Goodbye 2023, Hello 2024

A Look Back at 2023

2023 was an amazing year at Project Watershed and a great celebration of 30 years of stewardship! We carried out a wide variety of successful activities including restoration work, research studies and educational field trips. In addition to this, we held a few celebratory events and updated our History page giving us a look at our past and into our future.

We accomplished so much last year, and we couldn’t have done it without our incredible supporters. Knowing that you are right here with us means the world to us. From individuals and families making donations, to busy parents picking up garbage with their kids, to local businesses making treats for events — it all warms our hearts and makes such a big difference.

Special Thank Yous

We are grateful to all our supporters. Over 128 people volunteered in 2023 and 310 people/families made donations. Every hour and every dollar contributed to our success in 2023. Thank you!

Also a very special thank you to Atlas Cafe and the Old House Hotel for helping us to celebrate our supporters! We held an appreciation event on January 27 to celebrate our volunteers, members, and donors. The Old House Hotel donated the use of their beautiful meeting room, and Atlas Cafe provided us with delicious chocolate mousse!

We would also like to acknowledge the following groups of people who went above and beyond.

Volunteers who completed our 30 for 30 challenge (30 hours of volunteer time for our 30th year). These outstanding volunteers gave between 30 and 160 hours in 2023:

• • • Tannis Baker​
    • Margaret Barr​
    • Bob Bowen​
    • Kerri Brownie​
    • Marc DeGagne​
    • Betty Donaldson​
    • Deb Grant​
    • Lori Kublik​
    • Brenda Latta
    • Steve Latta​
    • Alison Lawrence​
    • Glenda Little​
    • Arlene McPherson​
    • Don Mitchell​
    • Ulrika Schmidt​
    • Michael Vance​
    • Kathie Woodley​
    • Lindee Ziefflie

Board members: our board members are also volunteers, and this year they put in between 38 and 235 hours each!

• • • Alisha Drinkwater​
    • James Godwin​
    • Thomas Grimmer​
    • Brodie Guy​
    • Kathy Haigh​
    • William Heath​
    • Patricia Sloan​
    • Brian Storey​
    • Geoff Wickstrom

Outstanding donors: donors who sponsored our dinner event in the summer, provided matching funds for our Giving Tuesday campaign, or otherwise made considerable contributions in 2023. Please note: we had over 225 people answer our challenge to donate $30 or more for our 30th anniversary. While we haven’t listed them all here, we do appreciate each and every one of those donors.

• • • • Gael Arthur​
      • David and June Ballantyne​
      • Jim Belair​
      • Dan Belcher​
      • Ecofish Research Ltd​
      • Thomas Grimmer​
      • Linda Leslie​
      • Ngan Page Family Fund​
      • Gary Rhindress & Naomi Panchyson​
      • Sylvan Learning​
      • Dale Roberts Notary Corporation​
      • Ron and Sandra Ulmi​
      • Amy Yakimyshyn

A Look Ahead to 2024

We have a lot of exciting projects on the go this year. We will continue working on our projects from 2023, and we have a few new initiatives as well. Please note that the timeframes given below are approximations and activities funding dependent.

Kus-kus-sum

We will be busy removing soil and recontouring the site from February to September. We are planning planting and maintenance activities for the spring and fall and seal monitoring from March to November. 

Stream Restoration

We are planning to do fish habitat rehabilitation at Glen Urquhart Creek and hoping to do more planting and maintenance there as well. In the fall, will be removing Reed Canary Grass (a very invasive and aggressive plant) from Mallard Creek.

Forage Fish

The spring/summer forage fish season takes place from May to September, during which time we will be conducting Smelt surveys. Pacific Sand Lance surveys will resume in November with our winter forage fish season.

Airpark Lagoon

Plant maintenance activities at the Airpark will take place from spring until fall, with weekly opportunities for volunteers to come out and do weeding, invasive plant removal, and even watering in the hotter months.

Education

We are planning on holding a streamkeepers workshop in March/April, and perhaps another one later in the year. 

We will also be taking students on fieldtrips between April and June to get them outdoors learning about natural ecosystems, salmon spawning, and habitat restoration at our different sites.

Water Quality Monitoring

This is a new initiative for 2024! More info coming soon.