Category: Projects
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Collaborations Yield a Healthier Landscape
Living off the land is fundamental to rural and First Nations communities. Caring for the land is essential to the traditions and practices that encompass hunting, fishing, and foraging. The B.C. Wildlife Federation and Indigenous communities have made considerable progress toward a shared vision of maintaining healthy fish and wildlife populations. By weaving Indigenous values…
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Communities Come Together to Revitalize Ginty’s Pond
After years of planning, work is finally underway to restore Ginty’s Pond to an open-water ecosystem. An essential wetland habitat in B.C.’s Interior, conservation efforts at this wetland will protect several federally listed species at risk, such as the Yellow-breasted Chat, Western Screech Owl, Interior Snakes, Great Basin Spadefoot, and Western Painted Turtles. Although this…
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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…
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Volunteer-run rehab centre returns beavers to the wild
The B.C. Wildlife Federation is dedicating significant energy and attention to learning about the services beavers offer to wetlands, and how to leverage those behaviors to our mutual advantage. We visited the Interior Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (IWRS) in Summerland in July to view the society’s new Beaver Hotel, a facility dedicated to rehabilitating beavers and…
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Fishing Forever Projects Make the Outdoors Accessible
Imagine the potential obstacles you might face traversing the outdoors as a person with physical disabilities. Is that curb too high? Can I cross that sand or wade through that mud? People with limited mobility and those who use wheelchairs face these obstacles engaging in ordinary outdoor activities. One in seven British Columbians live with…
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Bonaparte channel restoration is a win for coho and the people who love them
The Bonaparte River coho channel is a unique and potentially productive coho salmon rearing habitat again, thanks to the efforts of the Bonaparte First Nation and the B.C. Wildlife Federation (BCWF). The original 500-metre channel has been restored, renewed and doubled in length, according to Bonaparte CEO Sean Bennett. “The fencing was basically rotten, the…
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Planting Seeds for Long-term Change
What comes to mind when you think of salmonberries? Do you think about how their flowers nurture pollinators, and their berries feed creatures of every size? Perhaps you pondered how fallen fruit attracts insects to nestle into the soil and among the fallen leaves. Indeed, salmonberry is a potent force for diversity and abundance. A…
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Ginty’s Pond Restoration Supports Community & Wildlife
After many years of planning, work is finally underway to restore Ginty’s Pond to an open-water ecosystem. An essential wetland habitat in the B.C. Interior, restoration efforts at this site will help protect several federally listed species at risk, including the yellow-breasted chat (Icteria virens), western screech-owl (Megascops kennicottii), Great Basin gophersnake (Pituophis catenifer deserticola),…
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Quadra Island community comes together to install 500 native plants at new B.C. wetland
When COVID-19 hit, elementary school teacher Sheldon Etheridge shifted to outdoor learning, guiding his students to a nearby forested area for immersive education. But as the weather turned wet, he noticed that a muddy, unused section of the sports field was trying to return to its former life as a functioning wetland. He decided to…
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Quadra Island Schoolyard Given New Life with Wetland Build
A schoolyard on Quadra Island is being given new life as the B.C. Wildlife Federation, Quadra Island Elementary School, and School District 72 restore a historic wetland to provide habitat for native plants and animals, while also creating an outdoor classroom for students. At first glance, the school’s large sports field surrounded by towering trees…