Category: Wetlands Education Program (WEP)

Mapping Our Marshes with the Wetlands Education Program — 2023

The Wetlands Education Program (WEP) runs several workshops throughout the year in order to engage and educate interested participants about wetlands. One of these programs is Map our Marshes (MoM). This is a 1.5 day workshop that focuses on entry-level technical and field skills for mapping smaller wetlands using free software, GPS, and your smartphone!…
The Wetlands Institute Inspires Ongoing Backyard Restoration Efforts

As the B.C. Wildlife Federation prepares for its upcoming 2023 Wetlands Institute, we are inspired to look back on the transformative journeys of past participants. Among them is the heartwarming story of Susan DeBeck, who attended the program in 2021. While many come to the Institute with backgrounds in environmental science, Susan stands out as…
BCWF Celebrates 20 Years of the Wetlands Institute — 2022

This year marked the 20th annual Wetlands Institute – a world-class, immersive watershed restoration training for British Columbians. Since 2002, this program has engaged British Columbian ecological professionals in restoration techniques, impacting a variety of wetlands across the province in multi-phase and continual projects. From September 19 to 25th, participants from across the province joined…
Wetlands, Knowledge, and Community — 2022 Wetlandkeepers Workshops on Stó:lō and Ktunaxa Territories

Throughout the spring and summer, the Wetlands Education Program partnered with the Stó:lō Research and Resource Management Centre, Chawathil First Nation, ʔaq’am First Nation, and members of the Ktunaxa Nation to deliver two Wetlandkeepers workshops rooted in place-based learning and cultural exchange. As with all Wetlandkeepers workshops, the sessions began with classroom instruction on wetland…
Wetlandkeepers 2022 — The Kootenays

From June 1st to 12th, the Wetlands Education Program (WEP) team ventured to the Kootenays for the first Wetlandkeepers workshops of the summer. The focus of these workshops was to provide participants with a working knowledge of wetlands and to understand their undeniable value. Our first stop on the trip was in Slocan, B.C, where the Slocan…
A Mini Documentary — Wetlands Conservation through Private Land Stewardship in the Kootenays

Last summer, the WEP team travelled to the Kootenay Region to visit and interview several of the private landowners who had worked with the B.C. Wildlife Federation in the past to create and restore wetlands on their property. We met and interviewed the people behind four incredible wetlands conservation projects on private land to share…
Mapping Our Marshes with Doig River First Nation

On August 3–4, 2021, the B.C. Wildlife Federation’s Wetlands Education Program (WEP) visited the community of Doig River (Hanás̱ Saahgéʔ) to deliver the final Map our Marshes workshop of the season. Typically a one-day, hands-on course, this extended workshop provided additional time for in-depth discussions on wetland assessment and more extensive fieldwork. Situated approximately 70…
2020 Wetlands Institute — the Covid-19 Edition

The BCWF’s Wetlands Education Program (WEP) has proudly facilitated its flagship workshop, the Wetlands Institute, since 2003. This unique workshop is traditionally a 7-day, hands-on workshop that educates participants about wetland stewardship, restoration, and conservation. The application is competitive; participants apply to attend the institute with a project they are working on and get the chance to receive support from knowledgeable experts and obtain hands-on training to…
Increasing Stewardship Capacity in Remote Communities — Peace/Williston Region

The first two weeks of June proved to be a busy time for the BCWF’s Wetlands Education Program (WEP). Led by Wetlands Education Program Manager Neil Fletcher, the WEP team traveled through northeastern B.C. to deliver workshops in partnership with three remote First Nations: the Tsay Keh Dene Nation, Kwadacha Nation, and McLeod Lake Indian…
A Plan for Action — Restoring Moberly Marsh

Last week, the BCWF’s Wetlands Education Program (WEP) had the opportunity to take part in a planning session for the enhancement of Moberly Marsh located in Burges James Gadsden Provincial Park just west of Golden, BC. Moberly Marsh was previously managed by Ducks Unlimited Conservation (DUC). DUC has deemed that it is no longer cost effective to…