Park Rill Creek Infill West

The Nature Trust of British Columbia has the opportunity to purchase one of the last remaining parcels of private land in the White Lake Basin. Park Rill Creek Infill West is surrounded on all sides by The Nature Trust’s White Lake Basin Biodiversity Ranch.

The property has a very high conservation ranking. 95% of the property contains sensitive ecosystems, with habitat for at least two red-listed plants. Endangered birds that have been seen on or around the property include Lewis’s Woodpecker, Barn Swallow, Flammulated Owl, Grasshopper Sparrow, Bobolink, Lark and Brewer’s sparrow, and a historical record for White-headed Woodpecker.

It is not only rare birds that flock to this area. Mammals, including Pallid Bat and American Badger have been seen and there is Critical Habitat for amphibians and reptiles like Western Tiger Salamander, and Great Basin Gophersnake.

The purchase of this ‘infill’ property demonstrates The Nature Trust’s commitment to building conservation complexes over time. It will be the 11th property acquisition in the White Lake Basin since 1996. Growing conservation complexes through purchases means that sometimes we need to act fast to ensure that when adjacent parcels come to market that we can offer a fair price. We work with the landowners to meet their needs while also fulfulling our mission to protect biodiversity and the environment.

Park Rill Creek Infill West will be integrated into the White Lake Basin Biodiversity Ranch, an astounding Nature Trust complex composed of 20,317 acres (8,222 hectares) of fee simple, Crown grazing licenses and leased lands that are managed as part of the ranch. The White Lake Basin complex is one of the leading Biodiversity Ranches of its type in BC and has the highest ranked conservation value of NTBC’s conservation holdings.
Biodiversity Ranches like the White Lake Basin complex integrate livestock management with conservation of habitat for species at risk and other native plant and animal species. The aim of The Nature Trust in this program is to facilitate a viable domestic cattle ranch while conserving and restoring natural grasslands and associated ecosystems. The Nature Trust of BC works closely with their ranching partners, the Clifton family, to make these goals happen.

Flammulated Owl

With the addition of the Park Rill Creek Infill West to the White Lake Basin Biodiversity Ranch, The Nature Trust can increase the resilience and connectivity of these South Okanagan grasslands.
Expanding this conservation complex strengthens the survival possibilities for all the species that use the complex. To effectively protect species, the best strategy is to secure land on a landscape level. Large areas with mixed habitats support more of the life needs of resident species. Larger areas also mean that the habitat will be more resilient to impacts from the surrounding area like invasive species.