Making History is the title of the first open house of the new year for the Kanaka Education and Environmental Society (KEEPS).
The local river conservation group will host the event on Sunday, Feb. 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Kanaka Creek Watershed Stewardship Center (11484 256th St.)
KEEPS spokesperson Ross Davies said Kwantlen First Nations Elder Karen Gabriel will be coming, to offer a historical perspective, and bringing with her artifacts used for traditional hunting and fishing by First Nations people. They were hunting and gathering in the area for thousands of years before contact with Europeans.
There will also be historical displays, storytelling, games, and activities for children, in a family event with free admission. Those wishing to attend can drop in at any time during Making History.
From this event on, there will be a monthly open houses hosted by KEEPS.
Wattles project
High water on Kanaka Creek has been eroding the bank at the KEEPS fish fence, and the organization recently undertook a bank stabilization project to help protect it.
Wattles were added to the bank, hundreds of sticks of native willows, which will take root and create a “living wall” to save the soil from eroding. Davies explaioned it’s a good, natural solution, and will protect an important roadway.
“The creek is just trying to be a creek, and anywhere else it wouldn’t be a problem, but we need that access to the fish fence,” he said.
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