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.
These naturalization efforts will help keep the water clean and safe for swimming. High bacteria levels can lead to beach closures—for example, in summer of 2023, Birch Cover Beach was closed 22 of the 63 beach days. For more information on beach closures and water testing, visit this page on supervised beaches and closures.
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.