The sun was shining as about 250 people came to look around and enjoy some music provided by Jane’s Way, Monica Whitney Brown and Rosalee Tremblay Johnston and the Cowichan Naturalists’ own Muddy Buddies.  Locally sourced goodies were provided  by the Cowichan Bay Dragon Divas, and visitors had an opportunity to climb the viewing platform and check out the view with the Centre’s telescope,  explore the shore and enjoy the natural wonders of the estuary. The opening ceremony began with a welcome offered by Mike Olebar from Cowichan Tribes and three dance offerings from the world renowned Tzinqwa Dancers.

Tzinqwa Dancers.

Speeches and thank-yous were short, heart -felt and intersperced with musical offerings.  We were joined by Grandfather Heron.

The Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre will provide interactive opportunities for children and adults to learn about the estuary, its watershed, marine life, and natural and cultural history.  Indoors there is an aquarium and touch tank where visitors can see intertidal life up close and personal, as well as a computer touch screen that offers an interactive tour of the watershed, a video corner with two minutes interviews with Cowichan elders, biologists, historians and fisherfolk offering rich and diverse perspectives on the estuary, and an array of estuary art including a mural and mutimedia eelgrass meadow. The Centre, which opened for regular hours on Sunday afternoon,  is also expected to drawing a significant number of new tourists to our region.

Sansum Narrows mural by Leanne Hodges

The Nature Centre plans to offer special programs for school classes, summer science camps, and tour groups, and be open regular hours for tourists and local people to drop by.  There will also be numerous volunteer opportunities. More than 20 people have already signed up to help.    The current group of volunteers hopes that the centre will also be a nucleus for monitoring and restoration of the waters and conservation lands of the Cowichan Estuary.

Ever since the Marine Ecology Station moved from Cowichan Bay to Sidney in 2001, community members and naturalists have seen the need for a place to inform and inspire the public about the importance of the estuary’s bird and marine life, and the rich wildlife habitat provided by its salt marshes, mud flats and eelgrass meadows.  In 2009 the community was surprised by the appearance of part of the Hood Canal Bridge in Cowichan Bay.  The need for a watchful presence in the estuary was further encouraged by the Cowichan Tribes Estuary Management Workshop in April, 2011.

The Cowichan Land Trust was a natural sponsor for this project.  As the successor to the Cowichan Estuary Preservation Society, the Land Trust has been co-sponsoring Low Tide Day in Cowichan Bay since 1999 and transplanting eelgrass and supporting youth streamkeepers in Cowichan Bay since 2003.  The Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre has the support of the Area D Community Park Commission, the Cowichan Valley Regional District, the Rotary Club of Duncan, the Cowichan Valley Naturalists’ Society, more than 33 other local organizations and businesses and many community members.

Major funding for the project was provided by Western Diversification Canada’s West Coast Community Adjustment Program and the Island Coastal Economic Trust, as well as by the Rotary Club of Duncan.

For more information about the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre, visit the new website at www.cowichanestuary.ca, email info@cowichanestuary.ca, or call 250-597-2288.  The Cowichan Land Trust continues to seek donations and volunteers to assist with the first year of operation of the Nature Centre.

Please Join us Saturday, April 21st — Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre Opening 1-5 pm

1 pm — doors open – Come look around, enjoy music (Jane’s Way, Monica and Rosalie, the Mud Buddies and more) sandwiches and other goodies by the Dragon Divas, and tours, indoors and out, focused on the natural wonders of this special place – Check the view from the viewing platform and try out our telescope!

3 pm — opening ceremony with VIPs and ribbon-cutting - Everyone Welcome

Affinity Guesthouse

Rotary Club of Duncan Cowichan Bay Kayak and Outfitters Cowichan Bay Improvement Association Cowichan Bay Residents Association (CBRA) Cowichan Bay Fishermen’s Wharf Association Cowichan Green Community Cittaslow Cowichan Cowichan Tribes Cowichan Stewardship Round Table Cowichan Valley Naturalists’ Society Hilary’s Cheese Economic Development Cowichan Grandfather Heron and Sacred Mountain Studio Drillwell Enterprises and Just Jake’s Restaurant Jean Crowder, MP, Lori Iannidinardo, Area D Director, and the Electoral Area D Parks Commission Michelle Rose CSF and Ocean Ecoventures Rob’s Lighthouse Eatery Transition Cowichan and OUR Ecovillage Tourism Cowichan True Grain Bread Valhalla Trails Ltd. Institute for Coastal Research, Vancouver Island University Young Naturalists Club of British Columbia
]]> http://cowichanestuary.wordpress.com/2012/01/28/our-supporters/feed/ 1 jkilthei http://cowichanestuary.wordpress.com/2011/10/15/nature-centre-will-benefit-local-economy/ http://cowichanestuary.wordpress.com/2011/10/15/nature-centre-will-benefit-local-economy/#comments Sun, 16 Oct 2011 06:23:57 +0000 jkilthei http://cowichanestuary.wordpress.com/?p=193 Continue reading →]]> The Travel Activities and Motivation Survey (TAMS) Canadian Activity Profile: Wildlife Viewing on Trips(2006) reports 7.6 million adult Canadians go wildlife viewing while on out-of-town, overnight trips. Wildlife viewers tend to be married with children, university-educated, with an annual household income exceeding $74,000.  They look for destinations accessible by car with other tourist activities nearby and where mid-range tourist accommodation is available.  It is expected that the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre will bring significant additional tourism from this growing sector, benefiting the local and regional economy.  With over 200 bird species in the Cowichan Estuary, the Centre should be a particular attraction for birders, especially in the spring and fall.

Trumpter Swan in flight over the Estuary - photo credit Ariel Lenske

Local landscape artist Peter Spohn has very generously offering the Nature Centre project the opportunity to  sell high quality limited edition 12 X 15 giclée prints of his painting “Fir Tree on Mt. Tzouhalem #3”. With its view overlooking the estuary, it is perfect for our project.  

 Signed numbered prints can be ordered from the Cowichan Land Trust for $140 – with $100 from each purchase going directly the Estuary Nature Centre Project. For more information on the prints and the giclée process see: http://www.peterspohn.com/giclee.shtml

Send a cheque for $140 with the memo “Estuary Art Print” to:

Cowichan Land Trust, #6 – 55 Station Street
Duncan, British Columbia, Canada
V9L 1M2    (250) 746-0227

Join our guides for this last of our three summer 3-hour evening kayak tours of the Estuary.  No experience necessary.

Evening Paddle August 10th, 6 – 9 pm. 

$55 per person  – contact Cowichan Bay Kayak and Outfitters at (250) 748-2333 to reserve a space in advance. http://cowichanbaykayak.com/ 

Cash or cheque to the “Cowichan Land Trust”.  

 All proceeds to the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre.

Successful Dinner and Auction Fundraiser in Cowichan Bay, JULY 17th

We had a very successful Beer and Burger Fundraiser  for the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre on July 17th at the Cowichan Bay Pub http://www.baypub.ca/.  With both a Silent and Live Auction, music from local singer-songwriter Cara McCandless, and the Pub’s great food, we raised over $4,600 for the project.  It was a wonderful evening. Thanks to everyone who came out and all those who donated auction items!

The CVRD, Cowichan Tribes, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Transport Canada, RCMP, Living Rivers, and BC Wildlife Federation are partners in an initiative to protect eelgrass habitat in Cowichan Bay. A Vessel Operation Restriction Regulation (VORR) would designate areas in Cowichan Bay as off-limits to motorized vessels in order to protect eelgrass from harmful boating activities such as prop scarring and anchoring. In response to public input, boundaries of the proposed restricted areas have been modified and eelgrass mapping is being updated. In addition to the VORR, a clearly defined navigation channel would improve boating safety and access to the Cowichan Bay Boat Launch and marinas in Cowichan Bay Village.  

View the most recent VORR and Navigation Channel Proposal Map http://www.cvrd.bc.ca/DocumentView.aspx?DID=7638

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the VORR and Navigation Channel Proposal: http://www.cvrd.bc.ca/DocumentView.aspx?DID=7634

Have your say. Take the VORR and Navigation Channel Survey: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22CMAUKVNDS/

Contact: Ann Kjerulf, Planner III, CVRD Planning & Development akjerulf@cvrd.bc.ca or 250.746.2500