Successful Cooperation with Cowichan Valley Naturalists

Estuary Nature Trail Completed

In cooperation with Cowichan Valley Naturalists (CVN) we finally were able to place the remaining five interpretative signs (see photos below) along our self-guided, open air classroom estuary nature trail by late August.

You may recall that the signs were designed jointly by CERCA and the Royal BC Museum, paid for by Island Savings in 2016. The last remaining feature of the trail infrastructure is now the proposed observation tower at a location with a splendid overview of the northern section of the estuary. We are still hoping for approval by Western Stevedoring, the Lessee of the corresponding Crown Leases, to construct the tower.

Over the years the trail has been successfully used for environmental education with guided tours and lectures provided by CERCA, involving University of British Columbia geography classes, Cowichan Secondary School, and the Cowichan Elder College.

After successful removal of broom along the trail during the initial trail development in 2014, broom has started to re-colonize the trail in absence of  any maintenance.

It was only recently that Bruce Coates, the President of CVN, obtained permission from the Lessee to place the remaining five signs as part of a collaboration agreement with CERCA. 

CVN volunteers poured the concrete pads and CERCA volunteers mounted the signs during the last week of August.

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 initiated two more joint projects with CVN, one on forage fish habitat monitoring, the second involving CVN in our new bat survey.

I take this opportunity to thank all volunteers who participated in our joint ventures to date.

Dr. Goetz Schuerholz

Chair CERCA