Earth Day: 3 ways you can prepare for climate change

Climate change is expected to bring more severe droughts to the Pacific Northwest, but people can build resiliency into local ecosystems,says a UBC plant expert.

• Oregon declares emergency over drought conditions in 3 more counties
• California drought crisis could come to B.C., says UBC professor

"You want to create a system that can bounce back to both expected and unexpected changes," said Dr. TaraMoreau, associate director of Sustainability and Community Programs at the UBC Botanical Garden.

Here are her tips:

1. Planfor water conservation

"We know that water can be a challenge, especially here in the summer, and it's expected to worsen," saidMoreau.

"It's very important to plant trees that are not going to require constant irrigation."

2.Incorporate native plants

"Apractical way is exploring native plants that are accustomed to this area."

Because native plants have adapted to local conditions, they require less watering.

They also support native animals and smaller organisms accustomed to relying on them for food or shelter.

3. Diversify to attract bees

"Grass provides a nice place for us to sit and lie down, but it doesn't give a lot of diversity to the important native pollinators," said Moreau.

• Climate change tied to bee pollination decline
• B.C. wild bees in decline, urgent action needed, says expert

She suggests mixing it upwith both flowers and edibles.

"We want flowers that will flower throughout the whole growing season...not just in the spring, but all the way until the end of September, October."

Dr. Tara Moreau will lead a guided tour through the UBC Botanical Garden on April 22to explorehow climate change is expected to affect local ecosystems. It begins at 5 p.m. at the UNA Old Barn.For more information, visit their website.

To hear the full story, listen to the audio labelled: How climate change is affecting B.C.