Category Archives: Streamkeeping

Nature, Streamkeeping

Salmon Spawner Orientation Tours on Byrne Creek in Burnaby, BC

Byrne Creek Streamkeeper volunteers will be leading orientation salmon spawner patrols both this Saturday and this Sunday, Oct. 30/31, starting at 10:00 am at Ron McLean Park.

The weather appears to be shaping up nicely with sun in the forecast both days.

The tours will start from the playground/washroom at Ron McLean Park just south of Rumble St. on Hedley Ave. There’s plenty of parking around there, and Edmonds Skytrain Station is a ten-minute walk to the east.

We will head past the tennis courts, and down the long stairs into the ravine. We will walk the dike past the stoneworks place to the confluence with John Mathews Creek.

Then we’ll backtrack to the spawning habitat and spawning channel at the corner of Byrne and Meadow. Then back up the ravine.

The screenshot shows the area.

Depending on whether or not we see spawners, the tours should take 2 to 3 hours.

We have reports of just one spawner seen so far this year in Byrne Creek, but Yumi and I have seen chum in Stoney Creek in NE Burnaby and Scott Creek in Coquitlam, and hear that chum are back at Kanaka Creek in Maple Ridge, so they are out there! Fingers crossed more will be in Byrne any day now.

Outdoor clothing suitable for the weather and sturdy footwear recommended.

byrne creek spawner patrol map burnaby bc

Nature, Photography, Streamkeeping

Spawning Salmon Arriving Soon as Heavy Rain Hits Byrne Creek in Burnaby

Volunteer streamkeepers welcome the heavy October rain in Burnaby, BC, that will entice chum and coho salmon to start returning to Byrne Creek to spawn.

Streamkeepers have permission from City of Burnaby Parks to zap-strap posters to trees in the ravine reminding dogs to keep their owners out of the creek during spawning season and through April when the salmon eggs will hatch.

Here’s a short video of the heavy rain today.

Nature, Photography, Streamkeeping

Sockeye Salmon Spawning at One Mile Lake

Surprized and gratified to see Sockeye Salmon spawning in a wee creek at the north end of One Mile Lake near Pemberton, BC.

I had no idea there were Sockeye there, though for years it’s been a favourite photo destination whilst camping up the Sea to Sky.

As I was photographing the spawners, a couple came by and we chatted for some time. Turns out they were long-time streamkeeper volunteers and had worked on habitat restoration in the area, and the guy had worked for DFO as a technician years ago.

I love these streamkeeper connections, and the opportunity to learn from locals about their watersheds.

sockeye salmon spawning pemberton bc

Fishing, Nature, Photography, Society, Streamkeeping, Sustainability

Stream of Dreams Watershed Education/Community Art Program

It was great to be back in an elementary school helping to deliver the Stream of Dreams Murals Society watershed education and community art program!

stream of dreams Dreamfish

There has been some remote program delivery, and while getting the message across, it doesn’t compare emotionally with being in  a school.

With careful protocols, some adjustments to delivery, and repeated and thorough sanitization between each class, today’s sessions went smoothly, and several teachers said they loved the program!

And of course team members, teachers, and students are masked at all times.

Team members are cross-trained to do both the watershed/environment education part of the program, and supervising kids through the Dreamfish painting.

The fish will eventually be installed as a beautiful mural on the school’s chain-link fence to remind students, their families, and the entire neighbourhood that All Drains Lead to Fish Habitat!