From KEEPS:

The Kanaka Education and Environmental Partnership Society (KEEPS) was formally incorporated as a Society in December of 1998. Since then, we have been involved with a diverse variety of watershed stewardship activities including mapping, restoration and monitoring, which you can view in the various galleries on this site. KEEPS is headquartered at the Bell-Irving Hatchery on Kanaka Creek in east Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada.

School is out – for most. However, our environmental education programs are continuing into the summer, with Kanaka Elementary in session until the end of July. We will be using the riparian area adjacent to the school as an outdoor classroom. As of the end of June, we were looking back on another busy and successful start to 2005. The numbers to date look like this: 70 sessions, and approximately 1,700 participants.

These programs received another funding boost recently, as the Vancity Community Partnership Fund has contributed to the 2005-2006 season. Vancity joins the District of Maple Ridge and our other sponsors.

KEEPS President Dave Smith accepts a cheque from Vancity staff while Webster’s Corner students provide the cheering section.

Our other youth program is the Catching Kanaka Spirit (CKS), which will have youth of 13-18 years involved with a variety of watershed activities. Our first session will be July 9th, when we will conduct invasive species removal and undertake habitat assessment along Kanaka Creek. The CKS program will run until August 17th. Check our website often during the summer, as there will be lots of new photos!

The Pacific Salmon Foundation has again supported KEEPS; this time, the PSF contribution will enable the restoration of a section of Mainstone Creek on private property. KEEPS thanks Jim Sheehan of the District of Maple Ridge for originally putting us in contact with the landowner.

At the hatchery, upgrades to the predator control system on the outside ponds are essentially complete. Adipose fin clip marking of over 40,000 juvenile coho salmon was accomplished by Canada Day. These projects were made possible due to the efforts of North Fraser Salmon Assistance staff as well as our volunteers.

John, Derek, Scott, NFSAP staff and KEEPS volunteers hard at it…thanks to all!

Summary of Activities

June 1 Watershed Road Show, Pitt Meadows home school
June 1 Outside Adventures, Alouette Elementary
June 2 KEEPS Steering Committee meeting
June 3 Outside Adventures x 2; both with Yennadon Elementary
June 8 Watershed Road Show x 2; both at Harry Hooge Elementary
June 9 CKS meeting at Bell-Irving Hatchery
June 15 Outside Adventures at Cliff Falls, Yennadon
June 17 Outside Adventures, Pitt Meadows Home School
June 17 Outside Adventures, Yennadon Elementary
June 20 Ridge Meadows Community Festivals Society meeting
June 21 CKS meeting at Bell-Irving Hatchery
June 22 Vancity cheque presentation
June 22 Brook Learning with Websters Corner Elementary
June 22 Brook Learning with Haney Pitt-Meadows Christian
June 23 Meeting with Ecosystems Restorations
June 27 Inspected policeman’s helmet site at 110th Avenue
June 28 CKS Orientation at Bell-Irving Hatchery
June 29 Watershed Road Show with Pitt Meadows Montessori School

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