Search Results

The Creston Community Forest had the pleasure of hosting nearly 75 elementary students on a field trip, September 26th, during National Forest Week.  Since 2015, Forest Manager Daniel Gratton has organized a hands-on exploration of the forest, giving students a chance to learn about tree identification, biodiversity, and the important role forests play to enhance our communities and wildlife. The collaboration between J.H. Huscroft, Canfor, Rick Polzin Logging and the Community Forest Board of Directors allowed for another successful event which included compassing through a cutblock, exploring the interconnectedness of a forest stand, painting tree 'cookies', and learning about logging equipment. The hands-on experiences provided by our dedicated team and partners sparked curiosity about being in the forest and excitement for forestry. This event helps to foster a connection to nature and instills a sense of responsibility for our forests among these future stewards as the day ended with smiles, laughter, and a budding interest in forestry and in our forests. A few notable comments from the students were: “I love hunting in the forest with my grandpa.” “We hunt for mushrooms too.” “Look how beautiful it is.” “Do you think a bear would sleep in there?” “I love the smell.” “I like being in the forest.” The students, teachers and volunteers were treated to a picnic style lunch with barbequed hot dogs, juice boxes and snacks prepared and served by our Creston Community Forest Board Members. The success of this event reflects the passion and commitment of our community, ensuring that these students leave with a deeper understanding of our local forest ecosystems. Seeing the curiosity and energy from these young learners was inspiring, and it gives us so much hope for the future of forestry in BC. #NationalForestWeek #CrestonCommunityForest #FutureForesters #BCForestry Thank you to everyone who participated! Thank you to our volunteer partners: -      Canfor: Matt Maddess and Ashleigh Harvison -      J.H. Huscroft:   Heidi Muller and Karl Sommerfeld -      Rick Polzin Logging: Jessie Polzin and Oliver the dog -      Community Forest Board: Tom Olenczuk, Brad Rae, Jim Elford and Robyn Usher

The Creston Community Forest, working with a hydrologist from Saso Consulting, recently installed a hydrometric station to monitor Big Bear Brook. This station will provide essential data on creek discharge, and water level and temperature which will greatly improve our understanding of the Big Bear watershed. The Community Forest is committed to using this knowledge to support sustainable forestry practices that balance community needs with environmental stewardship.

Let us express our deepest gratitude and appreciation for the veterans and current service members who have served and continue to serve Canada. In addition to our armed forces, we must also extend our heartfelt appreciation to the brave firefighters who risk their lives battling wildfires to protect our communities and natural landscapes. Their tireless efforts in the face of raging flames exemplify the spirit of selflessness and heroism. Together, their dedication and sacrifice have made Canada a better and safer place for us all.

We are planning to burn small debris piles created by our wildfire risk reduction projects. This will depend on the area experiencing good or fair ventilation for smoke to disperse well. Please expect to see smoke in the areas of Arrow Creek and Goat Mountain in the coming days. We are working to reduce the fuel load near communities prior to high fire danger season. Thank you.

Last Tuesday, our logging truck driver hauled one of the last load of logs from Mt. Thompson. Logging and hauling is now complete. Thank you for your patience while we completed our wildfire risk project.  All hiking trails on Mt. Thompson are open to the public. Next stop...Peterson Creek.

We are wishing all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with friends and family. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we're reminded of how fortunate we are to work with nature and the people who love it. Take time this Thanksgiving to reconnect with nature and explore what’s right in our backyard, pictured here: Big Bear Viewpoint. Wishing you all a happy and peaceful Thanksgiving from the trails!   #ThanksgivingInNature    For detail to trail: https://www.crestoncommunityforest.com/big-bear-viewpoint

We asked our 2024 Summer Student to share her experience with us. From her response (text below), we are sure future generations are in fantastic hands. Every year, Creston Community Forest hires two summer students for hands-on experiences in Forestry. They gain valuable experience in forestry technician work, including silviculture surveys, block layout, and trail building. We also want to wish Eva an incredible year of studies and educational experiences while at the University of Victoria. “My name is Eva Sommerfeld and I am the Creston Community Forest’s newest summer student. This September, I’ll be entering my second year of a Bachelor of Education program at the University of Victoria. However, I knew this job would be a perfect fit for me because of my love of conservation and my desire to spend time in the woods even though my career goals are not centered around forestry. I was so right! I grew up in and around the forest industry as my father is a forestry engineer. Because of this and our passion for hunting, I have spent many days hanging out and learning about the outdoors. This summer job has taken my level of knowledge to new heights. I’ve had the opportunity to participate in the study the Douglas-fir beetles where traps were set up and checked weekly; recording their population levels and where they are attacking and killing trees. I’ve been loving spending my days maintaining the beautiful trails around the Creston Valley, learning about wildfire risk reduction, and learning about reforestation. I even got to dip my toes in the water of the hard work of tree planting. Also, thanks to the community forest I was able to participate in and complete a chainsaw certification course. The experience I received from this position has allowed me to envision incorporating knowledge and education surrounding forestry to my future students. I look forward to carrying on the respect for forests into future generations.” Also, thanks to the community forest I was able to participate in and complete a chainsaw certification course. The experience I received from this position has allowed me to envision incorporating knowledge and education surrounding forestry to my future students. I look forward to carrying on the respect for forests into future generations.” This September, Eva headed back to the University of Victoria to complete her second year of the Bachelor of Education program. Have a wonderful school year Eva!

Happy Equinox and the beginning of Canada's National Forest Week, September 22-28, with the theme of “Two-Eyed Seeing: Welcoming all knowledge to sustain our forests." Two-Eyed Seeing is a powerful perspective braiding Traditional Knowledge with Western Science. Through mutual respect and collaboration, we can learn how to implement Indigenous traditions with modern technologies to sustain healthy forests for future generations. Together we are stronger, helping to enable economic innovation and mitigate and adapt to the ever-changing climate challenges (such as wildfires, forest pests/pathogens, species at risk) facing our forests. The Creston Community Forest invites the community to learn more about the forest sector and its significance to not only Creston’s culture, history and future but Canada’s as a whole in supporting a greater recognition of forests as a valuable, renewable and green resource. National Forest Week is a yearly celebration that highlights the significance of forests in our daily lives and underscores the need for their careful stewardship. This year's theme, "Two-Eyed Seeing:Welcoming all knowledge to sustain our forests," reminds us of the interconnectedness between forests, people, and the environment. NATIONAL FOREST WEEK, Originally established in 1920 as Forest Fire Prevention Week and later renamed in 1967 to what is known today, National Forest Week encourages a greater public awareness of Canada's forests as a valuable, renewable and green resource. It challenges Canadians to learn more about the forest sector, and its significance to our culture, traditions,economy, history, environment, and future. Over National Forest Week, several events take place across the country, connecting thousands of Canadians to this vast natural resource, and instilling pride in Canada's forest sector! To find more ways and information about how you can participate and understand more about this year's theme, click here: https://www.cif-ifc.org/what-we-do/national-forest-week/ To view photos from last year's Grade 5 field trip we hosted with our local partners, click here: https://www.crestoncommunityforest.com/post/creston-valley-students-celebrated-national-forest-week-with-us

The Creston Community Forest is governed by a ten-member Board of Directors. The board consists of five members from the community and one representative from each shareholder. Our shareholders include: Town of Creston Regional District of Central Kootenay Wildsight Erickson Community Association Trails for Creston Valley Society The top group photo: The board members from left to right back row: Keith Baldwin (Town), Wayne Harris, Brad Rae (Erickson), Jim Elford, John Chisamore (RDCK), Gitte Grover (Wildsight), Tom Olenczuk (Chair) (Front Left to Right) Ann Deatherage, Robyn Usher Successfully functioning community forests have well-established systems of corporate governance including terms of reference, policies, procedures, and reporting mechanisms that carefully specify who makes strategic decisions and who make makes management decisions. This creates an operating environment that is stable and predictable and helps to maintain the trust and allegiance of partners, customers, employees, contractors, and volunteers.

Happy long weekend! Our next quarterly Creston Community Forest Newsletter is scheduled for September 3rd, 2024. If you would like to begin receiving our Newsletter, sign up here: http://eepurl.com/iwjUgk IN THIS MONTH’S NEWSLETTER Open House Success & Video. National Forest Week Participation. A Creston Community Forest Summer Student’s Experience. Mount Thompson Active Project & Goat Mountain Completion. Ralph Moore Memorial Bursary Award, 2024 Recipient. Our Board Members and Governance. Firewood Season - Do’s & Dont’s. Questions or Comments.

ROTARY TRAIL CLOSED: The highlighted section (see attached map) of the Rotary Trail will be closed until further notice due to safety concerns while contractors complete our wildfire risk reduction project along the trail. The Trail will be closed to all users during work hours 5AM-1PM Monday to Friday. Please respect this closure and remain off the trail from the junction of the Pack Trail to the Rotary Trailhead.

Please submit comments to: infoshare@crestoncf.com CCF - K3D CP 35 BLKS 8-10 COMMUNITY REFERRAL MAP CCF - K3D CP 35 BLK 08 CARROLL HP MAP CCF - K3D CP 35 BLK 09 PETERSON HP MAP CCF - K3D CP 35 BLK 10 PETERSON HP MAP