The B.C. Wildlife Federation’s Wetlands Workforce project began as a collaboration with conservation organizations and First Nations across British Columbia in 2021.
The Inception of the Wetlands Workforce (2021)
In 2021, the B.C. Wildlife Federation received a one-year $5-million grant from the Healthy Watersheds Initiative. The $27-million project, supported by the Province of British Columbia, aimed to stimulate B.C.’s economic recovery through the COVID-19 pandemic through investments in community-driven watershed conservation and restoration projects. What resulted from this grant was the Wetlands Workforce, the largest collaborative wetland initiative of its kind in British Columbia. Spearheaded by the BCWF, the Wetlands Workforce comprised of partnerships with eight organizations and included engagement and partnership with over 45 First Nations.
Partners in the 2021 Wetlands Workforce project included:
Ducks Unlimited Canada, Langley Environmental Partners Society, The Nature Conservancy of Canada, The Nature Trust of BC, Wildcoast Ecological Society, Fraser Valley Watershed Coalition, and Yaqan Nukiy First Nation (Lower Kootenay Band).
The Real Estate Foundation of BC administered this funding through the Healthy Watersheds Initiative which provided grants geared toward supporting project teams working to restore rivers and streams, protect salmon habitat, collect data, and conduct watershed mapping and sustainability planning. Through these projects, teams were hired and trained to employ local workers who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
From its inception, the keystone of the Wetlands Workforce project has been engagement with First Nations and Indigenous-led organizations. In the first year of the Wetlands Workforce, Indigenous Advisors Diana Cote and the late Glenn Auger guided staff in fostering new relationships with First Nations communities with respect and humility.
Throughout this project, our crews, alongside project partners, conducted restoration, enhancement, maintenance, and monitoring work for 49 wetland sites across British Columbia in four Eco-Provinces: Boreal and Taiga Plains, Georgia Depression, Southern Interior Mountains, and Sub-Boreal Interior.
In 2021 alone, our work was done in partnership with over 30 First Nations communities across British Columbia.
As we continue our wetland and watershed restoration work throughout the province, the B.C. Wildlife Federation expresses our utmost gratitude for the partnerships and knowledge shared by the First Nations communities we worked alongside.
2021 Wetlands Workforce Report
Our Wetlands Workforce team accomplished a remarkable amount in 2021. Read more about our work in the 2021 Wetlands Workforce Report.
Project Continuation 2022 – 2023
Thanks to an additional $5.5 million in bridge funding from the Province of British Columbia, the Wetlands Workforce was expanded into a multi-year project. This investment funded essential on-the-ground work for the enhancement, maintenance, and restoration of wetlands and riparian zones across the province. Specifically, the funding allowed for three Wetlands Workforce work-pods to operate in the Peace region, the Kootenay region, and the Southwestern region of British Columbia. During this time, the teams collaborated with First Nations partners, community groups, and other organizations to effectively support the wetlands.
The total funding received for the Wetlands Workforce is part of the initial investment directed by the Province towards establishing a long-term Watershed Security Fund, in tandem with the development of a Provincial Watershed Security Strategy.
We Are of Water
From 2021-2023, the B.C. Wildlife Federation’s Wetlands Workforce collaborated with First Nations communities on restoration and enhancement projects across British Columbia. By building relationships with local First Nations, listening to their Elders, and integrating Indigenous knowledge into restoration projects, the Wetlands Workforce created initiatives that honor the ancient voices of this land. Illustrator Chenoa Gao played a key role in this initiative, listening to the stories of First Nations Elders and incorporating their narratives into her work as the Conservation Illustrator for the Wetlands Workforce.
Chenoa Gao was brought onto the team to collect and share the stories of First Nations Elders, youth, and community members through a series of graphics, celebrating the communities that supported wetland restoration work and promoting reconciliation. As a result, We Are of Water was created in partnership with the Healthy Watersheds Initiative and the Real Estate Foundation of BC and published on June 1, 2023. Since then, additional educational and interactive copies of the digital book have been released. Read more about We Are of Water here.
Funders and Partners
In 2021, this project received support through the Healthy Watersheds Initiative, which was delivered by the Real Estate Foundation of BC and Watersheds BC, with financial support from the Province of British Columbia as part of its $10-billion COVID-19 response.
The Healthy Watersheds Initiative was a $27-million program, supported by the Province of British Columbia to stimulate British Columbia’s economic recovery through investments in community-driven watershed conservation and restoration projects. Through this program, the Real Estate Foundation of BC is lead the administration of funding for this program and working in partnership with Watersheds BC to support the implementation of more than 60 watershed security projects in communities across the Province.
The Province of BC
In 2021, the Province of British Columbia invested $37 million (including $27 million through the Healthy Watersheds Initiative) for projects that support healthy watersheds, species, and ecosystems, and create new jobs in areas that are critical to help communities adapt to the effects of climate change. This funding is part of the Province’s $10-billion COVID-19 response to help people in hard-hit industries.
The Real Estate Foundation of BC
The Real Estate Foundation of BC is a philanthropic organization that works to advance sustainable land use and real estate practices in British Columbia. Since 1988, the REFBC has granted more than $90 million for research, education, and policy projects that strengthen BC communities and protect our land and water.
Watersheds BC
Watersheds BC was launched in 2020 to support water leaders to improve decision-making for their home waters by equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and connections they need to engage effectively in their watershed. WBC supports water leaders across many organizations including First Nation communities and governments, local government staff, watershed boards and roundtables, provincial government staff, and other community champions.
The Wetlands Workforce project was a collaboration of several environmental non-profits working to conduct maintenance and monitoring across wetlands throughout British Columbia. Collaborators such as Birds Canada and WildResearch provided logistical support and services.
Wetlands Workforce Photos 2021 – 2023
See more photos from the Wetlands Workforce on our Flickr account
