On July 7, 2022, Halifax Regional Council approved a report that provided direction to expand naturalization efforts in parks and right of ways at 32 sites. At this time, Lake Banook was identified as having high naturalization potential.
On June 12-14, 2024, municipal employees and community members installed native plants and wattle fencing in the area. The municipality partnered with Healing Nature Heal to facilitate the planting workshop, using nature-based solutions to create a healthier shoreline.
The naturalization project at Birch Cove Beach aimed to:
- stabilize the shoreline;
- support a variety of pollinators and bird species;
- deter geese from the lawn and water's edge; and
- filter contaminants from flowing into the northwestern part of Lake Banook.
This will help keep the water clean and swimmable for more days each season. For reference, Birch Cove Beach was closed 22 of the 63 days it is usually open to the public due to high E.coli levels in the summer of 2023.
Additionally, the native plants stabilize the shoreline and support a variety of pollinators and bird species. The naturalized area occupies only a small portion of the shoreline and does not prevent access to the water for swimmers and paddlers, nor does it block trail access for runners, walkers and cyclists.
The purpose of the naturalization project at Lake Banook and the larger Naturalization Strategy, is to support human use of municipal parks while maintaining ecological resilience.