Working with the K’ómoks Nation towards Q’waq’wala7owkw on their unceded territory.
Some of you may be asking what effect COVID-19 will have on the Kus-kus-sum project. Even though we do not know the full extent of the effects of this pandemic, we remain committed to unpaving paradise at Kus-kus-sum and confident of success.
At the moment our schools and educational institutions are closed to the general public. This means that there are many hands and minds that need to be kept busy. For those of you that have young ones at home or are just looking to find some mental stimulation while in self- isolation Project Watershed has some educational resources for you to enjoy.
Project Watershed is taking the COVID-19 situation very seriously. Everybody in our community including our directors, staff, volunteers, donors, members, family members and friends are vulnerable to this disease. We are doing our part to flatten the curve and slow the rate of infection so that our medical system can support those who need it. To this end, our offices are closed until further notice and fundraising events we were planning, or were being planned by a third party for us, have been postponed.
Over the past few months, Project Watershed and citizen scientist volunteers have been working hard to identify forage fish spawning beaches in the Northern Salish Sea. Forage fish are a group of small schooling fish that are ecologically important to a variety of marine species such as Chinook and coho salmon, marine shore birds like the Rhinocerous Auklet and larger marine mammals such as orcas and humpback whales. In BC there are seven common species of forage fish: eulachon, Pacific sand lance, surf smelt, Pacific herring, Pacific sardine, capelin, and Northern anchovy.
We met Daniel and Nadine at a LIFT fundraisier for Kus-kus-sum, they had the winning bid on a silent auction item. They said they wanted to do more and have committed to donating 10% of all their online sales to the Kus-kus-sum project until June 2020! This December they donated $350 and are excited to up that amount by June.
Congratulations and thanks to everyone who helped make this double raffle a success for Queneesh School’s Aboriginal program and for Kus-kus-sum!
As the Kus-kus-sum initiative heads into 2020 people are eager to hear what is happening with the site, and more specifically, when. “The only thing we are waiting on is money” reports Kathy Haigh, Fundraising Director at Project Watershed.
Rest in Peace
Ken Kirkby and Nana Cook have donated 43 of their paintings and seven from their collection for a semi-formal gala event to raise funds and awareness for the purchase and restoration of Kus-kus-sum through the engaging and powerful medium of art and the promise of getting a great deal. Each painting is worth between $1,500 and $4,000. 50 ART DRAW tickets at $500 each will be presold for the event (ART DRAW ticket holders may bring 1 guest). Tickets to attend the event as an onlooker will be $15.
The Comox Valley Project Watershed Society is excited to announce Matt Beckett, AVP and Private Wealth Advisor of Coastal Community Private Wealth Group as the official broker for the Society. This will increase the fundraising efforts for the Kus-Kus-Sum project* and allow the Society to accept the donation of securities in kind.
Kus-kus-sum received $15,700 from 100+ Women Who Care Comox Valley, just in time to make the second to last payment to Interfor. “We really appreciate the support of all these women and it just goes to show how contributions can add up quickly,” said Caila Holbrook, Project Watershed’s Manager of Fundraising, Outreach and Mapping.
Show off your support for Project Watershed and our environmental initiatives with our new NEWT SHIRTS and TOQUES! Due to the difficulty in keeping inventory we are asking people who want shirts to order and prepay for the shirts. Toques, however have already been ordered and are available for pick up at our offices during our business hours.