The Ghost Watershed Alliance Society (GWAS) will be hosting an open house this May 30 and locals with photos and stories relating to the Ghost-Waiparous Watershed are encouraged to attend.
The event will be held at The Crossing at Ghost River from 9 a.m.-noon, located 20 km northwest of Cochrane off Hwy 40.
The purpose of the gathering is to assemble historical photos, stories and any records on the Ghost Watershed; this social history would be used to help informed the group’s ‘State of the Watershed’ (SOW) report, which they aim to have completed by the end of 2015.
“We are looking for anything from First Nations (history, records) to the early settlement of the Ghost Valley, up to today,” said Marina Krainer, GWAS director.
“This would include photos of land uses such as forestry, agricultural and recreational uses in the Ghost over the past century, photos of the water courses, wetlands, iconic places such as Black Rock Mountain and wildlife.”
The GWAS is a group with the ‘vision to preserve and enhance the integrity of the ecosystem in the Ghost Watershed in order to secure the optimum quality and yield of the area’s surface and groundwater resources’.
Their mission is to identify ecosystem and environmental issues that affect the watershed and to use this information to inform public awareness and work toward resolving issues; this is the purpose of their ‘SOW’, which would help inform long-term planning throughout the region.
On June 6, GWAS is planning a ‘walk and talk’ with Ghost Valley resident Jenny Fraser, along the high banks for the Ghost River at the Fraser Ranch.
On June 21, the group will be taking part in a ‘plant ID walk’ with guide Gus Yaki. The society always welcomes volunteers and new members. To learn more, visit ghostwatershed.ca.
