Ella Green has been coming to Mossom Creek hatchery since she was a very small child. From the beginning it was a fun and interesting place to explore as she accompanied her mom, Tracy Green (current BIMES President). (It is just so beautiful!) As the years have passed, Ella has personally become very involved with the hatchery, helping out with the fish, tackling some of the many jobs involved in keeping the hatchery running smoothly, participating in many stages of the rebuild and mostly simply enjoying her days there.
This summer, this active 12 year old developed an idea for celebrating the hatchery’s 40th year with ‘Special Sundays’ during the month of September. Ella designed and led a set of workshops where visitors had a chance to learn all about aquatic insects, local amphibians, salmon, and the many mammals and birds found in the watershed through first hand explorations.
When asked what continues to bring her back to the hatchery, she is quick to respond that “It’s just a great place to hang out. Also I like to share it with other people and it`s really a nice feeling to teach other people about this amazing place.”
Ella also helps manage the hatchery`s Instagram account and she recently won a couple of awards for some of her nature photography. You can see her pictures at the Coquitlam Library.
It will be interesting to watch what path Ella pursues as she heads into her teens, but for sure Mossom Creek will continue to play an important part in her life.
