Keystone Species

2013

Salmon Steward is the official publication of the Pacific Salmon Foundation in Vancouver BC Canada

Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/129058

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Salmon Community Leaders Meet a few of the 35,000 streamkeepers who have partnered with the Pacific Salmon Foundation John Barker, President, West Vancouver Streamkeepers Having fun is what drives John Barker and his team from the West Vancouver Streamkeepers. "We told ourselves we're going to enjoy what we do. No frustrations – just get out and do it." But they are also seeing results from their work, particularly their latest collaborative project, the Memorial Park Coho Salmon Rearing Pond. It was a major project for the group, with $95,000 in cash and $35,000 in in-kind contributions from a variety of corporate sources and supporting organizations. More than $27,000 of the cash support came from the Pacific Salmon Foundation in partnership with Newalta. "It actually gets easier to draw funds in when you get to the end of the project than at the beginning," John says. "That's where the Pacific Salmon Foundation comes in, that's the anchor piece that you build on – other people will see that and you can leverage it in a big way." Scan the QR code on the right to watch the group at work. Lynn Mandla, President, Nicomekl Enhancement Society The Nicomekl Enhancement Society has around 60 volunteers and it is the sense of community that keeps Lynn Mandla engaged. "The people make a big difference," she says. "They try hard to do good work." The focus of the Society over the past 12 months has been its new hatchery building, which is now 98 per cent complete. The Society's volunteer expertise has made it highly self-sufficient, able to design and construct its own buildings and maintain its own machinery and equipment. As part of the Langley School District, the Society supports the Salmonids in the Classroom program so students can study the salmon life cycle. "It's amazing how many students will release their salmon and then come to the open house at the hatchery – they're still engaged," explains Lynn. There are plenty of challenges but Lynn is optimistic about the future. "Now we have the new facility to increase our fish capacity for rearing, and it's a better facility to help educate the public about our operations." Since 1993, the Foundation has granted $265,000 to the Society for nine projects, some in partnership with Port Metro Vancouver. Diane Sampson, Vice-President and Administrator, Nile Creek Enhancement Society Diane Sampson laughs at the suggestion of taking a rest from her work with the Nile Creek Enhancement Society. "I've tried to do that, but it hasn't worked out too well," she says. She has been with the Society for around 10 years. Diane developed an interest in salmon issues while volunteering for a hatchery in Port Moody, prior to moving to Vancouver Island. The Society has a long list of current projects, including repairs to its hatchery water intake, eelgrass and kelp restoration, and its latest endeavour, the Nile Creek–Qualicum Bay Enhancement Program. All these projects have generated strong community support in the area. The support has also evolved into collaborations with Hornby Island Diving coming on board for the Society's kelp restoration project. There have already been several community information sessions and, at the end of this year's kelp-growing season, the Society's kelp project team is planning a workshop with other groups, researchers and specialists. "Even if we can't restore the kelp we will learn a lot, and whatever we learn will be of benefit to salmon. We need to know more about what's going on in the Strait of Georgia to protect salmon," says Diane. The Nile Creek-Qualicum Bay Enhancement Program is another collaborative, long-term project for the Society. "We have a biologist working with students from Vancouver Island University collecting data from six local streams," explains Diane. Since 2002, the Pacific Salmon Foundation has granted more than $110,000 to the Society for 10 projects, some in partnership with TimberWest. n 2013 Keystone Species 7 p06-07Stamp_Leaders.indd 7 13-04-23 3:51 PM

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