Camus Harvest with UVIC

For the week of July 13th-17th Kate Proctor a Uvic Masters Student invited some of us out to help harvest Camus.

Many of the working group members made it up to Duncan to be involved in this great experience.

Kate emailed us some of her knowledge: Camas bulbs were traditionally harvested by First Nations Peoples on Vancouver Island and other places throughout western North America in
great quantities for food. The Garry oak meadows, where camas grows, were actively managed to increase the productivity of camas and to maintain a landscape that supported other useful plants and animals. After the arrival of European settlers in North America, traditional
landscape management and harvesting of camas and other culturally important plants by First Nations communities has been greatly reduced and in many cases completely prevented.

This camas harvest was part of her graduate research at the University of Victoria. The intention of her research is to better understand how harvesting camas bulbs and burning post-harvest affects the camas and other plants in the Garry oak meadow communities of today. A portion of he camas bulbs harvested will be replanted on the preserve this fall, in efforts to expand camas populations. The rest of the camas will be cooked in a community pit-cook at the reserve date TBA. To find out more contact Kate at: Kate Proctor [kproctor@uvic.ca]
(250) 480-1119.