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Apr 2013

Riparian Stewardship Program

By developer

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. We continue to work with a strong and dedicated team of community partners and keen volunteers to execute riparian* restoration work along the easternmost stretch of Fish Creek; hands-on tasks such as planting native trees and shrubs, preparing the site and spreading mulch and locally-sourced native seeds help restore some healthy balance to this area that has been heavily impacted by human use. In 2017, this work took on a new focus through our ReWilding Through Restoration Program.

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 work. With these assessments now in place, we can get started on our riparian restoration work this fall!

Volunteers are needed in the role of Riparian Steward; this role entails taking part in a variety of different tasks that may include tree and shrub planting, general site preparation, spreading mulch and installing temporary fencing as well as site monitoring, watering and maintenance throughout the season. These are the dates our fieldwork will take place (if you’re interested in volunteering, click on the button below to create a volunteer account with us):

Monday, October 15, 9am-4pm: Off-site willow harvest
Tuesday, October 16, 12pm-7pm: Riparian restoration fieldwork in Fish Creek Provincial Park
Thursday, October 18, 9am-4pm: Riparian restoration fieldwork in Fish Creek Provincial Park

We are grateful for the support from the following funders, allowing us to continue this important work in 2018:

Alberta Environment and Parks’ Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program
Alberta Ecotrust Foundation

For more information on our Riparian Stewardship Program or questions about volunteer opportunities, please contact Katie Bakken, Program Coordinator, at katie@friendsoffishcreek.org or call our office at 403-238-3841.

Apply to Volunteer with the Friends

*A Riparian area is the strip 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!

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