Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology

Past Events

Click here for information about our past conferences, courses, and meetings. Download free conference summaries, view lists of our event partners, and more.

Upcoming Events

CMI Annual Researchers Meeting and AGM, May 10, 2013 in Silverton BC. Open for registrations and the agenda is posted.

New Ways to Use Digital Technologies in the Field, May 15-16, 2013 at Selkirk College in Castlegar BC. Open for registrations . Limit of 100 participants.

Soils Refresher course, May 30-31, 2013 at Selkirk College, Castlegar BC. Open for registrations until May 22. Limited to 16 participants.

 

You may wish to review our Registration and Cancellation Policy before you register for any of our events.

CMI Annual Researchers’ Meeting & Annual General Meeting 2013

May 10, 2013
Memorial Hall, on Highway 6 in Silverton BC

• Register here. Cost is $40 + GST, or for students, $25.00 + GST. Pre-registration is required.
• Agenda is below
• Abstracts and field trip descriptions are available here.

Meeting description

Every year CMI members get together to provide updates on their projects, catch up on each others' news, and have a few field trips. It’s an informal atmosphere and non-CMI members are welcome. Pre-registration is required.

Agenda

Oral Presentations - Abstracts are here.
9:00 a.m.	Welcome on behalf of the Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology, Brendan Wilson, CMI President
9:05 a.m.	Timesavers translated from the field to office: Mobile Government Database (VENUS) and GIS applications, Carrie Nadeau, Summit Environmental Consultants
9:25 a.m.	Rare or little known biodiversity of the Selkirk Mountains, Craig Pettitt and Anne Sherrod, Valhalla Wilderness Society
9:45 a.m.	State of the Environment in the Columbia Basin Boundary Region - Which indicators would be useful to you? And discussion. Adrian Leslie, Rural Development Institute, Selkirk College
10:15 a.m.	Coffee break
10:35 a.m.	Best Management Practices for forest management around Northern Goshawk breeding areas in interior British Columbia, Kari Stuart-Smith, Canadian Forest Products Ltd
10:55 a.m.	Assessing western toad mortality on Highway 6 at Summit Lake, Jakob Dulisse, Jakob Dulisse Consulting
11:15 a.m.	Introduction of people who brought posters, and our field trip leaders.
11: 20 a.m.	CMI Annual General Meeting
12:00 p.m.	Lunch, provided.
12:45 p.m.	Community values in lake management planning, Therese DesCamp and Sally Hammond, Slocan Lake Stewardship Society
1:05 p.m.	The Slocan River, Follow the Fish – From compensation to ecology, Jennifer Yeow, Passmore Laboratory
1:25 p.m.	Kootenay Camas Project, Eva Johansson
1:45 p.m.	Field trips depart.
Posters - Abstracts are here. Last minute posters are welcome.
1. Slocan Lake Stewardship Society, Margaret Hartley
2. Integrating Honeybees with riparian tree and shrub production: Agroforestry in Slocan BC, Michael Murray, Murray Woodlot
3. Stump removal for root disease control: Trial examinations in southeastern BC, Michael Murray, Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations.
4. Long-term bat research and monitoring program in the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area, June 2011 to January 2013, Marc-Andre Beaucher of Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area, and Cori Lausen of Birchdale Ecological Consulting.
Field trips - Descriptions are here.
1. Field trip to the heart, Mary Therese DesCamp, Heart’s Rest Retreat Centre
2. Grizzlies, toads and railroads, Wayne McCrory, Valhalla Wilderness Society This field trip is full
3. Interface fuel treatment and morels, Tyson Ehlers, Tysig Ecological Research, and Stephan Martineau, Slocan Integral Forestry Cooperative
4. Toads at Summit Lake, Jakob Dulisse, Jacob Dulisse Consulting

Registration

Register here.

Cost is $40.00 + GST or for students, $25.00 + GST. Pre-registration is required.

 

New Ways to Use Digital Technologies in the Field - workshop

May 15-16, 2013
Selkirk College, Castlegar BC

We start at 8:30 a.m. in Sentinel 113 Lecture theater. View a campus map here. Access through the back parking lot.

Registration details are here. Limited to 100 participants. Cost is $180.00 + GST.

View the agenda and read the abstracts.

Workshop description

New technologies have changed the way that research on aquatic, terrestrial, and human ecology is carried out. Increasingly, people are taking smartphones, tablets, and other devices into the field to increase their productivity. Citizen science and social media are effective ways to increase data collection and collaboration. We will offer two days of presentations, panel discussions, hands-on demonstrations, opportunities for networking with experts, and a workshop summary to help you follow-up on the new things you’ve learned.

For the demonstrations, you need to bring your device with you (usually an iPad or iPhone pre-loaded with software; for some apps an Android device is okay) but if you don't have one, you can look over the shoulder of someone who does.

Who is this workshop for?

CMI events attract a multidisciplinary group of people. This workshop will draw researchers, technicians, natural resource practitioners and managers, academics, IT staff, and members of stewardship groups.

 

Using Trimble Yuma rugged tablets for data collection in the field.
Photo courtesy of Summit Environmental Consultants.

Registration

Register here. Cost is $180.00 + GST.

"READ ME" This registration form signs you up for the talks on May 15 and the conference and the demonstrations/mini-courses on May 16, as per the list of presentations. After you have sent in your registration form, please take a look at the descriptions and schedule for these sessions, which begins on page 16 of this document. Send a separate email to let us know which sessions you'd like to sign up for.

Workshop participants have priority for attendance at the demonstrations and mini-courses. After May 1, if we have spaces left in the demonstrations and mini-courses, we'll take registrations from non-workshop participants. There will be a charge and pre-registration will be required.

You can pay with a credit card or request an invoice (delivered as a PDF attachment). Your registration is not confirmed until we receive payment. Be sure you’ve read the cancellation policy, as described on the registration form. Your registration will be acknowledged by email - if you don’t hear back within a day or so please call to check that your registration was received.

 

 

 

Using Trimble Yuma rugged tablets for data collection in the field.

Photo courtesy of Summit Environmental Consultants.

Where to stay

Kekuli House at Selkirk College

A small number of student residence rooms have been set aside for us on campus at Kekuli House. NOTE there is no food service on campus; you will need bring food with you or eat off-campus.

Read about Kekuli House and the arrangements for rooms here and then call to book your room through the Residence Coordinator, at 250-365-1227. The cost per night is $40 for full service or $30 for partial service (a.k.a. bring your own bedding). To get these prices, be sure to as for the "conference price" when you book your room. NOTE the check in time of 1-4 p.m. as shown on the form from their website.

Other accommodations

A list of hotels, motels, and campgrounds near Castlegar can be viewed at Castlegar Chamber of Commerce.

Our workshop supporters

Columbia Mountains Institute is please to partner with the following agencies to host this event:

 

Selkirk College, School of Environment and Geomatics, Castlegar

 

 

 

Columbia Basin Trust is a regional corporation created to deliver social, economic, and environmental benefits to the residents of the Columbia Basin.

 

 

 

Kootenay Association for Science and Technology works to foster a culture that values science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship as activities vital to maintaining and enhancing the competitiveness of the region.

 

 

 

 

 

Summit Environmental Consultants offers a wide range of environmental consulting services, expanded in 2011 to include facilitation, mediation, and decision support services. 

Agenda

Click here to download the abstracts.

Wednesday May 15, 2013
8:30 a.m.	Welcome on behalf of the Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology and Selkirk College, with CMI President and Master of Ceremonies, Dr. Brendan Wilson.
8:45 a.m.	Keynote speaker Dr. Greg Newman of Colorado State University Technology to empower citizen scientists
9:30 a.m.	Hitchhiker’s guide to starting mobile data collection, Jase Zwarich, Summit Environmental Consultants
9:55 a.m.	Clipboard vs. mobile apps: QA/QC in the field, Rebekka Lindskoog, Summit Environmental Consultants
10:20 a.m.	Coffee break
10:45 a.m.	GPS Demystified, Sidney Kwakkel, Summit Environmental Consultants
11:10 a.m.	Timesavers translated from the field to office: Mobile Government Database (VENUS) and GIS Applications, Carrie Nadeau, Summit Environmental Consultants
11:35 a.m.	Panel discussion
12:00 p.m.	Lunch, provided, in Faculty Lounge.
1:00 p.m.	Smartphones in the field: Examples of software that enables multi-user data collection, Dr. Brendan Wilson, Selkirk College.
1:25 p.m.	Monitoring rangelands using mobile digital technologies, Matthew Braun, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
1:50 p.m.	Report-a-Weed, Nancy Elliot, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
2:15 p.m.	Automated grain size method in ecohydrology, Giles Shearing, University of British Columbia
2:40 p.m.	Coffee break
3:00 p.m.	Use of newly developed iPad App for the collection and processing of water quality field data to assess fine sediment generation from road networks, David Maloney, Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations and Brian Carson, Carson Land Resources Management
3:25 p.m.	Rethinking digital connections, Eva Johansson, Kootenay Camas Project
3:50 p.m.	Panel discussion
4:15 p.m.	Review of tomorrow's sessions and room numbers. Adjourn to Faculty Lounge for social and networking time. Includes drinks and appetizers.

 

Thursday May 16, 2013
Morning sessions
8:30 to 9:30 a.m.	YSI EXO: The latest technology for water quality monitoring, Shawn Ternan, Hoskin Scientific Ltd.
8:30 to 9:30 a.m.	Bear trap automation, Ryan Alter, Alter Enterprise This session is cancelled.
8:30 to 9:30 a.m.	Rangeland health assessments using a variety of techniques, Matthew Braun and Nancy Elliot, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.	Hands-on with Trimbles, Rebekka Lindskoog, Carrie Nadeau, Sidney Kwakkel, and Jase Zwarich, Summit Environmental Consultants
9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.	Using an iPad for navigation and completing field forms, Chris Oman, Forest Practices Board
9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.	Bio Blitz with iNaturalist, Valerie Huff and Eva Johansson of Kootenay Native Plant Society, and Ian Parfitt, Selkirk Geospatial Research Centre
9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.	Using iPads for GIS applications in the field, Jared Hobbs, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
Afternoon sessions
1:00 to 3:00 p.m.	Using an iPad for navigation and completing field forms, Chris Oman, Forest Practices Board (repeat of morning session)
1:00 to 4:00 p.m.	Using iPads for GIS applications in the field, Jared Hobbs, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (repeat of morning session)

 

Soils Refresher Course

May 30-31, 2013
Selkirk College, Castlegar with a field trip to Grand Forks

Registration information is here. Cut-off date for registrations is May 22.

Instructor: Derek Marcoux.
Class size: Maximum 15 participants.
Location: May 30 will be at the Castlegar campus of Selkirk College. May 31 will be a field trip to Grand Forks with stops along the way.
Times: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. both days.
Course fee includes: Course handbook, coffee breaks, and lunch on first day. NO food or drinks provided for field day.
Bring: Note-taking materials, outdoor clothing, good boots, and rain gear.

Course description

The Soils Refresher course is intended for biologists, foresters and other resource professionals interested in reviewing the basic concepts of soils.

Topics to be covered include:

• Review of basic mineral and rock classification that contribute to soil forming processes and classification of soils in Canada;
• Review of field estimation of soil textures; and
• Classification of forest, grassland, and wetland soils.

Participants will spend the first day mostly in the classroom and lab reviewing basic soils concepts and practicing field texturing. On the first day there will be a short field trip to review concepts. On the second day, participants will go on an all-day field trip from Castlegar to Grand Forks to review the soil properties in forest, riparian, wetland, and grassland environments. Car-pooling will be needed.

This course is co-hosted by the Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology and Selkirk College.

 

 

Our instructor

Derek Marcoux is a Professional Biologist with 20 years experience in ecosystem classification, botany, and soil classification. He has worked on numerous field projects for ecosystem classification and ecosystem mapping across the province. He has taught applied ecosystem and soils classification skills in the environmental programs at Selkirk College for the past 14 years. He currently lives and works on Vancouver Island.

Registration

Cost is $300.00 plus tax. Register here. Cut-off date for registrations is May 22.

When you submit the form you can ask for a PDF invoice or pay with a credit card using our PayPal service (you don't need a PayPal account). Your registration is not secured until CMI receives payment.

Be sure you've read the Cancellation Policy on the registration form. There are no refunds after May 15, and there is a $50 retainer on any cancellations before then. If the course is cancelled the Columbia Mountains Institute is not responsible for any costs other than a full refund of the registration fee.

What is included and what should you bring?

• A course manual and/or notes will be provided to participants upon arrival
• Bring note-taking materials for the first day.
• Soils field gear will be provided (i.e. sieves, texturing kits, pH kits)
• Participants should come prepared with good field boots and raingear. We will go out in the field in any condition.
• On the first day (classroom) we provide coffee breaks and lunch. On the second day (field day) you need to BRING YOUR OWN FOOD AND DRINKS.
• We will be car-pooling for the field trip day.

Course outline

Day 1
Review of basic geology and soil forming processes
Field estimation of soil texturing and classification of soils
Basic rock and mineral identification needed for soil forming processes and classification

Day 2
Field trip from Castlegar to Grand Forks. Participants will review key concepts of Brunisol, Podzol, Gleysol, Organic, and Chernozemic soil orders
Participants will also practice coding for field notes.

Excellent pre-reading and a resource for the future can be found at: Valentine, K.W.G., Sprout, P.N., Baker, T.E., Lawkulich, L.M. (Eds.), 1978, The Soil Landscapes of British Columbia. BC Ministry of Environment, Resource Analysis Branch. 197p. http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/soils/landscape/index.html

Where to stay

Selkirk College residences rooms may be available. Details coming soon.

The Super 8 in Castlegar an alternate location. Advance bookings are considerably cheaper but check the details about no refunds.

More information about accommodations in Castlegar can be found here.

 

If you have questions about the course content, contact Derek Marcoux at: marcoux.derek@shaw.ca If you have questions about registration, contact the CMI office at: office@cmiae.org