nudge from nalt

In May 2016, NALT offered a Streamkeepers workshop on Departure Creek.  Nina was able to attend the two full days of training, and became an official Streamkeeper!  As a group we decided it was time to visit Gail Adrienne, NALT's Executive Director,  to thank her for connecting us, and to ask her advice about what to do next.  She suggested working with Dave Clough to plan for riparian planting.  This would help establish shade and prevent erosion of the banks of the creek.

Gail also had great information about the history of Walley Creek. She said it is one of the last creeks in Nanaimo that is open to daylight along its whole length, and that it is known for having year round flow.  She knew that the Georgia Basin Ecological Assessment and Restoration Society (GBEARS) did a small project to restore a culvert along Walley Creek many years ago.   She suggested we do as much research as possible into the history of the area so we would know what to realistically aim for in terms of restoration.  She alluded to many (ahem) interesting diversions of the creek by people who live beside it, especially in the strata neighborhood at McGuffie and Hammond Bay Roads.

Finally Gail suggested we officially become the Walley Creek Streamkeepers, as a committee under NALT.  This solved our dilemma about how formal our group should be and how to apply for grants for the work we want to do.  It's official - we are the Walley Creek Streamkepers!