The River Is Wide

It has been a very busy few weeks here at KISC, but the good type of busy. The Eco Programme has introduced new programmes, reintroduced some old ones and completed solar workshops with other organizations. One of the most exciting events of the summer was the rising waters of the Kander, which brought us a little closer to nature than we could have hoped. 

 

  

The Kander river normal (top), low in the winter (middle) and high in the summer (bottom).

           

                Rivers all around the world, the Kander included, rise and fall over time. If a river overflows its banks and floods the natural surroundings and vegetation, it is called an ecological disturbance. These disturbances are key to the cycle of an ecosystem and can be found everywhere. In short, disturbances clear out an ecosystem when it has become overgrown. This creates a blank page for new organisms to move in and with time, grow into a new system of life. That is called ecological secession.

                Don’t be fooled, ecological disturbance and secession happen all the world over, from avalanches in the mountains taking out trees, to earthquakes and volcanoes in the pacific creating massive damages in their wake. Where ever you may be reading these words, there is a natural way for your local ecosystem to renew itself.

                We have had one of the wettest summers here in Kandersteg in recent memory, which has not only caused trouble with our programmes, but also with possible hazards when it comes to the river coming a little too close to home. The river has overflowed before, even causing the bakery in town to flood (including their flour storage rooms). Thanks to local construction in the last few years, the banks of the river are reinforced with boulders to prevent erosion of the banks and for further complications to arise. Here at the center, we have procedures in place for when the river could get too high. Thanks to our Maintenance Manager Janus (DK), with many Pinkies and Greenies, flooding was controlled by pumps from the chalet drains and sewage systems, while flood areas such as the parking lot and drains were closed off to prevent further problems.

It shows that, while nature can cause complications, we can and do as humans learn to live with our environment with proper preparation. In fact, the more we educate ourselves about our surroundings, like the rivers and the mountains that surround our little mountain chalet, the more comfortable and happy we can be.

Tad Sigman (US)

Eco Assistant