Why should a foot cast slow you down? A "fireman's chair" provided by two volunteer fire fighters.

FBSES Tour of Vancouver Island University Centre for Shellfish Research Saturday, January 23, 2010

{Site under construction as of this date}

An early VIU communication and backgrounder

Field station manager Brian Kingzett kindly took the time on a Saturday to show several FBSES members the construction site. With his daughter in tow, he showed us not only the building (and its plans), but also the neighbourhood wetlands, where VIU hopes to create a site to demonstrate a short salmon-bearing creek fed by both natural springs and super-filtered effluent from the building. He already has some shelter ponds carved out of the natural spring flowing into Baynes Sound. With luck, it will be possible to create a fish-bearing stream where none has existed before.

Colleague and birding enthusiast, Bill Penhold, joined the troup and shared some insights. His contribution to the project will be oriented towards the social aspects of mariculture in the Baynes Sound region.

Hopefully, in a few weeks, we will be able to return to view the completed station. In the meantime, on Saturday, Feb. 6, FBSES will donate about 400 trees, which will be planted by VIU forestry students.

Here are a few random shots of the tour...

(click on thumbnail for full size photo).

1. "Tailgate party" as building	2. plans are displayed ...	3.	4.
5.	6.	7.	8.
9.	10. Details of building layout	11. pointed out on actual	12. structure. Crane to raise
13. "rafters", large structural	14. arches, which will rest	15. on the supports (green).	16. The view up Baynes Sound
17. which staff will enjoy soon.	18. Bill Penhold joins discussion.	19. Wetland, swale, or swamp	20. to be nourished
21. Areas of midden must be	22. worked around. Ground is very wet throughout this area	23. Pam has a foot in a cast, and was fine until we hit a very muddy area. The solution:	24. A slight stumble produced an interesting facial expression on the occupant.
25. Single file only in many tight spots	26. Pam called this log a "condo development" for little critters (lichens providing "balcony roofs").	27. A couple shelter ponds for fish have already been created.	28. Straw provides a welcome break from the mud.
29. It also inhibits erosion.	30. Uphill to the starting point (Brian's truck). A very grateful crew bid farewell till next visit (FBSES tree donation, Feb.6).	31. Above the construction site, a weather station will communicate wirelessly	32. to computers correlating the data for future research.

The sand under foot (photos 13 - 16) is in fact the famous Quadra Sands of Eastern Vancouver Island, which provide such excellent aquifers for drinking water for residents of "Lighthouse Country" and others nearby.

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