What’s Next for Kus-kus-sum? 

Thank you to everyone who has supported the restoration of Kus-kus-sum over the last 5 years! We are very excited to say that we have completed the removal of the steel piling wall, marking the last major point in the restoration of the site! We are now moving into a phase of smaller works, maintenance and monitoring, as we prepare for title transfer of the site.  

What’s Next for Kus-kus-sum?

Some of the work you’ll see happening onsite over the next few months includes upgrades and expansion of the irrigation system, removal of the remaining wood cribbing along the riverfront, and ongoing maintenance to support the health of newly planted areas. This maintenance work includes invasive species removal and installation of eco-cultural fencing to help prevent Canada geese from grazing in the tidal marsh areas. 

We’re also moving into the monitoring phase of the project, where we evaluate how the restoration work is performing and meeting the goals outlined in our restoration plan. This will involve collecting and analyzing data at Kus-kus-sum and nearby sites, including monitoring juvenile salmon use, water quality, vegetation health and diversity, and, in partnership with other non-governmental organizations, bird use and diversity. 

What have we been up to recently?

During the last month, we’ve been updating our irrigation system to water our recently planted areas, and removing invasive species like scotch broom, blackberry, reed canary grass, and tansy from the site. A big thank you to all the volunteers who have supported us in invasive species removal. We’re happy to report that there is limited encroachment of these species throughout the site!  

What’s happening next?

The next big developments you’ll see at Kus-kus-sum will be the removal of the remaining wood cribbing along the river, as well as the installation of eco-cultural fencing. This will look similar to the fencing seen in the Dyke Slough to the south and will be protecting our newly planted sedge meadows from extensive geese grazing. 

How to get Involved

If you’d like to get involved in the restoration of Kus-kus-sum, please check out our volunteer calendar for upcoming stewardship events! Our next stewardship event at Kus-kus-sum is on June 4th, 2026. We also do field trips to Kus-kus-sum, if you are interested in helping students learn from and interact with the site email caila.holbrook@projectwatershed.ca.