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Conservation in the Kootenays
Monthly eNews
The final webinar in our Winter Webinar Series is coming up on March 7.
Click here to register online.
Details are available in the KCP News & Events sections below. If you couldn't make the other webinars, all the recordings are available
on our website.
And we're excited to present the first-ever KCP Local Government Forum this month in Creston.
The forum is for local government elected officials and staff, and will focus on the theme of "Tools for Conservation in the Kootenays". The Forum Agenda can be viewed here.
Please click
here
throughout the month to check in on current news and events. You can click
here
for our KCP Partner list and click
here
to read more about some of the great organizations that support conservation in the Kootenays. You can also like us on
Facebook
to hear more news from partners throughout the month.
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KCP Winter Webinar Series
2019 Theme: Conservation in the Context of Climate Change - Restoration in Action
The 2019 Winter Webinar Series is focusing on the Fall Gathering theme of "Conservation in the Context of Climate Change".
On March 7th, Marc Trudeau, (Rocky Mountain Trench Natural Resource Society) will discuss the Rocky Mountain Trench Ecosystem Restoration Program. The recordings of our first three webinars are available on our website.
KCP Local Government Forum
March 13, Creston
People in the Kootenays value fish and wildlife and their habitats, clean water and aquatic systems, and open spaces like grasslands. Local governments play a key role in protecting these values. The goal of this Forum is to identify specific tools/resources required by local governments of the Kootenays to integrate conservation principles into planning. This is an event for local government elected officials and staff.
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019 KCP Fall Gathering - Save the Date!
October 4-5, Invermere
Did you have a fun, enlightening time at the 2018 Fall Gathering - or wish you did because you missed it? Mark your calendar for the 2019 event, which will be taking place in Invermere in the East Kootenay. The KCP Fall Gathering & AGM serves as one of the primary vehicles to connect and re-connect KCP partners from across the region, complete with a guest speakers series, field tour, catered meals and more at no cost to attendees.
Visit the Fall Gathering page for coverage of the 2018 event.
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Lake Windermere Ambassadors
New report offers insight into the Waterbirds of Lake Windermere
The main purpose of a new report completed by Goldeneye Ecological Services for the Lake Windermere Ambassadors is to provide information for what is currently known about the waterbird species that utilize Lake Windermere habitat. Lake Windermere bird data retrieved from an online database (eBird) was reviewed and indicates that 165 bird species have been detected at Lake Windermere, 17 of these species are considered to be at-risk. This report provides the findings of a single-day bird count conducted on the northern half of Lake Windermere in September 2018.
Wildsight Golden
Columbia Wetlands Waterbird Survey - Spring 2019
This year, Wildsight Golden is wrapping up the Columbia Wetlands Waterbird Survey (CWWS). This project will be in its fifth and final year. Since 2015, the CWWS has engaged more than 170 volunteering citizens in documenting more than 322,000 birds in the Columbia Wetlands. Bird surveys during the spring migration will be occurring in the Columbia Wetlands from 8 to 11 a.m. on each of the three following dates: Wednesday, April 3rd; Wednesday, April 10th; and Tuesday, April 16th.
Living Lakes Canada
New multi-million-dollar partnership will revolutionize freshwater monitoring
Living Lakes Canada is partnering with World Wildlife Fund Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Genome Canada and the University of Guelph to deliver a three-year project bringing environmental DNA technology to communities across Canada. Environmental DNA technology allows for faster creation of more robust freshwater health data.
Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program
Join the discussion on updating the Columbia Region's Action Plans
In April, the Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program is hosting two online information sessions and eight half-day, technical workshops in April to discuss updates to their Columbia Region Action Plans. Please save the date and RSVP if you can join an online information session or an afternoon workshop.
East Kootenay Invasive Species Council
New course offerings
The East Kootenay Invasive Species Council is offering an array of new courses through the summer season on invasive plant identification and management. Details on the first three courses taking place in May can be found in the events section below.
Columbia Basin Watershed Network
CBWN/SGRC Summer Mapping Program intake now open
In partnership with the Selkirk Geospatial Research Centre, CBWN is now accepting applications for the 2019 Summer Mapping Program. This is an opportunity for your watershed group to work with a GIS student to create snazzy maps that engage your community. Communicate complex watershed information in beautiful and easy-to-understand maps.
Click here for more information on the program.
Wolverine Denning Habits Project
Have you seen signs of wolverine?
Female wolverine have low reproductive rates and are particularly vulnerable to human disturbance at den sites. Consequently, recognizing and protecting denning habitat during the reproductive season is probably essential to species persistence on the landscape. Doris Hausleitner and Andrea Kortello, two wildlife biologists from Nelson, will be launching the new phase of their wolverine project in winter/spring 2019. Their objective is to identify explicit locations used by wolverine for denning, thereby providing the specific information needed to target access management and improve habitat where it is most effective for conservation. Please consider helping them by reporting any wolverine tracks and animal sightings.
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KCP Winter Webinar Series - Rocky Mountain Trench Ecosystem Restoration Program
March 7, Online
Join Marc Trudeau for the fourth and final webinar in the
KCP Winter Webinar Series. Marc is the coordinator for the Rocky Mountain Trench Natural Resources Society and will be discussing Ecosystem Restoration (ER) in the Rocky Mountain Trench. As long ago as the 1950s, it was becoming evident that the grasslands and open forests of the Southern Trench were changing for the worse. Modern-day wildfire suppression was bringing an end to the cycle of frequent, low intensity fires that maintained these ecosystems for thousands of years. In this webinar, we will discuss the impacts of wildfire suppression, fire ecology, ER strategies, operations and monitoring within the Rocky Mountain Trench.
Wildsight Golden AGM & Membership Drive Raffle
March 12 & 13, Golden
Wildsight Golden is holding its AGM on March 13 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Andrew's Centre for Peace and encourages interested individuals to consider putting their name forward for the board of directors. Following the meeting will be refreshments and an evening of Pecha Kucha, and up until March 12 new members have a chance to win a Regan Johnson print.
Click here for more information.
KCP Local Government Forum
March 13, Creston
The goal of this forum is to identify specific tools/resources required by local governments of the Kootenays to integrate conservation principles into planning. The forum will showcase examples of voluntary and regulatory tools that have been used in B.C. to promote conservation in local government activities. If you are a local government elected official or staff in the Kootenays, this event is for you.
Columbia Wetlands Waterbird Survey
April 3, 10 & 16, Columbia Wetlands
Wildsight Golden is currently seeking citizen-scientists to survey for birds near Parson, Spillimacheen, Brisco, Radium, Wilmer, Windermere, Invermere and Columbia Lake. A major goal of the CWWS is to collect baseline data necessary for achieving Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) status for the Columbia Wetlands. A limited number of high quality optical gear sets can be lent to those in need. Free bird ID training is available to all participants. If you are interested in participating in the CWWS or have questions, please email
racheldarvill@gmail.com or call the Wildsight Golden office at 250-344-5530.
Big Game Symposium
April 13, Cranbrook
The Kootenay Wildlife Heritage Fund has organized a one-day Big Game Symposium with six professional presenters, each covering a different topic relating to the decline of big game populations in the Kootenay District and across British Columbia, particularly elk, moose, mountain sheep and deer. The event takes place April 13 at Key City Theatre in Cranbrook.
Critical Habitat Screening Workshop
April 17, Revelstoke
Habitat loss and modification are leading causes of population decline in many rare and endangered species. The federal Species At Risk Act (SARA) describes Critical Habitat (CH) as the habitat that is necessary for the survival or recovery of a listed wildlife species (schedule 1), and that is identified as the species' critical habitat in a recovery strategy or in an action plan for the species. Many projects now require screening for critical habitat (CH) as part of the impact assessment process. This workshop offered by the Columba Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology will provide tools and methods for screening for CH, including how to obtain CH mapping information; how to determine if one has the most current CH information for a given species; how Species at Risk (SAR) legislation is applied (for example, in the case of migratory birds that are also species at risk); and how to determine if a SAR permit is required. This workshop will also include an update of the proposed provincial BC Species at Risk legislation.
Columbia Basin Watershed Network Spring Member Meeting & AGM
Cranbrook, April 27
Sustainable funding for water stewardship, Columbia Basin Water Monitoring Framework & Data Hub update, eDNA stories, member updates and more! Stay tuned for speakers, meeting agenda and registration.
Regulated Rivers II: Science, Restoration, and Management of Altered Riverine Environments
May 8-9, Nelson
Regulated waterways provide important services such as flood regulation, power generation with low greenhouse gas emissions, and energy storage. Nevertheless, the damming and regulation of rivers incurs ecological costs via the operation of reservoirs and alteration of downstream flows, combined with the often permanent loss of valley bottom habitat. Regulation affects both upstream (reservoir) and downstream environments, and does so at a range of scales. An increase in smaller hydro-electric (i.e. run-of-river) projects has led to a spike in research around their unique impacts, and many of these projects are concluding their 5-10 year monitoring programs. Several multi-year studies on large reservoir systems (e.g., Arrow Lakes and Kinbasket) in the Columbia River basin are also now nearing completion and these results may play a role in determining future operational scenarios under the Columbia River Treaty. Despite their large footprints, considerable ecological function remains in these regulated systems. The wealth of research that continues to emerge increases our understanding of ecosystem processes within regulated rivers with the potential to mitigate footprint and operational impacts to plants, fish, and wildlife.
This 2019 conference, which is a follow-up to the 2015 "Regulated Rivers: Environment, Ecology and Management" conference held in Castlegar, will provide a platform for the dissemination of findings to peers, First Nations, stakeholders, students, and community members from studies that are nearing completion or have been completed since 2015.
Creston Valley Bird Fest 2019
May 10-12, Creston
Explore the wonderful bird biodiversity of the Creston Valley. Besides guided birding tours and family friendly kayaking on the Kootenay River, events include night outings, art workshops and visits to local food producers. Keynote speaker Dr. David Bird will present on "Watching Birds Naked", a humourous but educational slide show on the sensory ecology of birds. Remove those beautiful coats of feathers and you'll discover that birds have some of the most incredible physical and physiological adaptations to keep them in tune with their environment and with each other. As an Emeritus Professor of Wildlife Biology of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Dr. Bird has published close to 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers and supervised 50 graduate students on a wide range of wildlife themes, most recently the application of UAVs (drones) to wildlife research and conservation. Online registration and in-person registration at the College of the Rockies opens first week of April 2019.
Priority Invasive Plant Identification Course
May 21, Invermere
This professional level course offered by the East Kootenay Invasive Species Council identifies the top priority invasive plant species across the East Kootenay region. These species have known sites in the region with varying degrees of establishment. Proper identification of these species is critical to preventing new infestations. The course takes place at
College of the Rockies - Invermere Campus from 1 to 5 p.m.
Invasive Plant Management Techniques
May 28, Cranbrook & May 30, Invermere
This introductory level course offered by the East Kootenay Invasive Species Council teaches proper management techniques for people who manage invasive plants at an operational level. The course takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at both locations.
Bumble Bee Biodiversity, Ecology, and Identification
June 17-18, Revelstoke
British Columbia has around 36 bumble bee species and identification to species can be challenging. This Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology course will provide instruction on Bumble Bee (Bombus) taxonomy and identification and will be accomplished in a classroom setting through a combination of lectures, problem solving activities, and microscopy. The goal is to provide participants with the skills to conduct research, monitor, and assess these taxa.
The instructor is
Lincoln Best who is the lead taxonomist for the Oregon Bee Project and Atlas at Oregon State University, Corvallis in partnership with the Oregon Department of Agriculture.
The 6th International Columbia River Transboundary Conference - Save the Date!
September 12-14, Kimberley
Join Columbia Basin Trust and the Northwest Power and Conservation Council from September 12 to 14, 2019 in Kimberley, B.C. to connect and collaborate on the future of the Columbia River.
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019 KCP Fall Gathering - Save the Date!
October 4-5, Invermere
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Pathway to Target 1 Challenge Fund
Deadline: March 29
The Pathway to Canada Target 1 Challenge is part of Canada's Nature Fund. It will leverage provinces and territories, Indigenous people and the private and non-profit sectors to collaborate towards making significant progress in meeting the terrestrial elements of Target 1 of Canada's 2020 Biodiversity Goals and Targets. Target 1 states: "By 2020, at least 17% of terrestrial areas and inland water, and 10% of coastal and marine areas, are conserved through networks of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures." Proponents from across the public and private sectors, as well as provinces, territories and indigenous organizations are encouraged to submit applications for conservation activities that complement and contribute to Target 1.
Canada Nature Fund: Community-Nominated Priority Places for Species at Risk
Canada Nature Fund: Community-Nominated Priority Places (CNPP) for Species at Risk is a 4-year (2019 to 2020 through 2022 to 2023) $15.6 million funding initiative administered by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). CNPP is seeking joint proposals (lead applicant plus one or more partners) that: identify defined priority places where there are opportunities to protect and recover multiple terrestrial species at risk listed under the Species at Risk Act and their habitat; and implement coordinated, multi-partner conservation actions in these identified priority places. Projects should result in a high return on investment and benefits to multiple species.
Columbia Basin Trust Career Internship Program
Deadline: First-come, first-served basis
CBT's new Career Internship Program provides wage funding for employers to hire college and university graduates in permanent, career-focused positions. Eligible employers are businesses, registered non-profits, municipalities, regional districts and Indigenous organizations within the Columbia Basin Trust region that have a demonstrated fiscal and organizational need for an intern and wage funding. The funding is up to 50 per cent of the new employee's wage over the first seven to 12 months, to a maximum of $25,000. The intern position must include a training plan that provides structured learning to the new employee and transitions to full-time, permanent employment at the end of the internship.
Vancouver Foundation Systems Change Grants - Develop Grants
Deadline: Ongoing
Systems Change Grants support projects that take action to address the root causes of pressing social, environmental or cultural issues by influencing the behaviours of populations, organizations, and institutions. Short-term grants (Develop grants) are a one-time application that can be submitted any time throughout the year and decisions are made the following month. The next granting cycle for multi-year grants (Test and Scale grants) opens January 2, 2019.
Grassland and Rangeland Enhancement Program
Deadline: Ongoing
Delivered for the Columbia Basin Trust by the Kootenay Livestock Association, the Grassland and Rangeland Enhancement Program supports efforts to maintain and/or enhance grassland resources while meeting conservation, environmental and recreational objectives. Objectives include promoting the stewardship of the grassland resource, striving to maintain and enhance biodiversity and long-term fish and wildlife productivity in public grassland ecosystems and improving compatibility between livestock management and recreation use.
Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program Community Engagement Grant
Deadline: Ongoing
The goal of the Community Engagement Grant is to provide an opportunity for FWCP stakeholders (e.g. environmental groups, rod and gun clubs, non-profits, stewardship organizations, government, and First Nations), to apply for small amounts of funding to support their conservation and enhancement work.
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Kootenay Columbia Discovery Centre Society
Wetland Naturalist
Do you have a love of nature and science? Are you passionate about inspiring people about the natural world? As a Wetland Naturalist, you will motivate, inspire, and connect children and adults to the wonderful world of wetlands by providing quality environmental education programs and front country excursions at the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area.The deadline to apply is March 1.
Click here for the full job posting.
Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society
Invasive Species Program Assistant
Under the direct supervision and guidance of the CSISS Executive Director and Program Coordinators, the Program Assistant will be responsible for carrying out various functions of the Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society's programs, including assisting with terrestrial and aquatic field programs, developing and delivering educational programs including local events, workshops and activities, as well as working with stakeholders, to ensure a coordinated approach to invasive species management in the region. The deadline to apply is March 4.
Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area
Wildlife Technician
The Creston Valley Wildlife Management Authority is looking for a dedicated and passionate candidate to fill a Wildlife Technician position for a six-month period. Responsibilities will be to assist with wildlife surveys on a variety of projects. The closing deadline is Friday, March 8
at 4:30 p.m. MST.
The Nature Trust of BC
Conservation Crew Technician
The Nature Trust of BC - Kootenay Region is currently hiring a Conservation Crew Technician in Cranbook. This position will provide experience in conservation land management with an organization that has a strong reputation for conserving diverse wildlife and plant habitat across the province. Applications will be accepted until March 14, 2019 at 4:30pm (MDT).
Parliamentary Internship for the Environment
Applications are now open for the 2019-2020 Parliamentary Internship.
The GreenPAC Parliamentary Internship for the Environment, with support from the Sustainability Network
, offers young leaders (aged 18-30) the chance to gain invaluable training and experience from Canada's top environmental champions on Parliament Hill. The program runs from September 2019 to June 2020, and includes a monthly stipend. Applications forms
are due by midnight (EST) on March 15, 2019.
Click here for more information and to apply.
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Kootenay Conservation Program
Conservation Resources for our Region
The Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP) helps partners to coordinate and facilitate conservation efforts on private land, and in an effort to support this, KCP has developed a webpage that compiles some of the best conservation and stewardship resources available for our region.
Securing Private Land for Conservation in the Kootenays
FAQ document available online
KCP has prepared a Frequently Asked Questions document to provide an overview of conservation securement in the Kootenays. This is a living document that may be updated regularly to reflect the evolving and variable securement process.
Click here for the online PDF.
Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
BC Water Tool
The BC Water Tool is a modular application which provides access to water related data and knowledge in support of sustainable resource management. On this site you'll find custom watershed reports for every stream, river and watershed in the Kootenay Boundary Region. You'll also find monitoring data from more than 50 organizations, at more than 50,000 locations across southern B.C.
Click here to access the BC Water Tool.
Real Estate Foundation of BC
Opinion Poll: BC Views on Land Use, Sustainability, and Rural Planning
Through a public opinion survey, the Real Estate Foundation of BC (REFBC) found that British Columbians value nature and the environment, desire a sustainable economic future, and support stiff penalties for people and organizations who pollute land and water.
Click here for a summary and to download the full report.
Canadian Land Trust Alliance
Canadian Land Trust Standards and Practices revised
After a 15-month consultation process, the Canadian Land Trust Alliance has released the revised version of the Canadian Land Trust Standards and Practices. It means that the land trust community in Canada benefits from more readable, accessible and up-to-date industry standards. It will help land trusts to uphold public trust, and build stronger and more effective land conservation programs. While the Canadian Land Trust Standards and Practices are designed primarily for land trusts with charitable status, they also provide important guidance for any organization or government agency that holds lands or conservation agreements for the benefit of the public.
Click here to download the revised version.
Association of State Wetland Managers
ASWM-NRCS Wetland Training Webinar Series
This webinar series has been designed to provide participants with a general level of knowledge about wetlands and wetland restoration options and considerations. Participants will come away from trainings with key knowledge, the ability to be more conversant about wetland issues, knowing what questions to ask when looking at restoration opportunities, and knowing when to contact or bring in an expert.
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| If you have news or announcements that you would like to share via our eNews, please email them to communications@kootenayconservation.ca by the 25th of each month. |
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