Preserving Native Plants at Cattail Pond

Renaturating with Native Species

As part of our continued commitment to sustainable development and ecosystem preservation, SeedsCo Community Conservation—led by ecologist Tanis Gieselman—has been collecting grass and wildflower seeds from the Cattail Pond site for the past two years. Cattail Pond is a piece of land a short walk from the future Wilden Market Square where a mid-density townhome development is in planning.  

Throughout January 2025, Tanis together with students from UBCO’s new Bachelor of Sustainability program also collected plant cuttings in order to preserve the unique genetic diversity of native plants. During our construction phase, SeedsCo will store the seeds and cuttings and also grow the native plants in a greenhouse offsite.   

The students’ volunteer work, done as part of their two-year community project requirement,  helped preserve these valuable cuttings for Wilden’s future neighbourhoods. It also earned them plant materials they can use in their own restoration efforts at the Johns Family Nature Conservancy. In the process, they are learning every aspect of a restoration project—from project management and grant writing to science outreach, collecting, and propagating native plants.

Why Collecting Cuttings Matters

By collecting shrub cuttings, we are creating a “living library” of the site’s genetics to ensure that future Wilden communities can be landscaped and restored with the very same native species that originally thrived here. These are naturally more drought- and fire-resistant than non-native species —crucial advantages in the Okanagan’s hot, dry summers.

Harvesting a broad genetic pool

The collected cuttings include:

• Two bags of “old man’s whiskers” (Geum triflorum)
• Pussytoes
• Penstemon
• Saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia) cuttings
• Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum) cuttings

By saving these species, we can re-establish resilient plant communities and help prevent biodiversity loss once development is complete.

Why Renaturation Matters

Tanis Gieselman has been spearheading Wilden’s renaturation work since 2018. Each collected seed and cutting plays a role in re-establishing resilient plant communities in areas affected by development. By investing in this long-term project we prevent biodiversity loss and preserve the ecological heritage that makes Wilden unique and climate resilient. 

Our Ongoing Conservation Story

Part of our vision here in Wilden is to see native vegetation flourish right where it belongs. Read more about our previous work in this blog post.

“I cannot possibly pick a favourite plant,” Tanis once said. “However, I really do enjoy Geum triflorum because one common name for them is ‘old man’s whiskers,’ so I get to tell people that I’ve been out in the woods collecting old man’s whiskers all day!”

Want to see Tanis in action?
Watch our short interview below to learn more about her passion for collecting and preserving Wilden’s wildflowers, and discover how every seed and cutting plays a vital role in the future of our local ecosystem.