GOAL # 3: IMPROVING ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE

Ecosystem Cycles and Interconnections; Identification Techniques for Plants, Animals and Fish; Understanding Environmental Impacts

• “We all live in a watershed; a watershed is a river surrounded by mountains; the rain falls from the mountains and drains into the river. A watershed is like our community, we help each other out to survive; there are lots of things you can do in the community to help. We’re helping watersheds and watersheds are helping us to survive.” (YERI Participant #169)

• “The copper mine in the upper part of the watershed at Mt. Washington was the reason for it to become the most endangered river in BC. Over the past ten years the river has become healthier with the help of the Tsolum River Restoration Society. The rotary screw trap helps to monitor the health of the river and the numbers of fish.” (YERI Participant #186)

• “Salmon are important to our ecosystem because if you take them away it affects everything around them. For example, the animals that eat the salmon would need to find something else to eat. When salmon die they bring ocean nutrients into the rivers because they spend most of their lives in the ocean.” (YERI Participant #208)