The population of the Lower Mainland is now more than three million people, and almost 130,000 of those living Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.
That's a lot of people, buildings, cars, industrial sites, trash, old paint, used motor oil, poorly-stored manure, and other potential threats to our local rivers and streams.
Thinking about local rivers, the first that comes to mind is the Fraser.
But there are countless other small streams, including Kanaka Creek and the Alouette River, which all have their own passionate advocates.
We haven't always been kind to our streams. Smaller ones were plowed under or channelized into ditches by turn-of-the-century farmers and lumber mill operators. Others have been paved over in places.
However, dedicated volunteers are working to protect local streams. The Kanaka Education and Environmental Partnership (KEEPS) just held its annual salmon fry release, the Goodbye Chums event. Alouette River Management Society (ARMS) has its own hatchery and raises salmon from eggs, stocking not just the Alouette but other local rivers.
If you’re interested in salmon and streams, ask your kids. These groups run education programs frequented by school classes and other groups to teach them about the importance of streams, and of salmon to the ecosystem.
Preserving our natural environment provides practical benefits. Areas with significant tree cover can moderate temperatures, something we need more of in this era of climate change and heat domes. Green spaces like creeks, close to our homes, are good for both physical and mental health – doctors have even prescribed time in nature for stress in recent years.
This spring, visit your local stream, especially if you've never done so. Protecting our natural world is good for us all.
