Watershed renewal project at B.C. First Nation bearing fruit as wildlife returning

As first appeared in the Globe & Mail July 11, 2022. Contributed by Norm Allard and Neil Fletcher.   Norm Allard is the Yaqan Nukiy Lower Kootenay Band community planner and a member of the Secwepemc First Nation. Neil Fletcher is the Director of Conservation Stewardship for the B.C. Wildlife Federation.  When water began to …

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Wetlands as a Tool for Flood Control and Prevention 

If you live in British Columbia or have loved ones living in B.C., you will have heard about the devastating floods occurring across southern parts of the province. The Province of B.C. declared a state of emergency on November 17, 2021, following massive flooding and landslides caused by record-breaking rainfall throughout mid-November.  Aerial footage of flooding in Abbotsford B.C at Highway 1 and Whatcom Road. (City of Abbotsford)The Riverside Cabins …

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Voyage to Vancouver Island: 2021 Wetlands Institute  

Wetlands Institute 2021 Participants in front of the Native Plant Nursery on Galiano Island. Vancouver Island is home to a diversity of wetland types, from bogs to salty estuaries, marshes and swamps. Taking advantage of this variety of wetland ecosystems, BCWF’s Wetlands Education Program (WEP) jumped on the opportunity to bring the 19th annual Wetlands Institute to Vancouver Island from October 2-8th. The Institute had 18 enthusiastic …

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Mapping our Marshes with Doig River First Nation

BCWF’s Wetlands Education Program (WEP) spent August 3-4th in the community of Doig River (Hanás̱ Saahgéʔ) for the final Map our Marshes workshop of the 2021 season. Traditionally, Map our Marshes workshops are a 1-day hands on course, but this extended workshop allowed for more time to discuss wetland assessment, and much more time to spend in the field!    Situated 70 km northeast of Fort St. John, B.C., the Doig River First …

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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 neighbour 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 favourite 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 …

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