Conservation in the Kootenays
Monthly eNews
July 2021
Trendy Tools
Featuring profiles from the Stewardship Solutions Online Toolkit
Heron breeding activity has continued to decline in the southern portion of the Columbia Basin, based on 2016 monitoring results. Report nests or aggregations of Great Blue Herons to help monitor breeding and over-wintering populations.

KCP Conservation Ambassador Training
New interactive stewardship workshop series concludes
In May and June, KCP held the first Conservation Ambassador Training (CAT). Using the KCP Stewardship Solutions Online Toolkit as a launching point, this series comprised of three training modules over three consecutive weeks on the topics of Stewardship for Plant & Insect Biodiversity, Stewarding for Bird Nesting & Roosting Habitat, & Stewarding for Water & Wet Habitats during Climate Change. Each module was an interactive and engaging workshop with expert presenters who shared relevant information, case studies of Best Management Practices and innovative techniques to help fellow practitioners become more knowledgeable when they are out doing their work. More than 40 participants learned more about what to look for when conducting landowner outreach, how to open up a conversation with a landowner on these topics, and tips for providing more holistic advice. Sixteen Conservation Ambassador Certificates were issued to those who attended all three workshops. Recordings of each workshop are now available on the KCP website, along with resources related to each of the training modules.

KCP Fall Gathering – Save the Date!
October 15-16, Location TBD
The KCP Fall Gathering & AGM serves as one of the primary venues to connect and re-connect KCP partners from across the region. The KCP Annual Fall Gathering is a wonderful opportunity to learn about conservation projects in the Kootenays, share knowledge and information, and network with other organizations in the region. Normally Day 1 is a full day in-person conference followed by a Day 2 field tour. In 2020 due to COVID-19, the Fall Gathering took a hybrid approach with an online conference followed by small localized tours at four different sites across the Kootenays. A decision about the 2021 format will be made in the coming month. In the meantime, please save the date!
Columbia Basin Trust
Wanted: Large-Scale Ecosystem Enhancement Project Ideas  
Columbia Basin Trust’s Ecosystem Enhancement Program is currently seeking eligible project ideas from across the Columbia Basin. Projects can focus on any ecosystem and must implement on-the-ground restoration and/or enhancements that yield landscape-scale ecosystem benefits. Project ideas are due Friday, August 13, 2021. If you have an idea for a project that will have a meaningful and measurable ecological benefit, contact the Ecosystems Coordinator, Lisa Pavelich at ecosystems@ourtrust.org.

Province of B.C.
Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy
The Province has released B.C.’s draft Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy which strengthens our capacity to anticipate and respond to impacts from climate change. The draft strategy highlights the actions the Province is taking in 2021-22 and presents a suite of proposed actions for 2022-25. The Province is inviting you and/or your organization to provide input on the proposed actions for 2022-25 and the draft guiding principles. The comment period will be open until August 12, 2021. Input will be used to inform the next phase of the strategy, expected to be released in 2022. Email your comments to: ClimateReadyBC@gov.bc.ca. Learn more about the strategy by attending one of the following informational webinars: Webinar 1 - Monday, June 28, 2021 from 12:00 to 2:00 PM PST OR Webinar 2 - Tuesday, July 6, 2021 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM PST. Register here.

Kootenay Community Bat Project
Public assistance required to count bats and find roosts
Bats are returning to summer roost sites, and the Kootenay Community Bat Project is encouraging the public to support them by participating in the BC Annual Bat Count. Volunteers wait outside a known roost site, such as a bat-box, barn, or attic, and count bats as they fly out at twilight. Ideally, one to two counts are done between June 1 and 21 before pups are born, and one to two more between July 11 and August 5 when pups are flying.

Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society
Video: Restoring habitat for shore-spawning kokanee in Kootenay Lake
The Shore-spawning Kokanee Research and Restoration Project, led by the Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society, focuses on collecting data and restoring habitat for declining shore-spawning Kokanee in the West Arm of Kootenay Lake. Gravel installed at a lower elevation than the current rearing habitat will encourage Kokanee to spawn at elevations unaffected by fluctuations in the hydrograph. It is expected that Kokanee will show a preference for restored habitat, reducing the risk of redds being de-watered in the spring.

Wildsight
A Win for Watershed Protection
Relentless advocacy on the part of a Columbia Valley resident is what helped protect her community’s water source, Hardie Creek Spring, from private land logging. This small spring also feeds the Columbia River headwaters. Thanks to her determined efforts, loggings plans were changed to protect some areas of high ecological value above the springs and the Hardie Creek riparian corridor. The landowner also agreed to put these areas in a conservation covenant that will protect them into the future.

West Kootenay EcoSociety
New website: Community in Nature
The West Kootenay EcoSociety has launched the Community in Nature website! This webpage is for the RDCK Area E Nature-based Planning (NBP) project the West Kootenay EcoSociety has been working on. Here you will find information about the project and funding, info about NBP if you aren't yet familiar, and more. There is a Resources page where there are some helpful links, and more will be added as the project evolves. 

Living Lakes Canada
Water Data Webinar Recordings Available & National Lake Blitz
Recordings of the “Why Care About Water Data?” Webinar Series focusing on the Columbia Basin are now available. The purpose of this series is to increase awareness of what water data is, and the value and applications of water data for decision makers and the public. Access the recordings here. Living Lakes Canada is also holding the 1st Annual National Lake Blitz. From June to September 2021, Lake Blitz participants across Canada are helping create a ‘snapshot’ of Canadian freshwater temperature by collecting readings at their local waterbody and by literally taking a snapshot of their location on the lake and the colour of the water in the lake. Participants are mailed a Lake Blitz Test Kit with detailed instructions on how to use the equipment.

Mountain National Parks
Engagement on draft park management plans is now open
Join the conversation! Until July 7, you're invited to provide feedback on the draft park management plans for Banff, Jasper, Waterton Lakes, Yoho, Kootenay, Mount Revelstoke and Glacier national parks. All Canadians are invited to share their views on these plans. The results of this engagement phase will help to finalize the management plans, after which they will be approved and tabled in Parliament and used to guide the overall direction of park management for the next ten years.
Lake Biodiversity Photo Challenge
Until July 31, Your Favourite Lake
Participate in the Lake Biodiversity Photo Challenge for a chance to win prizes from Lush and Kicking Horse Coffee. By July 31st, snap a photo of a lake that demonstrates its biodiversity OR that displays human threats to the lake environment. Submit your photo and the name/location of your lake via the Lake Blitz website OR email your photo(s) to lakeblitz@livinglakescanada.ca OR tag it with #LakeBlitzPhoto on social media. Winning photos will be selected based on biodiversity, human impacts, and a public favourite. There will be one winner per category. Winners will be announced at the end of Lakes Appreciation Month in July. Visit the online photo gallery to view submissions to the Challenge.

Information Webinar: Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy
July 6, Online
The Province has released B.C.’s draft Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy which strengthens our capacity to anticipate and respond to impacts from climate change. The draft strategy highlights the actions the Province is taking in 2021-22 and presents a suite of proposed actions for 2022-25. Learn more about the strategy by attending this informational webinar. For more information visit: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/climatereadybc/.

Toad Watch
July 8, Revelstoke
Wildsight Revelstoke is recruiting volunteers to track and transport SARA-listed Western Toads. Commitment is minimum one to three hours. Meet at the base of Mt Cartier at the trailhead. You will meet the support vehicle, get your PPE and data collection sheets and then be assigned a stretch of road to observe. Read about the Revelstoke toad project here.

Nature Walks
July 17 & 21, Creston
Wildsight Creston continues to host its series of nature walks. These walks are family friendly and will explore various trails and habitats in the Creston Valley. Come out to learn about the ecology of the Creston Valley and have fun. Please sign up in advance for this free event. Space is limited to 20 participants.
Click here for information and to register for July 17 and here for July 21

Webinar Series: Indigenous-led Water Relationships within the Columbia Basin – Save the Date!
August 3, 10, 17 & 23, Online
The “Indigenous-led Water Relationships within the Columbia Basin” webinar series hosted by Living Lakes Canada will occur on four consecutive Tuesdays: August 3, 10, 17 and 23 from 12:30 - 3:30 pm PST/1:30 - 4:30 pm MST. Once finalized, details will be made available on the Living Lakes Canada website complete with speaker information and a link to online registration.

BCWF Wetlands Education Program: Map Our Marshes
August 14, Virtual
The B.C. Wildlife Federation’s Wetlands Education Program presents Map Our Marshes, a free public workshop from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT. Wetlands can filter water, mitigate flooding, and protect critical habitat to hundreds of species. Unfortunately, wetlands are disappearing at an alarming rate and need our protection. Learn about the different types of wetlands and how to map and protect them using GPS and mobile apps, Google Earth, and other technologies. No previous experience is necessary.

Introductory R Course
September 15-17, Online
Are you ready to learn R in a supportive online environment and use it to streamline your data analyses? This 3-day course will teach you how to use R and its user-friendly R Studio interface to create appealing data visualizations and perform basic statistical analyses. You can take this course on its own or in conjunction with the proceeding Intermediate R Course. This course will be held virtually over Zoom. Registration opening soon.

KCP Fall Gathering – Save the Date!
October 15-16, Location TBD
The KCP Fall Gathering & AGM serves as one of the primary venues to connect and re-connect KCP partners from across the region. The KCP Annual Fall Gathering is a wonderful opportunity to learn about conservation projects in the Kootenays, share knowledge and information, and network with other organizations in the region. Normally Day 1 is a full day in-person conference followed by a Day 2 field tour. In 2020 due to COVID-19, the Fall Gathering took a hybrid approach with an online conference followed by small localized tours at four different sites across the Kootenays. A decision about the 2021 format will be made in the coming month. In the meantime, please save the date!

Intermediate R Course
October 20-22, Online
Once you start learning R, there is so much more you can learn in order to take your R skills to the next level. This 3-day course will help you expand your current R skills so they include the ability to perform a range of data preparation, R programming and automated reporting tasks. This course may be taken on its own or in conjunction with the preceding Introductory R Course. Registration opening soon.

Introduction to “R” Software
November 2, Revelstoke
New to R? The purpose of this 1/2 day workshop is to give participants an introduction to R/RStudio so that you can take full advantage of the subsequent 3-day course: Stats Refresher for Biologists in “R”. This course may also be taken on its own.

Stats Refresher for Biologists in “R” Software
November 3-5, Revelstoke
Many scientific studies are full of statistical jargon, tables of averages and other statistics, and results of statistical tests which purport to prove a certain hypothesis. The purpose of this course is to review some of the basic sampling and experiment designs used by ecologists and to understand exactly what can and cannot be extracted from a set of data. Prerequisites: A “basic” knowledge of statistics, i.e., usually a single course somewhere in your background. A working knowledge of “R” software. If you are new to “R” then we have a 1/2 day Intro to “R” Software course taking place the day before this course.

Trend Analysis and Environmental Impact Assessment
November 16-18, Revelstoke
Environmental impact assessments want to know if trends over time differ between control and impact sites. Statistical methods for the analysis of trends over time use many of the same methods as the analysis of experimental data (e.g. ANOVA, regression) but must now deal with problems such as autocorrelation and process error. This course is primarily for students using R software. If you are using JMP software and have interest in this course contact Hailey to discuss: office@cmiae.org.
Columbia Basin Trust
Wanted: Large-Scale Ecosystem Enhancement Project Ideas  
Columbia Basin Trust’s Ecosystem Enhancement Program is currently seeking eligible project ideas from across the Columbia Basin. Projects can focus on any ecosystem and must implement on-the-ground restoration and/or enhancements that yield landscape-scale ecosystem benefits. Project ideas are due Friday, August 13, 2021. If you have an idea for a project that will have a meaningful and measurable ecological benefit, contact the Ecosystems Coordinator, Lisa Pavelich at ecosystems@ourtrust.org.

TD Friends of the Environment Foundation Grant
Deadline: July 15
The TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) is a national charity that funds environmental projects across Canada. The Foundation supports a wide range of environmental initiatives, with a primary focus on environmental education and green space programs. Eligible projects include schoolyard greening, park revitalization, community gardens, park programming and citizen science initiatives.

Columbia Basin Trust Environment Grants
Deadline: August 24
Environment Grants funds community-initiated and community-supported projects in the areas of ecosystems, water or environmental education. If you have an idea that will strengthen environmental well-being, this program could help support it. This program aligns with the Columbia Basin Management Plan 2020-2022) Strategic Priorities and Integrated Priorities of Ecosystem Enhancement and Climate Resilience and Working with Indigenous Peoples.

Columbia Basin Watershed Network 2021 CBWN Water Monitoring Fund
Deadline: Intake will close when fully subscribed
The Columbia Basin Watershed Network micro grant is open for applications. The funds are to assist Network member groups to: 1. Replace broken water monitoring equipment and 2. maintain or fix water monitoring equipment that is malfunctioning. To participate in the Fund, a project must be sponsored by a Columbia Basin Watershed Network member group. If you're not already a member, or have any questions, please contact CBWN Coordinator Georgia Peck at cbwn.coordinator@gmail.com.

Grassland and Rangeland Enhancement Program
Deadline: Ongoing
If you have an idea that will maintain or enhance grassland resources while meeting conservation, environment and recreation objectives, this program could help support it. This program is delivered by the Kootenay Livestock Association.

Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program Community Engagement Grants
Deadline: Ongoing
Community Engagement Grants are typically $500 to $1,000 and help stewardship groups and others take action to benefit local fish and wildlife.

Columbia Basin Trust Career Internship Program
Deadline: First-come, first-served basis
The Columbia Basin Trust Career Internship Program provides eligible employers with up to 50 per cent of an intern’s salary (up to $25,000 over a seven to 12 month term) for full-time, career-focused positions that lead to permanent employment. Eligible employers are businesses, registered non-profits, municipalities, regional districts and Indigenous organizations within the Columbia Basin Trust region.
Invasive Species Council of BC
Youth Volunteers
The Invasive Species Council of BC is currently recruiting youth volunteers between the ages of 15-30 in the Kootenays. Youth volunteers help to protect B.C. from new and spreading invasive species by gaining expert knowledge of our local environment and ecosystems, and by taking meaningful action in the field and virtually.

Invasive Species Program Assistant
Central Kootenay Invasive Species Society
Are you passionate about environmental conservation? Do you want to join a dedicated and dynamic team to help protect the Central Kootenay region from the impact of invasive species?
This is an exciting opportunity for someone with strong organizational skills who is looking for flexible, meaningful work with an established non-profit organization. This is a full-time position in Nelson, BC. Deadline to apply is July 9, 2021 by 5 p.m. PT. 

Invasive Species Intern
Central Kootenay Invasive Species Society
The Invasive Species Program Assistant will work closely with CKISS’s Program Coordinators, conducting background research to inform invasive species priority lists, developing and distributing educational resources including website updates and improvements, and assisting with basic report writing and data entry. This is a 6-month youth position from September 2021 to March 2022 (extension possible depending on funding) in Nelson, BC. Deadline to apply is July 12, 2021 by 8 a.m. PT. 

Land Administration Assistant
Nature Conservancy of Canada
The BC Region of the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is looking for a Land Administration Assistant. This position will provide support contributing to the fulfillment of land administration and management responsibilities, to ensure the BC Region can continue manage its existing lands and pursue new opportunities with greater efficiency. Based in Invermere. Applications will be received until position is filled.

Salmo Watershed Streamkeepers Society
RARR Coordinator
The Rapid Assessment Rapid Remediation (RARR) of mine tailings is a new innovative Green Economics approach to the way we look at the thousands of mine waste tailings sites that exist in this Province and beyond. The Coordinator will work with the SWSS team to choose 5 local tailings sites and 1 sites elsewhere to pilot the RARR. Streamkeepers partners in this approach are Teck Metals Ltd., The Real Estate Foundation of BC and Cassiar Gold Corp. Streamkeepers are interested in hiring a person who can characterize a tailings site, provide mapping data, perform Water Quality and soil sampling as well as collect assay samples that could determine recycling values as well as risks to the Environment. This project focus is on the ‘Assessment’ end of RARR as well as a developing thinking around providing overview thoughts for remediation. Please connect with SWSS Coordinator Gerry Nellestijn at 250-357-2630 or gerry@streamkeepers.bc.ca for more information. Applications will be received until position is filled.

Salmo Watershed Streamkeepers Society
Career Intern
The Salmo Watershed Streamkeepers Society (SWSS) is looking to hire a skilled, keen person to move into the Coordinator position for their group. The SWSS is an accomplished, motivated, community stewardship, charitable, non-profit organization dedicated to conservation, enhancement and the regeneration of species and habitat in our watershed and beyond. Career Intern will work with the SWSS Coordinator to become familiar with, and responsible for directing and managing the activities of the SWSS in accordance with policies, goals, and objectives established by the SWSS multi-stakeholder Watershed Planning Team and our Board of Directors. Applications will be received until position is filled.

Elk River Alliance
Communication and Education Coordinator
The Elk River Alliance (ERA) has an immediate opening for a part-time Communication and Education Coordinator. The applicant will join a small, fast-paced not-for-profit charity with a varied workload focused on community education, communication, and volunteer and member management. They will contribute across ERA’s projects and programs, creating and managing social media, press releases, signage, video, infographics, webinar, website, workshops and other means of communication professionally and efficiently. Applications will be received until position is filled.

Invasive Species Council of BC
Various Positions
ISCBC has a number of current employment opportunities for people who are passionate about making a difference to BC’s outdoors. Enjoy a rewarding career with ISCBC with great benefits. Most of their team works remotely in BC and full-time staff are provided a competitive package including benefits, annual vacation and flexible schedules.

Sierra Club Canada Foundation
Senior Development Manager
The Sierra Club of Canada Foundation (SCCF) is committed to empowering people to be leaders in protecting, restoring and enjoying healthy and safe ecosystems. They are seeking to hire a Senior Development Manager who is passionate about the environment and wants to join a dedicated team of staff and volunteers working together to achieve their mission. The Senior Development Manager will play a leadership role in designing, implementing, and evaluating an annual fundraising strategy that builds strong relationships with donors and funders. Location can be anywhere in Canada. Applications will be received until position is filled.

Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network
Wild Voices Community Educator
Are you a forester or geographer? A biologist or mountain guide? A historian or Indigenous storyteller? Do you have some unique knowledge, skill, or expertise you can share with students? Wild Voices for Kids is a program of the Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network. It is a unique program in the Basin as it enables local specialists to develop programs connected to the local environment and tailored to their area of expertise and passion. Each educator brings their own unique knowledge of environment or natural history, adds their passion for education, and creates classroom or field-based programs that will both captivate students and satisfy the learning objectives of teachers. Community Educator applications and program submissions are assessed for approval bi-annually by the Wild Voices Advisory Committee. Fall intake period closes annually on July 15.

Columbia Valley Local Conservation Fund
Technical Review Committee Member, Columbia Valley Region
The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) in partnership with the Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP) are seeking qualified members for the Columbia Valley Local Conservation Fund (CVLCF) Technical Review Committee (TRC). The role of the TRC is to make recommendations on allocating annual funding for conservation projects for the area from Canal Flats to Spillimacheen. Applications will be received on an ongoing basis.
For a comprehensive list of up-to-date job postings, check the CBEEN Job & Volunteer Board, an excellent resource for Kootenay conservation career and volunteer opportunities.

Land Trust Alliance of British Columbia
Property Assessments on Conservation Lands: A Guide for Land Owners, Land Trusts and Covenant Holders
This Guide is intended to encourage property owners and Covenant holders to provide BC Assessment with information about existing or new Conservation Covenants registered under Section 219 of the Land Title Act. Sharing this information will ensure that Covenant restrictions on an owner’s property are taken into account in annual property assessments. Owners may benefit from lower property taxes if BC Assessment reduces property assessments to account for the impact of Conservation Covenants.

Land Trust Alliance of British Columbia
Annual British Columbia Conservation Areas Summary Report 2019
The Annual British Columbia Conservation Areas Summary provides the most accurate identification of total conservation area in BC. As NGO conservation areas may overlap with some Provincial and Federal conservation areas as well as Local Government Park Natural Areas, the calculation for the total area of conservation lands in BC removes any existing overlap. NGO conservation lands total 206,885.1 ha as of December 31, 2019.

BC Ministry of Environment
Chapter 8: Agriculture in the Best Management Practices for Bats in British Columbia 
This document adds to a growing body of information to support bat-friendly farming, including the “Farmer’s Toolkit” published by SCBATs (2020) and the Bat-friendly Communities Guide from the BC Community Bat Program (2018).

Bringing the Salmon Home Festival
Recordings of all events now online
The Bringing the Salmon Home Festival that took place online May 10-16, 2021 was an incredible success and an inspiring week with contributions from 100+ guest speakers and hosts, and over 3000 audience registrations. Recordings of all the events are now available online (you do not need to be a Facebook member to view event recordings – just click past the Facebook message to log in and you can access all the videos).

Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network
Indigenous Learning Resources
CBEEN has provided resources that have been recommended by their Indigenous advisors, members and partners as a way for you to deepen your understanding and move forward the Calls to Action set out by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Province of BC: Environment and Climate Change Strategy
Guidelines for amphibian & reptile conservation during road building & management activities in BC
In 2020, MoECCS released “Guidelines for amphibian and reptile conservation during road building and management activities in BC”. This guidance document (accessed here) contains information on assessing, avoiding, minimizing, and mitigating road impacts on amphibians and reptiles in British Columbia along with useful resources and appendices. This three-minute video highlights the broader issue of road-associated mortality, touches on examples of road mitigation work in the province, outlines key sections of the document and shows how it can be used to mitigate impacts to these sensitive taxonomic groups.

Regional District of Central Kootenay
A Resource for Kootenay Lake Living
Best practices to keep your lakeshore natural can protect your property from flooding since deep-rooted trees and roots absorb water and wave energy, reducing shoreline erosion. Native plants, trees, rocks and soil help filter rain and storm water runoff by trapping sediment and contaminants which protect water quality. Since all wildlife need a healthy and safe place to survive and thrive, keeping the lake shore natural preserves fish and wildlife habitat.

Province of BC: Environment and Climate Change Strategy
New website helps people identify algae blooms in B.C. lakes
To better understand where and when algae blooms happen around the province, the ministry has developed the educational Algae Watch website. People are invited to contribute information to create a comprehensive picture of B.C.’s algae situation. The website helps people recognize potentially harmful algae blooms and differentiate algae blooms from other natural phenomena, such as foam or pollen, which can sometimes look like blooms.

A Case for Conservation
KCP brochure promoting private land conservation available
KCP has created the “Case for Conservation” tri-fold brochure, which details 9 different reasons why conserving private land is so crucial to the health of the region’s ecosystems that support a myriad of plant, fish and animal species — many of which are currently rare or endangered or at risk of becoming so. The brochure opens up into an attractive poster that can be easily posted in offices, public spaces and homes. Printed brochures are available for distribution. If you would like copies, please contact KCP Program Manager Juliet Craig at manager@kootenayconservation.ca.

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.