed monitors and weather stations to study snowpack and water flow—critical data to analyse inputs and trends in light of climate change. Water is a critical and limited resource in this arid environment for cattle and wildlife.

Whether you’re walking the trails or witnessing the return of native grasslands, the work of the Friends of Churn Creek is restoring more than ecosystems—they’re helping reconnect people to place, tradition, and the land itself.

Photo credit FCC via friendsofchurn.ca