Creston Valley Community Forest

National Forest Week Festivities

Daniel Gratton, Manager of the Creston Valley Community Forest, submitted this news on their National Forest Week activities.

We had close to 150 students in attendance with an additional 30+ adults who were either volunteering at one of the six stations, were teachers and/ or parent chaperons.

The six stations that were set up included:

• Biodiversity walk in the enchanted forest
• Scavenger hunt
• Tree identification
• Compassing exercise and relay race
• Painting tree cookies
• Biologist from WildSafeBC discussing different wildlife found in the area

The field trip took place on September 27^th and went from 9:30 am (when the busses arrived) up 2:15 pm. Barbecues were set up and close to 300 hotdogs were served up to keep our outdoor enthusiasts well fed.

This was the third year organizing this event and it is clearly well received and enjoyed by not only the students but the volunteers who help at each of the stations.

I have told the Board and some members of the public that the Community Forest’s main goal moving forward is to focus on the three ‘ions’:

• Forest Educat’ion’
• Forest Recreat’ion’
• Fuel Mitgat’ion’

Not to get into Grade 11 chemistry or anything but ion is a Greek word meaning ‘to go’ or ‘move’ which is what Creston Community Forest has to do rather than remaining static.

The three items I’ve identified are also a way of engaging with the public in order to put the Community Forest ‘out there’ which to me, is really working.  I truly think it comes down to the demographics of a community and what individual interests are that can affect how well a Community Forest is received.