NEWS & UPDATES - June 2022 |
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Discovery Centre Open for the Season |
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We officially opened for the season on May 16th!
June will see us busy delivering school programs. We are almost at full capacity for school programs, so if you are interested in bringing a class, please check out what we have to offer and book soon!
We will also be offering guided canoe tours in June, offered daily when we are open. Such a fun way to explore and learn about the wetland, wildlife, plants and other interesting features.
We are hosting Family Fun Days in June and July - see more details below.
Check out our website for up to date information on programs and events throughout the season.
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We will be hosting FREE family friendly events on certain Saturdays in June and July.
Each event will have a theme and corresponding activities. You can drop in anytime between 10am and 3pm.
Our first one is on June 11th. The theme is Dip Net Day! and there will be three activities to do: dip netting in one of the ponds, microscope fun and a drawing contest with prizes.
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Upcoming Dates for Family Days...
June 25th - Plant Day
July 9th - Bug Day
July 23rd - Bird Day
Hope to see you there!
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From Phil Harvey, Board Chair
Operations at the Discovery Centre are now up and running: Carla and her Wetland Naturalists will be hosting thousands of visitors over the summer. Already we have run school programs for groups ranging from the Slocan Valley in the west to Cranbrook and beyond in the east. In addition, we have greeted tourists from as far away as Germany. Both we and our guests are excited to finally have things back to `normal’.
Sometimes though we feel a bit like the ducks cruising out on the nearby ponds, i.e., all looks calm on the surface but there is furious paddling underneath to keep it all moving forward! Here are three important things behind the scenes we are currently working on:
Operational Funding Challenges
We are a not-for-profit registered charity. For the past five years our revenues have been approximately 1/3 from the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Authority, 1/3 from Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) and 1/3 from site revenues, smaller grants and donations.
Late in 2021, we were handed a major setback when CBT indicated they would not be renewing our multi-year funding. No practical explanation was given for this decision. Without compensatory action on our part, we faced the prospect of not being able to operate in 2023 and beyond. Well, when the going gets tough the tough get going! Our fundraising committee distilled our proprietary database of 180 potential grant makers to approximately two dozen prime prospects that we’ll be applying to over the next 10 months. In addition, with the help of Grant Advance of Abbotsford, BC, we have lifted the veil off the mysterious world of the 10,000 Canadian private foundations and hope to find a good match there as well.
Concerned? Like us, you should be. Supportive calls or E-mails to our local MLA Brittny Anderson are greatly appreciated (250-354-5944, 1-877-388-4498, brittny.anderson.MLA@leg.bc.ca).
New Centre
Despite our operational funding challenges outlined above, believe it or not it is actually easier to raise funds for bricks and mortar than it is for general operating expenses. Go figure! Considerable planning work has already gone into a new centre (see our website); however, under the motto of “measure twice, cut once” we sent out a survey to our 1200 members and their friends last summer and got a tremendous 314 responses. Subjects were: space and design, programs, displays/exhibits and outdoor space. Here are some of the key findings:
- On average, people want to see a new centre with a similar footprint to the original centre only much `greener`.
- Keep the focus on hands-on school programs. Work with schools to see if you can become a formal part of their curricula.
- Indigenous knowledge and cultural teachings provide an excellent mechanism for youth learning: the Lower Kootenay Band should be involved in the design process (see below).
- Do it in phases: don’t bite off more than you can chew.
A more detailed report on the survey findings will be posted on our website.
Board of Directors Renewal
At this writing, most of the original Discovery Centre directors have served out their terms and retired from our Board. We thank them for their many years of faithful volunteer dedication. In addition, both our Board and many in the Creston Valley suffered a grievous loss with the death of John Huscroft earlier this year. We have some new, qualified and very keen board members but still have as many as four more Board positions that could be filled. This includes the permanent seat for a member of the Lower Kootenay Band. That seat is currently unfilled. We would love for one of our friends from the Band to volunteer in order to help us both achieve our educational goals.
Want to make a meaningful volunteer impact with a minimal time commitment? Then we’ve got a spot for you! Please contact us at 250-402-8661 or by email for further information.
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Interested in Supporting our Programs? |
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If you are interested in supporting our programs with a donation, we are truly grateful!
A donation to KCDCS will help us to continue to deliver high quality environmental education programs to students, families and visitors of all ages.
We apply for and receive grants, but there are always areas that need more financial support to allow us to continue to operate programs and keep the Discovery Centre building open to host program participants and visitors to the area.
The Discovery Centre will be staffed with seasonal Naturalists in 2022 and will host a variety of educational displays and fun, hands-on activities such as our newly acquired videomicroscope (above), where one can see amazing up close details of wetland finds such as feathers, butterfly wings, dragonfly wings (on screen above!), pond creatures and more (pretty well anything we find lol).
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Meet the 2022 Naturalists! This summer, we have three keen and passionate post-secondary students leading our programs. From left to right:
MIRANDA - Miranda is a Biology & Environmental Studies student at the University of Victoria. She is inspired by environmental preservation.
NOELLE - Noelle is a student at Selkirk College in the Recreation Fish & Wildlife program. She is excited to share her love for the outdoors with visitors of the Management Area this summer.
ELLIANA - Elliana is a business student at the University of Victoria. She is a self-proclaimed bird nerd.
Our three Wetland Naturalists are looking forward to meeting you this summer!
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2022 Wetland Excursions a HUGE success! |
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A huge thank you to all the schools that have supported our programs this spring. We are having an amazing time! There are only a few more weeks left and only a few free spaces left! So if you are interested in booking a program, please contact us. |
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Register for 2022 Summer Camps
They are filling up fast!
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Our Jr Naturalist summer camps will run in July and August. Some sessions are already full, so contact us now to see availability!
The camps are weeklong and kids spend their days exploring the wetland. Activities such as hiking, canoeing, group games and challenges, experiments, crafts, journalling and more engage the kids in nature and science themed fun!
Check out this link for more details. Programs are available for kids ages 4 to 13.
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Here's what one parent had to say about the camp last year...
“My son had such a good time at Curious Caterpillars in July that he asked to join the August session too. I felt good knowing that he was spending so much time outdoors learning about the natural world around him. Thanks for offering such a good quality children's program.”
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Many of our Board Members have now served 4 plus year on the Board and we are experiencing a natural turnover. Are you interested in becoming a Board Member with KCDCS? A commitment of one meeting per month (with a summer break) as well as some committee work based on your interest and experience is what can be expected. If you have time to offer and are willing to help, we would love to have you on our team.
An application form (easy and quick) can be found here.
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Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area |
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To access advisories and up to date information related to the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area and to purchase hunting or fishing permits, please visit the CVWMA website or Facebook page.
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Memberships to KCDCS are FREE!
To increase support and awareness for KCDCS' mission, we are offering free Memberships! Join the 1,000 Members and show support for environmental education in our region! This helps us to obtain grants and sponsorships to move us forward!
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If you are interested in supporting KCDCS' mission to deliver environmental education and awareness programs, please click the link above. You can earmark your donation for ongoing program delivery or the development of a new Discovery Centre. KCDCS is a registered federal charity and can issue you a tax receipt.
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Thank you for subscribing to our eNewsletter updates!
Our aim is to keep you informed on the happenings of the Kootenay-Columbia Discovery Centre - from program delivery to the development of a new Centre and everything in between.
We appreciate your support and interest!
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Join us on social media for fun and interesting information on the wetland, wildlife, programs and progress at KCDCS! |
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