On July 10 at noon the Youth and Ecological Restoration Program (YER) will have two youth, Michelle Burgess and Austin Waskul, lead a tour about Oyster River salmon.
This YER, Phase II project is funded by the Ministry of Children and Family Development and the Comox Valley Regional District.
In 2014, YER completed 10 years of service for Comox Valley youth.
A 10-year review was recently posted to the YER website at bitly.com/1JAteOX.
The core principle of the program is youth build relationships with the YER co-ordinator, community volunteers and the natural world.
They develop a sense of themselves being part of the ecological and human communities within the boundaries of our home place.
This spring, YER was invited by the Project Watershed Society to be part of the Royston Salt Marsh Project in the K’omoks Estuary.
This first YER, Phase III project was funded through Project Watershed, UNIFOR Local 3019 and MCFD.
One YERIII youth learned salt marsh species and restoration techniques; taught three groups of Royston Elementary students; and then gave a power point presentation for Project Watershed.
The Oyster River Enhancement Society has a salmon hatchery operation in the park that includes a side channel network.
The YERII project has youth working with the YER co-ordinator and biologist, Ian Moul, on a juvenile salmon estimate in Channel #1 and concludes with the tour.
Please join us for this youth led tour at Bear Creek Nature Park on Friday, July 10 at noon. Follow the old Island Highway north, go left on Hamm Road, then right on Macauley Road to the park entrance on the right and drive to the upper parking area.
Contact Wendy Kotilla at wkotilla@shaw.ca, 250-336-8487 or www.youthecology.ca.