June 26, 2025
Last month, a group of North Vancouver high school students exchanged their usual science classroom for the outdoors when they took part in a hands-on educational opportunity led by the Coho Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting local waterways vital to salmon.
The Coho Society works in partnership with local businesses like Seaspan, as well as government agencies, environmental groups like the North Shore Streamkeepers, and local First Nations to raise awareness about salmon habitat conservation.
With support from Seaspan, the Coho Society leads educational programming for youth in the community as part of their environmental stewardship efforts. With the MacKay Creek Estuary — a key example of salmon habitat — located between Bodwell High School and Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards, it seemed like the perfect place to start.
That’s why on a Thursday afternoon, Grade 11 students and their science teacher walked over from Bodwell High School down to the rocky beach where MacKay Creek flows into Burrard Inlet — meeting marine biologist Doug Swanston, who had an engaging, hands-on lesson planned.
To help make the lesson a success, the Coho society and Doug collaborated with volunteers from the Department of Fisheries and the North Shore Streamkeepers, who had set up a small seine net in the water earlier that day.
A Closer Look at Local Sea Life
When students arrived at the shoreline, the net was slowly drawn in — revealing an incredible variety of sea life including juvenile Coho salmon, Dungeness crabs, prickly sculpins, and other species native to the Burrard Inlet. The marine creatures were carefully transferred to water-filled buckets for temporary observation.
Students were fully engaged — leaning in to get a closer look, asking thoughtful questions, and snapping photos. Many expressed surprise at the biodiversity found just steps from their school. Doug guided them through species identification and shared facts about how local habitats function, what salmon need to survive, and the challenges marine ecosystems face.
Afterward, volunteers gently returned the marine life to the water, and students had time to ask final questions before heading back to school. Members of Seaspan’s Environment team were also on hand to speak with students.
“We’re proud to support the Coho Society in their efforts to protect and revitalize salmon habitat,” said Adrien Byrne, Stakeholder & Community Relations Manager at Seaspan. “What makes this initiative even more meaningful is involving young people from our community — like students from Bodwell High School, located right across from our Vancouver Shipyards and MacKay Creek.”
About the MacKay Creek Estuary
Seaspan has long supported habitat restoration efforts at the MacKay Creek Estuary, working with local governments, environmental organizations, and volunteers to remove debris and invasive species from the creek and shoreline.
But what is an estuary, and why is it important for salmon?
An estuary is the tidal mouth of a river, where freshwater mixes with saltwater from the ocean. These transitional zones are rich ecosystems that serve as nurseries for many marine species.
“I like to say that rivers act as the highways that lead to creeks such as MacKay Creek,” said Rob Dundas of the Coho Society. “These creeks and estuaries are critical habitats for young salmon and a wide range of other marine life.”
In 2022, Seaspan completed a major restoration project at the mouth of MacKay Creek, next to Vancouver Shipyards. The project involved reshaping the shoreline, adding natural marine habitat using rocks and native vegetation, and improving water quality — all to encourage biodiversity and provide food and shelter for marine life.
More recently, Seaspan partnered with Inlailawatash, a local Indigenous-owned environmental resource management company, to help monitor and maintain the site and implement long-term improvements.
Working together with community partners like the Coho Society, we remain committed to protecting and enhancing our local marine environment — and inspiring the next generation to do the same.
Related Stories:
- Working together to protect habitat in Mackay creek
- Protecting and Enhancing Marine Life in Burrard Inlet