Letter from the Chair for January 2020
Letter from the Chair for January 2020
Latest News as of today (31 January): Earlier this morning I was informed by Dr. Sybil Seitzinger, Executive Director of the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions, that our application for a 2020 Internship with CERCA has been approved. This provides us with the great opportunity to have someone working full time this summer in support of our estuary work. The letter I received reads:
Dear Goetz,
I am pleased to inform you that your internship application entitled “Estuary Health Indicator Assessment and Follow-Up” has been accepted for funding. We had more than 30 strong applications for the intern positions, and your application stood out among the top ten proposals which have been approved to be funded. Congratulations and we look forward to working with you to make this work successful.
PICS will provide the Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Association (CERCA) $12,000 dollars to hire an internship student for a minimum of 13 weeks in the position of Chief Project Organizer.
Sincerely, Sybil Seitzinger, PhD Executive Director
Everybody happy?
1. CERCA's planned workshop on estuarine health protocol: It was a good start into the New Year with focus on the complex preparations of CERCA's brainstorming workshop on the assessment of estuarine health in BC scheduled for the 3rd of March at the Oceanfront Hotel in Cowichan Bay. A splendid venue for this event at the edge of the estuary with a prime view overlooking Cowichan Bay.
Judging by the overwhelming feedback from the professionals contacted within this context, CERCA appears to have found a critical niche with the subject of this workshop.
Of the more than 50 Key persons invited we have so far received 40 confirmations of attendance, exceeding our self-imposed limit of 30 persons.Dr. Dave Preikshot, Senior Environmental Specialist of North Cowichan, hasagreed to moderate the event.
It is hoped that the workshop will lead to a consensus agreement on feasible, practical, doable, and cost-efficient Key indicators serving as pillars for elaborating the framework for a protocol on estuarine health assessment in BC. A much-needed protocol would provide consistency in the approach to estuarine health assessment, allow comparison of results and would assist Government agencies, Academia and coastal communities on the Pacific coast to identify root causes of impacts, conservation/restoration actions, and measures to be taken for climate change mitigation.
The event is financially supported by the Pacific Salmon Foundationafter a successful funding proposal submitted by Steve Nazar who helps toorganize the workshop. A budget shortfall required a second proposal which Isubmitted two days ago. I was informed this morning that this grant also hasbeen approved.
2. Call for Help: You may recall my request for volunteers from earlier in January to help cleaning up the place of Cowichan Tribes Elder Viktor Thomas who suffered misfortunes that have left him seriously handicapped. CERCA's offer of help is also an expression of our gratitude for his support provided to our fighting the re-zoning issue. The response by our members to this call for help has been overwhelming. Thanks to all of you volunteering. I will reach out to you when we have decided on a date. We have to wait for some sunshine.
3. Swallow Project: Thanks to our member Wes Heinrichs who has constructed 20 additional nest boxes to be hung prior to swallow arrival. As soon as the weather improves I will ask for a couple of volunteers to help to post the boxes. We still have to decide whether to add to the boxes at Blackley's farm or continue along the estuary nature trail south of the platform along the meadow belonging to the owners of the Koksilah Heritage House who approved the location.
4. CowichanRiver Estuary Trail: So far all our efforts regarding obtaininga permit from FLNRO's dyke inspector to remove the broom along the river trail havefailed. Although we have not given up yet, it appears that it will be too lateto get it done prior to the bird breeding season and flowering of the broom. Probably too late for 2020 after all.
5. Estuary Nature TrailOpen-Air Classroom: No news yet fromWestern Stevedoring allowing CERCA to continue working on the trail. Asreported earlier, in absence of any maintenance the trail is badly overgrownand broom has started to re-colonize the area. Maintenance work is desperatelyneeded before the trail becomes unusable.
6. Blue Carbon Project: In early January Tristan updated his graduate Committee -I am a member- of the blue carbon project which now includes additional work on microbial diversity by comparing different habitat types based on CERCA's estuary habitat map. All fieldwork has been completed and the results of the sample analysis are expected to be available by the end of February.
7. Pollinator habitat: At our last AGM we discussedopportunities for each of us to enhance pollinator habitat in view of dwindlingpollinator populations worldwide. Without pollinators the world food supplywould collapse...
In order to locally help our orchard bees to find a suitable habitat, we constructed three different-sized pollinator habitat plates. The samples shown at the AGM were all taken. However, we still have plenty left ready to be hung prior to March when the bees start hatching and the freshly hatched start looking for a place to lay their eggs. Since CERCA is not allowed to sell any products due to our charitable status we offer the plates against a donation. Please get in touch with me if you are willing to support this very good cause.
8. Re-zoning Application: Althoughthe re-zoning application was approved by the Electoral Area ServicesCommittee, this does not mean that our efforts to revoke this unfortunatedecision are over. Litigation against the CVRD is still one option to pursue asproposed by the "Defenders of the Cowichan Estuary".
We are also investigating whether all measures to be taken by the terminal proponent to mitigate environmental impacts as outlined by their stormwater treatment plan and environmental management plan are being followed.
Dr. Goetz Schuerholz, Chair CERCA