The 10th annual In Bloom Wildflower Festival at the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve at 1241 Maple Bay Rd. offers a beautiful chance to see the wild side of Cowichan on Saturday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Organizers are hoping for the biggest turnout yet to see the meadows in full bloom.
Since the Nature Conservancy of Canada acquired the Elkington House property in 1999, an enthusiastic group has brought about some amazing changes, turning a piece of land that was over-run by Scotch broom into the Garry oak meadow seen today.
The Preserve is normally closed to the public, so In Bloom is a rare opportunity to explore it.
Visitors can enjoy a nature walk, take home seedlings, listen to traditional stories from a Cowichan elder, check up on the bluebird project, learn the property’s history, and enjoy a hayride.
Visitors should park on Maple Bay Road, then walk to the end of Aitken Road to enter the preserve.
Admission is by donation.