The 10th anniversary of the Canadaway Creek Conservation Project will be fittingly observed with an afternoon devoted to cleaning up the stream, planting trees and removing invasive plant species, along with an educational presentation and community cookout on Saturday, June 20.
Sponsored by SAREP/4H Youth Fly Fishing, the annual event draws as many as 150 people of all ages who work together to protect the local stream.
Due to restoration efforts, the creek now boasts some of the finest steelhead fishing in the country and generates significant tourism revenue for the area. The not-for-profit youth fishing program also successfully reintroduced brook trout in the creek following a 100-year absence.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to meet other interesting folks in the community that are interested in making a positive difference in their local environment,” said Alberto Rey, founder and co-director of SAREP/4H Youth Fly Fishing and Distinguished Professor of Visual Arts and New Media at Fredonia.
Activities begin at 11:30 a.m. with registration and distribution of maps of the creek at the gazebo located behind the Fredonia Fire Hall on at 80 W. Main St. Participants will be treated to a free lunch and receive t-shirts and caps. James Markham, a senior aquatic biologist with the Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, will give a short educational presentation on the creek at 1 p.m. Participants will then report to designated sections of the creek and begin to clean up the creek, remove invasive species and plant willow or dogwood trees.
Participants are encouraged to bring felt bottom boots or other shoes that can be used for wet wading. All children must be accompanied by a parent.
Everyone is to return to the gazebo by 3 p.m. for a celebratory get-together and cake that commemorates the restoration program’s milestone.
For the last 17 years, the SAREP/4H Youth Fly Fishing program, directed by John Straight, Jim Wilcox and Rey, has worked with the Cornell Cooperative Extension Association, local schools and community groups to provide children with information and experiences related to aquatic resources, conservation, ethics and fly-fishing.
