Salmon Steward

24 2018 psf.ca David R. Clough OWNER, D.R. CLOUGH CONSULTING I f you ask me what I'm up to at any given moment, I can rattle o a long list of conservation projects up and down Vancouver Island. But I'm only helping with these projects. It's not me saving the waterways. To explain, my company – D.R . Clough Consulting, of Lantzville – has for over 30 years attended to some of the most di‚cult waterway rehabilitation projects in the province. I provide advice, strategies and technical help. The people on the front lines of conservation are actually the volunteer streamkeepers, who go out of their way on their own time to protect our resource. They're terrific people! Though the challenges of rehabilitation are many, I'm thrilled to be able to give them the tools necessary to make a dierence. The Douglas Creek restoration in Saanich on southern Vancouver Island is one example of the work I'm involved in. I joined eorts in 2012. After ongoing attempts to build in-stream habitat (stumps, gravel) and remove sediment which can choke salmon eggs, the program is now moving to upland impacts. We're building landscape elements to remove silt and pollution from surface runo – also called bioswales. And we're diverting the stormwater runo from the creek into grassland. Monitoring is also underway to determine if the initiatives are eective. All signs look good, but Douglas Creek shows how long it can take to achieve rehabilitation, which is a testament to the commitment of streamkeepers. On a side note, the locals in that area recently put up placards reading "Please don't disturb the fish." I love it. Things like that keep me motivated. Given the hundreds of volunteers I've worked with over the decades, I'm reluctant to single out favourites – but I must mention my friend Faye Smith Rosenblatt, co-founder of the Qualicum Beach Streamkeepers Society, who passed away at age 80 last year. She was an inspirational force for the protection of the environment, largely due to the fact that, no matter the circumstances, she would show up and get down to work – always with a smile and encouragement for others. I'm also compelled to say a few words about the Pacific Salmon Foundation. I believe they're the saviour for stewardship on Vancouver Island. They're involved in many things apart from stewardship, of course, but I've been happy to work with them in that regard for many years. At 61, I believe I have the same energy and passion for the resource I did as a boy growing up in Cordova Bay. This passion first led me to a career in the environment ministry, and then enabled me to form my consultancy in 1984. A lot of kids spent their childhoods in Cordova Bay and didn't come away with a passion for salmon, so I feel fortunate that I did. All I can say is I think the fact that I knew I was living in paradise was the dierentiator. I never for one second took my surroundings for granted, and the appreciation only grew when I travelled to other areas. It continues to grow today. That's why I work so well with streamkeepers: they know this part of the world is special. n WHO CARES ABOUT SALMON? The Pacific Salmon Foundation's Community Salmon Program supports about 35,000 volunteer streamkeepers across British Columbia and the Yukon. You can support their work by making a donation online today at psf.ca or by contacting Margaret Buttner via mbuttner@psf.ca or 604.664.7664 ext. 128. When you donate by August 31, you could win a TR3 reel and rod donated by Islander Reels (see p. 21). A biologist lends his expertise to the streamkeepers who protect B.C.'s slice of paradise In honour of David's friend, tireless streamkeeper Faye Smith, the Foundation is supporting a memorial project to build a new platform for viewing wildlife and marine species at the west end of Qualicum Beach. David Clough puts his training as a biologist to good use alongside the streamkeepers.

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