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Back by popular demand! False Creek Watershed Society has once again partnered with Village Vancouver to offer a series of “Earth Walks”.
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 well do we know about nature in our own backyard? The Earth and the natural world are present everywhere – from discussions around False Creek to our last wild salmon stream to the farm flats of Southlands and even as nature 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 specialty – so come along to listen to their words, connect with the land and ask lots of questions!
1) ““Deconstructing False Creek through Nature’s touch” with Pamela Zevit
Sunday, August 4, 2013 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
False Creek has seen a lot of changes in the last hundred and fifty years – going from a secluded inland waterway full of sealife and surrounded by forest to industrial log milling operations to heavily populated global village.
Join Pamela to walk from the Roundhouse Community Centre on the North Shore of False Creek to Habitat Island in SE False Creek to discuss the “back to nature” changes happening in False Creek today and reflect on their present value to society. From there participants can take the ferry back to Yaletown.
Pamela Zevit is a Registered Professional Biologist in BC and the Principal for Adamah Consultants. Her focus is on biodiversity conservation, environmental literacy and landscape ecology. She has worked for many years locally, regionally and transboundary to engage decison makers and citizens on conservation issues. She is very interested in reconciling the conflicts between human and non-human resource needs and improving trust between society and science practioners.
By donation.
Rain or shine.
2) “Still Creek Lost” with Bruce Maconald
Saturday, August 10, 2013 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Come and retrace a portion of the Still Creek system that not long ago was a lake a mile long. This lake ran along the edge of Kingsway down the middle of historic Collingwood. In the 1860s when it was still a remote portion of an uninhabited wilderenss, this beaver lake was considered prime real estate – it was one of the first pieces of land to be take up by a Non-Native in the new colony of British Columbia.
The recipient was Colonel Richard Moody, the person in charge of this new system. After being drained it provided some of the richest farmland in East Vancouver, the location of numerous orchards, chicken ranches and amrket gardens in the early days of Vancouver. The walk will end at the 29th Street Skytrain Station.
This walk will be led by Vancouver-born historian Bruce Macdonald, authour of “Vancouver – a Visual History” Bruce grew up in the city but much of his childhood was spent in the local woods appreciating nature. Each participant will receive a four page handout with some local history and detailed colour maps.
By donation.
Rain or shine.
3) Still Creek – Found” with Bruce Macdonald
Sunday, August 11, 2013 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
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 flows mostly forgotten between 22nd and 29th Avenue. We will see many native plants and some rare bedrock sandstone. There is a newly restored portion of the creek and a site where a beaver recently built a dam with its baby by its side.
Recently salmon have returned to Still Creek. The walk will end at the Renfrew Skytrain Station.
This walk will be led by Vancouver-born historian Bruce Macdonald, author of “Vancouver – a Visual History” Bruce grew up in the city but much of his childhood was spent in the local woods appreciating nature. Each participant will receive a four page handout with some local history and detailed colour maps.
By donation.
Rain or shine.
4) “Musqueam Creek – Vancouver’s last wild salmon stream” with Terry Point
Saturday, August 17, 2013 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
The Musqueam First Nation has been working at restoring this precious remnant of Vancouver’s original salmon streams for fourteen years now. Come and tour the stream with Terry which will take you through the restoration project by Musqueam Ecosystem Conservation Society. The tour will take approximatley one and a half hours.
Some ground is uneven on the trails and paths. Wear walking shoes. Walk is child-friendly.
Guide:
Terry Point is Project Manager and President of Musqeam Ecosystem Conservation Society (MECS). He has been working on Musqueam Creek since 1997.
Suggested donations of $5 – $10 welcome.
Rain or shine.
5) “Walk ‘Roundabout’ Kits – Community Art, Bees and Gardens” with Mary Bennett Sunday, August 25, 2013 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
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.
Led by artist Mary Bennett whose community herb garden at 6th and Trafalgar has been featured in the Vancouver Sun and CBC TV.
By donation.
Rain or shine. Wheelchair friendly.
6) “Gibson Creek including Gibby’s Field” with Dan Fass
Sunday, September 8, 2013 from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Gibson Creek was a major creek in the old China Creek system. It ran north-south through the middle of Kensington-Cedar Cottage (KCC), 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.
This tour pays particular attention to where Gibson Creek was joined by another major creek, Davey Creek. This point, known locally as “Gibby’s Field,” is on three City lots which have never been developed and contains an original piece of creek bed. Gibby’s Field recently received a “Places That Matter” hstorical plaque from the Vancouver Heritage Foundation.
The tour starts in Kingcrest Park on Knight Street near Kingsway, close to the original Cedar Cottage, a nursery and market gardens, and brewery (1901) — all dependent on Gibson Creek. The tour follows Gibson Creek as it crossed under Kingsway and Knight, flowed across the old farm of Moses Gibson (1850–1937)who gave his name to Gibson Creek and Gibby’s Field, then past Tyee Elementary School and through Gibby’s Field. The tour continues past the site of an old mink farm to Clark Park at Maddams Street. Much of the land along the lower reaches of the creek has been used for non-market purposes: a school, churches, non-market housing, parks, and a community college.
Dan Fass is part of the Gibby’s Field Subcommittee, a citizen’s group seeking to preserve Gibby’s Field as a community greenspace (see www.vcn.bc.ca/gibbys) By donation.
Rain or shine.
7) “Salmon, Milk and Hay Fields” with Terry Slack
Saturday, September 21, 2013 from 10:30 to 12:00 PM
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. As Vancouver completes the River Side Greenway from West Southlands to Boundary Road, there are opportunities to rediscover our hidden farmland from the past 130 years from under the industrial rubble of the present.
This tour of a Riverside Greenway with a history of great Food Gardens is an opportunity not to be missed! This fertile river land is just waiting now for our gardening shovels to turn it over and grow good things once again.
Our children the “Urban Gardeners of the Future” are very welcome on this walk.
On this walk Terry Slack is our leader, river tillerman, gardener and local historian.
Terry is a retired fisherman who grew up on the North Arm. He is a community historian, a naturalist, an activist and a salmon person. He has a never ending love o the North Arm of the Fraser River and has worked hard over the years to save the natural environment of the Fraser River Estuary and beaches around Vancouver.
By donation.
Rain or shine.
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