Estuary Exhibition
Opening of the Mobile Estuary Exhibition - Royal BC Museum and CERCA
With the purpose-built mobile exhibition created by the Royal BC Museum in tow, CERCA’s goal is to raise the level of environmental awareness, knowledge and appreciation of the ecological, cultural and economic importance of estuaries, and the expected effects of climate change on estuaries and their floodplains.“This collaboration with the Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Association --CERCA allows the Royal BC Museum to explore innovative solutions for delivering content on a subject that is near and dear to our hearts and to the heart of this community. It enables us to reach out beyond the walls of our institution,” says Angela Williams, Chief Operating Officer of the Royal BC Museum. “We are very proud of this collaboration and this exhibition.”The Royal BC Museum has a mission to promote an understanding of the living landscapes and cultures of British Columbia and engage people in a dialogue about their future. This project with CERCA has been a pilot project for the Royal BC Museum in its renewed focus on outreach in keeping with this mission. The exhibition is designed to be mobile and adaptable to other estuary communities with the intention of it travelling throughout Vancouver Island and beyond.The estuary exhibition was officially opened by Kate Kerr, the representative of the Royal BC Museum, on June 13th inside the Duncan Mall. I take this opportunity to express our sincere Thanks to Kate Kerr and Ellen Rooney from the Royal Museum who are responsible for the design and assembly of the exhibit. A special Thank You goes to our CERCA member Barry Hetschko for the outstanding photos on estuary bird life he provided for this exhibition.
Estuary exhibition circuit
The first location of the exhibit, in the shadow of the magnificent “Welcoming Totem Poles” carved by Master Carver, the late Simon Charlie, is the first stop on the journey of the mobile exhibit travelling for the next months through the Cowichan Valley. True to its promise the exhibition will reach out to all people in the Valley to strengthen local ownership in our precious Cowichan Estuary and the Cowichan-Koksilah River Watershed.The next location chosen for the exhibit will be the Vancouver Island Regional Library inside the Island Savings Community Center. The Library has accepted the exhibition with open arms convinced that it will enhance its educational mandate to the public. The exhibit will stay at the library all summer before it starts its round of the Valley’s schools. Due to its aesthetically appealing design and wealth of information the exhibit offers a highly valuable didactic tool to be used within the schools’ environmental education programs. It provides a comprehensive overview of ecological functioning of estuary ecosystems, their ecological, socio-cultural and economic significance, but also highlights the threats to the ecological integrity of our estuaries. Once the exhibit has completed the Cowichan Valley circuit it will travel up the Island to be used by other estuary groups affiliated with estuary restoration work.The expected outcome of this all-ages exhibition is a raised level of public awareness of estuaries, threats to their ecological integrity and potential for rehabilitation. The exhibition is ideally suited to attract school classes and their teachers from throughout the Cowichan Valley. The exhibition will foster a better understanding and appreciation of the importance of estuaries to our communities and help assist groups such as CERCA in their restoration, lobbying and advocacy efforts in support of healthy and sustainable estuaries in BC.Goetz Schuerholz, Chair CERCA
