Imagine you are living in the Creston Valley in 1942 – and getting caught up in the hottest debate of the time: Should the flats west of Creston be reclaimed for farmland? Or should the natural marshes and lakes out there be left for the ducks?
In the Valley’s early settler history, the answer to that question was pretty much unanimous. But starting in 1942, the question of whether to continue reclamation centred on Duck Lake, the Valley’s last remaining area of natural wetlands – and suddenly things weren’t quite so unanimous anymore.
We created this special presentation for the 2022 Creston Valley Bird Festival. Everyone liked it so much we’ve been asked to give it again for members of the Festival committee who couldn’t attend the original – and we’re opening it up to everyone else! Join us on Wednesday, July 13 at 9:00 AM for an in-depth look at the history of reclamation, the preservation of wetlands for wildlife, and the fight over Duck Lake that marked the transition.
Admission by donation.