After 25 years of helping to protect mountains, rivers and streams in the Tri-Cities and surrounding areas, the Burke Mountain Naturalists are not yet ready to rest on their laurels.
The group of more than 200 local people is working on a number of projects, says conservation director Elaine Golds.
Protecting the Riverview lands, which is currently undergoing a visioning process overseen by BC Housing, ensuring that Colony Farm Regional Park is not used as a staging area for pipeline construction, and looking after bird nest boxes and working to preserve green space are just some of the tasks at hand.
"We've had a very dedicated group of volunteers for many years, I'm very proud of what we've been able to accomplish through hard work," said Golds, who also writes The Tri-City News' bi-weekly Green Scene column.
Among the accomplishments has been to lobby for the creation of Pinecone Burke Provincial Park and Colony Farm Regional Park. Along the way, the group has also raised awareness about environmental issues at city halls in Port Moody, Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam, and Golds believes they have won the trust of both the public and politicians over the years.
"It's really interesting because we got started in 1989 mainly because we wanted to protect Colony Farm and Pinecone Burke Park and here we are still trying to protect them. These issues never go away, they just keep popping up in another form."
BMN will be celebrating its 25th anniversary at its monthly meeting next Tuesday from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Como Lake United Church Hall, 535 Marmont St., Coquitlam. The event is free to attend and for all ages, and will include a film, a slide show, presentations and light refreshments. For more information, visit www.bmn.bc.ca
