The Nelson NatureKids Club hooked in participants this month with a family fishing day at Cottonwood Lake! Fishing is a popular Explorer Day event and many of our clubs, including Nelson, partner with the Freshwater Fishing Society of B.C. to provide the equipment and give lessons on how to fish.
The event began with a quick lesson about the types of fish you might catch in a BC lake or river and how you can tell them apart. The Nature Mentors did an amazing job of engaging the kids by asking questions. When they asked about what animals might eat a salmon in the wild, they got answers including “sharks”, “eagles”, “bears”, “ospreys”, and “watermelon”!
After the lesson, the group headed to the parking lot so everyone could get some practice casting a line. Pretty soon the kids were ready to hit the water!
Everyone headed over to the dock and it didn’t take long before lines were flying. By the end of the event, even the youngest kids were getting the hang of casting and reeling in. Although the only catch of the day was a single minnow, everyone had a great time!
The annual Fishing Explorer Day, put on with the help of the Freshwater Fishing Society of BC, is one of Jenni Konken Stol’s favourite events to put on. She has been the club leader in Nelson since 2017, before which the club was dormant. Now it has over 20 families who attend the events that Jenni and her co-leader, Sarah Taranoff, put on each month.
Jenni says that planning Explorer Days for the club isn’t always easy – but not for the reason you might think!
“We are lucky to live in a part of the province that has such easy access to nature. Sometimes it’s hard to choose our events because there are so many places and activities we want to explore.”
With so many successful events over the last five years, it was hard for Jenni to pick a favourite. When I asked her, she highlighted some of the community partnerships that have been valuable for the club.
“We have held many Explorer Days at Kokanee Creek Provincial Park. Their head naturalist Joanne is always very generous with her time and has led us on explorations of salmon, plants and birds. One of my favourite events has been our annual snowshoeing trip with local environmental educator Shanoon Bennett, and every summer we have the family fishing lesson at Cottonwood Lake with the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC which is always lots of fun.”
Some of the organizations that help the Nelson club to thrive are the Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society, Kootenay Native Plant Society, Circle of Indigenous Nations Society, Elk Root Conservation, and Kootenay Community Bat Project. With these partners, Nelson has put on Explorer Days ranging from visits to a local bee farm to workshops on wilderness survival. They are also grateful for funding from the Regional District of the Central Kootenays which allows the club to organize activities without any extra cost to their members. The Nelson Club is also associated with the local chapter of BC Nature, the West Kootenay Naturalists’ Association.
In the heart of the Selkirk mountain range, there is no shortage of things to do outside in the Nelson area. The Nelson club is doing an amazing job of creating opportunities for families to get outdoors!
“Our club is growing, and we are looking forward to seeing new relationships develop between our member families as we connect with nature together.”
Do you live in the Nelson area? Sign up for the Nelson NatureKids Club today!