Join the Hoy-Scott Watershed Society on Sunday, May 1stfrom 11am to 2pm at Hoy Creek Hatchery in Coquiatlam as thousands of coho smolts will be released into Hoy Creek to make their way down to the Pacific Ocean.
(HSWS Photo)
The Hoy-Scott Watershed Society invites the community out for their annual Salmon Leave Home event on Sunday May 1st from 11am to 2pm at the Hoy Creek Hatchery in Coquitlam. Children of all ages will have the opportunity to help release 18-month-old coho smolts into Hoy Creek.
“Salmon Leave Home is a great event for families to discover firsthand the wonders of nature in their environment,” said hatchery manager, Rodney Lee. “Once the salmon are released they make their way downstream to Scott Creek, then Coquitlam River, then the Fraser River which empties into the Strait of Georgia on the Pacific Ocean. They return in about 2 years time to the location where they were spawned,” said Lee.
The family-friendly free outdoor event will run rain or shine and the society will have families engaged in building Mason bee boxes, and bird houses. Music is being provided by CKPM FM Tri-City Radio, and guest artist, Etienne Sew.
Society volunteers will be providing tours and information on the salmon enhancement program which is a year-round operation and includes work with plants in the riparian area of Hoy and Scott Creeks.
20,000 coho fry will also be on display and this year’s event includes activities and/or participation by Pinetree Secondary School, Sustainable Youth Canada, Coquitlam Farmer's Market Society, Rocky Point Ice Cream, and Kwikwetlem First Nation.
The hatchery is located in the Hoy Creek Linear Park behind Douglas College and north of Guildford, a few minutes walk inland. To find the exact location, simply Google “Hoy Creek Hatchery.”
More information can be found at the society’s website, hoyscottcreeks.org or at hashtag #SalmonLeaveHome.
Hoy-Scott Watershed Society, (HSWS) is a not-for-profit, volunteer run environmental stewardship group, that conducts a year-round salmon enhancement program in partnership with the City of Coquitlam, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. We are actively involved in watershed restoration, public awareness, education and preservation.
Coho smolts, approximately 18 months old, seen on display at a Hoy-Scott Watershed Societyopen house which are held the first Saturday of each month. The public is invited to help release thousands of the smolts into Hoy Creek on Sunday, May 1st at Hoy Creek Hatchery in Coquitlam. (HSWS Photo)