Sat, Jun 23 2007 - Stream Habitat Creation, BBQ, plus trip to old-fashioned bakery! (View Original Event Details)
|
“I never imagined that *I* would be wearing hip-waders,” Tania laughed. “I just didn’t see it in my fashion forecast!”
This came after several hours of standing in a stream, legs encased in rubber, working hard with other members of the TOC, the Credit Valley Conservation Authority, a Boy Scout troop, and a few other members of the general public. The goal? To shrink a stream. Well, to narrow just a part of it so water would flow faster, and therefore be cooler, and thereby be a better place for fish to spawn.
How did we do it? (And I use the word “we” loosely, as I just mostly stood around taking photographs that didn’t work out as well as I’d hoped.) First, T-bars were hammered into the streambed to hold logs in place. Then, brush, branches, and some smaller logs filled up the space between the large logs and the stream bank. The Boy Scouts’ energy and enthusiasm was harnessed as they were employed to jump on the branches and brush in order to compact it into a thick mass that would trap sediment and eventually build a new stream bank.
It was fun and yet again my fellow TOC members made me so proud! Everyone exhibited such dedication and they worked so hard!!!! Whether they were out there with the hip-waders (Drew, Michelle, Darrell, Tania) or on land gathering brush and logs (Faye, Ping, Pat, Kirk, Linda, Hanna, Betsy), everyone made a contribution. (Although poor Hanna had such a case of hip-wader envy that she went for a walk in a pair while everyone else was finishing their lunch! LOL) The project required a total team effort, and everyone played his/her part.
Later, there was a barbeque, compliments of the CVCA, followed by the much-hyped trip to Holtom’s Bakery. Based on all the "mmmm"s and "omigod"s, it didn’t disappoint.
There are more volunteer days in Erin to come! Stay tuned!
Have some photos from this event that you'd like to share in our photo album? Please forward them to Erik Sonstenes at photos@torontooutdoorclub.com. Please note that we prefer to receive the photos in approximately 640x480 or 750x500 pixels - do NOT send original high-res photos. If you have a LOT of photos, please submit up to twenty of your favorites (only) for a day event, or up to forty of your favourites for a multi-day event. Thank you.