The BCWF Wetlands Education Program holds four distinct courses in various places around the province on invitation from BC Communities. The following are instructors that have taught in the past:

Karen Needham and Tim Howay (Vancouver)

Expertise in invertebrates

Featured in “Bugging out” at the Silverdale Wetland

Karen is the curator at the Spencer Entomological Museum and lecturer to the department of Zoology at the University of British Columbia. Tim took part in the Mission Wetlandkeepers course in 2012 and as an Environmental Consultant and experienced Mosquito Taxonomist, he is knowledgeable in sampling invertebrates using the CABIN (Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network) protocol.
Both Karen and Tim provided training at our first ever Aquatic Invertebrate Workshop, held at Silverdale Wetland in Mission.

Tom Biebighauser, Wildlife Biologist (Kentucky)

Expertise in wetland construction & Restoration

Featured in A Stocking Stuffer for the Wetland Enthusiast • My First Wetland •  Logan Lake Wetland Project • Stewards of the Sea-to-Sky

Tom is a seasoned expert in building wetlands that look and function naturally. He has created and restored more than one thousand wetlands across the United States and in the province of British Columbia. Author of several related books, including the seminal Wetland Drainage, Restoration & Repair, his wealth of knowledge is shared through hands-on activity in our intensive 7 day Wetland Institute Workshops.

Michele Jones, Mimulus Biological Consultants (Courtenay)

Expertise in wetland vegetation surveys & wetland education

Featured in Cypress Mountain Wetlankeepers • Pemberton Wetlandkeepers Course • Stewards of the Sea-to-Sky

An R.P. Bio. with over 25 years of experience, Michele has her own consulting firm and teaches at Vancouver Island University. She been working with the Wetland Education Program since its inception, and also teaches Streamkeepers courses. Her warm enthusiasm combined with her deep knowledge of plant ecology makes learning about wetland delineation and plant identification a pleasure in the Puddle Project, Wetlandkeepers course, and the Wetland Institute.

Rob Knight, Community Mapping Network (Vancouver)

Expertise in GPS mapping technology

Rob is working closely with the BCWF Wetland Education Program to educate the public on how to use a GPS to put our often forgotten small wetlands onto a map to facilitate conservation.  As the director and co-founder of the Community Mapping Network he is a critical player in the development and teaching of the BCWF’s Map Our Marshes workshop (formerly known as the Puddle Project).

Click here for the BC Wetlands Atlas

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Ed Van Osch, VOI Environmental (Nanaimo)

Expertise in soil erosion

Featured in  Cypress Mountain Wetlandkeepers

An industry recognized leader in  environmental, monitoring assessment and resource analysis, Ed is a certified professional in erosion and sediment control. He works with a variety of clients across the province and also teaches in Universities. Ed’s no nonsense approach to erosion control has been a valuable addition to the Wetlandkeepers course.

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Elke Wind, Biological Consultant (Nanaimo)

Expertise in amphibian monitoring

Featured in Pemberton Wetlandkeepers Course • Whose Eggs Are These?  •  Save The Frogs Day  • Wetlandkeepers in Mission • Wetlandkeepers in Castlegar • Stewards of the Sea-to-Sky

An independent contract biologist, Elke has been studying amphibian ecology on the island and coast for over 15 years. She has been involved with the development of  Best Management Practices for Amphibians & Reptiles in Urban & Rural Areas for the BC Ministry of Environment and Habitat Management Guidelines for Amphibians and Reptiles in the Northwestern United States and Western Canada for PARC. Her keen eye for egg masses and gentle touch in handling wetland critters has brought wonder to Wetlandkeepers courses.