Nature in Strathcona - Mapping our Watershed Through Art! Fall 2015 - Winter 2018 False Creek Watershed Society partnered with artist Robi Smith to offer a series of Mapping Workshops with the intent to create a map of nature in the Strathcona community. This map has now been created. They are 16" wide and laminated. There is the front art map and the back resource page. They can be purchased for $25.00 by emailing [email protected] East Vancouver’s Strathcona Neighbourhood is part of the False Creek Watershed. In Strathcona, all precipitation flows into False Creek. A long time ago, when streams flowed through Strathcona, these also drained into False Creek. The purpose of the project was to connect the Strathcona community with nature through art and to build understanding of how our watershed works. We also invited people who don’t live in the area to share their love of the natural world that resides there. When you think about nature in Strathcona, (if you live there or not!) what’s the first thing that comes to mind? A particular tree – newly planted or old growth? A patch of colourful flowers that is alive with bees in summer? A group of native plants, or a weed patch? Maybe its the sensory experiences of water rushing alongside the curb during a heavy rain, patterns of leaves on the grass, wind rushing through trees or lyrical birdsongs? How about your middle of the night dreams of salmon who used to inhabit the creeks? Could it be the local animals big and small – coyotes, eagles, crows, pigeons, seagulls, songbirds and insects? Or maybe the raccoons sneaking into your compost bin at night? Even though Strathcona is an old neighbourhood in the centre of our city, it’s filled with nature. The flora and fauna which lives among us are an important part of our community which provide us with an important connection to a wilder world. You’re invited to share your favourite sightings, memories, and natural places on an art map that your neighbours and other Strathcona nature lovers are creating in collaboration with visual artist (and neighbour),Robi Smith. TO CONNECT TO THE WEBSITE FOR THIS PROJECT, CLICK HERE |
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Earthwalks Summary - Summer 2013 We live in the city of Vancouver with almost a million other residents. We are blessed to be surrounded by mountains, forests, oceans and rivers. But how much do we know about nature in our own backyard? The Earth and the natural world is present everywhere – from the arboretum of Queen Elizabeth Park, to the buildings of downtown Vancouver, to our last wild salmon stream, to the farm flats of Southlands and it even applies to human economic theory! Please join us for this exciting series of walks this summer and fall. The leaders are amazingly knowledgeable in their specialties - so come along to listen to their words, connect with the land and ask lots of questions! |
Please register for the event(s) of your choice.
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1) June 30:
2) July 6: 3) July 25: 4) July 28: 5) Aug 4: 6) Aug 10: 7) Aug 11: 8) Aug 17: 9) Aug 25: 10) Sept 8: 11) Sept 21: |
“Rocks, Reservoirs and Rainforest - a Historical Walk Around Little Mountain" with Celia Brauer.
A stroll around one of Vancouver's green gems, talking about the quarry, reservoirs, arboretum and much more. 10:30 – 12:30 Register here for "Earthwalks1 - LittleMountain" “St. George’s Street Rainway and street walking tour – with Greta Borick Cunningham. A walk along the historic creek route which will one day be daylighted and a discussion about the painted mural. 1:00 - 3:00 Register here for "Earthwalks2 - StGeorges" "Geology of Downtown Vancouver" A Tour of Buildings and Monuments with Dave Cook. An unusual view of downtown! Check out the exterior and interior of key buildings and monuments to learn about the building stones used. Provenance, geology and suitability will be explained. An opportunity to learn about the history of these buildings and their architecture. 12:00 – 3:00 Register here for "Earthwalks3-Geology" “Economics in Place and Time” False Creek Seawall with Michael Barkusky. A walk on the False Creek Seawall from Leg-in-boot square to Granville Island to look at the history of False Creek and how the natural capital of the water and shoreline has changed over the last 150 years. 1:00 – 3:00 Register here for "Earthwalks4-Economics" “Deconstructing False Creek through Nature's touch” with Pamela Zevit. A walk along the seawall from the Roundhouse to Habitat Island in SE False Creek - including discussions about restoring the natural shoreline in False Creek. 1:00 – 3:00 Register here for "Earthwalks5-FalseCreek" “Still Creek - Lost” with Bruce Macdonald. A walk to retrace a portion of the Still Creek system that not long ago was a lake one mile long and it was still a remote portion of an uninhabited wilderness. 1:00 – 3:00 Register here for "Earthwalks6 -StillLost" “Still Creek - Found" with Bruce Macdonald. Come and experience Vancouver's seven block long Renfrew Ravine, home to Vancouver's only deep ravine and flowing creek, set in a natural wilderness that amazingly lies mostly forgotten between 22nd and 29th Avenue. 1:00 – 3:00 Register here for "Earthwalks7 -StillFound" “Musqueam Creek - Vancouver's Last Wild Salmon Stream" with Terry Point The Musqueam First Nation has been working at restoring this precious remnant of Vancouver's original salmon streams for fourteen years now. 1:00 - 3:00 Register here for "Earthwalks8 -Musqueam" “A Walk 'RoundAbout' Kits - Community Art, Bees and Gardens" with Mary Bennett Visit some of the Green Streets gardens tended by volunteers in traffic circles and corner bulges around Kitsilano. See how gardeners are encouraging bee and butterfly habitat and building community connections through creative use of their gardens. 2:00 – 4:00 Register here for "Earthwalks9 -RoundaboutKits" “Gibson Creek including Gibby's Field" with Dan Fass Gibson Creek was a major creek in the old China Creek system. It ran north-south through the middle of Kensington-Cedar Cottage from 41st Avenue and Kensington Community Centre in the south to its mouth not far from VCC-Clark SkyTrain station, passing through or by six East Vancouver parks on its way. 2:30 – 4:30 Register here for "Earthwalks10Gibbys" “Salmon , Vegetables, Milk and Hay Fields" with Terry Slack The many tidal salty islands and diked fertile river-flats all along the North Arm of the Fraser River were once Vancouver's Food Basket. Now they are now just parking lots and cement plants. There are opportunities to rediscover our hidden farmland from the past 130 years from under the industrial rubble of the present. 10:30 – 12:30 Register here for "Earthwalks11 -Salmon" |
Water is Life summary:
We had a very successful event on May 19th, 2012 at the Roundhouse Community Centre. We discussed what
"Healthy waters mean for us all".
The speakers brought up some very important and fascinating discussions. There were many environmental
group tables and a very engaged audience.
Speakers:
Here are the list of speakers and the Powerpoints that some shared.
Celia Brauer- False Creek Watershed - sewers, runoff, beach health, special events, engaging the public Download PDF
Bryn Davidson - St. George's Creek Blueway - daylighting a city street Download PDF
Dr. Jonn Madsen - Squamish Streamkeepers - herring in Howe Sound Download PDF
Christianne Wilhelmson Christianne Wilhelmson- Georgia Strait Alliance - sewage treatment in Vancouver Download PDF
Dr. John Richardson - Professor Forest Science UBC - The Fraser River - North Arm and Estuary health Download PDF
Ben West - Wilderness Committee - tankers in Burrard inlet Download PDF
Andrea Reimer - City of Vancouver Councillor - Greenest City Initiative - Water Advisory Board and Blueways Program discussion
Blog Posting on the event by Eryne Donahue (with photos): http://www.bcwfbogblog.com/2012/05/22/water-is-life/wwa.org
http://http://www.flickr.com/photos/bcwfwep/sets/72157629838754214/
Film: "Rise of the Salmon People" by Jeremy Williams: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhxQBSU-npw (Movie starts at 1 minute 10 seconds)
Environmental Group Tables and Partners:
BC Water and Waste Association - http://www.bcwwa.org
BC Wildlife Federation - http://www.bcwf.net
Camosun Bog - http://www.camosunbog.org
City Studio - http://www.citystudiovancouver.blogspot.com
False Creek Watershed Society - http://www.falsecreekwatershed.org
Gibby's Field - http://www.vcn.bc.ca/gibbys
Georgia Strait Alliance - http://www.georgiastrait.org
Hastings Park Conservancy - http://www.hastingspark.ca
North Shore Wetland Partners - http://www.nswetlandpartners.com
Renfrew Ravine - http://www.stillmoon.org
Roundhouse Community Centre - http://www.roundhouse.ca
North Shore Wetland Partners http://www.nswetlandpartners.com/
Squamish Streamkeepeers - http://web.me.com/jackcooley2/streamkeepers/Welcome.html
St. George's Blueway - http:// mtpleasantwatershed.wordpress.com/
Stop the Pave/ Burns Bog - http://www.stopthepave.org http://www.burnsbog.org
Vancouver City Sewers and Water - http://www.vancouver.ca/engsvcs/watersewers/sewers/index.htm
Vancouver Greenest City Action - http://www.greenestcity.ca
Village Vancouver - http://www.villagevancouver.ca
White Water / Black Gold - http://www.whitewaterblackgold.com
Wilderness Commitee/ No Tankers - http://www.wildernesscommittee.org
Wreck Beach Conservation - http://www.wreckbeach.org
Partners:
(see links above) City of Vancouver Greenest City, City of Vancouver - Sewers and Water, St. George's Blueway, Wilderness Committee, Georgia Strait Alliance, Roundhouse Community Centre, Village Vancouver, North Shore Wetland Partners, City Studio, Gibby's Field.
Many thanks! to our generous Donors:
Famous Foods Kingsway near King Edward) for food donation
Canada Safeway (King Edward and Oak) for food donation
Terra Breads (SE False Creek) for food donation
Starbucks (Mainland and Davie) for food donation
The Long Table from City Studio for bringing "The Long Table"!
False Creek Watershed Society's staff and board
And...all the speakers, Eryne Donahue and Jill Weiss for help with conception and publicity
Other Projects by False Creek
Watershed Society
Mapping the Spirit of the False Creek Watershed:
From March 2010 - March 2011 we brought together a Community Mapping Project in the False Creek Watershed.
Lost Streams Walks:
From 2009 - 2011 we offered Lost Sreams walks every September to celebrate Wild Salmon Month in Vancouver.
Salmon Celebration:
"The Salmon Celebration -Remembering Our History, Celebrating the Living" was a BC Rivers Day event that we created and produced from 2004 - 2009. It grew from a startout audience of 400 to well over a thousand participants annually and it also supported other events such as craft workshops, community tables and Lost Streams walks. The event showcased local artists and performers, featured First Nations groups and individuals and provided a venue for Environmental groups who were working on salmon issues to discuss their work with the public. All-in-all, it was a fun and informative event in the context of BC Rivers Day and over the years thousands of people locally were exposed to the very important discussions of Lost Streams history and the state of salmon today.
Downloads September is Salmon Month in Vancouver. Download the official Proclamation from City Hall. (pdf, 780 kb)
View Salmon Celebration photos pdf
Downloads September is Salmon Month in Vancouver. Download the official Proclamation from City Hall. (pdf, 780 kb)
View Salmon Celebration photos pdf
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Interspiritual Blessing:
From 2006-2008 the False Creek Watershed Society created the 3 consequtive events - Interspiritual Salmon Blessing for Earth Day. We offered discussions by local faith leaders, education on the Lost Streams of Vancouver and First Nations participation. And most important, we invited the community to come down to the water's edge to offer a blessing to the millions of juvenile salmon who are starting their epic ocean journey.
In 2005, there was a request put out by Alexandra Morton, a prominent biologist who works on the West Coast of Vancouver Island and is very concerned about the serious effects of fish farming on wild salmon. She asked that we offer our concern for the fate of our salmon by heading down to a local waterway and gathering with community members to offer blessings to these very young creatures as they head out to their life at sea.
For 2006, two organizations – the False Creek Watershed Society, and the Sierra Club of Canada BC Chapter, joined together to expand on this idea.
View Interspiritual Gathering photos pdf
From 2006-2008 the False Creek Watershed Society created the 3 consequtive events - Interspiritual Salmon Blessing for Earth Day. We offered discussions by local faith leaders, education on the Lost Streams of Vancouver and First Nations participation. And most important, we invited the community to come down to the water's edge to offer a blessing to the millions of juvenile salmon who are starting their epic ocean journey.
In 2005, there was a request put out by Alexandra Morton, a prominent biologist who works on the West Coast of Vancouver Island and is very concerned about the serious effects of fish farming on wild salmon. She asked that we offer our concern for the fate of our salmon by heading down to a local waterway and gathering with community members to offer blessings to these very young creatures as they head out to their life at sea.
For 2006, two organizations – the False Creek Watershed Society, and the Sierra Club of Canada BC Chapter, joined together to expand on this idea.
View Interspiritual Gathering photos pdf
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