Christmas Letter from the Chair
Christmas Letter from the Chair with past year’s reflections.
Dear CERCA members and friends of the Cowichan Estuary,
Before zooming in on another productive CERCA year, please allow me to briefly report on a phenomenal example of democracy at its best. I am talking about the smoothest Government change-over I have ever witnessed in Germany or any other part of the world. No "mud-slinging" during Germany's federal election campaign last October; no populistic grand-standing as typical for our next-door neighbour to the South and a growing number of other countries in this world; no hateful display of fake news, and no interference by rogue States.
After a very tied race between the ruling party of the Christian Democrats (CDU, the equivalent of our Conservative Party) and the Social Democrats (SPD, the equivalent of our NDP), the latter got in with the narrowest of a margin. Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel and all of her Ministers not only accepted the defeat with grace but promised to work together across the aisle on all major issues during the next legislature.
To gather enough seats to form a new majority government, the SPD successfully negotiated a strong and harmonious coalition with the Green Party and the Free Democrats (FDP, equivalent of our Federal Liberals), fulfilling several of their election promises regarding gender equality, empowering Ministers with migratory background, and dramatically rejuvenating the new Caucas by choosing many young but very capable candidates.
During the Government changeover, all new Ministers were received by their predecessors with a flower bouquet and being properly introduced to their staff and new facility. All started their new job the same day they were sworn in. Former Chancellor Merkel welcomed the new Chancellor Olaf Scholz even with a hug! They had already been working harmoniously hand-in-hand for the past eight years during the former coalition of the CDU and SPD.
Immediately after having been sworn in the Ministers started to tackle the very ambitious Coalition climate action program, in an attempt to meet the Paris agreement earlier than planned. The key to success will be (a) massive investments in regenerative energy, (b) the closure of all coal-fired power plants by 2030, and much more that will benefit the world.
How refreshing for the whole world to see how true democracy works: a Government graciously accepting a defeat after an election, a smooth and rapid passing of power, and the promise to solve critical issues of common interest across the aisle. Germany with the fourth-largest world economy has chosen a highly competent, dedicated, and diverse caucus embracing a very ambitious agenda in the middle of several severe domestic (e.g., Corona) and international crises. A great example of democracy at its best.
CERCA matters
As in the past year the ongoing covid-19 epidemic continues to cause dramatic economic and socio-cultural impacts worldwide at a scale we are not used to. For CERCA this meant that all meetings and group-related outdoor activities (e.g., guided trail- and mud-flat walks scheduled for UVIC coastal geography class, Cowichan Secondary School, and CVRD Elder College) had to be canceled, just like in the previous year. CERCA Board meetings were mostly conducted online. Our activities, however, followed the proposed 2021 work program in principle. Some new activities were added as described in more detail below. For those of you interested, please check CERCA's 2021 Activity Program on our website.
2021 Activities
Lochmanetz Development Proposal: This ill-perceived proposal aiming to establish a campground with mobile units next to the Koksilah salmon-bearing River in the floodplain of the estuary was successfully squashed by early 2021. You may recall from earlier correspondence that CERCA was quite involved in opposing the proposal. It took a joint effort of many constituents to convince the CVRD to discard the proposal.
Blue carbon project: Tristan successfully finished his Master's thesis on the Cowichan Estuary Blue Carbon project after having passed the oral exam with flying colors. Resulting from his Internship with CERCA and our joint research project with the Canadian Wildlife Service, Simon Fraser University, and UVIC, Tristan was accepted by UBC as a Ph.D. student with a research focus on remote sensing applied to coastal habitat mapping and assessment of biofilm production of the Fraser Estuary. He started his Ph.D. program in May. Meanwhile, a peer-reviewed article on this project was submitted and accepted by the very reputable Journal of "Frontiers of Marine Science", entitled:
“Blue Carbon storage in a northern temperate estuary subject to habitat loss and chronic habitat disturbance: Cowichan Estuary, British Columbia, Canada”
This article will give the Cowichan Estuary and CERCA excellent exposure.
CVRD bylaw enforcement on Westcan Terminal: Our continuing efforts requesting bylaw enforcement on the Westcan Terminal by the CVRD has fallen on deaf ears. Although all buildings used by Pacific Industrial Marine Ltd. were constructed without development and/or building permits, the CVRD's Building Inspector and Planning Department "reached an agreement" with the operators to continue with business as usual. The illegal buildings are now approved without conditions attached. A sad chapter to be added to the disappointing performance of the CVRD's law enforcement responsibility whenever it involves industry.
MOTUS station: Following CERCA's agreement with the Canadian Wildlife Service Dr. Flemming and team put up the MOTUS station before the bird spring migration at the property of our members Fiona and Kenneth Choi on Gore Langton Road. The station has been in operation since April producing the first results in monitoring radio-chipped Western Sandpiper and Dunlin on their stop-over at the Cowichan Estuary. http://www.cowichanestuary.com/motus-receiver-station-at-the-cowichan-estuary/
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Fiona and Ken on behalf of CERCA for their generosity in providing not only the space for the bulky antenna contraption but also contributing free permanent regenerative power from their solar field.
Forage fish habitat monitoring: Bill Heath is spearheading CERCA's involvement in MABRII's forage fish inventory and monitoring in cooperation with the Cowichan Valley Naturalists and students from Cowichan Secondary School. This will be an ongoing project covering sampling along the northern shoreline of the Westcan Terminal and beaches at Maple Bay and Cherry Point. The MABBRII Project is an initiative of VIU covering the western Island coastline. Samples were first taken in February, followed by sampling in April/May, and September with the participation of students from Cowichan Secondary School. The cooperation agreement with the school forms part of CERCA's extension and public education efforts within our Citizen Science Program. Under the same agreement, Geoff Strong gave a lecture on climate change. http://www.cowichanestuary.com/forage-fish-spawning-habitat-monitoring/
Cooperation with Cowichan Secondary School: Another part of CERCA's agreement with the Cowichan Secondary School involved five internships with CERCA. Under the supervision of Goetz, the students participated in several CERCA activities, specifically the monitoring of swallow boxes and swallow activity, invasive species control in the estuary, and trail clearing. The Internship took place from late April to June. http://www.cowichanestuary.com/citizen-science-cercas-cooperation-with-cowichan-secondary-students/
A Place to Contemplate
The spit extending into the estuary at the mouth of the Western Forest Millpond is a magic spot providing one of the best wildlife viewing locations the estuary has to offer. It is for this reason that our long-standing member and CERCA supporter Steve Kirley has chosen this spot to place a bench in honor of his passed-away parents who loved the estuary living for many years along Khenipsen road. Steve with the help of our member Jerome Webster set the bench on a firm foundation for the enjoyment of the growing number of visitors enjoying this spectacular spot. We thank Western Forest Products for their assistance.
Ban on Hunting in Cowichan Bay You may recall that over the years CERCA has repeatedly been approached by Cowichan Bay residents and visitors complaining about hunting in the Bay and the discharge of firearms in the estuary. In early spring we joined forces with local groups spearheading just another attempt to convince BC's Fish and Wildlife Branch to close the Bay to waterfowl hunting, unfortunately with no success. Our new member Laurie Arbuthnot collected over 40 Thousand signatures and numerous letters from local NGOs and constituents which still did not sway the Government to put a stop to hunting which is opposed by most residents of Cowichan Bay. We will not stop to lobby for a closure.
Data Sharing Agreement with Cowichan Tribes: During the summer CERCA finally signed a data-sharing agreement with Cowichan Tribes which we had hoped to achieve already for several years. This will allow CERCA to access archives of Cowichan Tribes' research data related to the estuary, and Tribes to have free access to all data and research conducted by CERCA. We are very honored by the trust placed in CERCA and look forward to a respectful working relationship.
Microplastics Project: With the publication of the final results of phase one of CERCA's micro-plastic project in the Cowichan Estuary CERCA added another important data set to the list of estuary-related research projects. The peer-reviewed article, elaborated as a joint paper by CERCA members and scientists from Simon Fraser University, UBC, and the Canadian Wildlife Service, has successfully been published in the renowned and well respected "Marine Pollution Bulletin". The title of the peer-reviewed article is: "Microplastics Project in Mudflat Sediments of the Cowichan-Koksilah Estuary"
We are still hoping to start the second phase of this exciting project within 2022. Based on Phase I, follow-up work will focus on the expansion of the sample size which will include up-stream samples expected to assist in identifying source pollution, and sub-tidal samples. We also would like to include bio-samples from the estuary to investigate how micro-plastic enters and affects the food chain. For further detail on this project visit the following link: http://www.cowichanestuary.com/microplastics-in-mudflat-sediments-of-the-cowichan-koksilah-estuary/
Creating Synergies: One of CERCA's Key goals for 2021 was the creation of desirable synergies for the benefit of the estuary and the Cowichan watershed at large. This is meant to be achieved by joining forces with like-minded citizen groups of the Cowichan Valley. As a starter, the CERCA Board met with Board members of the Cowichan Valley Naturalists, The Estuary Nature Centre, and Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society to discuss cooperation agreements and to brainstorm potential projects of common interests. In a follow-up to these meetings, CERCA formalized cooperation and support agreements with the Cowichan Valley Naturalists and Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society. Potential agreements are still under discussion with the Estuary Nature Centre, Shawnigan Watershed Group, and One Cowichan.
Successful Cooperation with Cowichan Valley Naturalists: As a first tangible result Bruce Coates, the President of the CVN, obtained permission from Western Stevedoring to continue with invasive species control along CERCA's self-guided nature trail and to finally place the remaining five interpretative signs along the trail, signs which have stayed for five years un-used in my carport waiting for approval by Western Stevedoring to be placed. This completes the nature trail; a great achievement, Thanks to the cooperation with the CVN. http://www.cowichanestuary.com/successful-cooperation-with-cowichan-valley-naturalists/
After this successful collaborative effort, we are now looking forward to a fruitful working relationship with CVN for the benefit of the estuary and the Cowichan watershed at large. Our Co-Chair Bill Heath has already successfully initiated another joint project with CVN, the forage fish habitat monitoring as part of our Citizen Science Program.
Cooperation with the Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society: The focus of CERCA's second written cooperation agreement with Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society is on two project ideas to be tackled in 2022. The first encompasses the design of a comprehensive water quality monitoring project covering the entire lower Cowichan watershed, including Somenos Marsh and Quamichan lake, their feeder streams, and the estuary. This rather comprehensive undertaking will be implemented with several other groups and Government agencies, replacing current rather isolated water quality monitoring efforts. CERCA's member Steve Nazar is spearheading this project on CERCA's behalf. The second project aims at the establishment and sustainable protection of two ecological corridors connecting Somenos Marsh and Quamichan Lake with the Cowichan Estuary, also to be initiated in 2022.
Bat Monitoring, another Citizen Science Project: This exciting, highly successful, and well-received project has been initiated by our Co-Chair Bill Heath last summer as part of our "citizen science" program. It was briefly introduced by Bill on our website to be accessed via the following link: http://www.cowichanestuary.com/bat-research-by-cerca/
CERCA purchased two bat recording devices made available to persons/groups interested in participating against a nominal fee. The response was phenomenal. The two gadgets were in high demand until late fall, the time when bats leave for their winter quarters. This project has generated a lot of interest in bats throughout the Cowichan Valley with numerous groups and individuals participating in monitoring bat activity in their neighborhood. With this project we would like to find answers to the area- and habitat-specific species diversity and spatial distribution. We also want to compare different habitat types and ecosystems within the Cowichan/Koksilah watershed by relating bat species diversity and relative abundance as indicators of ecosystem health.
Throughout summer and fall, we have compiled a large data set from many locations in the Cowichan Valley and the Koksilah watershed. Of the 16 bat species recorded for BC 13 species were identified for the area covered by our two echo meters. The feedback from all persons involved has been extremely positive. With the return of bats from their winter quarters the project will continue in 2022. One highly rewarding fringe benefit of this project is successful education of the public on the ecological importance of bat species, and for many to take away their fear of such highly intelligent critters.
Tree Swallow Monitoring: This year's overall results were very disappointing compared to previous years. The number of nests occupied was down along the South Fork, slightly up at the Heritage site and Blackley's farm, but the number of dead fledglings found in numerous nests, most of them already fully feathered and almost ready to fly, is shocking. Although the reasons for this high juvenile mortality are not known, it may safely be assumed that the repeated heat-waves played a significant role. http://www.cowichanestuary.com/swallow-project-2021-results/
With temperatures soaring up to 40 degrees C during the day and high temperatures during the night for many days in a row it may safely be is assumed that over-heating in over-heated nest boxes for extended periods caused dehydration, resulting in the unusually high fledgling mortality. Adults feeding their young may have been equally stressed by the high temperatures. We only hope that next year's weather conditions will be more favorable, reducing overall mortality.
Blackley's Farm: There was a glimmer of hope when CERCA first heard about the sale of Blackley's farm composed of former salt marshes that had been converted into meadows almost a century ago. A great opportunity to purchase the land for rehabilitation into a salt marsh. CERCA and several other environmental groups had waited for this opportunity for a long time. Unfortunately, all our combined effort to convince Western Forest Products to sell the land for conservation purposes failed. It was taken over by another dairy operator and already in parts converted into corn fields, the worst what could have happened to this potentially highly valuable wildlife habitat.
CERCA AGM 2021: Unfortunately, this year's AGM had to be implemented online again due to the ongoing Covid-19 epidemic. All Board members except for Jock Hildebrand and Peter Scheiler stood again for re-election. Both Jock and Peter stepped down for personal reasons but will keep their CERCA membership. I take this opportunity to thank both for their amazing contributions to our cause, especially during our fight against the re-zoning of the Westcan's Crown Leases. Thanks, Jock and Peter for all your work and for being such good and reliable friends!
In Summary:
Looking back at the past year we can be proud of our work and achievements. Especially noteworthy is our expanding cooperation with Academia. Joint research projects with UVIC, UBC, and Simon Fraser Universities, and close ties with Researchers from the Canadian Wildlife Service, have provided much-needed baseline information on the estuary.
A major achievement has been the production of the two peer-reviewed scientific articles (a) on the estuary's blue carbon storage, and (b) the inter-tidal micro-plastic assessment of the estuary.
Another major achievement has been CERCA's data-sharing agreement with Cowichan Tribes and written Cooperation Agreements with the Cowichan Valley Naturalists and Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society.
I will close this letter by expressing my sincere gratitude to the CERCA Board members for their work and support. It was a pleasure and honor to work with all of you! Special thanks are given to all CERCA volunteers who donated their time, energy, and money to our projects. Without you and all other supporting members, CERCA would not have achieved what has been achieved until today!
I wish you a Merry Christmas and all the best for 2021 in the hope that the Corona epidemic will be under control soon.
_________________
Dr. Goetz Schuerholz
Chair CERCA
Remember the pelicans showing up in the estuary? If we can't stop climate change it will only be a matter of time until the first Macaws will appear in the Valley...
