Kevin Jewett, Tolko’s Vice President of Woodlands, recently presented a donation to Shona Bruce, Executive Director of the Kingfisher Interpretive Centre Society (KICS), to support their environmental education programs.
“We appreciate all the work the centre does in educating youth about the environment and preserving endangered salmon,” says Kevin.
KICS invites people of all ages to enjoy the outdoors and be a part of their mission: To build awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the natural world. The summer months typically see around 2,000 people visit the 10 acre forested site, situated along the pristine banks of the Shuswap River. Visitors are offered information and shown displays focusing on the local ecosystem. They also offer programs that teach families how to fish. The annual salmon egg collection is another amazing opportunity to get an up-close and hands-on look at Chinook salmon.
Other programs include the Stream to Sea program which provides over 45 local schools with Chinook salmon eggs for teachers and students to raise in classroom aquariums. Most of the students will visit the site in May or June to release their young salmon back into the natural world. The students will also be engaged in an entire day of hands-on education, learning about different species of trees and discussing how the forest, river and salmon are mutually dependent. Field trips will include around 2,000 students annually.
