Estuary Nature Trail Kiosk: Donation enables construction
The generous support of the Island Savings Division of First West Credit Union towards the construction of the information kiosk at the trail-head of the Cowichan Estuary Nature Trail – Open Air Classroom is a timely and most welcome gift. On behalf of CERCA I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Island Savings for their generous financial assistance which enables us to now finish the construction of the kiosk to be implemented by ‘Robert’s Traditional Carpentry’. I take this opportunity to also thank Robert, one of our members, for his continuing assistance and technical expertise applied to the trail structures. Robert also had been instrumental in constructing the swallow nesting boxes which earlier had been posted in the estuary along the northern flank of the trail, a highly successful CERCA initiative judging by the number of boxes occupied.
The concrete pad for the kiosk has been poured, ready to accommodate the kiosk currently under construction and to be installed the first week in July. All structural elements will be of yellow cedar expected to last at least my lifetime.
Attached are the lay-out of the kiosk and a brief description of the 10 panels to be attached. In response to comments received by stakeholders and improvements made during the process of panel design some of the panel themes have been changed in the process. The result is an applaudable job by Ellen Rooney who already had designed our mobile estuary exhibition in cooperation with the Royal BC Museum.
Panels K1 to K3 will stay the same providing an overview/location map of the estuary and an introduction to the meaning of a “working estuary” signifying proper ecological functioning.
K4 informs about CERCA’s vision and mission and completed restoration projects. K5 reports on organizations and agencies involved in conservation efforts in the Cowichan Estuary and list the sponsors of the trail. Panels K6 to K8 are dedicated to the history of Cowichan Tribes and paying tribute to the socio-economic and spiritual importance of the estuary to First Nations.
K9 describes the ‘development’ of the estuary and its floodplain following the arrival of white man in the Cowichan Valley during the mid 19th century. Focus is placed on the role of agriculture and forestry as the main economic drivers in the Valley and at the same time the main sources of adverse impacts on the estuary, its floodplain and tributaries.
Panel K10 shows the Cowichan and Koksilah River watersheds explaining that the one cannot exist without the other. This reflects the holistic approach to be taken to the conservation management of the Cowichan River estuary and watershed constituting one single ecological entity.
CERCA will organize a short celebration ceremony once the trail-head has been completed inviting all guests who had participated in our 2016 fund-raising dinner and all supporting local enterprises. We would like to show our guests how the funds raised at the dinner and in-kind donations in support of the nature trail have been used hoping to generate additional funds needed to complete the trail.
Goetz Schuerholz (Chair CERCA)
