What kind of volunteer work do streamkeepers do?
We are a group of volunteers who like to get out into the streams and estuaries with tools, scientific instruments, seining nets and wheelbarrows to protect and improve our fish bearing, riparian areas in and around Qualicum Beach.
How many members does the group have?
Our numbers vary year by year, but generally we have around fifty members.
Where does QBS get its funding from?
We receive no core funding from any source; we operate with donations, and funding for specific activities and projects from a variety of sources, including the Regional District of Nanaimo, DFO, the Pacific Salmon Foundation and other funds such as the Raymond James Canada Foundation. A complete listing is available on the funding recognition web page.
Are there other streamkeeper groups?
There are almost one hundred streamkeeper groups in British Columbia. They all share a common commitment to protect and improve wild fish populations and numbers, although they are not all listed as streamkeepers and their activities vary depending on the needs of local watersheds.
Are there really fish in our streams?
Every year, we carry out surveys of fish numbers and species in both Grandon and Beach Creeks to track and record the populations and their health. The fish can be hard to see…the coho which are the primary species enter the streams in November at times of rain, dark and high water, so it is rare to identify adult salmon. Coho spend two years in the streams as small juveniles which are up to 180 mm in size and are adept at hiding under logs and other cover to avoid predation. There are certainly hundreds if not thousands of wild fish in each stream, based on our surveys, which are documented and provided to government agencies including DFO.
Do streamkeepers have any regulatory role?
Streamkeepers are simply volunteers with an interest in protecting and improving wild fish habitat – we have no regulatory role or authority, since those fall under the mandates of the federal, provincial, regional and municipal governments.
