In Canada, British Columbia is one of only two provinces (the other being Alberta) that does not have an endangered species law. Yet the province is home to more wild plant and animal species than any other province in Canada and is also one of the last holdouts for many large mammals that once roamed much of North America. Alarmingly, 1,900 species are on the provincial species at risk list. This video tells the story of the Propertius Duskywing butterfly (Erynnis propertius), one of over 100 rare and endangered species that rely on the Garry Oak ecosystem for their survival.

The Garry Oak habitat is one of the rarest ecosystems in Canada. Due to land development for agricultural, industrial and urban uses, less than five per cent of the original Garry oak habitat now remains intact in BC. Remaining sites are also threatened by invasions of exotic species, particularly plants, and fire suppression.

For this piece, BC Species at Risk Outreach Coordinator Isabelle Groc went out to Salt Spring Island in May with videographer George Faulkner and BC Butterfly Atlas Coordinator Patrick Lilley to track down the Propertius Duskywing during the peak of the flight season.

Video directed by Mike McKinlay, Isabelle Groc, and George Faulkner
Research, Story, and Interview: Isabelle Groc tidelife.ca
Cinematography, Editing, and Music: George Faulkner gbfaulkner.com