Key Dates

Contact watermonitoring@rdn.bc.ca to register!

Contact watermonitoring@rdn.ca.ca to register!

Contact watermonitoring@rdn.ca.ca to register!

Contact watermonitoring@rdn.ca.ca to register!

Contact watermonitoring@rdn.ca.ca to register!

Please register to attend by emailing waterstewardship@rdn.bc.ca and let me know: 

1. If your organization would like to have a display table at the event. We will provide tables for display materials and are happy to offer some assistance with developing and printing materials that highlight your group. The venue is booked for a couple of hours before and after the event, so there is plenty of time for setting-up and taking-down displays.

1. If you would like to give a short 5-minute presentation about your group and the important work you do. There will be a projector, screen, and microphone available at the venue for presentations, if desired. If you are planning to present with PowerPoint slides, we will also have a computer available so you may bring your presentation on a USB or email your presentation to waterstewardship@rdn.bc.ca prior to the event.

1. If you have photos that you’d like to share of watersheds and water stewards. We will be putting together a photo slideshow of local streams and the folks who work so hard to care for them. If you have any photos that you would like to share, please don’t hesitate to send them now and throughout the upcoming monitoring season to waterstewardship@rdn.bc.ca.

Work Party - Little Qualicum River Estuary - Saturday November 5th at 9:30am

Objective: Removal of wire enclosures around some of the planted areas as well as removal of Himalayan Blackberries and other invasive plants

- Meet at the parking lot at the end of Surfside Drive

- Gloves and boots or good walking shoes recommended

- Bring along your favourite digging tools, we will have some available as well.

The work will take a couple of hours and it is a good opportunity to see our work and the overall estuary environment in November.

For more information and to volunteer, contact Qualicum Beach Streamkeepers at info@qbstreamkeepers.ca.

Contact Lauren (250-741-7795) with any questions or concerns.                                           

Contact Lauren (250-741-7795) with any questions or concerns.  

Contact Lauren (250-741-7795) with any questions or concerns.  

Contact Lauren (250-741-7795) with any questions or concerns.  

To Streamkeeper Volunteers -

We are planning a Work Party to remove invasive plants (mainly blackberries, and some broom) at the Estuary.

• Meet at the Parking Lot at the end of Surfside Drive at 10:00am on Saturday December 3rd.
• Wear good gloves and thorn resistant clothes if possible.
• Bring your favourite garden tools if you wish, but we will also have some on hand.

From the Invasive Species Council of BC:

Himalayan blackberry is valued by humans for its delicious berries; however, it easily invades disturbed sites, pastures, roadsides, streambanks, and forest edges. This plant crowds out low-growing vegetation and can create thickets so dense it limits the movement of large animals. Thickets can produce 7,000-13,000 seeds per square meter. Himalayan blackberry also spreads by roots and stem fragments, as well as by birds and animals that eat the berries and disperse them.

For more information, contact Qualicum Beach Streamkeepers at info@qbstreamkeepers.ca

11:00am - 3:00pm

Kinsmen Park and Kin Hut in Departure Bay Beach, Nanaimo

Join the RDN's Team WaterSmart at a community event that celebrates local stewardship organizations from across the region who are taking action to restore, protect, and safeguard our environment - from caring for our local waterways, to removing invasive plants, and much more! 

Check out some interactive activities for all ages and learn how you can get involved.

Join local experts and stewardship volunteers on an interpretive walk along Departure Creek being hosted as part of the Stewards in the Spotlight community event!

This urban stream has been in the care of community volunteers and citizen scientists for many years. Come see some of the work being done to restore and protect this stream, including tree planting, salmon monitoring, and riparian area protection. 

Participants must be able to walk 2-3km on mostly flat terrain. 

Learn more and register here

On Wednesday, July 12^th from 11am to 2:30pm at Nanoose Place (2925 Northwest Bay Road), join the RDN’s Drinking Water and Watershed Protection team to engage with the theme of Data to Action: from boots and monitoring equipment in the creek, to policy actions and water stewardship outcomes!

 The session agenda will include:

• summary of the water quality data results from the 2022 sampling periods and trends observed over time,
• presentations by technical experts on hydrometric monitoring and physical stream mapping, and
• a live graphic artist recording of the event including a facilitated discussion.

 Please note: 

• if your organization would like to bring materials to share and display, please email watermonitoring@rdn.bc.ca to secure table space at the event,
• refreshments and lunch will be provided, and
• bring your questions, ideas and collaborative solutions-based mindset for the facilitated group discussion that will take place after lunch.

  IMPORTANT: RSVP to lfegan@rdn.bc.ca by Sat. July 1^st to indicate your attendance. 

Contact watermonitoring@rdn.ca.ca to register!

Contact watermonitoring@rdn.ca.ca to register!

Contact watermonitoring@rdn.ca.ca to register!

Learn more at www.rdn.bc.ca/community-watershed-monitoring. Contact watermonitoring@rdn.bc.ca to get involved!

"The Art of Nurturing Nature" is something to celebrate on BC and World Rivers Day September 24, 2023.  Hand painted wooden salmon will be on display near the Qualicum Beach Visitors Centre (2711 Island Hwy W, Qualicum Beach). This event will feature a hands-on paper fish decorating activity. All ages welcome.

Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Forage Fish Demonstration at 10:00 am.

Yellow Fish & You - A look at Mid Vancouver Island Habitat Enhancement Society (MVIHES). Join MVIHES at Adam Walker's MLA community office on September 24th for a fun an informative talk, display and meet and greet. Learn what you can do to conserve water and protect salmon habitats in our community.  

For full event series details and info on how to participate, visit the event webpage here.

The 5-week fall sample period is tentatively set for an Oct. 10^th start; however, if the wet weather continues, we may start earlier or if it dries up later than this date.

We will give a week’s notice as to the fall monitoring period start date.

Learn more at www.rdn.bc.ca/community-watershed-monitoring. Contact watermonitoring@rdn.bc.ca to get involved!

Save the date!

Join us on Thursday, November 23 for a Community Watershed Monitoring Network (CWMN) Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon at Nanoose Place Community Centre (2925 NW Bay Rd, Nanoose Bay).

Catered lunch, door prizes, activities and games!.

Please RSVP by emailing waterstewardship@rdn.bc.ca 

A Dialogue on Sustainability with Artist Cameron Fraser-Monroe

Thursday, September 28 at 12:00PM OR 1:00PM

Port Theatre – 125 Front Street, Nanaimo

Cost – FREE 

RSVP at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/a-dialogue-on-sustainability-with-artist-cameron-fraser-monroe-tickets-716269289727. Please note that space is limited and offered on a first come, first served basis.

(The Port Theatre will offer a complimentary ticket to Ballet Kelowna’s performance on Friday September 29^th to each attendee who is part of the invited environmental volunteer groups. )

Join us for a 40-minute conversation with dancer and choreographer Cameron Fraser-Monroe about art, story telling and environmental sustainability.

Cameron Fraser-Monroe brings his classical ballet training, knowledge of traditional Coast Salish, Grass, and Hoop Dance, and experience as a contemporary dancer to taqəš [tawKESH], which means “to return something” in Ayajuthem, the language belonging to the Homalco, Klahoose, K’omoks, and Tla’amin Nations. Set to several songs by Polaris Prize-winning composer and singer Jeremy Dutcher, taqəš follows the traditional story “Raven Returns the Water,” centred around ῤoho (raven) and walθ (frog).  taqəš will be performed at the Port Theatre on Friday September 29th. 

Here is a link to the Ballet Kelowna performance and a video link featuring taqəš and Cameron: https://www.porttheatre.com/event/spotlight-ballet-kelowna/

This optional event is a collaboration among the Port Theatre, City of Nanaimo's Sustainability team and Culture & Special Events team. Many thanks to the Port Theatre for hosting this event.

Departure Creek Streamkeepers are looking for volunteers to plant sword ferns within the riparian zone of Departure Creek.

Volunteers will meet at 9:30am at Woodstream Park on Saturday November 4th for approximately 1.5hrs of planting.

For further info or to volunteer, contact the work party organizer, Jean-Michel Hanssens at va7cip@gmail.com 

Work Party at the Little Qualicum River Estuary
Saturday Nov. 18th at 9:00am

Qualicum Beach Streamkeepers are planning a modest replanting of trees at the LQR Estuary, to replace some of the trees we lost due to the extreme drought conditions experienced this summer.

We will meet at the small parking lot at the west end of Surfside Drive at 9:00am on Saturday. Please wear warm clothing, gloves, and bring a shovel if you have one.

This will be dependent on the weather, obtaining a permit from the RDN, and the confirmed participation of a First Nations representative to monitor our digging in case of evidence of archaeological remains.

If you would like to participate, please mark your calendar, and we will confirm it closer to the date! Contact info@qbstreamkeepers.ca