In this interview for the CBC program “The World This Weekend” by CBC reporter Loreen Pindera (Pearson College student, year 3) with Garry Fletcher, faculty member at Lester Pearson College. they discuss how a fragile ecosystem can be loved to death by too many people wanting to visit it, The solution for the Race Rocks Ecological reserve was to use the technology of the internet to bring this island ecosystem in the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the world while conserving this fragile ecosystem -Sept 16/2000.
Category Archives: Island Visitors
Race Rocks: Officially Designated as an MPA Sept 14, 2000
Canada’s Ocean’s Minister Herb Dhaliwal and British Columbia’s Environment Minister Joan Sawicki join students and faculty of Lester Pearson College in a tour of Canada’s first Marine Protected Area on the morning of September 14th, 2000.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Text of the speech given by the Honourable Herb Dahliwell Minister of Fisheries and Oceans-
Official Launching of the Millennium Project for Race Rocks
On March 11. 2000 a special gathering ceremony was held at Race Rocks Ecological reserve to recognize the federal governments contribution to the Race Rocks Millennium project, and to ‘officially open the project.
-
- The Millennium program flag flies under the Canadian Flag for the opening ceremonies at Race Rocks March 11, 2000
-
- ceremonies at Race Rocks March 11, 2000 Media line up to record the opening events
-
- Garry and Tom Sampson examine old First Nations dugout Canoe which lies at Race Rocks
-
- The United World College Flag flies from Second Nature.
-
- Dan Kukat of Springtide Charters assisted with transportation
-
- Jack Matthews and guestss aboard the boat.
-
- Other Guests included Phil Guyer, president of the UWC of the American South West,
-
- Students Laura and Unai accompanying the guests as they sign the atttendance book.
-
- Jack Matthews, the founding director of Pearson College and Naomi Hoare, the wife of the founding Director of Atlantic College UWC.
-
- Garry Fletcher explaining the Marine Protected Area Pilot Process and the Schools program to the Honourable David Anderson, Minister of the Environment representing the Honourable Herb Gray, on behalf of the Millennium Partnership Program of Canada.
-
- Angus Matthews and guests from Telus
-
- Garry Fletcher welcoming guests and acknowledging the Federal Government Millennium Program.
-
- Ken Dunham, a year 10 graduate of Pearson College who had done the networking on the island described the process to the press.
-
- LGS representative.
-
- Telus representative.
-
- Duane Prentice, a former PC student now of of Nomadic Visions, was one of the many photographers on hand to the record the events of the afternoon.
-
- The equipment room with the iMacs in the foreground which receive the video input to broadcast to our system , and the Online Broadcasting equipment that was used for the special day.
-
- A final assemblage of the sponsors, BC Parks representatives, Federal Fisheries, First Nations, Pearson College Students and other invited guests line up for photos.
Opening day of the racerocks.com Millennium Project
A final assemblage of the sponsors, BC Parks representatives, Federal Fisheries, First Nations, Pearson College Students and other invited guests line up for photos.
Honourable David Anderson, Minister of the Environment represented the Honourable Herb Gray, on behalf of the Millennium Partnership Program of Canada.
ee the ful set of photos:
http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/rrcom/openingday/opening.htm
Royal Roads Environmental Management Students Visit Race Rocks
In late JULY of 1999, two sections of the summer class in Environmental Studies at Royal Roads University ( 47 students) went on field trips to Race Rocks. Royal Roads Instructors Norm Healey and Bev Hall worked with the students . These are some images taken by the students on the trip :
-
- The students arrive at Race Rocks. Note the number… we no longer have groups this size there at that time of year
-
- Pearson College Instructor Garry Fletcher and Shore-front manager Chris Blondeau.
-
- Mike and Carol Slater, MPA Guardians meet the students at the docks
-
- Work by the students of the Royal Roads Environmental Management Class – Summer, 1999
-
- –PEG 15- Bearing 285 degrees This area has a fairly constant slope for the 15 meters over a vertical range of 3 meters.
-
- Algal assortment
-
- Tidepool algae and invertebrates
-
- Some detailed belt transect work.
-
- Mossy Chiton with attached algae symbiont
-
- The Shore group view. Norm took part of the group up the tower for bird and mammal behavior studies.
-
- viewed from the tower, sea lions hauled out on middle island
-
- Viewed from the tower -harbour seals hauled out on the South Rocks
Gulls pairing off
10:35 – second nature with Chris an two staff out to the island.
14:50 – Great Pacific Adventure tours through the reserve
15:00 – 13 gulls in nesting areas of North West Ridge, six black oyster catchers are paired off.
California sea lion is hauled out in front of science house, very thin.
Temperature rise
temperature rise today is reflected in the return of the seagulls and 150 cormorants +60 starlings, 25 black Turnstons, 15 black oyster catchers, 16 crows, 21 bald eagles [10 mature
5 sealions hauled out on North rock. 120 sealions on West race. 22 on great race .
143/32 second nature was out with BCTEL learning Channel promo visit. Angus, Garry, and Chris with them.
BCTEL takes a trip with Pearson College to Race Rocks
On January 13, 1998, BCTEL** (Discovery Learning) representatives took a trip to Race Rocks Ecological Reserve with Pearson College faculty member Garry Fletcher and some of his students. They had invited them to see first hand many of the Pearson College marine science educational projects that are highlighted on the College’s web page. BCTEL (Discovery Learning) provides the College with internet support, making this unique marine science project globally accessible. Following the Race Rocks visit, BCTEL presented the students with a $5,000 cash gift for the College’s annual fund.
**now Telus
BBC interview on the future use of technology to bring Race Rocks to the internet
In November of 1997, BBC reporter Hugh Warrick accompanied Garry Fletcher to Race Rocks and did an interview on the future plans for using technology to make available the resources of Race Rocks to all through the internet.
As is said in the interview : “Typical of ecotourism you could love an area to death”— the solution of using the right kind of technology to broadcast on the internet is discussed and even robotically controlled video cameras on the internet are mentioned. Later in the early part of 2000 that was to become a reality .
for mp3:
Underwater Safari- October 1992
In October of 1992, the diving students of Pearson College were able to help with the underwater filming for the Canadian Underwater Safari production. This series of 24 one hour television programs was broadcast live to schools and museum audiences across Canada and the US on the Anik E2 Satellite. Since that time the programs have been broadcast across the world. We have made available at this location some of the unique underwater footage which was taken by the photographer Darryl Bainbridge. The project was an experiment in using technology along with many volunteer hours to help to bring the fragile ecology of this unique area to the world. Our thanks to B.C.Parks for the intial funding to launch the production. The Royal B.C. Museum and its staff , Shaw Cable, BC Systems, BC Tel and many volunteers who provided assistance with this project.
This video is of Pearson College student Jason Reid ( PC yr. 18) discovering a wolf eel Anarrhichthys ocellatus while the program was broadcasting live. Cameraman Darryl Bainbridge followed the huge fish for some time and caught it feeding on a green sea urchin.
OTHER REFERENCES TO THIS PROGRAM ARE IN THESE POSTS:
https://www.racerocks.ca/tag/underwater-safari/
Living on a shelf off the North side of Great Rocks is a Wolf Eel often seen by divers. This very gentle fish cooperated with us for one session allowing some very interesting poses. On this dive, Jason Reid (LBPC year 18) encounters the wolf eel
The fish shows patience while looking for its favourite food
Jason offers the wolf eel a green urchin
as it eats, clouds of urchin roe puff out of he urchin
Swimming away with his “catch”
| A harbour seal was inquisitive with the divers |
A gentle nose to nose with a diver
There was a video published by the Friends of the Royal British Columbia Museum and authored by Brent Cooke and Roger Frampton on the Underwater Safari program: the following gives information on it.
https://www.worldcat.org/title/canadian-underwater-safari/oclc/41934389#borrow
