The Friends’ Riparian Stewardship Program is part of our larger, overarching Watershed Stewardship Project that provides a wide range of opportunities for people to lend a hand in the care of Fish Creek Provincial Park. Since 2014, we have worked with a strong and dedicated team of community partners and keen volunteers to execute ReWilding projects (also known as riparian* restoration work) along the easternmost stretch of Fish Creek; ReWilding supports the overall health and functioning of the watershed while contributing to increased resiliency and flood mitigation.
Thanks to the expertise of Cows and Fish, we now have a strong team of volunteers trained to complete Riparian Health Assessments; these reports will act as baseline measurements of riparian health along Fish Creek and help guide us in decision making and planning of our ReWilding fieldwork, which generally takes place in the fall each year.
Volunteers are needed each year to take on the role of Riparian Steward; this role entails a variety of tasks that include native tree and shrub planting, general digging and site preparation, spreading mulch and native seeds and installing temporary fencing. Site monitoring, watering and maintenance throughout the season may also be involved in this role. Click here to view Volunteer Job Description.
ReWilding fieldwork will be executed this year in small groups to enable us to follow social distancing requirements. We hope to begin ReWilding in August and continue through to early October. Click here to create a MyImpact account so you hear first hand when we have scheduled our 2023 fieldwork dates.
For more information on our Riparian Stewardship Program or questions about volunteer opportunities, please contact Dylan Barnes, Citizen Science & Stewardship Coordinator, at dylan@friendsoffishcreek.org.
*A Riparian area is the area of vegetated land next to a water resource which provides numerous essential ecological services. Acting as a natural buffer, it protects water from negative impacts associated with pollution, provides shoreline stability to prevent erosion, protects water quality and offers a movement corridor and wildlife habitat to the rich diversity of species who use it for parts or all of their life cycle. At times, however, these areas can become so impacted by human activity that they lose their ability to provide these services, and the “health” of the riparian area becomes compromised. To learn more, visit the Cows and Fish Website.
A successful example of stewardship in action!