From Caila…
March 4th – Estuary Art Opening Night, 7-9pm at Zocalo's on the corner of 5th and Cliffe. This will be the kick off event for the Keeping It Living silent auction and competition. There will be food and music by a local group, admission by donation. We could use 2 volunteers to help set up between 5 – 6:30 and 1 or 2 to sit at the door collecting donations and giving out info from 6:30 – 9pm (free food as a token of our appreciation for our volunteers).
March 12th and 13th – Eelgrass Restoration Pilot Project, 10 – 5pm Saturday and 10 – 3pm Sunday.
You are invited to join Cynthia Durance and Project Watershed for a lecture about the ecology and importance of eelgrass at 10 am on March 12, 2011. The lecture will be followed by an explanation of how to map and monitor eelgrass beds. Project Watershed has recently produced a map of the Courtenay Estuary showing the location of eelgrass beds; the map is based on orthophoto interpretation and needs to be ground-truthed to verify the identification of the beds and to search for eelgrass in areas that were not visible on the photos. We will visit the estuary in the afternoon to practice the mapping and monitoring methods. Those who receive training will be encouraged to assist Project Watershed with ground truthing the eelgrass map this spring and summer. Sunday, March 13, 2011 we will complete a pilot eelgrass transplant in an area that has been impacted and would benefit from an eelgrass restoration project. Lunch will be provided.
Tentative Schedule
Saturday
- 10:00 – 11:00 Introduction to Eelgrass – Conservation Centre, 2356a Rosewall Crescent
- 11:00 – 11:30 Coffee Break
- 11:30-12:30 Introduction to Mapping & Monitoring Eelgrass – Conservation Centre
- 12:30 – 1:30 Lunch
- 2:00 – 3:00 GPS Orientation – Royston Wrecks at the end of Hilton Road
- 3:00 – 5:00 Mapping Eelgrass – Royston Wrecks at the end of Hilton Road
Sunday
- 10:00 – 12:00 Set up and prep for transplanting
- 12:00-1:00 Lunch
- 1:00 -3:00 Transplanting Eelgrass
March 17th – Estuary Movie Night, 7-9pm at North Island College. Project Watershed in conjunction with World Community will be presenting Estuary focused movies and a short presentation on our own Courtenay River Estuary. We need 2 volunteers to help set up and man a table with information 6:30 to 9pm (free admission and food as a token of our appreciation for our volunteers).
April 1st and 2nd – Day of the Estuary, K'omoks Band Hall. Volunteers needed to help set up for the event on the Friday before 10 to 2pm and the morning of 10-12pm. Volunteers needed to man tables, make coffee and tea, and direct crowds. Food (from the First Nations Salmon BBQ) and drink will be provided for volunteers as a token of our appreciation.
Caila Holbrook
Business Manager – The Mapping Centre – Comox Valley Project Watershed Society
(250) 792-2873 / (250) 703-2872 – http://maps.projectwatershed.
