Mark Creek has had a fascinating history, hindered and helped by the humans dwelling near. It is the lifeblood of our town in a multitude of ways, one of the most important being the source of our drinking water. Perhaps the best way to honour this body of water is to spend some time learning about it.
This Thursday, May 18 from 6:30-8 pm Mainstreams is hosting a walking tour to do just that. Meeting at the Library, Dave Quinn will be leading this evening meander (at a safe distance from the water’s edge, since spring freshet is in full force right now).
“To explore the dynamics of a watershed, it’s best to get outside and be beside it”, says Quinn, “from biology to history, we will uncover many layers of Mark Creek while walking outside in the fresh spring air together.”
As a community, coming together near water is possibly one of the oldest of natural human instincts. All over the world people flock to rivers, creeks, streams and lakes to quench our thirst, clean ourselves and our worldly goods, play and engage in ceremony. Truly, we would not be living here without the water flowing through the centre of our town.
Mark Creek has seen many changes since humans settled here for good. Dams, floods, re-routing, concrete flumes coming and going, mining contamination and clean-up, fish flourishing, dying, then returning…for many years the water flowed orange and no one touched it. Now, the water flows clear and clean and swimming holes abound. There has been a resurrection of this powerful water flowing through our town. Families swim in the summer heat, kayakers play in spring flows, people naturally flock now to an area that was unreachable for many years when the concrete flume prevented human touch.
This is the first in a series of five evening events this spring celebrating Kimberley’s watershed. Hosted weekly by Mainstreams five Thursdays in a row, Dave Quinn or Patti Kolesnichenko will lead each event; both are specially trained and highly experienced outdoor educators. They are very skilled at sharing information that engages a wide variety of ages.
Free and open to all ages, hopefully the whole family can come out together.
For more information and updates, check out the Mainstreams Facebook page. If you prefer, for questions call Shannon at (250)427-7981.
These events are made possible because of funding from the RBC Blue Water Fund, Fortis BC and the East Kootenay Invasive Species Council.