2017 highlights to ring in the new year!

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 2017 was an amazing year for the Burrard Inlet Marine Enhanement Society and our many Awesome Mossom Creek Hatchery volunteers!  Thanks to all those that have supported us throughout the year. 

(photos and captions generously compiled by Ruth Foster)

0. Neil Laffra with Port Moody Council and Mayor Jan 2017
Neil Laffra, our hatchery manager and vice-president is awarded the 2016 City of Port Moody Environmental Award in January 2017.

 

1. snowy road Feb 8.17
Snow that began in November was still present in early February when this photo of our access road was taken.

 

2. eyed coho eggs to Mossom Feb 8.17Scott, Sandie Dave
On February 8th, eyed coho eggs that had been carefully incubated at our sister hatchery, Noons Creek, were transferred to Mossom with the help of fisheries technician Scott Ducharme and our community advisor, Sandie Hollick-Kenyon.

 

3. silt issues Anmore Feb 2017
Home construction in the Village of Anmore was the source of siltation detected downstream at Mossom in February. Corrective measures were quickly taken by those responsible.

 

4. Aq. insects on a Salmon Sunday Mar 19.17
A visit in March by two former Centennial Fisheries Ecology 12 students and their respective children and their parents resulted in a wonderful three generation visit during which there as some aquatic insect identification just for fun.

 

5. May 2017 Fingerling Festival fish craft close-up
In May, the Noons Creek Hatchery once again hosted that enormous environmental event, the Fingerling Festival. Mossom volunteers provided a fish craft for kids that proved to be very popular.

 

5a. Fingerling Festival May 6.17 Keegan, Eryk, Ruth, Brain, Cara, Rod, Tracy
Fingerling Festival volunteers from Mossom included Keegan, Eryk, Ruth, Brian, Cara, Rod and Tracy.

 

6. surprise gift from Gr 6 kids Akela and Uma May 29.17
In May, we were surprised by a package left at the hatchery door by two grade 6 students, Akela and Uma, who had sold bracelets and done an in-school awareness campaign about Mossom which resulted in a donation of over $80.

 

7. Coho smolts to sea pen Jun 1.17
It looks like winter from our clothing, but it was actually a rainy, cold June 1st when our coho smolts were transferred to our Ioco sea pen for a week of acclimation to sea water before their release. First, the fish came by truck from the hatchery and were loaded aboard the skiff, Medusa 2.

 

8. June1.17 coho smolts to sea pne
Cleone hands a net full of coho smolts to Neil at the sea pen.

 

9. coho smolts to sea pen Jun 1.17
Kamil carefully releases coho smolts into one of the net pens on the Ioco float. An electric fence will deter river otters and a net over the top will keep out hungry gulls and herons.

 

10. Jun 6.17 Friendly Forest many kids lying on bridge (1)
The spring program season was very busy and well received. Here are some pre-schoolers in early June checking out life in the pond with interpreter Cleone.

 

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Feedback from Cleone’s program’s was consistently enthusiastic and positive.

 

11 Fire Chief Ron Coulson and POlice Chief Dave Fleugel June 2.17
It was a pleasure to give a tour of the hatchery and education centre to Port Moody Fire Chief Ron Coulson and Police Chief Dave Fleugel on June 2nd.

 

12. Jun 3 sea pen dive
Serena, Lukasz, and Kamil prepare for a dive under the Ioco sea pen to inventory marine life of the harbour. Our hatchery operates with significant financial assistance from the Port of Vancouver. This data collection, documented on video, is one way we can give back.

 

13. sea pen dive and Christmas tree colonization Jun 3.17
Rod and Kamil inspect marine organism colonization on Christmas trees suspended months earlier under the sea pen. We see a great biodiversity of organisms including some invasive tunicate masses.

 

13a. fence crew Jun 2017
Beachcombed logs are the uprights for this sturdy parking lot fence constructed in June. Brian, Krystyna, Eryk, Kevin, Scott, Mel, Pierce and Griffin take a break.

 

14. fin clipping July 2017
It took a big crew and several hours to fin clip over 4,000 coho fry in early July. We were fortunate to have MP Ron McKinnon visit during this event.

 

15. July 5.17 fin clipping
Adipose fin clipping is delicate work that must be done swiftly and accurately.

 

16. Alex Stein pink salmon bbq July 2017 IMG_6813
Alex Stein cuts up the pink salmon donated by the Canadian Fish Company for our July salmon barbecue fundraiser at the Coquitlam Farmers Market.

 

17. Pink salmon bbq July 2017 Rod MacVicar Jen Madoc-Jones Tracy Green
Rod and Jen toil over the hot grills to keep the tasty salmon coming for hungry market goers.

 

18. Bioblitz Aug 2017
The biggest event of the year for Mossom was the watershed BioBlitz conducted August 18th-19th. The BioBlitz included a study of intertidal beach organisms, fish netted in beach seines and marine life of the deep estuary in the vicinity of the Ioco sea pen as seen by scuba divers.

 

18a. Bioblitz Aug 19.17
Freshwater aquatic insects were identified and shown to members of the public who participated in biodiversity walks during the BioBlitz. The iNaturalist app with its photo and GPS features was used by BioBlitz participants to report sightings.

 

19. Bioblitz wrap up Aug 19.17photo by Jen MJ 20170819_171233
The BioBlitz brought together volunteer specialists of all sorts. There were those who knew mosses, molluscs, mammals, beetles, owls, bats, birds, fish and more.

 

20. intake clean out Aug 2017 Kyle, Griffin, Kevin, Mel
An annual task that takes a lot of muscle is cleaning out the hatchery’s instream intake box. Kyle, Griffin, Kevin and Mel get it done in August.

 

21.Ioco Rd. culvert baffles replaced Sept 20170912_091007
In September, thanks to the City of Port Moody, several missing baffles were replaced in the Mossom Creek culvert under Ioco Road. This will help our spawners make their way upstream more easily during the heavy flows of late October and November.

 

22. Streamwalk training Oct 2017
Volunteers from Noons and Mossom assemble for spawner census training given by Zo Ann of the Pacific Streamkeepers Federation.

 

23. Streamwalk training Oct 7.17
The stream walk training to inventory spawners begins at the Mossom estuary.

 

24. salamanders and pond draining Oct 8.17
In early October, the pond at Mossom had to be drained for repair after its lining was damaged by a bear. Northwestern salamanders living in the pond were studied and relocated upstream.

 

24a. Griffin Andersen and results of Wishful Thinking website donations
A campaign on Griffin Andersen’s website www.wishfulthinking.community garnered a very generous collection of donated tools plus cash for Mossom. What a gift!

 

25. Rod and Ruth at Chilliwack Hatchery for pink egg take Oct 10.2017
The Chilliwack Hatchery was the source of the year’s pink eggs for incubation at Mossom. Rod, Ruth and Kevin travelled out to Chilliwack on October 10th to harvest the eggs and milt with DFO assistance.

 

26. BCIT Fand W class egg take Alouette Oct 19.17
On October 19th, BCIT fisheries students assisted Mossom in the first of two Alouette chum egg takes.

 

27. ProD workshop for SD43 Oct 20.17 Rod and Cleone (1)
Rod and Cleone were two of the presenters at the fall environmental and aboriginal education Pro-D workshop for SD43 teachers at Mossom. Vancity assisted with the expenses for the full day of sessions inside and outdoors.

 

28. Kevin Ryan, Tom Blackbird, Cathy Ross trail user and stewardship groups meeting Oct 23 2017
Mossom hosted a meeting on October 3rd for Eagle Mountain trail users groups and watershed stewardship reps. The BC government’s Recreation Sites and Trails staff persons, Cathy Ross and Tom Blackbird, led discussion of requirements and best management practices for trail use going forward.

 

29. Burrard Inlet Sci. Symposium Oct 24.17
Several Mossom volunteers attended the excellent Burrard Inlet Science Symposium in North Vancouver on October 24th.

 

30. Kyle Alouette R. egg take Oct 27.17 (1)
Kyle was surely the most experienced egg take volunteer at Mossom’s second chum egg take of the year on October 27th on the Alouette River.

 

31. chum egg take with high school students Oct 27.17
Students from Centennial and Heritage Woods Secondary Schools got a great deal of hands-on experience when they assisted with the chum egg take on October 27th. Here they are mixing sperm with eggs.

 

32. Salmon count Mossom Nov 6.17 016
Stream walk volunteers continued with spawner counts into November.

 

33. Nov 8.2017 legacy planning event
Mossom was chosen to be one of three local charities in the spotlight at a legacy planning event put on by the Port Moody Foundation on November 8th.

 

34. Rotary donation for pond repair Nov 23.17
The Rotary Club of Port Moody came up with a generous gift of $1200 to assist with the emergency repairs necessary to fix Mossom’s educational pond.

 

35. $300 from Tri-Cities Rotaract Ian Soutar Nov 2017
The Tri-Cities Rotaract Club also contributed $300 to assist with pond repairs. Thank you!

 

36. Neil and Krystyna Nov 2017
Neil and Krystyna check on the incubating chum eggs in late November.

37. KevinMerth, Krystyna, and Neil Nov 26.17
Kevin, Krystyna and Neil do sample weights for the coho juveniles from the two green tubs to ensure that food amounts are appropriate.

 

38. Christmas Party Dec 17.17
The end of the year was celebrated with a fine Christmas pot luck feast complete with a turkey on December 17th.

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