Author Archives: Noons Creek Hatchery

About Noons Creek Hatchery

The Port Moody Ecological Society operates a 100% volunteer-run coho and chum salmon hatchery in Noons Creek, located beside the recreation centre on Ioco Road in Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada.

Heritage Woods Secondary’s Annual Garbäge Fashion Show, April 19, 2012

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On April 19th 2012, Heritage Woods Secondary will be hosting the annual Garbäge Fashion Show. This year, the event will start at 7pm, doors open at 6.30pm, and will be held at Heritage Woods Secondary School. The fashion show showcases dresses made out of recycled materials, made by high school students from SD43.

The purpose of the fashion show is to raise environmental awareness amidst Sd43′s high schools. During the fashion show there is an ongoing silent auction as well as raffle draws. But let me let you know more about the actual contestants and what you will be seeing.

The contestants, high school students in the Coquitlam school district, have a few months to construct a garment out of a recyclable materials (ex. used bottles, plastic bags, old boxes, etc). You, as a judge, will judge each garment based on a criteria we provide for you. All proceeds from this show will be donated to grassroots charities.

Bill Nichol wins 2012 Port Moody Environment Award

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Bill Nichol (fourth on left)

Bill Nichol (fourth on left)

Congratulation to Bill Nichol, who received the Environmental Award at the Port Moody Civic Awards ceremony on January 14, 2012.  Environmental award nominees show initiative and encourage environmental accomplishments and awareness in the community.

Bill has collected over 60,000 cans around the hatchery and this money was used to provide two bursaries for other volunteers, Mike Vigurs and Zakhar Kazmiruk.

Congratulations, Bill !

 City of Port Moody article:  http://www.portmoody.ca/index.aspx?page=43&recordid=176&returnURL=%2findex.aspx

Bill Nicol – Environmental Award
Presented by the Environmental Protection Committee

  • Bill is a long-standing volunteer with the Port Moody Ecological Society. He’s collected over 60,000 aluminum cans through litter pickup in local parks and donations from other people.
  • In total, Bill has raised over $3,000, which he used to create the Bill Nicol Bursary. In 2011, the bursary awarded two $1,500 scholarships to hatchery volunteers who are studying earth and ocean sciences at UBC and the fish and wildlife program at BCIT.

Biological survey of Port Moody Arm of the Burrard Inlet (1969 and 2010)

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1969:  http://www.portmoody.ca/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=50

2010:  http://www.portmoody.ca/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=1059

What Swims Beneath

Port Moody, at the end of Burrard Inlet, is a place rich in natural assets. From lush coastal mountains to a beautiful and productive marine waterfront, Port Moody residents have a lot to be proud of!

Port Moody Arm, including Tidal Park and the adjacent upland park area plays a regional role in maintaining the ecological health of Burrard Inlet. Historical records show that the Arm once hosted a variety of interesting fish species, waterfowl and has been a rearing habitat for young salmon. However, today, no one knows for certain what lives under the water of the Arm.

That’s where the “What Swims Beneath” program comes in. Volunteers and researchers have taken stock of all the marine life that lives in the Inlet.

What Swims Beneath is a partnership between Burke Mountain Naturalists, Burrard Inlet Environmental Action Program, Burrard Inlet Marine Enhancement Society, the City of Port Moody, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Wildlife Foundation, Port Metro Vancouver, Port Moody Ecological Society, and the Vancouver Aquarium.

Volunteers and researchers from these groups are working together to determine what swims beneath the waters of the Port Moody Arm thanks to funding from Environment Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund. Field sampling has uncovered some well known and elusive species of fish and invertebrates exciting the project partners. Read the final report and see what we found!

Looking for tips on how to protect the Burrard Inlet? Whether you’re at home, in a park or on the job, use our tips and protect this natural resource.

AGM 2012 – February 15th at 7pm

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Please note that our Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 15th at 7pm in the Port Moody Recreation Centre, with a guest speaker following the meeting.

 

Our guest speaker this year is Assistant Professor John Moore, who has a passion for wild salmon. He will be discussing the dynamics of coastal ecosystems, how systems function, and how human activities impact that function. He works primarily in stream and lake systems with a focus on food webs, evolutionary, ecosystem, food-web, and community ecology viewpoints.

His current research seeks to understand how species interactions and disturbances drive ecosystem processes, community dynamics, and evolution in freshwaters, asking questions such as what are the consequences of species additions or extinctions? How are human activities altering disturbance regimes? What are the causes and ecological consequences of population dynamics of Pacific salmon, an ecologically and culturally important group of species?

Dr. Moore aims to do research that has conservation and management implications and believes that a deep understanding of the ecological consequences of human activities is needed to properly weigh management trade-offs. For more information, please look online at http://www.sfu.ca/biology/faculty/jwmoore/Research.html

Dr. Jonathan W. Moore, Assistant Professor, is Liber Ero Chair of Coastal Science and Management, Department of Biological Sciences/Resource and Environmental Management, at Simon Fraser University

Creek Crier Newsletter (December 2011)

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Our newsletter, the Creek Crier, is available for download: Creek Crier – December 2011

You can receive our newsletter via email by sending your request to portmoodyecologicalsociety@hotmail.com.   

  • Read about our upcoming 21st anniversary AGM, being held on February 15th, and our guest speaker, Dr. Jonathan Moore, Assistant Professor at SFU.
  • Details of our 2012 Fingerling Festival, being held on May 5th.
  • Dog awareness during spawning season
  • Volunteer Appreciation
  • Calendar of events

What Swims Beneath

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From the City of Port Moody’s website, the inhabitants of Burrard Inlet:  http://www.portmoody.ca/index.aspx?page=213
 
 
surf smelt
The surf smelt is silvery fish, whose abdomen is see through as a young fish. It makes a great snack for regular-sized salmon living in the Inlet, and plays an integral part in their lifecycle.
 
  
 
 
bay pipefish
The bay pipefish is part of the seahorse family. Male pipefish take on most of the parenting duties, and are the ones who carry their babies to term. You can find these long, thin creatures in the eelgrass beds found around the Burrard Inlet.
 
  
 
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staghorn sculpin
Staghorn Sculpin  This fish has beautiful fan-like fins and many spines and rays to defend itself. The Staghorn Sculpin prefers shallow waters – during high tide, look for it on the beaches around the Shoreline Trail
 
  
 
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coho salmon smolt
Coho tend to stick close to shore for most of their lifecycle. Juvenile coho defend their territory through an intricate set of movements resembling a shimmy shake
 
  
 
 
chinook salmon
The surf smelt is silvery fish, whose abdomen is see through as a young fish. It makes a great snack for regular-sized salmon living in the Inlet, and plays an integral part in their lifecycle.
  
 
  
 
 
pink salmon
Pink salmon are the most abundant of all the Pacific salmon. However, they also have the shortest life span, lasting just two years. In the juvenile stage, this fish has a distinguishable silvery blue look to it which changes to pale grey when spawning.

 

 
 
  
 
 
 
shiner perch
Shiner perch.  This fish is easily identifiable – females have yellow or gold stripes on their sides. The male shiner perch is black in colour.
 
  
 
 
cutthroat salmon
Cutthroat trout.  This fish spawns in freshwater, and although it does spend part of its life in the ocean, it tends to stick close to the estuary of its home stream. Juvenile cutthroat can adapt to a variety of freshwater conditions and as a result can live in many habitats.
 
 
starry flounder
This fish begins its life with eyes on either side of its head. As it ages, one eye moves so that both eyes end up on the same side! The starry flounder requires soft sand or silt for its habitat and can often be found near beaches.
 Stary founder   
 
This fish begins its life with eyes on either side of its head. As it ages, one eye moves so that both eyes end up on the same side! The starry flounder requires soft sand or silt for its habitat