Category: Wetlands Education Program (WEP)

From Theory to Practice — Salt Spring Island Wetlands Institute 2018

Narrowly avoiding the Pacific Storms, the BCWF Wetlands Education Program (WEP) team was lucky to spend time away from our office in Surrey and in the safe haven of Salt Spring Island for the 16th annual Wetlands Institute. 23 enthusiastic participants from a mix of backgrounds, including: Non-profits, First Nations, Hobby Farmers, Consultants, Government, and Archaeologists,…
Touring the Interior — A Map our Marshes Double Feature

Nimbly avoiding the mounting floodwaters, the Wetlands Education Program team hosted two Map our Marshes workshops in Peachland (May 6) and Salmo (May 10), sandwiching a mélange of wetland site visits, presentations, and restoration prescriptions. Held in partnership with the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance, the first workshop began in the charming “Little Schoolhouse” before proceeding…
If You Build It, They Will Come: Sandhill Cranes Spotted In Wetland Restoration Site

Today the BCWF’s Wetlands Education Program (WEP) team is celebrating a big win! A restoration project completed in Meadow Creek, in the Lardeau Valley at the north end of Kootenay Lake, is now home to a family of sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis), a species listed as vulnerable by the Province of British Columbia. The final…
Stars Align for 2017 Wetlands Institute — East Kootenays

For most of the summer it appeared as though the 2017 Wetlands Institute may have had to make a drastic change in scheduling and, for the first time in history, proceed without any accompanying wetland restoration projects. With B.C. experiencing the worst wildfire season ever recorded, the three restoration projects that would have made the bulk…
Across the Lower Mainland — 2016 Wetlands Institute

Did you know that up to 70% of wetlands have been lost in settled areas of Canada? In the Lower Mainland the number is even higher. Between 1827 and 1990, over 85% of wetlands were lost, mainly due to agriculture and development. With Metro Vancouver’s population expected to rise to 3.4million people by 2041 (that’s…
Learning all about Wetland Surveys and Stewardship at the Parksville Wetlandkeepers

The first Wetlandkeepers workshop of 2016 was held in Parksville, B.C. from April 22–24. This workshop, taught by Wetlandkeepers Trainer Michele Jones of Mimulus Biological Consultants, welcomed 19 participants who came to learn about wetlands and how they can help protect them in their communities. A special thank-you goes to Faye with the Mid Vancouver…
Restoring Wetlands in the Okanagan – 2015 Wetlands Institute

The passion for wetland restoration and protection drew participants from all over BC to the Okanagan to attend the BC Wildlife Federation’s 13th Wetlands Institute, aiming to gain the skills and knowledge needed to complete their own wetland projects. We had quite the range of participants including Biologists, Landscape Technologists and Architects, Environmental Planners, Coordinators,…
Wetlands Institute 2014 — East Vancouver Island

In 2014, the BC Wildlife Federation’s Wetlands Institute brought 30 passionate participants to Vancouver Island for a seven-day, hands-on workshop that spanned Duncan, Nanaimo, and Courtenay. Throughout the week, participants learned practical skills to restore and build wetlands in their own communities. By the end of the training, four existing wetlands had been restored and…
Hip Deep in the West Kootenays — Wetlands Institute 2013

Did you know that North America was once covered with wetlands? It’s a wild thought when you look at today’s landscape, where fewer than 20% of wetlands remain in many developed areas. Wetlands are one of nature’s most valuable ecosystems. They provide critical services like flood control, groundwater recharge, carbon sequestration, and natural water filtration.…
Wetlandkeepers With a Twist of BioBlitz

It’s always a privilege to learn from passionate biologists—and we were incredibly fortunate to have nine of them attend our Wetlandkeepers course in New Denver! The Slocan Valley has been identified as a priority area by the Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program’s Riparian & Wetland Action Plan, making it an ideal location to host this…