Interpretative signs along spit of mill pond
Cowichan River Estuary Trail Signs in Place
Last weekend we mounted the four new signs along the spit bordering the Western Forest Products mill pond. It was a smooth operation Thanks to Robert's professional help and a very cooperative WFP personnel guiding us through the picket line and providing the generator needed to operate our power tools.
The first sign describes CERCA's highly successful Mariners Island salt marsh rehabilitation project which we implemented in 2016 in collaboration with Ducks Unlimited and the financial support from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Western Forest Products. You may recall that we removed close to 10,000 logs from the Island enabling salt marsh vegetation to reclaim the many acres destroyed by a solid layer of logs washed up over the Island for decades.
Facing Mariners Island this sign allows the reader to actually see in nature what the sign describes.
Following the clean-up of the salt marsh in 2016 WFP agreed to remove any stray logs in the future found along the shoreline of Mariners Island. We therefore periodically check the shoreline for stray logs, especially following storms, either by walking the shoreline or using satellite images. The findings are then reported to WFP who initiate timely removal of the logs at high tide. This has worked quite well so far.
The second sign, located further along the spit, talks about the estuary's 'life in the mud'. It shows images of some of the key invertebrate species inhabiting the mud and describes their role within the estuary's food chain. It also points out the amazing adaptation of birds feeding on these creatures probing the mud with their specialized bills. From this north-facing sign the reader enjoys a splendid overview of still intact salt marshes criss-crossed by mud-covered runnels and drainage channels.
The last two signs are located close to the tip of the spit overlooking the estuary's mudflats. The one closest to the mouth of the mill pond describes the process of CERCA's successful estuary habitat mapping project which resulted in the production of a 1:6000 scale habitat map finalized in early 2018.
The last sign focuses on CERCA's oyster inventory carried out hand-in-hand with the field work related to the habitat mapping project. The critical role oysters play in the estuary by providing habitat to many other creatures, purifying thousands of gallons of water every day, and storing carbon in their shells, have rightly earned them their reputation as important "ecosystem engineers".
Both these signs serve us well at the starting point of our guided mudflat walks CERCA offers twice during the summer at very low tides. The next and last walk of 2019 will take place on August 17. If you or one of your friends is interested to join us for this unique experience, please register in writing to cerca@shaw.ca or register by phone.
Dr. Goetz Schuerholz
Chair CERCA