Beautiful French Creek is located on Vancouver Island
French Creek is located on the east coast of Vancouver Island, halfway between the City of Parksville and the Town of Qualicum Beach. Draining a watershed of approximately 68km2, French Creek is considered to be a sensitive stream under the Fisheries Protection Act, and the watershed is a designated community watershed.
Up until the 1960′s, French Creek was very healthy ecologically. It supported large populations of coho and chum salmon, steelhead, cutthroat trout, migratory birds and other diverse wildlife. Unfortunately, the ecological health of the Creek has declined in recent decades due to human activities that have lowered water quality, reduced flow levels, and damaged the natural habitat.
“As the east coast of Vancouver Island continues to develop, the land is subject to the various demands from the public. We harvest timber, work farms, locate housing, manage waste, expand commercial and industrial opportunities against a spectacular backdrop of wilderness, faunal diversity, clear streams and open wetlands – initially our footprint is small, but as we grow we cannot avoid indelibly changing the landscape. It seems prudent to periodically take stock of where we are in the developmental stage, what we have affected and what remains.”
*French Creek Watershed Study 2001/2002 produced by the Ministry of Water, Land, and Air Protection.
Our Purpose:
About Us:
The Friends of French Creek Conservation Society is a non profit society dedicated to the conservation and restoration of the French Creek Watershed. We have approximately 90 members and some of them are very hardy volunteers.
Part of the pleasure and privilege of visiting or living in the French Creek area has been the opportunity to enjoy the woods, wetlands, birds, and wildlife associated with the Creek. Looking toward the future, the society aims to protect and restore the natural environment and ecological health of French Creek, including the estuary lands.
Our Purpose:
To protect and restore the natural environment and ecological health of French Creek, its tributaries and riparian zones by:
- undertaking or funding fish and wildlife habitat restoration projects;
- acquiring and preserving ecologically important sites
- educating the public about the ecology of the French Creek watershed
What we do:
We undertake or fund fish and wildlife habitat restoration projects. Damaged habitat can be restored. Salmon are particularly resilient, and physical repairs to spawning beds and nursery areas in the Creek will significantly increase spawning and survival rates. The work we have done and continue to do includes planting trees for bank stabilization, controlling weeds, making physical repairs to creekside to stop erosion and improve water flow characteristics. The restoration work assists the fish populations as well as the birds and other life in this ecosystem. The Society has done some of this work directly but works mostly in partnership with other organizations and agencies such as Streamkeepers, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Pacific Salmon Foundation, and Ducks Unlimited.
Educating the public about the ecology of French Creek. An important part of protecting and restoring the health of French Creek is to educate the people of the area about the ecology of the watershed and how we must all strive to keep it healthy. This involves public lectures and workshops by experts in the natural sciences. The Society also works with local schools to educate children about the Creek ecosystem, and will continue to cooperate with neighboring property owners in reducing adverse impacts.
Tree Potting, Planting & Tending. We plant many trees annually. If you’d like to join a tree potting, planting, tending party – please drop us a line at communications@ffccs.ca
We tackle various invasive species.
Of particular concern is Hogweed. Hogweed is a nasty invasive species and the folks at FFCCS have kept an eye on it. Sunshine Goldsberry heads up our Hogweed Team. Here are some valuable resources on the subject:
- Attack of the Giant Hogweed!
- Comprehensive information Hogweed Brochure
- Video about Hogweed
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Water Flow Measurements on behalf of the Ministry of Water, Lands, and Resource Stewardship.
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Water quality Monitoring on behalf of the Regional District of Nanaimo
- Monitoring of 6PPD-quinone (a tire preservative lethal to Coho Salmon at concentrations of ppb) on behalf of the BC Conservation Foundation
Become a Member
Membership costs $15 annually per individual, and are vital in the funding of research projects, volunteer field work, public education and conservation site monitoring. Please click here to download your membership/renewal form along with payment and mail in information at the bottom of this newsletter. We are incredibly grateful for your support over the years, and if you’re a first time member, welcome to the French Creek family!
Meet our Board:
Sunshine Goldsberry
President
Sunshine transplanted herself and a toddler to Vancouver Island more than 50 years ago, and was not sorry to find herself rooted deeply into the soil of Coombs a few years later.
She’s always worked with people in paying jobs, but her hands were also always in the soil, making gardens and planting trees.
Sunshine’s farm business, Goldstream Grange Gardens, is still a regular vendor at the Errington Farmer’s Market, helping to make it one of the local hot spots for meeting people and finding good food through the months of May to October.
Liberty Bradshaw
Secretary
Liberty has lived by French Creek on a small fourteen-acre farm in Coombs for 35 years. At certain times of the year, she can see the salmon spawning from her kitchen window. There is always something to see on this beautiful creek that she is so grateful to live beside. As a long-time member of Friends of French Creek Conservation Society, she has enjoyed working with others in supporting French Creek and watersheds. She has planted lots of trees, dug hog weed and shared laughter. For the past eight years, Liberty has also been the Secretary for the FFCCS Board.
Barb Riordan
Treasurer
Barb was born and raised in southern Ontario, and graduated from the University of Guelph with a degree in Biology.
She worked as a Biologist for the Ministry of Natural Resources in Timmins, Ontario and then as Environmental Superintendent at Endako Mine in the central interior of BC. Barb decided she had her fill of Arctic-like winters and non-existent summers, so she moved to Vancouver Island with her husband in 2011.
She then became entangled with a number of shady characters in the Friends of French Creek Conservation Society and is now hooked on conservation and habitat restoration.
Sandy Robinson
Director
Sandy is a charter member of the Friends of French Creek Conservation Society, and has been a director for all but one year of the society’s existence.
He has been involved in many of its projects, including stream bank restorations, hogweed eradication, water flow and water quality measurements. Also, he has been active in promoting the Eagle Preserve in the French Creek estuary by helping with fundraising and estuary restoration.
Gord Oliphant
Director
Gord is a long time resident of Vancouver Island who fairly recently relocated to Qualicum Beach and joined the FFCCS. He leads the French Creek Invasive Plants Eradication Program.
Gord has an extensive background in freshwater aquatic resource management and in environmental emergency management. His passion is caring for our precious aquatic resources. Recently retired, he worked as a freshwater fish biologist most of his career.
Message from the President:
The French Creek has seen several Coho salmon frenzies as the fish headed upriver this past fall. Spawning grounds are visible out of our kitchen window, and the thrashing of fish, along with eagle cries, draws our attention to the creek. The first run of Coho consisted of some larger fish than we have seen in a while, so that was exciting for everyone. Later this winter we had at least one gathering of the resident Steelhead salmon, which was a real treat as we see a few young juveniles in summer pools during the summer months, but not usually the adults who are pretty elusive around humans, for good reasons.
The stocks are few so we rejoice that they are still alive and reproducing. It is so important to keep the health of French Creek vital. We need shade along the creek, clean water, and hiding places for young fish (woody debris along the edges) for the fish to thrive, not just survive. Trees along the creek’s edge are vital, and yes, they fall into the creek sometimes. After a few good storms, most of the time they become that woody debris. Those of us who live along the various floodplains of a creek do get worried about our homes and yards.
We are lucky enough to be able to take a fatalistic view. After many years of having a summer garden near the creek, we have bowed our heads to the thundering river waters, running knee deep across what we think of as ‘our yard’. We built new raised bed gardens far, far away from the edge of the river, and will let the old summer garden go wild to the raspberries. Let the river be herself and plant more trees and bushes that don’t mind occasional floodplains of the creek doing their job.
-Sunshine Goldsberry
Projects
The Friends of French Creek Conservation Society know the value of wetland and estuaries to watersheds and wildlife. Currently we have three ongoing projects. The newest being the French Creek Estuary Conservation Effort.
Dudley Marsh
Dudley Marsh is part of the French Creek watershed. The Marsh is a fish and wildlife restoration initiative supported by Ducks Unlimited, Nature Trust, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Friends of French Creek.
Friends of French Creek monitor the water level of the marsh on a weekly basis, and ensure the water flowing out of the marsh is sufficient to protect the fish in Dudley Creek which drains into French Creek at the Grafton Bridge. As the water warms in summer the fish migrate into French Creek. The creek also supplies a continuous amount of water to a parched French Creek during the summer months.
To see the water level protection system and view the marsh , one takes Grafton road to Ward. Follow Ward to Tintern and proceed down to Tintern about 500 metres to the driveway on the left. There a path to the left just past the big rock, (removed from the marsh bed when the weir was renovated about 8 years ago), the path leads to a lookout which will give a good view of the marsh. Swans, geese, and numerous other types of winged creatures can be seen.
French Creek Estuary
From its headwaters in the mountainous central spine of Vancouver Island, French Creek flows into the Strait of Georgia through a spectacular estuary that supports an abundance of wildlife, including wild Pacific salmon and migratory birds like the Brant goose.
Parts of the estuary have been developed with housing, a restaurant and a marina but its 23-acre heart remains intact. This property, the last remaining coastal greenbelt between Parksville and Qualicum Beach, is currently for sale. Even though it is part of the Parksville-Qualicum Wildlife Protection Area and the UNESCO Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region, its future hangs in the balance. It can either become more housing and commercial development or it can be preserved in perpetuity as a park and educational centre. The Friends of French Creek Conservation Society and the French Creek Residents Association have joined hands to save the estuary but they need your help. We look forward to working with you to make this opportunity become a reality.
French Creek Invasive Plant Eradication Program Report
Barclay Road Epicentre Site 1
Gordon Oliphant
May 12, 2024
This short paper is a progress and site information report of volunteer work being done in Barclay Road Community Park by FFCCS members. Site 1 is on the right bank of French Creek directly below the Barclay Road pedestrian bridge. Site 1 is located within the park so any activity decisions, such as which native plants areused for restoration, are made by Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) staff and, volunteers work according to guidelines and processes approved by the RDN.
Site 1 is somewhat of a model site for restoration as the under story vegetation is made up of approximately 98% invasive plants, the worst of which was dense hogweed. It is a true epicentre for invasive plants. A data logger for monitoring water flow is also on Site one. The live feed data logger is jointly operated by federal DFO and provincial Ministry of Environment.
For full report click below!
The Giant Hogweed Best Practice Manual
Guidelines for the management and control of an invasive weed in Europe
Publisher: Forest & Landscape Denmark, Hørsholm Kongevej 11, DK-2970 Hørsholm, Denmark, sl@kvl.dk
Contact Us:
email: communications@ffccs.ca
Regular post:
Friends of French Creek Conservation Society PO Box 331 Qualicum Beach, BC V9K 1S8