The vision of Mainstreams is to honour our local watershed by learning more about the creatures living in our creeks and streams.

The final Streamers Spring 2018 event is Thursday, June 21 from 3 – 4:30 p.m. Kids and adults are welcome! Meet in the Platzl Parking lot and walk together across the bridge to the newly created park on the other side of the creek.

Patty Kolesnichenko, local outdoor education specialist, will be leading kids and adults in creating macro invertebrate models (examples pictured).

Macro invertebrates are organisms without backbones, visible to the eye without a microscope. They are food for many birds and fish and they are sensitive to changes in their environment. Macro Invertebrates are key to water quality monitoring, if they are healthy and abundant, there is a good chance the water is healthy too.

They are also super interesting looking, ranging from quirky to funny, creepy to beautiful. Since they are pretty small in real life, tiny features become a lot more interesting by magnifying them to human size. With clay and other colourful materials, everyone will create their own version to take home.

“While learning about the interesting adaptations these creatures have evolved, creativity really flourishes and the end results are always fantastic,” says Kolesnichenko.

After our crafting session, we will parade in creature style back to the platzl in time for the start of the first Kimberley Farmer’s Market of the year.

Mainstreams has been working on water education in the Kootenays for the past 13 years and is launching a Streamers program in Kimberley. They are looking for community members interested in committing to a ‘Streamers’ group, engaged in learning about and stewarding our watershed – a precious resource we literally can’t live without.

For more information, check out Mainstreams Facebook page or call Shannon (250)427-7981.

These events are made possible thanks to funding from BC Hydro and Columbia Basin Trust.

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