Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition: Working together to protect our landscape and lifestyle

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Skeena Stories

If You Could Meet Great Leaders in Their Youth, This is What They’d Look Like

February and March brought us the incredible opportunity to take part in the youth mentorship program organized by the Storytellers foundation. We all have our favourites and when Sarah asked me about the doing the program I said, "Yes, of course, I don't suppose Cheyanne Travers is doing the program is she?" Little did I know that Cheyanne had expressed interest in doing her mentorship with us as well. A match made in heaven to say the least! Read more about If You Could Meet Great Leaders in Their Youth, This is What They’d Look Like

Heart of the Valley

I was born of French immigrant parents and grew up on the Saanich Peninsula just outside of Victoria. My family had a fruit and berry farm that expanded to include a large greenhouse business selling first tomatoes and then moving fully into the floriculture and nursery business. Despite the fact that I lived in a rural area where red-tailed hawks and eagles reeled high in the sky, my imagination always entertained fantasies of the Great North! As a young adult, I still pined for this experience. Imagine my delight when decades later after meeting Frank, he brought me to this very special place. One of my dreams had finally come true! The north was everything I ever hoped for. I can’t seem to get enough of the mountains and the rivers, the serenity and the wilderness. I guess I’m one of those types of people who need lots of room to just be. Read more about Heart of the Valley

Stray Cat Blues No More

Any of you who have visited SWCC's office will know that you have to climb a long set of covered outdoor stairs to reach our door on a little landing at the top. What you may not know is that the wall at the top of these stairs, next to our office door, blocks off another set of stairs which descend into mysterious darkness on the other side. It was from this hidden stairway that a stray cat emerged one day in late winter and shortly after, followed by two more. The SWCC crew pondered what to do with these hungry, skinny little creatures? Read more about Stray Cat Blues No More

Awakening the Skeena Statement from Director/Producer Andrew Eddy

It was a love of rivers, and of the wild fish that call them home, that drew my attention to the Skeena. And it was the dream of someday fly fishing for steelhead on these fabled waters that first connected me to the people of the watershed and ultimately to the issues that threaten the entire ecosystem. When I first learned about the swim in March of 2009 through the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition?s eNewsletter, my first reaction was to offer to help others tell the story of this amazing woman and her journey. Until that point my role as a executive with Corus Entertainment had always been on the broadcasting side - and not the creative side. Read more about Awakening the Skeena Statement from Director/Producer Andrew Eddy

Steps for Students - Tulani Ackerman

I have biked throughout the province challenged by the vast mountain ranges and thrilled by the incredibly beautiful scenery. My teeth have become my windshield for bugs of all shapes and sizes. I learned a lot about my own inner strength and what it take s to endure days of hills, bugs, rain, wind, and heat. I am an ordinary woman who had a vision and felt that I should follow it by embarking on this journey that I feel any one of you could have done just as well as I have. I would like to share my heart, vision and thoughts with you. Read more about Steps for Students - Tulani Ackerman

Letters to Ali

Have a look at some letters that students at John Field Elementary School wrote to Ali Howard after she gave a presentation to them about her swim down the Skeena River last summer. The letters and pictures are presented here as a slide show. Read more about Letters to Ali

Willie Korff - Veteran & Fisherman

Willis Korff grew up in Northern California. With the advent of Pearl Harbor, the young Willy immediately joined the marines and was sent to Hawaii. For several months he cleaned up the bodies and aftermath of Pearl Harbor. Some of his time was also spent in the Hospital as he received lead poisoning while cleaning burnt paint out of some of the destroyed ships. Read more about Willie Korff - Veteran & Fisherman

Sacred Headwaters Impressions - by Simon Stockner

My name is Simon Stockner. My parents are Kathy and Todd Stockner. I went to the Sacred Headwaters in July with my Dad and my friend, Eli Larsen, to help the swim team start their journey down the Skeena River. I went on this trip because I know how important it is to keep the Skeena River safe, and I wanted to see the birthplace of one of the biggest, untouched rivers in B.C. Read more about Sacred Headwaters Impressions - by Simon Stockner

The Senden Project - Sustainable Agriculture Resource Centre

Upper Skeena Development Centre purchased the historic Senden farm site two and a half years ago to restore and develop the property into an Agriculture demonstration site and resource centre. We were concerned about lack of facilities for programming and wanted to address food security, health and employment issues in the region. Since then our community "HUB" partners; Storytellers Society, the Village of Hazelton and the Bulkley Valley Credit Union, have invested funds to hire staff and to explore funding options; as a result we conducted a feasibility study which lead to the creation of a business plan for the next five years of operation and we were able to obtain funding from several sources to advance our plans... Read more about The Senden Project - Sustainable Agriculture Resource Centre

My Dad and The Stikine - By Matt Eckfeldt

After seven or so years of university, I finally finished school with a degree in geology, but was pretty worried that a life of work without rest awaited me. So before I could become a full fledged member of the rat-race, I needed to chalk-up another epic trip. After talking with a few river inclined people, I chose the Stikine River, for its professed beauty and balance between fun and mellow. And so for two weeks this summer, myself and my dad Charlie Eckfeldt, took time off from our jobs to float down the Stikine. Within that time we hiked under the sun in the alpine meadows of the Spatsizi Wilderness Park and rafted through the canyons and forests of the Great River, witnessing the beautiful transition from Sumer to Fall. Read more about My Dad and The Stikine - By Matt Eckfeldt