Richmond, British Columbia is an unusual municipality that is comprised of 24 deltaic islands located in the mouth of the Fraser River. "The larger of these include Lulu Island, Sea Island, Barber Island, Rose Island and Gunn Island. Most of the remaining islands are small and undeveloped, or have had very limited development and use, and are comprised primarily of wetlands or bottomland forest subject to tidal influences and seasonal flooding. The largest of the islands is Lulu Island, which supports most of the urban and agricultural development in Richmond - the downtown core, the suburban development and agricultural areas." (Davis and Klinkenberg 2008).  The information presented below covers all of the islands, where information is avalable, although most information pertains to Lulu Island, Sea Island and Iona Island. Habitats found on the islands include shoreline marshes and meadows, bog, and bottomlands forests. Several key natual aeas are found in Richmond, many of these on Lulu Island. These includes Sturgeon Bank, Swishwash Island, Shady Island, the Lulu Island Bog, and the recently discovered Lulu Island Wetlands.  

The City of Richmond provides nest boxes for Barn Owls in Terra Nova Park.  Barn Owls hunt throughout Richmond.

PHOTO GALLERIES

Richmond Nature Park

Sometimes sigificant natural areas can lie unnoticed in a region for many years. This was the case with the Lulu Island Wetlands, a significant freshwater wetland area that lies in central Richmond. This is a peat wetland, once part of the Greater Lulu Island Bog--a bog that rivalled Burns Bog in size. That bog has been fragmented--mined, built upon, and converted to agriculture over most of its extent, leaving only a handful if relatively intact remnants. This includes the remnant Lulu Island Bog and the Lulu Island Wetlands.  The wetland parcel was once mined for peat, creating relatively large pond openings in the former peat mat.  Peat mining ceased in the 1970's and the wetlands have evolved untouched since then. They provide significant habitat for breeding birds in Richmond, including the Sandhill Crane.  It was only a few years ago that a pair of Sandhill Cranes was first discovered nesting in the wetlands and it has now been determined that other cranes use the site as a stopover spot.