New WPS website explores climate change and local watersheds
The Water Preservation Society has launched a new website exploring how climate and water systems are changing on the island and what we can do to help. The site, Salt Spring Island Climate and Water (sites.google.com/view/ssiclimate/home), is a great place to learn about our local watersheds, how they work, and how climate change is beginning to shape them. It brings together scientific data, local research, and community knowledge to explore how the island’s environment is changing and what the future might look like.
This website also explores climate trends and projections specific to Salt Spring Island, showing how weather patterns are shifting with wetter winters, drier summers, and more extreme rainfall events. These changes pose new challenges for our forests, wetlands, and lakes. Because climate change impacts vary by region, it’s important to understand what’s happening here at home and how local patterns connect to global trends. This is done through maps of the island illustrating how different climate variables—such as temperature, precipitation, and humidity—vary across the island and how they are expected to change to varying extents.
Another section of the website focuses on practical actions that community members on the island can do to make a difference. This offers ideas for conserving water, supporting native biodiversity, and improving fire resiliency across the island and on your own property. Whether you are a homeowner, a gardener, or simply someone who loves Salt Spring’s natural beauty, the site provides knowledge and tools to get involved in protecting our shared water and preparing for the uncertain future.
The website can be accessed in the Research section of the SSI Water Preservation website at the following URL: ssiwaterpreservationsociety.ca/research.
— Lindsay Martin
in WPS’s Winter 2025 newsletter