Tag: Biodiversity

Kicking Off 2025 with Hands on Restoration and Training in the South Okanagan

The South Okanagan is one of the driest regions in British Columbia, yet it’s full of life. Alongside vibrant vineyards, sparkling lakes, and rolling grasslands, the region is home to an incredible diversity of fish and wildlife that flourish where water flows. From the smallest stream to the quietest wetland to the broadest lake, these…
Understanding Beaver Dam Analogues — Q&A with Jennifer Rogers

Restoring streams, floodplains, and wetlands doesn’t always require heavy machinery. Sometimes, simple, nature-based solutions are the most effective. That’s the idea behind low-tech process-based restoration (LTPBR)—an approach that uses natural materials and processes to support ecosystem recovery. Two widely used techniques involve building simple, hand-crafted structures inspired by nature: Beaver Dam Analogues (BDAs) and Post-Assisted…
Reviving the Land — The Yaqan Nukiy Wetland Renaturalization Project

What happens when you let the land lead? On Yaqan Nukiy territory, millennia of Indigenous knowledge is guiding one of the most ambitious wetland projects in Canada—transforming not only ecosystems, but the broader understanding of how restoration can be approached. The Yaqan Nukiy Wetland Project, located on 517 hectares of Lower Kootenay Band reserve lands…
Using Laws and Legislation to Protect Your Wetlands

Have you ever seen someone filling in, draining, or destroying a wetland and wondered, “are they allowed to do that?!“ Maybe it’s your neighbor harming a wetland on their private property and you have concerns about it. Or, maybe there’s a new development proposed that will pollute your favorite wetland. Now that the value of natural ecosystems is becoming more appreciated and understood as a critical component of our landscape, it is important to learn how we…
Becoming a Community Scientist

Community science is a fun activity for everyone to enjoy – no matter your skill level! Did you know Earth Day is April 22? With nature shaking off the winter blues, it’s no wonder we celebrate this beautiful planet in the spring! And as the first sightings of spring pop up throughout the province, there…
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…
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…
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…
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.…