The Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Association, in co-operation with the Royal BC Museum, is hitting the road to show Cowichan Valley residents the ecological and historic-cultural importance of estuary ecosystems, especially the Cowichan Estuary.
With a purpose-built mobile exhibition created by the Royal BC Museum in tow, CERCA's goal is to raise the level of environmental awareness, knowledge and appreciation of the ecological, cultural and economic importance of estuaries, and the expected effects of climate change on estuaries and their floodplains.
The mobile exhibit will be on display inside the Duncan Mall for two weeks before moving to other strategic locations in the Cowichan Valley. It will be officially opened by Lori lannidinardo, CVRD director of Area D, and representatives of the Royal BC Museum and CERCA at 11 a.m. on June 13 inside the Duncan Mall.
The exhibition is open to the public free of charge and accessible throughout the opening hours of the Duncan Mall.
"This collaboration with the Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Association allows the Royal BC Museum to explore innovative solutions for delivering content on a subject that is near and dear to our hearts and to the heart of this community. It enables us to reach out beyond the walls of our institution," said Angela Williams, chief operating officer of the Royal BC Museum. "We are very proud of this collaboration and this exhibition."
This project with CERCA has been a pilot project for the Royal BC Museum in its renewed focus on outreach.
The expected outcome of this all-ages exhibition is a raised level of public awareness of estuaries, threats to their ecological integrity and potential for rehabilitation. The exhibition is ideally suited to attract school classes and their teachers from throughout the Cowichan Valley, said a press release.
For further information visit CERCA's website at www.cowichanestuary.com, or call CERCA at 250-748-4878.
Compiled by Andrea Rondeau and Lexi Bainas