Forests

2025 Forest Trust For the Children of Cortes Island Society AGM

This broadcast opened with the Klahoose Singers chanting a blessing to the forest and the land in general,  at the Forest Trust For The Children of Cortes Island Society AGM on Saturday, April 5, 2025.   

As many of you are aware, the Society was set up to try and obtain 624 acres of forest adjacent to Carrington Bay Regional Park on Cortes Island, that are currently managed by Mosaic. Around 40 people were present when Chair Chris Dragseth announced they were making progress in the negotiations for 261 acres. 

 “The society’s been in place for 15 years and we’ve been in serious discussions with Mosaic since 2019, about the operational issues around negotiating a fair market value for the properties. We’ve done some work jointly with Mosaic over this period of time. We’ve hired timber valuation companies and land valuation companies to come to a point where we’ve had what we feel is a fair market value for the property. The big step is coming up. We are probably going to be in a position in the very near future to actually make an offer. This will really be the key point for 2025,” he began.

“Once that agreement is reached, the clock will start ticking because it will have a built in provision to allow us to do serious and significant fundraising over the coming months.”

“We can’t and are unable at this point to give the value yet because we haven’t finalized the price with Mosaic, but it’s my expectation and my hope that in the very near future we’re going to be able to give you some very positive news. Then we’ll start moving forward.” 

The Society intends to purchase another 363 acres that are not included in this initial purchase.   

Chris Dragseth: “There’s still three properties that are not in the package right now. Those three parcels were put into the carbon capture by Mosaic, through the Big Coast Program, and  they have another 20 years to unfold before those properties will come up for discussion. Those parcels will eventually become part of  a longer term discussion.  Once we take possession, probably in a year’s time is what we’re hoping for, then a longer term vision will be required.” 

Christine Robinson gave a slideshow of the property, what had taken place during the year, and an outline of the society’s history. 

She asked, “I’m just curious, if you’ve been anywhere in the Children’s Forest, just raise your hand.” 

 It seemed like the whole room responded.

Christine Robinson: “Lovely. We have a very familiar audience right now, all of you pretty much long term on Cortes, but it is  a gem in the heart of Cortes.”

As the audio quality was poor, here is a quick summary of her talk as written in the slideshow: 

The Klahoose Singers

The Children’s Forest Trust was created in 2010 and would not have been possible without the expressed support of the Klahoose First Nation. 

These lands are ecologically significant and support 14 species at risk and the rare occurrences of 11 ecological communities.

Cortes Island is part of the Discovery Islands Archipelago that forms a ‘bridge’ between Mainland British Columbia and Vancouver Island and may provide important information on genetic diversity in species.

The geographic location of the 50th parallel north marks the transition between the Coastal Douglas-fir and Coastal Western Hemlock bio geoclimatic zones.

Important wildlife corridors are provided by landscape level ecological networks through the Children’s Forest.

In the last 12 years the Forest Trust For The Children of Cortes Island Society has delivered a strong youth nature based program that has become an important part of the youth culture on Cortes Island.

Some of the key activities that their program has included are the creation of a youth documentary, 4 Bio-blitzes, Youth theatre, Art shows and the Streamkeepers program.

Local biologist Sabina Leader Mense holding up a wolf’s skull

Local biologist Sabina Leader pointed out, “One of the reasons Cortes Island is so attractive to outside researchers is that nobody has done a lot of research here, even historically. We were too far away. The universities never made it this far, so there are very, very few assessments in the universities-  SFU, UBC, or Victoria, or the museums, for example. Researchers are very excited to come to Cortes and receive an invitation, so we’ll work with that.” 

Christine Robinson: “Looking at the photos, in the center that’s Paul Stamets doing some storytelling down at Grandmother Grove. On the right, the very esteemed gentleman in the white beard is Paul Kroeger, who’s another fantastic mycologist. Then on the bottom left,  in the blue jacket is Andy McKinnon who has been with us from the very beginning, guiding us and  as a research associate.”

“SFU students came in June of last year and spent  a field day in the Children’s Forest. What was remarkable to those of us that were there, was their sense of awe at being in a place that was not set up with signs and business.  Some of them were in tears at the quiet and just spent a day lying in the sun in one of the old homesteads. They were ‘blown away’ by the place. We don’t quite take this for granted, but it’s become part of our fabric and  it’s a good thing to see how other people see something.” 

“We did a lovely field day with the Cortes school, as they’re really focusing more on place-based education. We had a great partnership with the Cortes Island Academy and last year especially, we did our work with Jessie Louie,  who is Chief Kevin Peasey’s mother and an Elder.”

(She is referring to a special program in which Jessie Louie taught the Ayajuthem words, and some of the properties of specific plants.) 

Christine Robinson: “We had permission through fisheries to continue the work that we’ve done in James Creek, building five human redds which are meant to create increased spawning gravel beds for the salmon to come in and spawn.”  

“We do Fall spawner counts. We do the Christmas and Spring migratory bird counts in association with the Cortes Island Museum and Birds Canada. We do our monthly major days, over 110 morning or afternoon forest walks in 12 years and you are always welcome to come.”

Mark Lombard: “Christine, how many of those do you think you’ve attended or led?”  

Christine Robinson: “I will correct you, we try not to lead.” 

Mark Lombard: “Okay,  my point being an appreciation of your ongoing participation.” 

Some of the audience

This sparked a mixture of laughter and applause, after which Christine asked, “What’s next, do you want to say anything there?”

Chris Dragseth:  “I think it is pretty well covered if all the plans come together, we’ll be in possession of properties next year.”

Christine Robinson: “ So imagine always the forest entrust to the children. May the children’s forest be with you.”

Links of Interest:

All photos were part of the meeting slideshow or were taken by Roy L Hales

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