Fall Planting at Kus-kus-sum Brings Aid from Near and Far
“A portion of the site is now at the appropriate elevations and is ready for planting” reported Caitlin Pierzchalski, Executive Director for Project Watershed. “We are excited to welcome locals and Ocean Bridge participants onsite to assist with this part of the restoration process”.
Planting days for the community have been set for October 5, 6, 8, 10 and 11 and the Ocean Bridge participants will be planting on October 4. Comox Valley Project Watershed Society has partnered with the Ocean Bridge program of Ocean Wise before with their Forage Fish Project. “Ocean Bridge participants are aspiring young environmental stewards that come from all over Canada and we are happy to host the program participants. They gain experience and we gain enthusiastic hands to support our work,” said Pierzchalski.
All members of the community physically able to navigate rough terrain and engage in planting activities such as digging holes and lifting plants are welcome to volunteer to help plant. There will be a morning shift from 9 am to noon and an afternoon shift from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm. Each shift is limited to 15 volunteers to ensure that there are enough tools to accommodate everyone. To sign up to volunteer visit projectwatershed.ca/volunteer/
Project Watershed is aiming to plant around 5,000 native streamside species in the prepared area before the weather turns to winter. We will be planting upland and tidal marsh plants such as Sitka spruce, salmonberry and sedges.
This fall about one third of the total number of plants will be planted. This is because only a portion of the site is ready for planting. In the early spring earthworks will continue to prepare the remaining portion of the site for planting. More planting events will occur in the spring as the areas to receive plants are ready.
“While we have raised over 70% of the funds for the restoration process, we still have a way to go” reports Caila Holbrook, Manager of Outreach and Education. “We are still accepting any and all donations to help us raise the remaining funds so that we can complete the restoration.” Donations to the project can be made here.
Related Posts
Community Water Monitoring Training Sessions
Do you want to explore your local watersheds while gathering valuable data to support research and decision-making? Volunteers are needed to monitor water quality in fall 2024 in a number of local watersheds.
Fall Action at Kus-kus-sum
You may have noticed that excavators were back at work on the Kus-kus sum site, continuing to transform the former sawmill site into a healthy estuarine ecosystem.
Ken Kirkby Legacy Challenge
In 2018, Ken Kirby became involved with Project Watershed and the Kus-kus-sum Project and contributed right up to his death on June 20, 2023. While donating 50 of his most prized paintings prior to his passing, Ken expressed his deep appreciation for our partnerships...
Summer Forage Fish News
Over the summer the Project Watershed Forage Fish Monitoring Team have been busy with data analysis, project planning, collaborating with the Coastal Forage Fish Network and field sampling in the Comox Valley and Campbell River area. To date we have had 21 volunteers contribute 97.5 hours to our forage fish monitoring efforts!
Project Watershed is hiring a Forage Fish Technician!
Our organization is looking for an enthusiastic environmental technician to help us facilitate our forage fish project. The ideal candidate will have a background in ecology/biology and have experience working outside in the field. This position will work closely with our Forage Fish Project Lead Biologist and the forage fish team to meet our grant requirements. This is a seasonal contract position.
Project Watershed is hiring a Forage Fish Lead Biologist!
Our organization is looking for an enthusiastic biologist to help us facilitate and manage our forage fish project. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in marine ecology/biology, as well as restoration. This position is a 1-year contract to cover a leave.