On October 25th, 2009 I moved from Edmonton, Alberta to Comox, British Columbia. My new place is a townhouse with a backyard that measures 7.3m X 5.5m (24' X 18'). There is a gravel strip 0.56 m (22") wide along the fence that separates my row of units from the next row, and a raised garden bed that is 3m X 2.5m (10' x 8'). I can only do container gardening in the gravel strip, but I can plant directly into the ground in the raised bed.

I have maxed out the containers along the fence, and I grow a variety of vegetables and herbs as well as ornamental plants. The raised garden was already planted when I moved in but I am gradually converting it to a largely native plant garden. I have a simulated rock fountain and three bird feeders on a pole in the raised garden as well as a small water garden in a clay pot on a bench.

I have started keeping records of all the species of plants and animals I observe on or from my property, just to get an idea of what sort of biodiversity such a small plot can produce. I will not include any plants that are cultivated, but will include any native plants or plants that are introduced and have gone wild. I will count any birds I see from the backyard even if they are just flying by. This is a typical approach that birders use for yard lists. For the purpose of all lists I am also including anything I see in or from my front yard, which is far more sterile than the back, but has produced a few species of birds that the back has not.

What follows is a running total of the various major groups. Within the insects there are species that I have seen but have not as yet identified at least to family, and thus have not included them.

Birds - 50
Mammals - 2
Amphibians - 1
Insects - 64
Spiders - 10
Mites - 1
Isopods - 2
Millipedes - 1
Centipedes - 1
Molluscs - 1
Plants - 38

Total - 171 species

I will only include photographs that have been taken on the property, but will not necessarily include all such photographs taken as that may result in too large a gallery.