ABOUT MISSION CREEK GREENWAY

Thank you for considering your participation in Mission Creek Greenway - Phase 2 School Projects. We appreciate your support and hope that you will find the experience rewarding and educational for both you and your students.

Central Okanagan Schools were major contributors to the first children’s interpretive trail in British Columbia and to the success of the first phase of the Mission Creek Greenway. We would like to build on that success and encourage more schools to get involved in Phase 2.

SCHOOL INVOLVEMENT CAN INCLUDE:

A. Creation of artwork and written material for the on-site interpretive signs
B. Field Trips to the Creek and In-School Presentations
C. Mission Creek clean-ups

INTRODUCTION:

What is a Greenway?
Community Greenways are greenspace corridors with trails connecting natural areas, parks, interpretative viewing areas, and rest spots. Greenways contribute greatly to a community’s character and the quality of life for its residents.

A Greenway balances the development of human communities and the preservation of natural ecosystems in a city or town. In our case the Greenway runs along Mission Creek as a linear trail. This “Green” space provides both wildlife habitat and areas for recreational use for the residents of our community. It allows an individual to experience nature without having to leave the boundaries of the city and at the same time protects the creek’s traditional natural habitat and ecosystems.

What are some of the special characteristics of Phase Two?

Many spectacular geologic features exist on the Phase 2 trail, including Layer Cake Mountain, Pinnacle Rock, Gallagher’s Canyon rock faces, and several Hoodoos. Construction of the trail will be sensitive to our intent to minimize environmental impact and maintain the natural beauty of the area.

Phase 2 of the Greenway will go through areas where there was placer gold mining activity. These placer gold pits that yielded 2 or 3 ounces per man per day can be seen along the trail.

HOW TO GET YOUR STUDENTS INVOLVED?

1. Submitting Artwork / Writing
2. Fieldtrip /In-School Visit Presentations

SUBMITTING ARTWORK

What is a Greenway?

Choose a theme from the corresponding list. Attach the release form on the back of the art with name of school and theme.

Theme choices are up to the discretion of the teacher. You can have the whole class do one theme or chose five (or more) different themes and have the children choose the one that is most interesting to them.

For each chosen theme draw a picture and write a short descriptive paragraph or short poem, 2-3 sentences, describing what is in the picture. Please have the written section on a separate white page and attach it to the drawing. It would be preferable to have the children write in black ink and in their own handwriting, please no pencil. Note: these theme descriptions are not titles, the children should title their own work.

GUIDELINES:

1. All artwork should be constructed on 8.5 X 11 (landscape direction) white paper.
2. No construction paper as it will not convert well onto interpretative signs.
3. No texture pictures i.e. no attached strings, macaroni, etc. Felts, crayons, and paints may all be used.
4. Please use as much colour, creativity and fun as possible!
5. Please send your entries via inter-school mail to the School District Office.
6. Please be sure each picture is clearly marked. We will not return the pictures submitted unless it is specified at the time of receiving the entries.

All submitted artwork will be included in the GREENWAY DISPLAY at Orchard Park Mall from April 5th-25th, 2004 on a rotating basis.

CHOOSE FROM THE FOLLOWING THEMES:

A. WATERSHED HEALTH

1. What is Watershed?

Draw a picture of the Mission Creek watershed or create a map.

2. What effects do Humans and Livestock have on the Mission Creek Watershed?

What are the ways that we impact the watershed? Explore the results of flooding and diking of Mission Creek. Look at ways that humans and livestock pollute the waters. Consider the effects of human water consumption from the Mission Creek Watershed.

3. Water Wise

How can we use water wisely to ensure the health of Mission Creek and the Okanagan Lake?

B. FISH

4. What can you do to help the Kokanee Salmon?

Kokanee Salmon are land locked salmon that return each fall from Okanagan Lake to Mission Creek to spawn and then they lay their eggs to finish their life cycle in the creek. How does our use of the water contribute add to the challenges faced by the Kokanee i.e. erosion, pollution and low water levels? How do predators both human and animal affect the Kokanee populations?

There are some places where we have tried to help the Kokanee populations and build up their habitat for them. The riffle and the spawning channel are two such places.

C. HABITAT

5. How is the health of Mission Creek essential for the survival of wildlife?

Habitat is the natural home of a plant or animal. Every living thing needs four elements in their habitat; they are food, water, shelter and enough space. Along the creek there are different kinds of habitat so we can see lots of different kinds of plants and animals.

6. What animals and birds are found along Mission Creek?

D. GEOLOGY AND LANDFORMS

Mission Creek has beautiful landforms that were created in unique ways.

7. What are some of the landforms along Mission Creek Greenway - Phase Two?

Ancient high levels of Mission Creek have carved a deep and highly picturesque canyon, now known as Gallagher’s Canyon. Some of the other landforms include; Layer Cake Mountain, Pinnacle Rock and the Hoodoos.

E. CULTURAL USE OF THE AREA

8. How important was Mission Creek to the lives of the First Nations?

Describe the traditional way of life of First Nation’s people and how they would have used the creek in their daily lives. What were the roles of the Fishing Chiefs? How were the fish caught and preserved for use in the winter?

9. Who were the first Non First Nations settlers in the Okanagan?

Where did these pioneers come from originally and how was the Creek a part of their daily lives? i.e.: Father Pandosy and other pioneer families.

10. How important was Mission Creek to these early settlers?

Who were the first families to settle in Kelowna? How did they use the creek in their daily lives? The discovery of gold was important to early settlers in the Valley. What methods were used to find the gold?

11. Kettle Valley Railway

What is the importance of the KVR to the Okanagan Valley? What is the importance of the KVR to Mission Creek?

Prizes will be awarded in the following categories:

A. Grades K-3
B. Grades 4-7
C. Grades 8-10
D. Grades 11 & 12

PARTICIPATION DEADLINE:
All participants must have their projects in on or before March 10th, 2004. Please send your completed artwork to the school district office via interoffice mail. Mission Creek Greenway will have displays at Orchard Park Mall from April 5th-25th. All participating schools will have their entries displayed at during that time on a rotating basis.

FIELD TRIPS & IN-SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS:
In partnership with the Kelowna Museum, Regional Parks and the Friends of Mission Creek, we will offer the following presentation dates for your school. Programs are one hour in length and free. Fieldtrip topics can be combined with the school visit topics and presented at the EECO Centre located at 2363A Springfield Road.

                                        CALL TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE NOW!

AVAILABLE DATES FOR FIELD TRIPS AND IN-SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS ARE:
February 23rd through March 6th, 2004

To book a presentation, please contact the EECO Centre in Mission Creek Regional Park at (250) 868-2768 or via email at: eeco_centre@telus.net. Dates will be booked on a first come first served basis.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Field trip topics are available on-site at the EECO Centre on Springfield Road only.
In- School visit topics can be booked for individual classrooms or an assembly format. The in-school visit topics may be presented in conjunction with another field trip topic at the EECO Centre if the requested dates are not already booked for a school visit.
FIELD TRIP TOPICS: (presented by the EECO Centre)

1. NATURE ART BASICS:

Participants will learn some art basics by drawing and painting nature in the park and inside the EECO Centre.

2. CREEK CLEANUP AND WALK

Students will help to rehabilitate the natural vegetation and riparian habitat. The program includes
1. identification of native trees and plants along the creek,
2. hands on activities that enable an understanding of the rich source of life the creek is for many species, and
3. fostering a sense of stewardship for the participants.

3. FISH AND FISH HABITAT

Observe the Kokanee salmon at the EECO Centre, learn about the salmon and what their needs are and some of the obstacles they encounter during their life cycle. Students learn how pollution, healthy vegetation, predation affect the Kokanee and what they can do to help the salmon.

IN-SCHOOL VISITS: (presented by the Kelowna Museum)

ONE HOUR PRESENTATION WILL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

1. GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
2. 1st NATIONS TRADITIONAL USE OF THE CREEK
3. HISTORY OF MISSION CREEK (PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE)

Kelowna Museum is pleased to be a part of Greenway Phase II. This future addition to the Greenspace has its roots in a story that began long ago when the Okanagan Valley was being formed. We’d like to help tell this story. Using slides and artifacts, we begin with a discussion of the geological formation of the Valley. The new Greenspace will highlight some amazing rock formations that show evidence of that physical evolution. We then trace the roots of Human History. The First Peoples of the this area, the ancestors of the Okanagan Nation, arrived approximately 6,000 years ago and achieved an ecological balance with the environment and a special understanding of its resources. We study evidence and artifacts relating to the First Nations Fisheries and settlement around Mission Creek. Moving to more recent history, we discuss further settlement along the creek including Gold Rush, Dan Gallagher, Father Pandosy and more. Join us for a look back as this exciting Greenway Project moves forward! The program is 60 minutes in duration.

OTHER VALUABLE RESOURCES:

School Program Images

Friends of Mission Creek Website: http://www.greenway.kelowna.bc.ca

Kelowna Museum Website: www.kelownamuseum.ca/

EECO Centre, located at 2363 A Springfield Road, Kelowna, BC V1X 7N7 P 250.868.2768
Email: eeco_centre@telus.net or Website: www.regionaldistrict.org

Geology of the Kelowna Area and Origin of the Okanagan Valley British Columbia, Kelowna Geology Committee, 1995

For any additional questions, please contact:

Gayle Voyer, Total Events School Programs Co-ordinator Mission Creek Greenway - Phase 2
P 250.769.9248 or Email: totalevents@silk.net