Coming Events

We are pleased to recognize Western Stevedoring’s recent donation of $400 to support marine education and outreach at the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre!  This corporate donation will go toward a new freshwater aquarium at the Centre which will be home to our Coho fry as a part of our “Salmon in the Classroom Program” in 2018.

Terminal Manager Rob James and his team at Western Stevedoring in Cowichan Bay are experienced hands-on contributors to environmental education and restoration in the Cowichan Estuary. They’ve worked in partnership with the Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Association, Cowichan Tribes, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and other local industries like Pacific Industrial Marine, to breach the causeway in the estuary and help young salmon more easily find their way to protection and nourishment in the estuary’s eelgrass meadows on their journey to the sea.

This past June Western Stevedoring also joined Brian Thacker and his crew at Pacific Industrial Marine, plus a team from Western Forest Products, to remove derelict boats from the estuary that posed a risk to the environment. These three local companies shared the cost —estimated at between $40,000 and $50,000 — of removing six derelict boats from the Bay. A helicopter lifted two wrecks from the water, where it was too shallow to tow the vessels without damaging the estuary, and four boats were towed to the Western Stevedoring terminal dock and lifted out the water with a crane in preparation for dismantling.

Many thanks Western Stevedoring!

This Thursday October 12th at 7 pm we’re showing the award-winning documentary film “The Messenger”, Su Rynard’s visionary film about our deep-seated connection to songbirds and threat that human activity poses to their survival, at the Nature Centre as a part of the month-long WildWings Nature & Arts Festival.  Doors open at 6:30

This is a film for anyone who cares about the environment and nature. It’s not only an opportunity to see an amazing award-winning film (especially if you missed last year’s showing at VIU) but also to talk together about constructive local action and ongoing local successes in restoring song bird habitat and song bird recovery.

The Nature Centre film screening will be followed by a Q and A discussion with local naturalists.

Since its world premiere in 2015 at Toronto’s Hot Docs Film Festival, The Messenger has wowed audiences the world over at more than 30 international film festivals, receiving numerous awards, including The Best Conservation Program from Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, Best of Fest and Best Theatrical Feature, International Wildlife Film Festival plus a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Cinematography in a Feature Documentary and the Ontario Nature’s Carl Nunn Media Impact Award.

Shot in Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, France, The Netherlands and the USA, The Messenger is an international story with high stakes global consequences. The film looks at the connection between the decline of songbirds and human activity and what that could means for our already fragile ecosystem, leaving us with the questions: Does the uncertain fate of songbirds mirror our own? and.. What can we do to respond?

Your donations to support the education and conservation work of the Estuary Nature Centre at our location in an Internationally recognized “Important Bird Area”, one of 12,000 IBAs recognized by BirdLife International world-wide, are much appreciated!

TimberWest recently donated $2,500 to support education and outreach at the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre!  $1,000 of this corporate donation will go toward creating educational workshop packages, displays and interpretive programs for children, youth and adults as a part of the Centre’s Adapting to Climate Change Project this year.

Domenico Iannidinardo, VP of Sustainability and Chief Forester for TimberWest, told us: “We’re happy to help the Land Trust and the Nature Centre instill a greater understanding of the importance of estuary wetlands and the ecological services they provide. It’s great to see this project taking place in the Cowichan Valley, reaching out to the community and helping community members and land owners learn about effective ways to mitigate and adapt to climate change and get hands-on experience participating in the Nature Centre’s volunteer action days.”

TimberWest has also been a long-time supporter of and partner with the Land Trust and Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre, most recently on our shoreline restoration work.

Many thanks TimberWest!

This coming Tuesday, September 26th at 7 pm we are pleased to host local filmmaker Harold Joe for this showing of his film “Wisdom of the River” at the Estuary Nature Centre. This is in the lead-up to the Quw’utsun Cowichan Heritage River Celebration on September 30th where Harold will also be sharing his knowledge.

Harold will be available after the film to answer your questions and talk more about the Quw’utsun River, what it means to the Quw’utsun People and the making of the film.

By donation.

The Cowichan Watershed Board is hosting the Lower Cowichan River Clean-up on Sunday, August 27th from 10 am to 2 pm. Meet at Little Big House past Cowichan Tribes gym – follow the signs from downtown Duncan.  More information at: www.facebook.com/events/1211599648952363/