It's a unique swath of 80 acres near Lumby with pristine mixed old growth forest, rain-fed streams and springs, and rocky outcrop ecosystems.
And it's going to remain just as it is, thanks to a new conservation covenant.
The Lumby area property 鈥� home to everything from black bears and hawks to at-risk snakes 鈥� is currently an undisturbed ecosystem providing suitable conditions for rare plants that are listed in B.C. for their conservation concern. Through the covenant jointly held by the owner, the Nature Conservancy of the North Okanagan (NCNO), and the Regional District of North Okanagan, the lands will always be protected.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very special property with regionally uncommon, natural characteristics making it an incredibly important ecosystem and connection point for wildlife moving towards the Monashees,鈥� said NCNO director Keenan Rudichuk.
The property is now called the Long Shadows Conservation Covenant and was registered as an ecological conservation covenant in 2024.
The NCNO says the region has seen extensive changes due to logging, agriculture and residential development, but the Long Shadows property remains largely undisturbed and in a natural state. Among abundant flora, fauna and wildlife are healthy stands of western redcedar, lodgepole pine and Douglas fir, which provide suitable habitat for moose, deer, and bears. The rocky outcrops that overlook the valley likely provide important year-round habitat for reptiles such as lizards and snakes, according to the NCNO.
鈥淭hat land is legally protected now and forever,鈥� said Rudichuk.
Located on privately-owned land, the covenant area is not open to the public, which offers additional protection.
Dedicated to protecting ecologically valuable land since 2000, NCNO helps local landowners protect their land by registering conservation covenants on their land title. These covenants ensure land is protected in their natural state, in perpetuity, even though ownership may change over the years.
Over the last 25 years, seven NCNO-led sanctuaries and reserves have been created to protect local natural spaces in the North Okanagan. These covenants feature hillsides, ponds, grasslands and creeks that may have been at risk of development. Among them are three covenant properties along Coldstream Creek. While not open to the public, these protected areas support a thriving cottonwood ecosystem favoured by blue herons and the at-risk western screech owl.
One covenant which can be enjoyed by everyone is the Clerke Nature Reserve, located on Alexis Park Drive, west of Becker Park. This land was gifted by the May family and ensures that the native shrubs and trees on this hillside will stay in their natural habitat state.
鈥淭hese are families that have taken great pride in stewarding their land, and they鈥檙e seeing what鈥檚 happening with development and urbanization around them, and they want to know the trees and birds and all the plants and wildlife they鈥檝e come to love will be protected from development long after they鈥檙e gone,鈥� said Rudichuk.
Rudichuk says habitat loss throughout the Okanagan is continuing to increase at an alarming rate.
As part of the covenant agreement, NCNO visits registered covenant sites every year. The NCNO says walking through the covenant with landowners helps to maintain the ecological integrity of the land.
