2016 Workshops & Courses

The BCWF Wetlands Education Program is excited to announce another exciting season of workshops and courses around the province. These are designed to enable communities throughout British Columbia to engage in citizen science for the appreciation, monitoring, protection and restoration of their local watersheds.

Map our Marshes Workshops

This Wetland Mapping and rapid assessment workshop is a 1 day crash course on the values of wetlands and how to map them using GPS technology. Get connected with the Community Mapping Network and protect wetlands in your area.This is a great project for anyone who is passionate about the health of their local wildlife and watersheds, from community volunteers to schools, consultants and planners!

Wetlandkeepers Workshops

BCWF’s Wetlandkeepers Courses are 2.5 day workshops that educate participants about wetland conservation! Upon a community request, BCWF brings the Wetlandkeepers Course into an area to teach wetland mapping, wetland hydrology, amphibian, plant and animal identification and soil sampling. This is a hands-on fieldwork course that provides participants will technical skills to steward their own wetland. Upon completion of the workshop participants are provided with a Wetlandkeepers certificate, and provided with follow up support by the Wetlands Coordinator.

· Parksville| April 22-14, 2016| Read about it here
· Golden | May 13-15, 2016 | Read about it here

Wetlands Institute Workshop

Are you working on a wetland project and/or program in your community? Join us for 7 day intensive hands-on workshop in the Okanagan Region of BC. The Wetlands Institute educates participants about wetland stewardship, restoration and construction skills. Participants often come to the Wetlands Institute with a wetland project they wish to implement in their home communities. During the workshop, participants receive support from knowledgeable experts and obtain hands-on training in order to successfully implement their wetland projects upon returning home. Since 1998, the Institute has been held bi-annually in selected communities across British Columbia. Participants spend most of the week in the field learning about the importance and diversity of wetlands, practicing up to date field techniques to inventory wetlands vegetation mapping, water quality, soils, birds, amphibians, and fish. In addition, participants discuss ways to contact and communicate with landowners and developers and to raise public awareness and influence conservation policies. Within the selected host community(ies), several different wetland sites are visited during the week to highlight different restoration, conservation and education methods. Upon completion of the Institute, participants from all types of backgrounds are fully trained to begin wetland projects in their home communities!

· Lower Mainland | Aug 27-Sept 2, 2016 | Read about it here

Wild Kidz Camps

The unique Wild Kidz Camp provides a real-life connection between children and nature. Not only will children learn about the interrelated dynamics of ecosystems, they will do so through fun, hands-on outdoors activities. These camps assist the ability of children to learn through discovery with activities such as: bug catching and identification, wetland nature walks and exploration, fishing lessons, swimming and trips to hatcheries and conservation centers! This summer camp strives to educate children about the practices and importance of wildlife and environmental conservation. After the week long camp, children can expect to return home with experiences and memories to last a lifetime.

· Barrier | July 11-15, 2016| Read about it here
· Smithers | August 8-12, 2016 | Read about it here

Restoration Design Workshops

The wetland restoration design workshops spend 1 to 2.5 days to teach you how to begin designing a restoration plan for wetlands. Though each course is tailored to be site-specific, topics covered may include, amongst other things, the principles for wetland design, estimating costs, and habitat considerations.

· Burton | Sept 13-14 | See photos here

Working Group Workshops

These one-day workshops include presentations and discussions on ways to integrate wetland conservation at a municipal and regional level with a variety of tools from policy to built-infrastructure. As a group, participants will share experiences and explore challenges and opportunities facing future wetland conservation. Make sure your municipality is represented as this workshop aims to strengthen the regions capacity to secure green infrastructure – promoting human health and nature.

Great for planners, engineers and other municipal/regional district staff involved in urban development policy and permitting, Integrated Stormwater Management Plans wetland mapping projects and/or watershed planning.

· Fernie | May 12 | Read about it here

Other Workshops

· QGIS Training Workshop Castlegar | May 10-11 | Read about it here

For more information, please contact:

Neil W. Fletcher, M.R.M.
Wetlands Education Program Manager, BC Wildlife Federation
101-9706 188th St., Surrey, BC, V4N 3M2
T: 604.882.9988 ext 232 | (Toll Free in BC: 1.888.881.2293 ext 232)
M: 604.970.9707 | F: 604.882.9933
wetlands@bcwf.bc.ca | www.bcwf.bc.ca | www.bcwfbogblog.com