Volunteers who aren’t afraid to get a little dirty are invited to a planting event in Hope.
Fraser Valley Watersheds Coalition and Hope Mountain Centre are co-hosting a community event focused on improving local habitat for fish and wildlife.
They will be planting trees and enhancing habitat at the Tom Berry Gravel Pit/ Starrett Pond, Oct. 23 from 11 a.m. to about 3 p.m. They are planting native trees and shrubs along a new salmon spawning channel, as work at this site continues.
They will also be clipping invasive blackberry from the existing riparian areas. A restoration project has been slowly forging ahead for the past few years, and volunteers will get a tour of the area to see the work in progress.
The Fraser Valley Watersheds Coalition planted 3,600 native species plants along the edges of Starrett Pond at the Tom Berry Gravel Pit site in November 2019. It’s part of a multi-year restoration project focused on connecting waterways in the area to stop salmon from dying there.
The pit was created when the government built the Coquihalla connector back in the 1980s, and has filled with water over time.
Registration is required, to receive exact project location and specific parking information. Register by emailing Rachel@fvwc.ca.
Volunteers will need to bring rain gear, boots, gardening gloves and masks, as well as a water bottle. COVID-19 contact tracing will be in effect, and the event could be cancelled in the event of new provincial health orders.
READ MORE: Starrett’s Pond in Hope to become healthy salmon habitat
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