The Campbell River Estuary is an iconic sensitive ecosystem recovering from over a century of degradation from industrial use. The estuary provides habitat to many wildlife species, including Purple Martins, Great Blue Herons, Bald Eagles, waterfowl, large predators such as seals, sea lions and bears, and four species of Pacific salmon, including the iconic ‘Tyee’ Chinook.
Greenways is working on the ongoing restoration of the Campbell River Estuary in partnership with the Wei Wai Kum Guardian Watchmen, and with the assistance of its dedicated volunteers and other partner organizations. Restoration activities in 2022-2023 included the restoration of the Mill Pond within Baikie Island Nature Reserve, where important eelgrass and saltmarsh habitat was re-created to get it closer to the pre-industry conditions that existed before it was dredged for log storage.
Greenways also continued our usual efforts to remove invasive species and replant with native species suited to the varied estuarine salt marsh and riparian forest habitats. Greenways also maintains trails and features at Baikie Island Nature Reserve, and monitors estuary vegetation communities, Canada goose populations, and purple martin nesting in the estuary to determine long-term ecosystem health. In addition, Greenways has continued to work towards increasing the population of the critically endangered deltoid balsamroot; a beautiful relative of the sunflower that is currently known from only eight locations in BC including Campbell River’s Tyee Spit.
Whenever possible, Greenways invites our Conservation Team of volunteers, local school students, and the public to further restore habitats in the Campbell River estuary. There is a lot of work to do, but together we are making steady progress.
