Earth Day cake, music, fun and environmental displays will kick off Oceanside’s 12th annual Earth Day weekend starting with a cake cutting at the Qualicum Beach Town Hall square at noon on Saturday, April 21.
“We invite the public to join in the celebration of the Town of Qualicum Beach’s acquisition of the Town-owned 3.5 hectare portion of the Qualicum Beach Salmon Forest, to which Island Timberlands had the logging rights,” said Annette Tanner, Wilderness Committee spokesperson. “The timely purchase by the town and community donations has now protected the 3.5 hectares owned by the Town, that supply the community’s drinking water wells.”
The community has been working for 13 years to have the entire 60-hectare floodplain forest protected as a regional park.
“Over several thousand people have toured through the floodplain forest owned by Island Timberlands to see the still unprotected third-tallest Sitka Spruce tree in Canada and have continuously written letters supporting the Town’s and the Regional District’s efforts to preserve the forest’s globally identified sensitive ecosystems,” Tanner said.
The Little Qualicum River is known as one of the most popular fishing and wildlife viewing rivers that supports all seven species of salmonids.
On Sunday, the annual tour of the Qualicum Beach Salmon Forest to the third tallest Sitka Spruce tree in Canada, will take place at 1 p.m.
Meet at the junction of Kinkade Road and Old Island Highway — next to Riverside Resort in Qualicum Beach.
The tour is by donation. For more information call 250-752-6585