RDCK Local Conservation Fund Service is expanding to Area F

Official approval from the RDCK for Area F to join the LCF

KCP has been working with the RDCK since 2014 to support the Local Conservation Fund service in RDCK Electoral Areas A, D, and E on Kootenay Lake, and most recently Electoral Area H (Slocan Valley). The RDCK has now officially approved Area F to join the Local Conservation Fund service, following a Board meeting on September 13. The Alternative Approval Process (AAP), that began on July 28 and closed on September 5, indicated public support for the service in Electoral Area F. Electoral Area F includes Beasley, Bonnington, Sproule Creek, Taghum, and the North Shore of Kootenay Lake including Six Mile.

Visit the KCP website for more information on Local Conservation Funds.

Visit the RDCK website to read this update from highlights from a recent Board meeting. 

2023 KCP Fall Gathering 'Kootenay Connect Summit'

October 13 - 14, Cranbrook

The focus of this year's Fall Gathering is the 'Kootenay Connect Summit' which will feature results from wildlife and habitat restoration projects achieved over the last four years. KCP's Fall Gathering and the Summit will take place on Friday at the Prestige Inn in Cranbrook for the presentations, delicious banquet dinner and conservation leadership awards ceremony, and the Saturday field tour to see on-the-ground work for species at risk in the Wycliffe Conservation Complex. Registration is now closed for the 2023 KCP Fall Gathering. We look forward to seeing you there if you are attending.

Click here to see the event agenda.

Columbia Valley Local Conservation Fund - Call for proposals is open! 

Deadline: October 31, 2023

KCP in partnership with the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) provides funding for projects that benefit conservation in the area from Spillimacheen to Canal Flats through the Columbia Valley Local Conservation Fund (CVLCF). The closing date for project submissions is 4:30 pm MT October 31.

Click here for more information and how to apply.

RDCK Local Conservation Fund - Call for proposals is open! 

Deadline: October 31, 2023

KCP in partnership with the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) provides funding for projects that benefit conservation in the RDCK Electoral Areas A, D, E, and H (view the map) through the RDCK Local Conservation Fund. Area F will be eligible for project applications next year. The closing date for project submissions is 4:30 pm PT October 31.

Click here for more information and how to apply.

Conservation Ambassador Training

Modules 4, 5 & 6 coming this fall

KCP is excited to host another season of Conservation Ambassador Training modules this fall. Module 4: "Stewarding for Wildfire Resilience", with Garrett Fishlock, (RDCK) and Richard Klafki (Nature Conservancy of Canada), will be taking place on October 25. Module 5: "Stewarding for Widlife Coexistance", with Gillian Sanders (Grizzly Bear Solutions) and Elodie Kuhnert (Kootenay Community Bat Project), will be held on November 8, and Module 6: "Stewarding for Riparian and Foreshore Habitats", presented by DG Blair (Stewardship Centre for BC) and Gregoire Lamoureux (Slocan Lake Stewardship Society) will be on December 6. Please contact Camille Roberge, KCP Stewardship Coordinator at camille@kootenayconservation.ca if you would like more information on these upcoming CAT sessions. All three of these sessions will be held at 10 am PT / 11 am MT.

Living Lakes Canada

New water data sheds light on climate impacts in local watersheds

Considered one of North America’s most important water towers, the Canadian Columbia Basin supplies fresh water to millions of people downstream in both Canada and the United States. But climate change is changing the Columbia Basin’s historically steady water supply. Since the fall of 2022, 27 new monitoring sites have been collecting data across two sub-regions of the Basin as part of Living Lakes Canada’s large-scale monitoring program. Based on data collected up to June 2023, the program has already gained a better understanding of how surface-level climate events are impacting important freshwater sources and waterways.  

Click here for the full story.

Living Lakes Canada

Mapping the way to restore an old sawmill site

With the arrival of logging to the Slocan Valley in the early 20th century, one sawmill set its sights on the mouth of Springer Creek. Once a thriving aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem, the lower portion of Springer Creek experienced a steep ecological decline with the sawmill construction. The impacts are still visible today. Learn how a community mapping program is helping to tell the story of Springer Creek and guide future restoration efforts. 

Click here for the full story.

Valhalla Foundation for Ecology

Baseline monitoring report on endangered species recovery at Snk'mip Marsh Sanctuary released

The Valhalla Foundation for Ecology is pleased to announce that their ecological monitoring report is now complete and being released to the media and colleagues in government, scientific organizations and the conservation community. The year-long baseline monitoring study examined conditions at the Snk'mip Marsh Sanctuary following the Valhalla Foundation for Ecology's multi-year ecological restoration project there. Biologist Amber Peters documents exciting findings including finding Western Painted Turtles and confirmation of a population of at-risk Coeur d'Alene Salamander species not previously found in this area, use of the sanctuary (including restored areas) by diverse megafauna including cougar, coyote, deer, black bear and grizzly bear, and a surge in amphibian breeding and colonization of newly created liner-ponds at the sanctuary. Good news for nature!

Click here for more information. 

Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners

Report badger sightings

The Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners are asking the public to forward sighting information on American Badgers in the Columbia Valley. Have you seen an American Badger or one of its burrow entrances (large elliptical hole often seen with a mound of dirt at the entrance) in the Columbia Valley? If so, they want to hear from you! Please let CWSP know what you saw and when and where you saw it. To do so, please send an email to badgersightings@gmail.com.

Province of BC

Grizzly Bear Stewardship Framework Public Engagement, until October 6.

Grizzly bears have special significance to the people of BC culturally and symbolically. Additionally, in western Canada, grizzly bears are designated federally as a species of special concern. The Province has prepared the Grizzly Bear Stewardship Framework in order to ensure grizzly bears do not become threatened or endangered, and to identify conservation activities, goals, and land-use measures. Success in the conservation of this species depends on the commitment and cooperation of many different partners. The Framework is intended to provide guidance for the consideration of grizzly bear values for participants on initiatives related to land and resource planning to inform local decisions. It also enables amendments to policy, legislation, and programs related to grizzly bears. During this engagement, we invite you to learn more about BC’s bears and to join the conversation by sharing your thoughts on the draft Grizzly Bear Stewardship Framework. Feedback will only be accepted until October 6 at 4 pm PT / 5 pm MT.

Click here to view the draft Grizzly Bear Stewardship Framework and share your feedback. 

Province of BC

Feedback on the draft commercial bear-viewing strategy, until October 6.

BC is looking into new ways to work with First Nations on wildlife and habitat protection. The Province prepared a draft Commercial Bear-Viewing Strategy in collaboration with stewardship staff, advisors, knowledge holders, and hereditary chiefs and councillours. The Commercial Bear-Viewing Strategy summarizes Indigenous and Western scientific information, including how to assess potential bear viewing locations, considerations for guide training, viewing recommendations (group size), when and where to view bears, how to monitor and assess impacts of bear viewing programs, and how to provide advice for agencies managing bear viewing. There are three goals to this public engagement process: (1) Educate and inform the public on the importance of bear viewing to the economy of BC including First Nation communities, and the cumulative knowledge of the effects of viewing activities on bears and measures available to mitigate any potential impacts. (2) Seek feedback, interests, opinions, and views from the public on the draft Strategy. (3) Identify if there are knowledge gaps or deficiencies within the Strategy. Your feedback by October 6 will inform the final version of the Commercial Bear-Viewing Strategy.

Click here to view the draft Bear-Viewing Strategy document and share your feedback.

Rocky Mountain Naturalists Club

Bluebird Nestbox Trail program in Fairmont Hot Springs area

The Fairmont Hot Springs volunteer team, operating under the umbrella of the Rocky Mountain Naturalists Club (RMN), has now joined the effort to reverse the decline of our native cavity nesting birds caused by land use changes, the use of DDT pesticide and invasive bird species. The RMN have been involved with the nestbox program for over 30 years monitoring over 350 nestboxes and involving about 30 volunteers in the Cranbrook and Kimberley area. The Fairmont Hot Springs team is managing two existing nestbox trails in the Fairmont Hot Springs area, one located in the Fairmont Meadows, and one in Lot 48 along the Spirit Trail. The team has been cleaning, maintaining, and monitoring the nestboxes, to help give our native cavity nesting birds the best chance at raising their young. In the East Kootenay we have two species of Bluebirds: The Mountain Bluebird and the Western Bluebird. The teams’s focus is on Bluebirds, but also includes other cavity nesting birds such as Tree Swallows, Violet-green Swallows, Chickadees and Nuthatches.

Click here for more information about this program or here to read an article.

Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy

Indigenous climate-resilience capacity-building pilot program

The Province is helping First Nations communities strengthen their resilience to the adverse effects of climate change through the launch of an Indigenous climate-resilience capacity-building pilot program. The Province’s BC Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy has provided $2 million to fund a one-year pilot program that will be delivered by two First Nations organizations with experience delivering environmental programs: the Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative (CFN-GBI) and First Nations Emergency Services Society. The scope of the pilot program consists of three streams, focused on: (1) climate-resilience staffing; (2) training and education delivery; and (3) peer-to-peer network building.

Click here to read more about this program. 

Invasive Species Council of BC

Invasive Plant Management Tool for Farmers, Foragers and Ranchers

For the enthusiastic community scientist, there are options when it comes to observing and reporting native and invasive species. There is also an option specific to livestock and forage producers in BC – the WeedsBMP app. The WeedsBMP app includes identification and management information for 95 invasive plants of concern to the agricultural community. Categorized by grasses, sedges and rushes in one group, and broadleaved plants in another, detailed information is provided on identification, habitat and ecology, impacts, and management options. A summary of provincial and regional invasive plant contacts from across the province is also included.

Click here to find out more.

Grasslands Conservation Council of BC

National Grasslands Inventory

The Grasslands Conservation Council of BC (GCC) is collaborating with the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association on the National Grasslands Inventory. This project will identify and describe all existing grasslands inventories in Canada and determine how various inventories can be harmonized to develop a cohesive national grassland inventory. The ultimate aim is to construct a national grassland inventory, including all major grassland types and ecoregions. This would update and inform grassland policy, decision-making and risk assessment across Canada going forward. The inventory will also allow the Canadian grassland sector and stakeholders to more accurately assess carbon stores in grassland soils and to predict real or expected loss of grasslands over time. Approximately 80 to 85 % of Canada’s native grasslands have already disappeared.

Click here to find out more about the National Grasslands Inventory and to access a questionnaire.

Canadian Wildlife Federation

Canadian Aquatic Barriers Database – looking for stream crossing data

The Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF), with help from partners including the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), is building the Canadian Aquatic Barriers Database (CABD) - a national repository of aquatic barriers to freshwater connectivity that will support a variety of work from large-scale policy and reporting, restoration planning and prioritization, infrastructure asset management, and more. The database currently contains data for over 22,000 waterfalls, 36,000 dams, and 400 fishways that you can explore by visiting aquaticbarriers.ca. The next phase of project development will focus on the incorporation of stream crossings along roads, railways, and trails, and the Columbia River Basin is a pilot region in this project. If your organization has or maintains an inventory of stream crossing assessment data, and is interested in contributing to the project, please contact us at cabd@cwf-fcf.org. For more information on the project and how to navigate the web-mapping tool, please visit the CABD Documentation site. 

Native Planting Day at Hunter Siding Wetland

October 11, New Denver

Join Central Kootenay Invasive Species Society (CKISS) and the Slocan Lake Stewardship Society for a day of native planting and maintenance at the Hunter Siding Wetland Enhancement site, part of the Bonanza Biodiversity Corridor Project. The wetlands in this area support a wide range of ecosystems and wildlife habitats in the Slocan Valley region. The wetland located just north of New Denver is important to protect and enhance because it supports the Slocan Lake Watershed functions, recreation activities and has cultural significance. Volunteers are welcome from 10 am to 1 pm PT.

Click here for more information and to sign up.

4 Seasons of Indigenous Learning

October to June, Online

Registration is open for the Columbia Basin Environmental Educator's Network's upcoming 4 Seasons of Indigenous Learning! This initiative encourages and empowers educators to deepen their understanding of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives while strengthening connections with the local land. We have confirmed an incredible line-up of Indigenous presenters and learning content as part of this initiative running from October 2023 - June 2024. And for those who just want to take in the presentations, resources & support (not the modules) you can now register for this part of the learning. This learning opportunity is open to EVERYONE. We are partnering to offer this as an acknowledgement that authentically undertaking a personal learning journey takes more than just a day or month each year, but should be across all four seasons. Registration is open until October 15.

Click here for more information and to register.

Pines & People: Human Impacts on Five-Needle Pine

October 12 - 13, Revelstoke

The theme of this year's annual Whitebark Pine Science and Management Conference is Pines & People: Human Impacts on Five-Needle Pine. This year’s conference will be in Revelstoke, BC, with two optional field trips: a pre-conference trip on October 11 to tour the Kalamalka Research Center & seedling inoculation facility in Vernon; and a post-conference trip on October 14 to visit 5-needle pine stands near Golden. Co-hosted by Parks Canada, this year's theme covers the myriad ways that the activities of people intersect with the welfare of five-needle pine. Over the two-day conference, there will be current technical talks, a public talk, a poster session, silent auction, networking events, and more. This conference has something for everyone: skiers, students, members, researchers, land managers, and other 5-needle pine enthusiasts! Click here to access Conference details and Registration.

2023 KCP Fall Gathering 'Kootenay Connect Summit'

October 13 - 14, Cranbrook

The focus of this year's Fall Gathering is the 'Kootenay Connect Summit' which will feature results from wildlife and habitat restoration projects achieved over the last four years. KCP's Fall Gathering and the Summit will take place on Friday at the Prestige Inn in Cranbrook for the presentations, delicious banquet dinner and conservation leadership awards ceremony, and the Saturday field tour to see on-the-ground work for species at risk in the Wycliffe Conservation Complex. Registration is now closed for the 2023 KCP Fall Gathering. We look forward to seeing you there if you are attending.

Click here to see the event agenda.

Connecting to Land through Indigenous Learning

October 20, Online

Join educators and other leaders from across Turtle Island (North America) for this professional development gathering as we reconnect ourselves to the land through learning and Indigenous perspectives. Presented by the Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network (CBEEN) and Classrooms to Communities (C2C), this virtual event is centered around Indigenous Learning with a short but powerful lineup of speakers and opportunities to connect, network, and dialogue with colleagues. This event is all about connecting community organizations, stewardship, and conservation to classrooms. After our inspiring morning together, we encourage you to head outdoors and connect to the land and community. The recording will be made available to all registrants for one month, and a certificate of participation will be issued. From 9 am to 12:30 pm PT / 10 am to 1:30 pm MT.

Click here for more information and to register. 

Conservation Ambassador Training

October 25 • November 8 • December 6, Online

KCP is excited to host another season of Conservation Ambassador Training modules this fall. Module 4: "Stewarding for Wildfire Resilience", with Garrett Fishlock, (RDCK) and Richard Klafki (Nature Conservancy of Canada), will be taking place on October 25. Module 5: "Stewarding for Widlife Coexistance", with Gillian Sanders (Grizzly Bear Solutions) and Elodie Kuhnert (Kootenay Community Bat Project), will be held on November 8, and Module 6: "Stewarding for Riparian and Foreshore Habitats", presented by DG Blair (Stewardship Centre for BC) and Gregoire Lamoureux (Slocan Lake Stewardship Society) will be on December 6. Please contact Camille Roberge, KCP Stewardship Coordinator at camille@kootenayconservation.ca if you would like more information on these upcoming CAT sessions. All three of these sessions will be held at 10 am PT / 11 am MT.

Native Bee Study Group

October 25, Online

Join the Native Bee Society of British Columbia for their monthly Native Bee Study Group, on the fourth Wednesday each month. This monthly event is an opportunity for connecting and learning about native bees with others throughout the province. There is a theme each month, that is a jumping off point to share our own knowledge and learn from others. Experts and complete beginners are all welcome! The study group has a show and tell format, and anyone who is interested in participating can create a slide on the shared google slides deck to share with the group (link sent with registration). Photos can also be sent to bcnativebees@gmail.com with a subject line of "Native Bee Study Group." From 7 to 8:15 pm PT / 8 to 9:15 pm MT.

Click here for more information. 

Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology Annual Researcher’s Forum

October 26 & 27, Nelson

The Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology (CMI) hosts an annual event that gathers members of the scientific community, Indigenous community members and representatives, stewardship groups, and interested individuals to provide updates on ecological projects taking place in southeastern BC. Everything from field trials, new restoration projects and their associated community initiatives, to ecosystem monitoring and research, and much more, are featured at this forum. These updates cover a wide range of topics and species. This is an informal atmosphere, and everyone is invited to attend, mix, and mingle! This event travels around the Columbia Mountains area, and this year CMI’s Researchers’ Forum will take place in Nelson. CMI will host a session highlighting aquatic work in the region, alongside a variety of other ecological projects, as well as hosting presentations and a social on Thursday Oct 26, and we will venture out for a morning of field trips on Friday Oct 27.

Click here for more information on this event.

Assistance with your research data from UBC Masters’ students

Proposals due by November 1

If you would like help extracting knowledge from your data, you are invited to submit a proposal for your data-related problem to be solved by data scientists-in-training. You can apply for the opportunity to work with up to four students in the Master of Data Science or Master of Data Science Computational Linguistics programs, who specialize in modern data science tools and techniques, such as statistical analysis and visualizations. You will receive a customized solution (e.g. new app, analytic reports, scripts or software) for your problem. Submit a proposal by November 1.

Click here for more information. 

Map our Marshes Course

November 4, Online (waitlist)

The BC Wildlife Federation's Wetlands Education Program presents Map our Marshes, a free 1-day virtual workshop, open to the public. Wetlands can filter water, mitigate flooding, and provide critical habitat to hundreds of species. Unfortunately, wetlands are disappearing at an alarming rate and need our protection. Come join us to learn about the different types of wetlands and how to protect them. This entry-level workshop will introduce you to the basics of wetlands and mapping, using free software and your smartphone. Using Zoom and other online applications, the Wetlands Education Team will guide you through a workshop that is fun and engaging. Participants can explore and learn more about wetlands and mapping through interactive activities. This workshop is best experienced using a desktop or laptop computer. A stable internet connection is strongly recommended. A secondary device (smartphone, tablet) is required to fully participate in this workshop. For more information, you may contact Alana Higginson, Wetlands Education Program Coordinator at wep@bcwf.bc.ca.

Click here for more information and to register.

Introduction to `R` Software

November 6 – 9, Online (waitlist)

The Columbia Mountains Institute for Applied Ecology (CMI) is offering this online course as an introduction to the programming language R. This course will provide tips and tricks to programming in R, installation of R packages and libraries, introduction to base R objects and data types, assign a value to a name, identify functions, for loops, and conditional statements, read in data from common file types (csv/xlsx), and perform mathematical operations and linear regression. This course spans four half-days. Students are not expected to have any previous experience in R or any other programming languages, this is a true intro level course.

Click here for more information and to register. 

Disaster Risk Reduction-Climate Adaptation, Union of BC Municipalities

Deadline: October 6

The intent of the Disaster Risk Reduction-Climate Adaptation funding stream from the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCN) is to support eligible applicants to reduce risks from future disasters due to natural hazards and climate-related risks through the development and implementation of accurate foundational knowledge of the natural hazards they face and the risks associated with BC’s changing climate, and effective strategies to prepare for, mitigate, and adapt to those risks. This might be of interest to local governments potentially for funding for pilots to undertake forest thinning or prescribed burning to manage the risk of wildfires, planting trees to absorb carbon and store water, restoring wetlands to store water, green shores, heat mapping, aquifer recharge, etc.

Click here for more information and to apply. 

Fish and Wildlife Grants from the Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program

Deadline: October 30

To apply for a fish or wildlife grant for 2024-2025, start by reviewing the Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP)'s regional guidance documents. The next step is to develop a project idea that meets a priority in FWCP's action plans. In the Columbia region, all applicants must have submitted a mandatory notice of intent by September 11.

Click here for more information and to apply.

Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk, Government of Canada

Deadline: October 31

One of the Government of Canada’s conservation mandates is the conservation of nature, including the recovery of species at risk. In this regard, the Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP) was established in 2000. It provides funding for projects submitted by Canadians that contribute directly to the recovery objectives and population goals of species at risk listed on Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) or designated at risk by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).

Click here for more information. 

Columbia Valley Local Conservation Fund - Call for proposals is open! 

Deadline: October 31

KCP in partnership with the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) provides funding for projects that benefit conservation in the area from Spillimacheen to Canal Flats through the Columbia Valley Local Conservation Fund (CVLCF). The closing date for project submissions is 4:30 pm MT on October 31, 2023.

Click here for more information and how to apply.

RDCK Lake Local Conservation Fund - Call for proposals is open! 

Deadline: October 31

KCP in partnership with the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) provides funding for projects that benefit conservation in the RDCK Electoral Areas A, D, E, and H (view the map) through the RDCK Local Conservation Fund. The closing date for project submissions is 4:30 pm PT on October 31, 2023.

Click here for more information and how to apply.

Liber Ero Fellowship Post-Doctoral program

Deadline: November 1

This post-doctoral fellowship seeks to support early-career scientists to conduct and communicate world-class research that informs conservation and management issues relevant to Canada. For instance, post-doctoral scholars are encouraged to confront emerging management challenges that are time sensitive or come up with novel analyses, perspectives, and collaborations for complex conservation problems. Conservation science includes natural, social, and interdisciplinary research pursuits. Eligible scholars will be natural or social science researchers, who have received their PhD prior to the start of the fellowship. Applicants should propose to be based at a Canadian conservation or academic institution and conduct their research primarily in Canada. Fellows will be selected based on evidence of their success and emergence as leaders in a conservation-relevant research field, as well as on the merit of their proposed research and mentorship team. 

Click here for more information.

Continuing Stewardship Grants from the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund

Deadline: November 3

The Habitat Conservation Trust Fund (HCTF) recognizes the importance of environmental stewardship and invests in projects that create stewards. Stewards include individuals, practitioners, and community organizations who take responsibility for promoting, monitoring, conserving, and restoring ecosystems to ultimately result in enduring conservation outcomes for fish and wildlife and their habitats. Proposed projects must align with our purposes as laid out in the Wildlife Act. HCTF prefers stewardship projects that create stewards through community-based, hands on engagement programs, including Citizen Science. Stewardship projects may include some on-the-ground components such as habitat restoration. Stewardship grant is undergoing an update to better integrate with other HCTF grant programs. For the fall intake which closes in November, HCTF will only accept Continuing Stewardship proposals for 2024-25 funding. The next opportunity to apply for New Phase and Seed Stewardship grants will be April 2024.

Click here for more information.

Fish & Wildlife Grants from the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund

Deadline: November 3

The Habitat Conservation Trust Fund’s (HCTF) Fish & Wildlife Grants are available to anyone (provincial or municipal governments, First Nations, academic institutions, non-government organizations, industry) for qualifying projects. Projects must meet the following criteria: focusing on native freshwater fish, wildlife, and their habitats; having the potential to achieve a significant conservation outcome; and aligned with HCTF’s purposes as laid out in the Wildlife Act. One of HCTF’s priorities is to support habitat enhancement and restoration, therefore projects that involve on-the-ground habitat enhancement and/or restoration activities are strongly encouraged.

Click here for more information. 

Small-scale Ecosystem Grants from the Columbia Basin Trust

Deadline: November 23

Do you have a small-scale project that helps improve ecological health and native biodiversity in the Basin? If so, the Trust wants to hear from you. Does your new project enhance a terrestrial and/or aquatic ecosystem, such as wetlands, fish habitat, forests or grasslands? Implement on-the-ground action? Have a small local scale? Take less than two years to implement? If your project meets these criteria, email Natasha Barisoff, Delivery of Benefits Manager, at nbarisoff@ourtrust.org to discuss your project further.

Click here for more information. 

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.

Click here for more information and how to apply.

Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program Community Engagement Grants

Deadline: Ongoing

Community Engagement Grants are typically $500 to $1000 and help stewardship groups and others take action to benefit local fish and wildlife.

Click here for more information and how to apply.

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.

Click here for more information and how to apply.

West Kootenay Watershed Collaborative

Paid Collaborator

The West Kootenay Watershed Collaborative is a newly established society dedicated to safeguarding the essential watersheds that sustain the Kootenay region. Their mission centres on supporting and uniting residents of the Regional District of Central Kootenay’s Area E, working toward resilient and sustainable watershed health amidst evolving climate conditions. The group is currently in search of a dynamic communicator to fulfil the role of Paid Collaborator. The ideal candidate will possess a cooperative approach and exceptional organizational skills. A background in non-profit work, familiarity with watersheds, and industry best practices would be assets. The Collaborator will report to the Chairperson of our Board of Directors, all of whom share your passion for safeguarding our water resources. We do expect this position to evolve and require a half to full time commitment; currently this is a part time position requiring approximately 8 hours per week. Applications are reviewed as they are received.

Click here for more information. 

Wildsight Invermere

Program Manager

Do you have a passion for the environment and are interested in working with a local, non-profit organization? The Wildsight Invermere Branch is accepting applications for a Program Manager. The Program Manager provides leadership and management to ensure Wildsight Invermere is achieving the organization’s mandate. This goal is achieved by working directly with the Wildsight Invermere Board of Directors, who set policy and strategic direction. The Program Manager will be responsible for program development and management, communications, outreach, fundraising, and administration. This position is flexible in hours 30-40 hours a week and will remain open until a candidate is hired. Please send a CV and cover letter to invermerejobs@wildsight.ca.

Click here for more information. 

Watershed Watch Salmon Society

Communications Specialist, anywhere in BC where salmon are present

Watershed Watch Salmon Society (WWSC) is a respected and influential non-profit organization that promotes wild salmon and watershed conservation in BC. The Communications Specialist will support their small team in all aspects of public communications, to multiple audiences, and through multiple platforms. You may be a great candidate if you are a highly proficient communicator with a strong conservation ethic and connection to BC watersheds and wild salmon, and you want to use your skills to inspire British Columbians to join you in defending our home waters and salmon runs. If you excel at grasping complex concepts in ecology and resource management and weaving them into compelling stories for public audiences, and you have a well-developed theory of audience and can work across multiple platforms, tailoring your messages to diverse groups of people regardless of their geography, politics, ethnicity and literacy. For this position, WWSC would also hire a salmon science or policy expert with exceptional communication skills and experience. This is a full-time permanent job with start date as soon as possible. Applications are reviewed as they are received.

Click here for more information and to apply. 

Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society

Board Members

Do you have an interest in community organizing and water stewardship, and want to share your skills with a local non-profit? Consider joining the Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society (FoKLSS) Board of Directors. Becoming a member of the FoKLSS Board is a great way to share your talents and ideas and to contribute to the great work we do in the Kootenay Lake community! We have many exciting projects on the go and our Board helps us by providing guidance and feedback at our meetings, volunteering at our events and workshops, and offering their expertise in all aspects of project planning and implementation.

Click here for more information.

The importance of groundwater to the upper Columbia River floodplain wetlands

Casey Remmer, Rebecca Rooney, Suzanne Bayley, and Catriona Levena

The Columbia Wetland complex is a rare example of a North American river system with relatively little disturbance from human infrastructure and is the only undammed portion of the main 2000 km stretch of the Columbia River. Declining river flows in western North America, including the upper Columbia River, have reduced the area of open water wetlands in the floodplain and raised concern that the Columbia Wetlands will not remain viable under increasing climate change. In this study researchers used water isotopes and electrical conductivity to quantify the proportion of groundwater, river water and precipitation contributing to wetland water balance, as well as the role of evaporation, in the Columbia Wetlands through the spring, summer and fall of 2019, and found strong seasonality of water input sources. Groundwater and precipitation were important in spring and fall, while river water was dominant during the summer.

Click here to access the article. 

Berries and bullets: influence of food and mortality risk on grizzly bears in British Columbia

Proctor et. al.

The influence of bottom-up food resources and top-down mortality risk underlies the demographic trajectory of wildlife populations. For species of conservation concern, understanding the factors driving population dynamics is crucial to effective management and, ultimately, conservation. In southeastern BC, populations of the mostly omnivorous grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) are fragmented into a mosaic of small isolated or larger partially connected sub-populations. They obtain most of their energy from vegetative resources that are also influenced by human activities. Roads and associated motorized human access shape availability of food resources but also displace bears and facilitate human-caused mortality. Effective grizzly bear management requires an understanding of the relationship between habitat quality and mortality risk. We integrated analyses of bottom-up and top-down demographic parameters to understand and inform a comprehensive and efficient management paradigm across the region.

Click here to access the report. 



Forest and Fire Management in BC: Toward Landscape Resilience

Forest Practices Board

Historically, people co-existed with fire on the landscape. Wildfire returned to certain landscapes frequently and, together with Indigenous fire stewardship, played an important role in maintaining resilient ecosystems. Fire prevention, suppression and exclusion policies over the twentieth century resulted in a decline in the frequency of wildfires in some ecosystems. This “fire deficit” led to increased continuity and accumulation of live and dead fuels, which contribute to an increase in fire severity. Landscape Fire Management (LFM) is a way to proactively mitigate the risk of catastrophic wildfires on the broader landscape. It is a restoration approach to addressing forest fuel build-up and improving landscape resilience. In many landscapes, the first step in LFM will be designing strategies to contain or reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. The ultimate goal of LFM is to restore and maintain a wildfire-resilient mosaic of forest and non-forest conditions across a landscape, which can provide the values important to society today, habitat for native species, and resilient forests for future generations.

Click here to read the report.

Practicing Landscape Fire Management – Technical Bulletin

Forest Practices Board

As a companion document to its special report, Forest and Fire Management in BC: Toward Landscape Resilience, the Forest Practices Board (FPB) has produced a technical bulletin to help land managers put landscape fire management into practice. The bulletin describes six key principles: defining the landscape; understanding current and projected conditions; understanding risks to values; setting complementary wildland fire objectives across land use zones; coordinating intervention; and adaptive management. The technical bulletin also includes practical examples of how these principles can be incorporated into planning and practice. 

Access the bulletin here.

Dynamic balancing of risks and rewards in a large herbivore: Further extending predator–prey concepts to road ecology

Marie-Pier Poulin, Seth G. Cherry, Jerod A. Merkle

Animal behaviour is shaped by the ability to identify risks and profitably balance the levels of risks encountered with the payoffs experienced. Anthropogenic disturbances like roads generate novel risks and opportunities that wildlife must accurately perceive and respond to. Basic concepts in predator–prey ecology are often used to understand responses of animals to roads (e.g. increased vigilance, selection for cover in their vicinity). However, prey often display complex behaviours such as modulating space use given varying risks and rewards, and it is unclear if such dynamic balancing is used by animals in the context of road crossings. We tested whether animals dynamically balance risks and rewards relative to roads using extensive field-based and GPS collar data from elk in Yoho National Park, BC, where a major highway completely bisects their range during most of the year.

Access the report here. 

Shoreline survey results available for Trout, Arrow and St. Mary Lakes

Living Lakes Canada

In 2022, Living Lakes Canada Living studied the foreshores of Trout and Arrow Lakes in the West Kootenay, and St. Mary Lake in the East Kootenay, using a federal monitoring protocol called Foreshore Integrated Management Planning, or FIMP (watch this film to learn about this program). The 2022 FIMP findings for all three lakes can now be found in reports, including Foreshore Development Guidelines, housed on the Columbia Basin Water Hub database. Living Lakes Canada entered a four-year Contribution Agreement with Fisheries and Oceans Canada in 2019 to review and revise the FIMP methodology and map or re-map priority lakes in the Canadian Columbia Basin. To date, four lakes have been surveyed for the first time and six lakes have been re-surveyed through the program. 

Click here for the reports.

Kootenay community water concerns documented in new reports

Living Lakes Canada

Earlier in 2023, Living Lakes Canada held a series of in-person public meetings in six different communities, two virtual meetings, and numerous one-on-one consultations in the East and West Kootenays to collect and document local residents’ water concerns and priorities. All the feedback received is supporting the selection of new monitoring sites as part of the Columbia Basin Water Monitoring Framework. The summary of community feedback is available in two reports: the Lower Columbia-Kootenay region, including the communities of Nelson, Rossland, Trail, Castegar, Salmo, Creston, and Yaqan Nuʔkiy; and the Upper Kootenay region, including the communities of Cranbrook, Wasa, Jaffary, Yaq̓ it ʔa·knuqⱡi ‘it, and ʔaq'am.

Click here for the Lower Columbia-Kootenay report and here for the Upper Kootenay report.

The importance of wildlife-friendly fences shouldn’t be underestimated

Yellowstone to Yukon

Wildlife-friendly fences make a big difference for animals and people. Homeowners, ranchers, farmers, and others can be great neighbors to their four-legged friends through their fence selection. They can consider how wildlife move over or under fences and choose options to limit injury. For example, pronghorn need a smooth bottom fence-line that is high enough for them to crawl under safely. But adding new fencing isn’t the only option. People can also consider whether there is old fencing they can remove on their property to avoid wildlife getting caught in abandoned barbed wire fences.

Click here to read more.

Corridor-based approach with spatial cross-validation reveals scale-dependent effects of geographic distance, human footprint and canopy cover on grizzly bear genetic connectivity

Palm et al.

Researchers studied genetics from more than 1000 grizzly bears in the Rocky Mountains of southeastern BC and southwestern Alberta to see various impacts on grizzly bear genetic connectivity including rugged terrain, protected areas, roads and other human activity. They found that across all spatial scales, geographic distance explained more variation in genetic differentiation in grizzly bears than landscape variables. Human footprint inhibited connectivity across all spatial scales, while open canopies inhibited connectivity at the broadest spatial scale. Findings underscore the negative impact of human activity on genetic flow for grizzly bears.

Click here to read the report. 

Watershed Monitoring Reports

Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society

The Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society (FoKLSS) 2020-2022 Water Monitoring Reports are available on their website. FoKLSS’s Kootenay Lake Watershed Monitoring Program utilizes the Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Inventory Network (CABIN) national water quality monitoring protocol to assess water quality through the collection and analysis of macroinvertebrate aquatic insect populations. CABIN-certified volunteers monitor several streams throughout the summer and early fall to gather samples that are sent off to a taxonomist for identification, and water quality samples are sent to a laboratory for assessment. Twenty individual stream reports can be accessed at the link below, along with information on how to interpret the data.

Click here to access the reports.

KCP Stewardship Solutions Toolkit

Resource updated with growing number of stewardship listings

In 2019, KCP launched Stewardship Solutions, an easy-to-access stewardship resource for landowners and land managers in the Kootenays available both in print and online. We keep this resource up to date, and encourage you to access all the available stewardship "solutions" (i.e. services and resources) available in each of the 14 Conservation Neighbourhoods. Visit the website, select your location on the homepage map, and you'll be brought to the growing list of stewardship options available in your region.

Visit the Stewardship Solutions website.

Kootenay Conservation Program

Conservation Resources for our Region

The Kootenay Conservation Program 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.

Click here for more information.