Conservation in the Kootenays
Monthly eNews

If you haven't already registered for the  2018 KCP Fall Gathering & AGM in Nelson from October 12-13, you still have time to do so!  The agenda has been finalized and is available here. And see our "KCP News" section below for event details. We look forward to seeing you in Nelson!

If you're keen to get more involved in KCP's mandate to coordinate and facilitate conservation efforts on private land in the Kootenays, we are seeking individuals interested in participating on the KCP Board. Contact KCP Program Manager Juliet Craig by email at juliet@kootenayconservation.ca to put your name forward before our AGM on October 12. Click here for an info sheet on what it means to be a KCP Board Member.  

And if you're curious to learn what KCP has accomplished over the last year, our 2017-2018 Annual Report is now available on our website on the KCP Resources page under "Resources".
 
Please feel free to submit any photos, news or events you'd like us to share by the third week of each month to communications@kootenayconservation.ca.

Please click here throughout the month to check in on current news and events. You can click here for our KCP Partner list and click here to read more about some of the great organizations that support conservation in the Kootenays. You can also like us on Facebook to hear more news from partners throughout the month.
 
As always, a big thanks goes out to our supporters!
 

 
Lower Columbia Land Managers Conservation Action Forum
October 2, Trail
This event will provide a setting for Land Managers to engage with Science Experts on identifying priority needs and actions that will contribute to maintaining species at risk and their habitats in the Lower Columbia River Valley. The Forum will include presentations, small group strategy sessions, full-group discussions, and a field trip to the Lower Columbia and Pend d'Oreille River Valleys.  This is an Invitation-Only Event - if you would like to attend, please contact KCP Stewardship Coordinator Adrienne Shaw at adrienne@kootenayconservation.ca.

2018 KCP Fall Gathering: Conservation in the Context of Climate Change
October 12-13, Nelson 
Join us in Nelson on October 12-13, 2018 for the 2018 KCP Fall Gathering! This year's theme is Conservation in the Context of Climate Change. Day 1 will take place at the Prestige Lakeside Resort in Nelson and Day 2 will comprise of a field tour with visits to local restoration sites, species at risk habitats, and climate change resilience projects. All KCP Partners and members of the public are invited to this free event (please note the field tour is now full). Registration closes October 5.



Faces & Places Monthly Feature
Gerry Wilkie 
A familiar name in Columbia Valley conservation work, Gerry Wilkie has a long history of helping the natural environment, and his passion for protecting wild places has been the driving force behind numerous initiatives that have benefited from his dedication and vision. 
 


Friends of the Lardeau River
Speaker Series
The Friends of the Lardeau River have the mandate to protect the Lardeau River and its biodiversity and do this by  facilitating fish and wildlife inventories, habitat restoration, and public education about this unique system; networking with diverse groups and individuals to pursue areas and projects of common interest; and advancing proposals and initiatives that will serve the ecological integrity of the Lardeau River System, including the pursuit of legal protection for wildlife habitats in the Lardeau River system.  To this end, the Friends of the Lardeau River have begun a Speaker Series to draw on professionals who will talk about conservation related topics that roughly fall within their mandate. The next event is taking place on October 17 and details are below in the "Upcoming Symposiums and Workshops" section. 
 
Living Lakes Canada
Columbia Basin Groundwater Monitoring Program update
In August 2018 Living Lakes Canada hosted a workshop on groundwater for a group of about 20 residents near Windermere, B.C. Residents had approached Living Lakes Canada because they were concerned that some domestic wells in their area were going dry. Living Lakes Canada collaborated with GW Solutions to produce a 3-Dimensional Conceptual Model of the aquifers in the area. At the workshop, Dr. Gilles Wendling (GW Solutions) presented the model results and residents also learned about the BC Water Sustainability Act, the BC Groundwater Protection Regulation and Living Lakes Canada's Columbia Basin Groundwater Monitoring Project. Following the workshop residents worked with Living Lakes Canada and Dr. Gilles Wendling to identify wells that could be suitable for monitoring in the program. 

British Columbia American Kestrel Nest Box Program
Seeking locations to install nest boxes
The British Columbia American Kestrel Nest Box Program is a Citizen Scientist initiative that involves the installation of nest boxes in B.C. to help kestrels find safe and secure places to nest and to facilitate observation and monitoring by citizen scientists.  The program is seeking suitable locations in southeast B.C. to install kestrel nest boxes in October. The preferred habitat for kestrels is pasture, hay land and orchards. However, the habitat can also be a mix including some agriculture.  If you would like to volunteer to have a kestrel nest box installed on your property and/or to observe/monitor any nest box(es) please contact Mitchell Warne at info@warneinthewild.com .

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The KCP encourages partners to take advantage of our eNews - send your content to  communications@kootenayconservation.ca.   


Fungus Friday
October 5, Midgeley Conservation Area (Creston)
This is a special event for all you fungis and fun-girls who have a passion for mushrooms. Join mycologists (mushroom experts) Tyson Ehlers and Larry Evans, along with Nature Conservancy of Canada stewardship staff, for an engaging mushroom walk and talk in the Midgeley Conservation Area in Creston from 1 - 5 p.m. If you'd like to carpool to the event, please click here to add your car or join a ride going to the event. There is also a wait list feature if there isn't a ride there yet that works for you.

Columbia Wetlands Waterbird Fall Survey
October 5 & 15, Columbia Wetlands   
Wildsight Golden's two remaining 2018 Fall Waterbird Surveys will take place on October 5 and October 15 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day. If you're interested in being part of this citizen-science project or would like to learn more about the fall surveys, please contact the program biologist at racheldarvill@gmail.com or call 250-344-5530. 

2018 KCP Fall Gathering: Conservation in the Context of Climate Change
October 12-13, Nelson 
Registration is now open for the 2018 KCP Fall Gathering in Nelson! This year's theme is Conservation in the Context of Climate Change. Day 1 will take place at the Prestige Lakeside Resort in Nelson and Day 2 will comprise of a field tour with visits to local restoration sites, species at risk habitats, and climate change resilience projects. All KCP Partners and members of the public are invited to this free event. Seats do fill up quickly - especially on the field tour - so be sure to register soon. The Prestige Lake Resort is offering a special rate for KCP Fall Gathering guests until October 1 on a limited number of rooms. Call 250-352-7222 and let front desk know you are booking from the Kootenay Conservation Room Block. 

Friends of the Lardeau River Speaker Series
October 17, Argenta
As part of the Friends of the Lardeau River Speaker Series, retired Selkirk College geology instructor Lesley Anderton will be speaking about the geological history of Kootenay Lake and the Duncan and Lardeau Valleys on Wednesday, October 17 at 7 p.m. at the Argenta Hall. Come and discover how the rocks and present landscape came to be and how Kootenay Lake was formed and why we have so many north south trending valleys in southeastern B.C. There may also be time for identification of some of your Kootenay Lake rocks and minerals after the talk.
 
EECOM 2018 Conference: Classrooms to Communities
October 18-21, St. Eugene Mission Resort
From coast to coast, over 300 educators will have the opportunity to gather to learn, share and connect at this made-in-Canada environmental education conference. The theme for the 2018 Conference is Classrooms to Communities (C2C) which envisions learners and educators being deeply connected to place, community and planet. EECOM 2018 will be hosted as a partnership between EECOM, the Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network (CBEEN), the BC Environmental Educators Provincial Specialist Association (EEPSA) with the support of the BC Classrooms to Communities (C2C) Network. 

Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology
October 23-25, Revelstoke
The presence or absence of a species in a set of units (polygons, landscape units, territories, etc.) is a fundamental concept in many ecological studies (e.g. resource selection modelling, biodiversity, range). Visits to sampled units can results in a positive detection of a species or a non-detection of the species in that unit. However, a species may not always be detected if present which results in "false negatives". If the issue of detectablity is not accounted for, estimates that rely on the level of occupancy can be misleading. This workshop covers methods for modelling species occurrence while accounting for potential false negatives. Dr. Carl Schwarz will lead this 3-day course.
Click here for more information and to register.

Kootenay Lake Summit
November 3, Kaslo
Save the date for the Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society's annual Kootenay Lake Summit! The Summit is a free event offering an opportunity for community members to engage by attending talks and presentations hosted by experts in their field. Last year's event allowed over 100 residents to participate and the chance to learn about stewardship activities going on around the lake that they can actively participate in. The focus of the 2018 Summit will be to provide residents with sound knowledge on the history of Kootenay Lake including related cultural and archaeological history. This is a free event but there will be a limited number of tickets. 

Wild & Scenic Film Festival 2018
November 10, Kimberley/November 24, Invermere
The Wild and Scenic Film Festival visits over 150 locations in North America and not only entertains but inspires film-viewers to make the world a better place. With stellar films ranging from activism through to adventure on this year's lineup, the fest will be sure to please at its stops on the Kootenay tour.
Click here for details on the Kimberley film festival (tickets on sale starting October 1), and details on the Invermere film festival can be found by clicking here. 


Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program Grants - Columbia Region
Deadline: October 26
The Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program is now accepting grant applications for fish and wildlife projects that align with FWCP's Columbia Region Action Plans. The FWCP's Columbia Region Board is encouraging grant applications for proposed projects that result in "on-the-ground" or "in-stream" restoration and enhancement. Priorities for 2019-2020 projects include: stream habitat restoration and enhancement activities; riparian and wetland restoration and conservation activities; and work being implemented in the North Columbia. Submit your online application by Friday, October 26, 2018 by 5 p.m. The info kit for grant applicants can be found here. 
Columbia Basin Trust Environment Small Grant
Upcoming Deadlines: October 31, January 31
Environment Small Grants funds projects that take place within the Columbia Basin Trust region requesting up to $5,000 that will strengthen the environmental well-being and address one of the following four categories: ecosystems, climate, water and environmental education. 

Columbia Lake Local Conservation Fund
Deadline: November 1 
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). 

Kootenay Lake Local Conservation Fund
Deadline: November 1 
KCP in partnership with the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) provides funding for projects that benefit conservation in the rural areas around Kootenay Lake, specifically Electoral Areas A, D, and E ( click here for map ) within the RDCK through the Kootenay Lake Local Conservation Fund (KLLCF). 

Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation Enhancement and Restoration Grants
Deadline: November 2
Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation is now accepting applications for Enhancement & Restoration grants. Applications must be submitted through HCTF's online application system by 4:30 p.m. on November 2, 2018. Before beginning your application, please review the updated guides and resources on the Enhancement and Restoration Grant Overview webpage. From this page, new applicants can request a User ID and current grant recipients can log into the HCTF Online application portal using your existing ID. Please contact Courtney Sieben at Courtney.Sieben@hctf.ca or 250-940-9781 for support with preparing your applications.
Click here for the Enhancement and Restoration Grant Overview webpage.

Columbia Basin Trust Career Internship Program
Deadline: First-come, first-served basis
CBT's new Career Internship Program provides wage funding for employers to hire college and university graduates in permanent, career-focused positions. Eligible employers are businesses, registered non-profits, municipalities, regional districts and Indigenous organizations within the Columbia Basin Trust region that have a demonstrated fiscal and organizational need for an intern and wage funding. The funding is up to 50 per cent of the new employee's wage over the first seven to 12 months, to a maximum of $25,000. The intern position must include a training plan that provides structured learning to the new employee and transitions to full-time, permanent employment at the end of the internship.

Vancouver Foundation Systems Change Grants - Develop Grants
Deadline: Ongoing
Systems Change Grants support projects that take action to address the root causes of pressing social, environmental or cultural issues by influencing the behaviours of populations, organizations, and institutions. Short-term grants (Develop grants) are a one-time application that can be submitted any time throughout the year and decisions are made the following month. The next granting cycle for multi-year grants (Test and Scale grants) opens January 2, 2019. 

Grassland and Rangeland Enhancement Program
Deadline: Ongoing
Delivered for the Columbia Basin Trust by the Kootenay Livestock Association, the Grassland and Rangeland Enhancement Program supports efforts to maintain and/or enhance grassland resources while meeting conservation, environmental and recreational objectives. Objectives include promoting the stewardship of the grassland resource, striving to maintain and enhance biodiversity and long-term fish and wildlife productivity in public grassland ecosystems and improving compatibility between livestock management and recreation use.

Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program Community Engagement Grant
Deadline: Ongoing
The goal of the Community Engagement Grant is to provide an opportunity for FWCP stakeholders (e.g. environmental groups, rod and gun clubs, non-profits, stewardship organizations, government, and First Nations), to apply for small amounts of funding to support their conservation and enhancement work. 
 

BC Public Service: FLNRO and Rural Development, Range Branch
Invasive Plant Specialist - Licensed Science Officer (Agrologist) 3
This is an excellent senior opportunity for a dedicated professional in Nelson, B.C. The Invasive Plant Specialist provides expert professional advisory services and program administration for the Invasive Plant Management Program and related policies and procedures. This posting will close October 3. 

The Crown Managers Partnership
Conservation Priorities Coordinator
The Crown Managers Partnership (CMP) is seeking a dynamic, self-motivated, results-oriented Conservation Priorities Coordinator to coordinate and implement the CMP's Transboundary Conservation Initiative, a framework for addressing key regional environmental stressors in the Crown of the Continent ecosystem which includes United States and Canadian Agencies that work in British Columbia, Montana and Alberta. The coordinator position is a part time contractor position. The coordinator must be based in or near the Crown of the Continent area, which includes all major centres near the Crown (including Cranbrook and Fernie). The position is a temporary position until December 31, 2019 with the possibility of extension.This posting will close October 8. 


Kootenay Conservation Program
Conservation Resources for our Region
The Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP) helps partners to coordinate and facilitate conservation efforts on private land, and in an effort to support this, KCP has developed a webpage that compiles some of the best conservation and stewardship resources available for our region. 

Securing Private Land for Conservation in the Kootenays
FAQ document available online
KCP has prepared a Frequently Asked Questions document to provide an overview of conservation securement in  the Kootenays. This is a living document that may be updated regularly to reflect the evolving and variable securement process. 
Click here for the online PDF.   

University of Victora - POLIS Water Sustainability Project 
Land Use and Water Governance webinar
Planning for Success: New Thinking for Land Use and Water Governance was a half-day virtual event that showcased existing watershed governance initiatives and offered opportunities for discussion about emerging issues related to water-centric land use planning and building robust and innovative partnerships. This was the capstone event in the series of seven Watersheds 2018 events, co-hosted by the WSP.

Forest Practices Board
Special Report: Conserving Fish Habitats under the Forest and Range Practices Act
Fish are an important part of the environmental, economic, social, cultural and spiritual fabric of BC. People care deeply about fish and fish habitats and how they are managed. Much of the public's concern about fish relates to how forestry and range activities are managed to prevent impacts to fish habitats. The Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) and its regulations contain several objectives and practice requirements to protect or conserve fish and fish habitats.This special report identifies opportunities to further strengthen aspects of forest management and FRPA implementation to conserve fish habitats.

Trans-border Grizzly Bear Project
Important new grizzly report now available
A new report by Michael Proctor et al titled  Resource Roads and Grizzly Bears in British Columbia and Alberta  represents the best available science to date on the topic of grizzly bear management.
Click here for the report.

Society for Conservation Biology
Optimizing corridor designs for financial costs and for multiple species connectivity jointly
A study ( Trade-offs and efficiencies in optimal budget-constrained multispecies corridor networks   accessible through the Wiley Online Library)  highlights advantages to optimizing connectivity in corridors used by grizzlies, wolverines and other wildlife when working with tight budgets.

Association of State Wetland Managers
ASWM-NRCS Wetland Training Webinar Series
This webinar series has been designed to provide participants with a general level of knowledge about wetlands and wetland restoration options and considerations. Participants will come away from trainings with key knowledge, the ability to be more conversant about wetland issues, knowing what questions to ask when looking at restoration opportunities, and knowing when to contact or bring in an expert.
Click here for past and upcoming webinars in the training series.
 

 

If you have news or announcements that you would like to share via our eNews, please email them to communications@kootenayconservation.ca by the 25th of each month.