The Miami River Streamkeepers Society and the Village of Harrison Hot Springs hosted a Healthy Environment Day on Monday, August 1st, 2016 from 11 AM to 3 PM in the Harrison Lake Plaza.
Harrison Hot Springs boasts more than its share of beautiful natural areas with lake, forest and river environments. Through the work of the Village, local businesses and volunteer environmental groups Harrison Hot Springs has groomed trails, maintained riparian strips and interpretive signs. No less than 3000 trees and shrubs have been installed along the river since 2006.
Keeping this environment healthy is challenging. Invasive species, high public use, domestic pets, garbage and green waste dumping all take their toll.
People were intrigued by the live turtles at the Western Painted Turtle Recovery Project booth.There was also much interest in the WildSafeBC bear hide, Miami River Streamkeepers Society’s invasive plant bouquet, the South Coast Conservation’s species at risk puzzles and Birch Grove’s native plant display. The photos show the turtle booth and Tiffany Knight with plants grown at her local Birch Grove Nursery on Striker’s Crescent, Agassiz.
Tiffany Knight of Birch Grove Nursery showed the public the beautiful choices native riparian plants offer. After the event, Birch Grove gifted the plants to the other exhibitors and, by free draw, to six members of the public.
Mike Pearson, a member of the MRSS, lead two public nature walks of the Greenway that were enjoyed by a dozen participants.
Both the Village and the Streamkeepers say “thank you” to all the exhibitors
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Mule Deer Mountain Lion (cougar) Bobcat Striped Skunk Short-tailed Weasel American Mink Northern River Otter |
Common Raccoon Harbor Seal Black Bear Coyote Black Rat House Mouse Vole sp. Common Muskrat |
American Beaver Townsend’s Chipmunk Eastern Grey Squirrel Douglas’s Squirrel Eastern Cottontail Little Brown Myotis Coast Mole Trowbridge’s Shrew |
The endanger Pacific Water Shrew is also present in the Miami but seldom seen.
Photo: Douglas Squirrel on Western Red Cedar trunk
