sncəcmałqtn Agricultural Park
The sncəcmałqtn Agricultural Park, in Vernon’s BX area, is a 132 acre community property dedicated to sustainable farming and education. This property had recently been purchased by Electoral Areas B and C as a way to preserve the land for community uses such as: farmland leases, a community garden, a food forest, a pollinator meadows, a community farm, and a research and teaching farm. In addition to being a resource for humans, the area will also support wildlife with the development plan including set-asides for habitat protection areas.
As part of this dedication to wildlife habitat, collaborators from Associated Environmental, the RDNO, BX Swan Lake Community Association, North Okanagan Naturalist club (NONC), and Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship are restoring a wetland area on site. The first phase of work completed by Associated Environmental reshaped the stream channel to restore natural water flow and improve wildlife habitat. As a second step to the restoration, in fall 2025, 320 native trees and shrubs were added to the Agricultural Park by community members and Awaken Inquiry & Adventure Okanagan. Together, we were able to plant species such as red-osier dogwood, blue elderberry, saskatoon, hawthorn, snowberry, native willows, black cottonwood, and wax currant to support a riparian buffer on the site.
