KCP and CMI present 2024 Winter Webinar Series

Webinars begin January 18

Each year KCP offers a webinar series to facilitate the sharing of technical resources among partners and others so that local conservation activities consider the best available information and practices. The 2024 webinar series will be hosted in partnership with the Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology (CMI) on the theme of “Wildlife Corridors and Ecological Connectivity". During the eight webinars, wildlife corridors and ecological connectivity will be discussed from different perspectives that provide a wide view that can inform conservation of connected and resilient landscapes in the Columbia Basin. We’ll explore corridors and connectivity through the lenses of wildlife biology and landscape architecture; wildlife-friendly fencing; Indigenous values in forestry practices and fire management; human-wildlife coexistence; road ecology and highway crossing structures; and how connectivity is embedded in a larger context of ecological integrity and functioning ecosystems. Thanks to the generous support of the Columbia Basin Trust and CMI, this series will be offered free of charge.

Click here for more information and to register. 

KCP Conservation Ambassador Training concludes

Congratulations to 4 new Conservation Ambassadors

We've wrapped up our Conservation Ambassador Training for 2023! This online training based on the Stewardship Solutions Toolkit took place in November and December, encouraging peer-learning for stewardship practitioners on a variety of themes. Overall, 44 people participated with 4 people completing all three training modules to be awarded a Kootenay Conservation Ambassador Certificate! Congratulations to our new Conservation Ambassadors: Elodie Kuhnert, Megan MacPhee, Nevada Nicholas, and the Kootenay Livestock Association! All recordings of the modules can be accessed through the KCP website; see the link below.

Click here for more information and to access the recordings.

Slocan Valley Conservation Action Forum

KCP held Conservation Action Forum Check-in Meeting

On November 15, 2023, KCP teamed up with the Slocan Lake Stewardship Society and the Slocan River Streamkeepers to host this Conservation Action Forum Check-in Meeting in the Village of Slocan. The event brought together 29 representatives from various organizations to review the progress being made on the priority actions from the 2017 Slocan Lake Watershed Conservation Action Forum. Attendees also learned about upcoming Kootenay Connect projects in the Slocan River Valley, and shared updates on their conservation and stewardship projects occurring throughout the Slocan Valley. We thank everyone who attended for their contributions to making this event such a success.

Click here for more information and the summary report.

Parks Canada

National Program for Ecological Corridors

Parks Canada’s Ecological Corridors team wants to hear from you. Parks Canada is seeking input on two key program elements: Criteria for ecological corridors in Canada, and National priority areas for ecological corridors. Note that two of these ecological corridor pilot projects are in the East Kootenay: The Radium Wildlife Overpass and the Highway 3 Wildlife Mitigation project. A recording of the information session held last month on the draft map of National Priority Areas for Ecological Corridors is available here. Feedback to Parks Canada is accepted until January 5.

Click here for more information and to provide feedback.

Nature Conservancy of Canada

Growth of Kootenay River Ranch Conservation Area

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is celebrating the growth of the Kootenay River Ranch Conservation Area. NCC has acquired 129 additional hectares of grasslands, open forests and wetlands in BC’s East Kootenay. Located in the Rocky Mountain Trench between Canal Flats and Skookumchuck, a valley with increasing development pressures, this addition is an important step to mitigate biodiversity loss. This diverse landscape acts as a wildlife corridor and is used by many species, from moose, elk and deer to the endangered American badger. The land features the endangered American badger’s preferred habitat of native grasslands punctuated by sparse stands of Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine. The conservation property also contains deciduous woodlands, small wetlands and a section of lakeshore along Larsen Lake. 

Read all about it here.

Province of BC 

Draft BC Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework

BC’s Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework is an important step towards the provincial government’s commitment to prioritize the conservation and management of ecosystem health and biodiversity, including the conservation and recovery of species at risk, which will align all existing related initiatives and set the path for co-development and implementation of new policies, legislation, and strategies. The Framework sets the stage for the desired transformational shift from a land management system that prioritizes resource extraction to a future that is proactive, prioritizes the conservation and management of ecosystem health and biodiversity, and is implemented jointly with title and rights holders. This paradigm shift recognizes that strong, stable, and prosperous communities and economies rely on healthy ecosystems. This means that policies, decisions, and actions would first consider what ecosystems need to sustain themselves and the benefits they provide across spatial scales (e.g., local, watershed, regional) through time, and then consider how they may be sustainably used to support communities and economies. Ecosystem-based management (EBM) will be an important management approach to achieve this which looks to concurrently manage for ecological integrity and human well-being. Members of the public can access the draft Framework and provide comments until January 15 by contacting biodiversity.ecosystemhealth@gov.bc.ca. KCP encourages all partners to provide feedback to the provincial government on this new and innovative approach.

Click here to see the draft framework. 

Living Lakes Canada

Columbia Basin Water Hub wins 2023 Open Data Quality Award

Recognizing the critical importance of water data and the need to make it easily accessible, Living Lakes Canada established the Columbia Basin Water Hub as a central repository for water-related data in the Columbia Basin region. Formally launched in 2021, the Water Hub now houses over 300 datasets from more than 50 contributors across multiple sectors, ensuring that high quality water data is easily accessible to decision makers, researchers, community groups, and anyone invested in understanding their local watershed. The Columbia Basin Water Hub was recently recognized with the Open Data Quality Award from the Canadian Open Data Society at the 2023 Canadian Open Data Summit in Victoria, BC.

Click here to read the full announcement. 

Nature Trust of BC

Conserving an Essential Wildlife Corridor in the East Kootenay 

The Nature Trust of BC, one of the province’s leading non-profit land conservation organizations, is aiming to protect 182 hectares (450 acres) of an important wildlife corridor. The area is located between the communities of Kimberley and Cranbrook and within the traditional territory of the Ktunaxa First Nation. You can help The Nature Trust of BC purchase and protect Wycliffe Wildlife Corridor – Wycliffe Prairie with a donation to their fundraising campaign. The parcel is adjacent to The Nature Trust of BC’s 364-hectare (900 acre) Wycliffe Wildlife Corridor Conservation Complex alongside additional lands conserved by the Province and the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Once this land, known as Wycliffe Wildlife Corridor – Wycliffe Prairie, is protected, the combined total of conservation land in this multi-partner Wycliffe Conservation Complex will be more than 1450 hectares (3500+ acres). This ecologically diverse area contains native grassland, along with mixed forest, wetlands, riparian habitat along Luke Creek, and two small lakes. The parcel is part of a critical wildlife movement corridor that connects Grizzly Bear habitats and includes a Class 1 Ungulate Winter Range for Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer, and Elk. Purchasing this property will protect the land and the many species that depend on it forever. 

Click here to read the full story

Parks Canada

Parks Canada partners with Nature Conservancy to protect land near Kootenay National Park

Parks Canada has partnered with the Nature Conservancy of Canada to protect land around Kootenay National Park. The Landscape Resiliency Program is a $30-million effort to conserve up to 30,000 hectares near national parks, connecting habitats and creating protected buffers around parks, with the federal agency and Canada’s largest non-profit conservation organization each kicking in $15 million. Details on what land or conservation opportunities are being considered near Kootenay National Park are not yet being shared.

Click here to read an article.

Living Lakes Canada

“Playing Beaver” to Restore Water to the Columbia Wetlands

On the ground in the Columbia Wetlands, research has found that water-loving plants are being replaced by willow, a plant that requires less water. Over the last 39 years, the spread of willow has doubled in the wetlands, pointing to a drying landscape. Wetlands that once held open water all year long are now often dry in the winter and spring. Now, migrating birds are left with fewer options to rest and feed during long journeys. In fact, certain tracts of the Columbia Wetlands have lost over 16% of its permanent open water area in the last few decades. One solution may help wetlands adapt and safeguard their key ingredient. It involves mimicking the actions of one of the most iconic and ubiquitous animals across Canada: Beavers.

Click here to read the full story.

Wildsight Golden

Athalmer Bank Swallow Habitat Reshaping Project

Bank Swallows are aerial insectivores whose population has declined in Canada by between 93% and 98% in a recent 40-year period. In order to increase available breeding habitat for this at-risk species, a large substrate pile in Invermere has recently been enhanced by creating a vertical slope with the ideal friable substrate – features required by breeding Bank Swallows. A substrate pile had been sitting in an abandoned lot for at least two decades, a leftover remnant from a development that never saw the light of day. This lot is now owned by the District of Invermere (DOI) and located in the Athalmer Neighbourhood Area, close to the main public boat launch in Invermere where Lake Windermere becomes the Columbia River again. As part of the DOI’s Athalmer Neighbourhood Park plan, the substrate pile was slated to be removed. However in 2021, a volunteer of Wildsight Golden’s Upper Columbia Swallow Habitat Enhancement Project (UCSHEP) noticed several Bank Swallows nesting on part of the soon-to-be-removed pile.

Read the full story here.

Parks Canada

Whirling disease shuts down human access to all rivers, lakes in Kootenay, Yoho national park

In an unprecedented move, Parks Canada has shut down all waterbodies and shorelines in Yoho and Kootenay national parks after whirling disease – a deadly disease known to kill off fish populations – was detected in more regions. After discovering whirling disease in Yoho’s Emerald Lake this fall, Parks Canada officials say further sampling and preliminary test results found suspected cases of the disease in the Kicking Horse River, Wapta Lake, Finn Creek, Monarch Creek and confluence of Emerald River and Kicking Horse River. “As a result, Parks Canada has taken quick and decisive action to protect fish populations in Yoho and Kootenay national parks,” said Justin Brisbane, aquatic invasive species regional communications officer for the mountain national parks in a statement. “All waterbodies and shorelines in Yoho and Kootenay national parks are closed until March 31, 2024, effective October 26, 2023.”

Click here to read the full article.

Wildsight Kimberley / Cranbrook

Saving whitebark pine seeds in the subalpine

Whitebark pine is considered a keystone species due in part to the number of species that will obtain higher proportions of calorie intake from seed consumption. These trees produce large nutritious seeds (especially when compared to other pine species) and are an important forage for species like grizzly and black bears and the Clark’s Nutcracker. In fact the relationship between the whitebark pine and Clark’s Nutcracker is so intertwined that these medium sized birds are responsible for the vast majority of whitebark seed dispersal and regeneration. This season’s Kimberley/Cranbrook Youth Climate Corps (YCC) crew has been working alongside Randy Moody, a biologist specializing in whitebark pine recovery, who has dedicated himself to the study and preservation of this species. Part of the work Moody conducts revolves around the collection of seeds from whitebark trees that show some level of genetic resistance to blister rust.

Read all about it here.

Valhalla Foundation for Ecology

Seeking collaboration regarding enhancing habitat for Western Painted Turtles

Turtle Experts Take Note: The Valhalla Foundation for Ecology is seeking fellow land trusts or conservation organizations that have successfully enhanced or created habitat for Western Painted Turtles. They are planning enhancements for the Snk'mip Marsh Sanctuary for 2024/2025 and would like to visit other sites in the Kootenays to see your 'best practices' for enhancements and learn about your on-the-ground experiences of what works and what doesn't. If you have knowledge to share on Western Painted Turtles, please contact VFE biologist Amber Peters at amber.vfe@xplornet.ca or VFE Director Lorna Visser at valhallafoundationforecology@xplornet.ca. 

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.

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. 

Webinar on BC Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework

January 3, Online

The new draft Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework, released by the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship (WLRS), was developed through engagement in 2023 with First Nations, industry, non-governmental organizations, local communities, municipal leaders and academia and sets the stage for the shift from managing for timber subject to constraints, to establishing the management and conservation of ecosystem health and biodiversity as an overarching priority for BC. “Achieving this priority will result in a new stewardship approach for land and water, which, in turn, requires an essential prerequisite — a deep change in our thinking about land”, said Gary Merkel, co-author of the 2020 Old Growth Strategic Review. WLRS is hosting a set of webinars designed for Indigenous and select multi-sectoral partners, local government, environmental non-governmental groups and other interested parties to help to support conversations and dialogue on the draft. The webinar will include focused breakout sessions where participants will be invited to engage on a range of topics related to the Framework. 9:30 to 11:30 am PT / 10:30 to 12:30 am MT.

Click here for more information and to register. 

Bighorn Sheep monitoring event

January 8, Fairmont

Wildsight Invermere is holding a monthly Bighorn sheep monitoring event. No experience is needed to be a citizen science sheep monitor, just the ability to walk and be outside for 3-4 hours. The orientation and tools to do the monitoring are provided. This is in support of the Bighorn Sheep Conservation and Biodiversity project. By participating in the program, volunteers actively contribute to the project’s objectives by assisting in monitoring activities such as observing and documenting bighorn sheep sightings, recording behavioural observations, and collecting data on habitat use. The sheep herd is located near Canal Flats, and car pooling can be arranged. This month's event will be on Jan. 8 from 11 am to 3 pm MT at the Local café in Fairmont.

Click here for more information and to register.

Secwépemc (Shuswap) Language Course

January 15 to February 26, 2024, Online

This winter, join language instructor Roxwell Iswell Sampson for a Secwépemc (Shuswap) Language Course. Topics include Secwépemc stories, greetings, family, animals, plants, places, and numbers. The course starts on January 15 and runs weekly on Mondays until February 26, from 6 to 7:30 pm PT / 7 to 8:30 pm MT.

Click here for more information and to register.

Winter Webinar Series: Landscape connectivity from a wildlife biologist’s perspective

January 18, Online

There is a global movement to recognize and conserve ecological corridors throughout the world. Connected ecosystems enhance biodiversity and increase landscape resilience to climate change. This talk explores a success story of how re-establishing and managing connectivity for grizzly bears in the trans-border region of the Creston Valley evolved into a larger initiative to create a regional network of corridors connecting valley bottoms to uplands, biodiversity hotspots, protected areas, and climate refugia benefiting wildlife and human communities in the Kootenay region. Host Dr. Michael Proctor will relate the local to the global while providing examples along the way including western toads, northern leopard frogs, badgers, elk, wolverines and more. Live webinar at 12 pm PT / 1 pm MT.

Click here for more information and to register.

Whitebark Pine Recovery in the Columbia Region: Restoring a keystone species

January 23, Online

Learn about the importance of whitebark pine, the species it supports, the threats faced, and the results of a five-year project funded by the Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program to save this endangered species. This webinar is presented by Randy Moody, ecologist and president of the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation of Canada, at 12 pm PT / 1 pm MT.

Click here to register.

Native Bee Study Group

January 24, Online

Join the Native Bee Study Group for their January meeting. Their online study group meets on the fourth Wednesday each month at 7 pm via Zoom, hosted by Bonnie Zand. The January meeting will focus on “Bee ID Resources.” Bring your own observations to add to the communal slide deck or share something with the group you have learned from iNaturalist, books, or elsewhere! This group is open to all levels of bee knowledge, and is from 7 to 8:30 pm PT / 8 to 9:30 pm MT.

Click here for more information and to register.

Winter Webinar Series: What is a landscape architect and how can they contribute to land use planning and wildlife habitat?

January 25, Online

As a Landscape Architect, Leslie Lowe weaves connections across a mosaic of land types by finding ways to strengthen wildlife habitat and repair native ecosystems within disturbed human/agricultural environments. In 2020, in partnership with biologist Marc-André Beaucher, she created a master plan for the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area (CVWMA) for the south end of the Duck Lake Nesting Area that focuses on the Frog Bear Corridor. In this talk Leslie will present ideas for what can be done at a site scale for enhancing wildlife corridors and ecological connectivity from the perspective of a landscape architect. Leslie will provide an update on the status of the CVWMA sites with specific examples of results observed for target species such as the Northern Leopard and Bobolink, as well as the significant strides that have been made in the implementation of the master plan. Live webinar at 12 pm PT / 1 pm MT.

Click here for more information and to register.

An introduction to spiders and their world by naturalist Bryan Kelly-McArthur

January 27, Golden

Bryan Kelly-McArthur, a naturalist in the Columbia Valley will be holding a presentation on an introduction to spiders and their wonderful world. Join Wildsight Golden at the Golden Branch of the Okanagan Regional Library on January 27 at 3 pm to learn more about the interesting arachnids at this free and family friendly event!

Click here for more information and to register.

‘Losing Blue’ Virtual Film Screening hosted by Living Lakes Canada

January 31, Online

Living Lakes Canada has partnered with the National Film Board to host an exclusive online screening of Losing Blue - a cinematic poem about climate change impacts on mountain lakes - on Wednesday, January 31 at 5 pm PT / 6 pm MT. Filmmaker Leanne Allison will introduce the film (16 minutes; 40 seconds long), which will be followed by a 15-minute talk on the science behind the film delivered by Losing Blue’s science advisors, Janet Fischer and Mark Olsen, who are also advisors for Living Lakes Canada’s High Elevation Monitoring Program. The event will conclude with a Q&A where audience members can ask questions and better understand the impacts of climate change on mountain lakes and watersheds. 

Click here to register.

Winter Webinar Series: All Living Things: A cultural approach to reconcile First Nations stewardship rights with resource management

February 1, Online

Consultation with First Nations is meant to provide a consensus-based shared decision-making process, yet many communities are short on capacity and time, while also inundated with industry referrals. Old growth forests are eroded, landscapes become increasingly fragmented, wildlife is disrupted, and First Nations land-use rights are degraded, along with the land itself. Through the creation of their Forestry Standards Document, the Ktunaxa Nation Council is attempting to bridge these gaps, and also address the demands of mitigating the impacts of operational forestry at a cutting permit and cutblock scale. This living document is a culturally and environmentally logical compendium of land use guidelines for operational forestry. In this talk, Sara Deslauriers with the Ktunaxa Nation Council will discuss how Ktunaxa’s approach seeks to enhance the values in the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) by reflecting the current state of the landscape and the need for conservation, connectivity, and an understanding that stewarding the land is more than a responsibility – it’s a Right. Live webinar at 12 pm PT / 1 pm MT.

Click here for more information and to register.

Nutrient restoration programs on Kootenay Lake and Arrow Lakes Reservoir

February 8, Online

Marley Bassett, Fish Restoration Biologist with the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, will present about the nutrient restoration programs on Kootenay Lake and Arrow Lakes Reservoir. The base of an aquatic ecosystem is amazing, and essential for the food web in freshwater lakes and reservoirs. Learn about the restoration of two systems through the applications of nutrients, and hear about the microscopic plants and critters that keep these ecosystems thriving, and the animals they benefit. Marley will be discussing the history of the programs, how they work, and findings from a recent independent review of them.

Click here for more information and to register.

Winter Webinar Series: Integrated Fire Management Planning - Mitigating risk to the ecological integrity and function of regional connectivity corridors

February 15, Online

Currently within BC at strategic, tactical, and operational levels there is a lack of collaborative all hazard risk planning. Current wildfire mitigation programs focus on project-based planning and do not consider multi-resource planning through space and time. First Nations Emergency Services Society (FNESS) is working with First Nations to develop an integrated spatial data base and planning tools to support collaborative planning. Larry Price, Mitigation Specialist with FNESS, will host this talk on Integrated Fire Management (IFM) Planning providing a framework to develop and implement management strategies that will maintain or enhance the ecological integrity and function of regional connectivity corridors through space and time. This along with strategies and actions for managing a wide range of values on the natural and built environment, are necessary for creating conditions that support wildfire resiliency throughout BC. Live webinar at 12 pm PT / 1 pm MT.

Click here for more information and to register.

Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent Annual Gathering

February 20 & 21, Lethbridge

In collaboration with the Kainai Environmental Protection Agency and Oldman Water Council, the Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent gathering with be held in Lethbridge in 2024. The aims of the gathering are to celebrate Indigenous leadership on land management issues, learn about conservation and community-based successes around the region, network with others including Indigenous neighbours and partners, and build support for Indigenous-led initiatives.

Click here for more information and to pre-register.

Winter Webinar Series: Roads, roads, and more roads: The plight of animal movement in the Anthropocene

February 22, Online

As geologists debate if we are in a new epoch due to human activity on the planet, the Anthropocene, and biologists consider if we are experiencing the 6th greatest extinction, do we really have time to think about roads and wildlife? Roads are ubiquitous on the landscape, and are essential to human wellbeing, and yet for most other non-human inhabitants on the planet roads are bad news. It is therefore important that we understand how roads impact wildlife, and that we identify solutions to address these impacts if we want to maintain biodiversity. Tracy Lee with the Miistakis Institute will review several road ecology research initiatives to identity where wildlife cross roads, from pronghorn to wood frogs. But knowing where animals cross is only a small component of reducing road impacts – we also need to invest in solutions. Here, we will explore efforts to build social capital around road mitigation, and better integrate road and landscape connectivity concerns into transportation planning and policy. Live webinar at 12 pm PT / 1 pm MT.

Click here for more information and to register.

Winter Webinar Series: A global overview of wildlife crossings – examples of maintaining functional connectivity across roads for a variety of species

February 29, Online

Rob Ament with the Centre for Large Landscape Conservation and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), will show how different countries on six continents are all tackling the common issue of making roads more permeable and less lethal for wildlife. He will cover a variety of taxa that are the focus of the crossing designs, from arboreal primates, large herbivores, and meso-carnivores to birds and reptiles. Viewers may find it interesting to see how crossing designs change among different cultures and environments. Live webinar at 12 pm PT / 1 pm MT.

Click here for more information and to register.

Winter Webinar Series: The trappings of success: the critical role of social carrying capacity in fostering long-term human-grizzly bear coexistence promoting safe and functioning wildlife corridors

March 14, Online

Wildlife corridors are more secure when human-wildlife conflicts can be reduced. Biologists Dr. Lana Ciarniello and Dr. Michelle McLellan, both with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Bear Specialist Group, will examine the success of coexistence strategies in an agricultural community that is critical to the recovery of southwest BC’s five threatened grizzly bear populations, Pemberton Meadows. Bears are needed to gradually and naturally augment the adjacent small and struggling populations, highlighting the importance of using a multi-scaled approach that includes connectivity and long-term coexistence. They will discuss seasonal resource selection function models they developed to predict connectivity among core habitat and populations and on-site evaluations to identify corridors allowing bears to naturally move across the Meadow, and explain how the corridor design was supported by proactive Bear Smart management that fosters human-bear coexistence as an antidote to habitat fragmentation by managing the “ecological traps.” This talk will also discuss the critical role that social carrying capacity plays in grizzly bear recovery and the importance of preventing or resolving conflicts before residence tolerance for bears declines. Live webinar at 12 pm PT / 1 pm MT.

Click here for more information and to register.

Winter Webinar Series: Context matters: landscape connectivity and ecological integrity

March 21, Online

Ensuring for ecological connectivity becomes critical as soon as habitat fragmentation of a once ecologically intact system is underway. This makes it necessary to understand the character and significance of high ecological integrity ecosystems, i.e., where composition, structure, and function are within their natural state, but are diminishing at a global scale. Mounting evidence suggests that healthy, high integrity ecosystems are better able to persist, and to deliver the critical services on which humanity depends, than those on the lower end of the continuum characterized by fragmentation, degradation, and species loss. In this talk, Justina Ray with the Wildlife Conservation Society Canada will explore the essential role that unfragmented, unroaded, and undeveloped lands and waters play in sustaining biodiversity and landscape connectivity, and the particular responsibility that Canada has for this theme when it comes to the domestic implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Live webinar at 12 pm PT / 1 pm MT.

Click here for more information and to register

International 2024 City Nature Challenge Bioblitz

April 24 to 29

The international 2024 City Nature Challenge (CNC) bioblitz will be held April 26 to 29, 2024. See the CNC FAQ for more information. There are very few requirements to have an iNaturalist project become officially part of the CNC. One of them is attending monthly one hour Zoom meetings that begin in September each year. If you missed the Zoom meeting for New Organizers last month, but are still interested in being a local organizer, please be sure to watch the recording of the meeting and follow along in the agenda, and sign up for one of the October meetings using this Google spreadsheet. For more information, contact George Gehrig with the Northern Rocky Mountain Biodiversity Challenge at geogehrig@gmail.com.

Brink/McLean Grassland Conservation Fund 2024, Nature Trust of BC

Deadline: February 16

The objective of the Brink/McLean Grassland Conservation Fund is to promote research, habitat restoration and other stewardship activities that will assist in the management of the land, plants and animals of BC’s native grasslands. Funding varies from year to year, and the available funding in 2024 is $2500. With this level of funding, it is anticipated that only one project will be awarded in 2024. The project must be located in native grassland ecosystems in BC. Proponents may be individuals, conservation organizations, public agencies, academic or research entities. Applications must demonstrate how the project meets the evaluation criteria. 

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.

Parks Canada

Interpretation Officer / Coordinator II, Kootenay & Yoho National Parks

Interpretation Officers plan, adapt, develop and delivers interpretive programs, activities, and events to provide visitors of the park with opportunities to discover, appreciate, learn about and enjoy the place and its natural and/or cultural resources and understand their significance to Canada. The position includes providing interpretive programs to the public, and supervising, training, and providing support and feedback to other interpreters and/or students. The Interpretation Offices also communicates with leadership staff/ other functions to ensure smooth day-to-day operations of the interpretation team. Applications are received until January 3.

Click here for more information and to apply.

Parks Canada

Heritage Presenter I and Living with Wildlife Interpreter, Kootenay and Yoho National Parks

These positions involve delivering interpretive presentations, programs and activities to provide visitors of the park with opportunities to discover, appreciate, learn about and enjoy National Parks and their natural/cultural heritage. Interpretive programs may include a variety of ways to engage and share information with the public, such as theatre-based programs, providing roving nature interpretation in campgrounds or on trails, or facilitating safe wildlife viewing experiences with visitors. Applications are received until January 3.

Click here for more information.

West Kootenay Watershed Collaborative

Coordinator

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 Coordinator. 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 Coordinator 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. 

Conference Proceedings

CMI Researcher's Forum

The Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology (CMI) hosts an annual event where we gather members of the scientific community, Indigenous community members and representatives, stewardship groups, students, and interested individuals to provide updates on ecological projects taking place in southeastern British Columbia – everything from field trials, new restoration projects and their associated community initiatives, to ecosystem monitoring and research, etc. These updates cover a wide range of topics and species. The conference proceedings from the October 2023 researcher's forum are now available.

Click here to access the conference proceedings.

Recording of presentation on the National Program for Ecological Corridors

Parks Canada

Last month, Parks Canada’s Ecological Corridors team held information sessions on the draft map of National Priority Areas for Ecological Corridors. The sessions were attended by many Canadians from across the country and have resulted in valuable input on the draft map. If you missed the presentations or would like to review the materials again, a video recording of the presentation is now available. Feedback on the draft map can be submitted until January 7th by email.

View the recording here. 

Bull Trout Spawner Escapement in the Salmo River Watershed

Gerry Nellestijn and Scott Decker

A radio Telemetry study by Baxter and Nellestijn (2000) found that individual Bull Trout spawned in multiple tributaries within the Salmo River watershed, suggesting that Salmo River Bull Trout comprise a single population. Results from a 2022 project show growth in the bull trout population in the Salmo River Watershed. Surveys in the Salmo River and tributaries - Clearwater, Sheep, Qua, and Curtis creeks - counted 82 bull trout redds and an estimated 174 adults. That’s the highest since 2017, and 137% of the ten-year average. The project was led by the Salmo River Streamkeepers and the full report, which also explains how the drip feed fertilization station works, is now available.

Click here to access the report.

Westland Videos

Historic videos about natural resource management in the Kootenays

In 1983, Mike Halleran began producing and hosting a television series entitled Westland which aired on the Knowledge Network from 1984 to 2007. Later taken over by his son Terry Halleran, the series explored a broad range of environmental issues associated with forestry practices, freshwater fisheries, endangered species, natural resource management and ecosystem restoration in British Columbia. The programs included extensive on-site footage and interviews with experts and various stakeholders. Many current concepts in land conservation were explored through these videos in the 1980's and 90's. We encourage you to enjoy this blast from the past and see if you can identify some familiar faces! Type "Kootenay" or "Rocky Mountain Trench" into the search bar to find local videos.

Click here to access the collection.

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

Proctor et. al.

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. The authors integrated analyses of bottom-up and top-down demographic parameters to understand and inform a comprehensive and efficient management paradigm across the region. Research found that huckleberry patches within 500 m of an open road make almost no contribution to grizzly bear density. The proximity of roads to huckleberry patches therefore essentially results in habitat loss. Approximately 38% of predicted huckleberry patches are within 500 of an open road, so this has a large effect on grizzly bear populations.

Click here to read the report, and here to see an infographic. 

Kootenay Connect: Riparian Wildlife Corridors for Climate Change – Year 4 Summary Report

Michael Proctor and Marcy Mahr

The Kootenay Connect Initiative envisions a regional network of 12 ecological corridors connecting important habitats, biodiversity hotspots, protected areas, and climate refugia across the human-settled valleys of the Kootenay region of BC. The premise behind Kootenay Connect is that landscape linkages focusing on large riparian-wetland complexes are essential for conserving biodiversity, habitat connectivity, species movement corridors, and ecological resilience in a changing climate. Since its inception in 2018, Kootenay Connect has integrated the best available science and local knowledge to identify important habitats for large carnivores, ungulates, and many at-risk species. Kootenay Connect’s collective on-the-ground conservation and management actions are supporting the recovery of 34 federally listed species at risk and working to help Canada achieve its goal of conserving 30% of its land and water by 2030. This Year 4 Summary Report presents the initiative’s scientific rationale, local, provincial, national, and international significance, corridor analysis, and maps of conservation values and threats in our region. It also provides progress and results from over $4 million investment in four of the 12 Kootenay Connect corridors with nearly 50 projects delivered by 35 partners that are contributing to species recovery and connected and protected landscapes. Projects include wetlands vulnerability assessment and restoration, species at risk habitat enhancement, forest thinning, invasive species management, wildlife-friendly fencing, creation of habitat features, potential large carnivore and ungulate wildlife corridors, access management, strategic land purchases, and more.

Click here to access the report.

Multiple impacts of invasive species on species at risk: a case study in BC

Natascia Tamburello

The historical and ongoing focus on single-species management of invasive species and species at risk contributes to inefficiencies in management strategies that present an obstacle to achieving desired outcomes. A holistic approach that consolidates and maps linkages between the broader collective of invasive species and species at risk in an area provides a more appropriate entry point for issue-based, rather than species-based, management planning. We present a case study of this approach from BC, which synthesized the identity, mechanisms of impact, mechanisms of spread, and magnitude of impacts across 782 unique pairs of invasive species and federally listed species at risk, based on a literature review of species at risk documentation. The resulting dataset was used to summarize the nature of interactions across species pairs and taxonomic groups to help guide the development of invasive species response strategies that make the best use of limited management resources. As species invasions and extinctions become increasingly interconnected, holistic approaches rooted in cumulative effects assessment and ecosystem-based management can provide a stronger foundation for reducing or mitigating this growing threat.

Click here to read the report.

Species-at-risk Recovery in BC: An Audit of Federal and Provincial Actions

Jared Hobbs, M.Sc., R. P. Bio

This report was commissioned by Sierra Club BC and Western Canada Wilderness Committee to provide an assessment and effectiveness evaluation of legal protection afforded to species-at-risk in British Columbia (BC). In Canada, recovery of threatened, extirpated and endangered species falls under the purview of the federal Species-at-risk Act (SARA) with responsibilities shared between governing bodies in each of Canada’s provinces and territories. The intent of this report is to audit current accomplishments and challenges hindering recovery of species-at-risk in BC, to better facilitate recognition of potential improvements that could be made at all levels of government, in order to ensure the goal and intent of the SARA are met for the betterment of species-at-risk and conservation of biodiversity.

Click here to read the report.

Movement ecology of endangered caribou during a COVID-19 mediated pause in winter recreation

R. Gill et. al.

The long-term conservation of species at risk relies on numerous, and often concurrent, management actions to support their recovery. Generally, these actions are habitat-based while others are focused on a species' position within its ecological community. Less studied are the impacts from human presence, despite evidence that human activity may reduce the area functionally available for occupancy or resource acquisition. In the winter of 2020/2021, Covid-19-related travel restrictions led to a reduction in helicopter-assisted back-country skiing (heli-skiing). In the moist to wet interior mountains of southern BC, we examined how these reductions in heli-skiing (termed the anthropause) affected the movement ecology and resource selection of southern mountain caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) as compared to two prior years (2018/2019 and 2019/2020) and the following year when heli-skiing resumed (2021/2022). We found that home-range size was on average 80–120% larger during the anthropause than in years of normal heli-ski operations.

Click here to access the report.

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.