We had a wonderful turnout of nine "citizen scientists" on May 3. The weather was warm and sunny and contributed to a great workshop at Taylor Beach. We now have six groups committed to surveying Metchosin beaches for surf smelts this summer.
We've come together in a shared love of our beaches, our environment and our community to sample the shores of Metchosin and beyond for signs of surf smelt and Pacific sand lance spawning. These small fish, which are a critical component of the marine food web, spawn in the high intertidal zone, where shoreline changes can adversely impact their habitat. Spending a few hours a month being citizen scientists is a fun and rewarding way in which we can map and monitor their occurrence.
We hope we will be able to build partnerships with our neighbouring communities to the betterment of these species.