It’s just about time to welcome the Kokanee back to Kokanee Creek Provincial Park east of Nelson.
The Kokanee Creek Visitors Centre will be hosting the first annual RedFish Fest, Sunday, August 26 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the provincial park.
“The Kokanee are such an important part of the web of life here that we felt it was time to celebrate their annual return,” says visitor centre director Mel Reasoner. “Birds, mammals, even humans, all partake of the Kokanee.”
“We want to use the day to educate and celebrate with music, salmon walks, food and kids activities. We will have trained naturalists on site for walks along the channel as well as local fisheries and parks people to answer questions.”
Funded in part by BC Parks, the Regional District of Central Kootenay and Columbia Basin Trust, the event is free to the public. Parking is located at the group site on the south side of Kokanee Creek.
The festival will include music from Brian Rosen and the What Now, Billy and Earl, pin the tail on the Kokanee and face painting and more for kids, food and craft vendors.
“We want to put forth a strong conservation ethic,” says Reasoner. “This is the time to learn more about the spawning channel as well as the life cycle of the landlocked sockeye salmon, which is known as the Kokanee, and the importance of Kokanee habitat.”
For more information go to the EcoSociety website at www.ecosociety.ca or call the Centre at 250-825-4723.