Evergreen B.C. is encouraging Burnaby residents to trade in this weekend's sand and sun for a chance to get their hands a little dirty.
The organization's Uncover Your Creeks program, an initiative aimed at teaching people how to become watershed stewards, wraps up Saturday at Jim Lorimer Park.
Locals are taught streamkeeping basics, including invasive plant removal and water quality testing.
"We give them a general overview of how we in an urban watershed impact the health of creeks by the things we do every single day," said Evergreen's Sharon Johal. "Everything from fertilizer use to washing your car on the street."
Johal added the survival of these last remaining waterways is crucial to wildlife.
"We saw salmon come back to spawn last fall. It's important we take care of it because it's right in the middle of an industrial park, with a Home Depot and a SkyTrain station across the street."
According to Johal, the free drop-in event has been a real success since it kicked off in June.
"Public awareness is on the rise. I get a lot of emails asking about the program," she said. "When you see those people come out, they definitely take something away from it."
Participants must wear closed-toed shoes, bring water and meet at the park just before 10 a.m. Snacks and tools will be provided. For more information and to register, visit www.uncoveryourcreeks.ca. Evergreen is a national not-for-profit that was established in 1991.
