Rural Development Institute is Looking for Pilot Communities

The RDI will be working with communities to measure climate change adaptation, poverty reduction, and economic development performance. They'll also be working with communities to better understand how to use assets as an attraction tool. Communities interested in becoming a pilot community for any of the above projects are encouraged to complete an application by June 30th, 2016.    Learn more.

Welcome CMI's New President

The Columbia Mountains Institute welcomes Carrie Nadeau as their new Board President.  They share their thanks to Brendan Wilson for his dedication over the last ten years as President. Brendan will be serving as Vice-President on the CMI Board this year. View website

CBT Non-profit Advisors Program

Through CBT's new Non-profit Advisors Program, non-profit organizations in the Basin can address a variety of organizational development needs. It offers non-profits a new approach to help increase capacity, become more sustainable and become more efficient.

In addition to providing information resources, the program can connect a non-profit with an advisor who will assess the organization and provide recommendations. Where the advisor determines additional specialized consulting support is needed, the program may subsidize those services. For more information click here. 

The BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (FLNRO) 

FLNRO is conducting a needs assessment to identify specific information gaps in four of FLNRO's natural resource regions. These natural resource regions include the Cariboo, Kootenay/Boundary, Omineca and Skeena natural resource regions . This assessment will be used to inform the development of an applied research strategy to support sustainable water resource management in BC. Similar needs assessments have already been completed in the Northeast, Thompson-Okanagan and both Coast regions of BC*; therefore, your support in completing this survey will greatly help to develop a comprehensive applied research strategy for BC.

Complete the survey here.  

Report Didymosphenia blooms in the Columbia Basin

Have you seen Didymosphenis blooms?  'Didymo' or rock snot blooms have been occurring with greater frequency in many parts of the world.  Though the species is endemic to the region, the blooms are a new phenomenon.  There are a number of different hypotheses to explain why they are occurring, but our understanding is still limited.  Didymo leads to fouling of the river environment and can lead to complications for fish.  Report the presence of a bloom here. 

CBT Recreation Infrastructure Grants

Next application deadline: July 11

Whether you enjoy lawn bowling or golf, take to the backcountry on foot, skis or bike, or prefer to hit a tennis ball or pickle ball, dozens of expansions, improvements and new developments to the spaces that keep you moving are on their way. Thanks to Columbia Basin Trust's Recreation Infrastructure Grants, 42 projects around the region are getting over $3.5 million in support.

The Trust announced the $9-million, three-year program in January 2016. It provides financial support to help communities and groups build new recreation infrastructure or upgrade existing recreation infrastructure. Read more

Grassland and Rangeland Enhancement Program

Delivered for the Columbia BasinTrust 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. Currently accepting applications for projects for the 2016 funding. Read more

CBT Environment Grant Projects up to $10,000 

Starting April 11, applications will be available for groups seeking grants of up to $10,000 for their environmental projects. Visit the Environmental Grants page for more information. Read more

Selkirk College, Castlegar

Integrated Environmental Planning Instructor

Closing Date: June 3, 2016

The School of Environment and Geomatics (SEG) is seeking and instructor in the Integrated Environment Planning Technology (IEP) Program to teach second year students Applied Microbiology, Environmental Chemistry and Water and Air Pollution Chemistry in lecture, field and laboratory settings. The successful applicant will work under the direction of the School Chair of SEG and work closely with staff in the IEP program. Posting details 

Center for Large Landscape Conservation, Bozeman, Montana

Conservation Scientist/Spacial Ecologist

Closing Date: Until filled

The Conservation Scientist/Spatial Ecologist will oversee CLLC's Science Program. The program is designed to bring landscape scale conservation science more fully into large landscape conservation practice by delivering actionable science to practitioners in support of informed action. Posting details

Wednesday, June 1, 1:00 - 2:30 pm ET

Natural Resources Canada Webinar : Energy and Climate Change Adaptation - How Industry Leaders Tackle the Challenge

Adapting to Climate Change - State of Play and Recommendations for the Electricity Sector in Canada

This first part of this webinar will address climate change risks for the electricity sector. It will review tools and approaches to integrate climate change into management practices and provide recommendations for all stakeholders.

Case Studies on Adaptation in the Energy Sector - Overcoming Barriers to Adaptation

The second half of this webinar will present cases studies of adaptation practices from the broader energy sector and different regions of the world. It will offer potential solutions to address adaptation priorities in the Canadian energy sector. More info

Great Northern Landscape Conservation Cooperative Webinar: University of Montana's Wildlife Biology Program: Advancing Wildlife and Landscape Conservation through Science Applications

Presenter: Chad Bishop, Director, Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana

Register here

June 9, 10 AM PST 

Conservation Biology Institute Webinar

Geomorphic & Climatic Controls on Water Temperature & Streambed Scour, Copper River Delta, Alaska

Presenter: Luca A. Adelfio, PhD Canditate, Oregon State Unviersity Department of Water Resources More info

June 13-16, 2016 | Summerland

Pacific Regional Society of Soil Science

Summer Soil ID Course: South Okanagan

Every summer the PRSSS hosts a soil identification course that is suitable for both the soil professional and soil curious alike. This year the course is being held in the South Okanagan. See course page for details and to register.  

Spatially Explicit Capture-Recapture (SECR) Modeling

Instructor: Murray Effort of the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

SECR is used for estimating animal population density and related parameters. The method combines a spatial population model and a spatial (distance-dependent) detection model. It has been used extensively for the analysis of data from DNA hair snags, automatic cameras, and conventional traps.

See course page for more details and to register. 

Sept 30 - Oct 2 | Glacier National Park

CBEEN 2016 Voices for Sustainability Symposium

Reduced early bird rates are available until June 30. We will be hosting our fall Sustainability Symposium at the Alpine Club of Canada's Wheeler Hut in spectacular Glacier National Park. This small-scale professional development retreat brings together educators who live in the same bioregion to form a rich learning community meet to share, support, and collaborate with one another.  Click here for more information and to register. 

Great Northern Landscape Conservation Cooperative: 7th Annual Northwest Climate Conference

The annual NW Climate Conference is the region's premier opportunity for a cross-disciplinary exchange of knowledge and ideas relating to climate impacts and adaptation. The conference brings together up to 400 researchers, resource managers and policy makers from academia, public agencies, sovereign tribal nations, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector, to share the latest climate science, challenges to infrastructure, industry, environment and communities, and adaptive solutions. Abstracts will be due on July 15. See Conference website for details.

Conservation Biology Institute Data Basin

As environmental conservation problems become more serious and the demand to solve them grows more urgent, building better connections between science, policy, and people is critical. CBI built Data Basin in response to the need to access, interpret, analyze, and communicate using conservation science data. Data Basin is a web-based platform that integrates science, mapping, and people. Data Basin supports users with a wide range of technical capabilities. The functionality supports technical specialists, decision makers, and members of the interested public. 

The core of Data Basin is free and provides:  

Visit the Data Basin. 

BC Stewardship Series

Stewardship Centre for British Columbia 

The informative and widely acclaimed Stewardship Series challenges British Columbians with a new vision: to link human development and natural ecosystems, to focus limited human resources on limited natural resources and to create healthier and more sustainable communities.

The Stewardship Series is a roster of 19 guides published over the past 18 years that provides scientific, legal and technical information on protecting BC's natural heritage and implementing stewardship practices particularly in urban and sub-urban areas.

Click here to view the guides in the Stewardship Series