Past Events
- Most conferences have a “Conference Summary" available as a free PDF download; look for the link within each event's description.
- CMI courses are repeated as demand warrants. If you would like to take a course listed here, please let us know at office@cmiae.org .
Table of Contents
2010
Introduction to "R" software, August 24-25, 2010
Aboriginal Cultural Awareness for Natural Resource Managers, April 20-21, 2010, in Revelstoke BC
CMI's Annual Researchers' Meeting and AGM, May 12, 2010, in Castlegar BC
Online GIS for Citizen Science and Stewardship, May 13, 2010, in Castlegar BC
GPS Unleashed - Making the most of your GPS unit and online mapping resources, May 14, in Castlegar BC
2009
Introduction to Bayesian Methods for Ecologists, November 3-5, 2009
Statistics for Biologists - A Refresher Course, October 20-22, 2009, repeated November 17-19, 2009
Soil Bioengineering, September 24-25, 2009
Ecological Approaches to Invasive Plant Management, September 21-22, 2009
Introduction to using R Software, August 19-20, 2009
Conserving Wetlands in British Columbia, May 28-29, 2009, Revelstoke BC
Ecological Approaches to Invasive Plant Management, May 26-27, 2009, Revelstoke BC.
CMI Annual Meeting, May 7-8, 2009 Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area, BC
2008
Wildland / Urban Interface Fires, Fuel Management, and Ecosystems, November 5-6, 2008 in Cranbrook BC
Ecological Approaches to Managing Invasive Plants September 25-26, 2008,Revelstoke BC
Design and Analysis of Mark-Recapture Studies October 7-8 and October 21-23, 2008, Revelstoke BC
Soil Bioengineering course September 22-23, 2008, Revelstoke BC
Introduction to R Software course May 28-29, 2008, Revelstoke BC
CMI Annual Researchers' Meeting 2008 May 1, 2008, Revelstoke BC
Soil Bioengineering course April 29-30, 2008, in Revelstoke BC
2007
Design and Analysis of Mark-Recapture Studies November 20-22, 2007 in Revelstoke BC
Managing Environmental Impacts of Linear Corridors November 7-8, 2007 in Revelstoke BC
Ecological Restoration in Southeastern British Columbia: Grasslands to Mountaintops October 11-13, 2007 in Cranbrook BC.
Soil Bioengineering course October 10-11, 2007 in Cranbrook BC.
Introduction to R Software course May 7-8 Nelson BC, repeated May 15-16, 2007, repeated September 25-25, 2007.
CMI Annual Researchers' Meeting and AGM May 5-6, 2007 in Radium BC.
2006
Ordinary and Logistic Regression Course November 7-9, 2006 in Revelstoke BC and again on April 10-12, 2007 In Revelstoke BC.
Bear Conservation in a Fast-Changing North America October 24-25, 2006 with field trips on October 26, in Revelstoke BC.
Multidisciplinary Approaches to Recovering Caribou in Mountain Ecosystems May 29-31, 2006, Revelstoke BC
CMI Annual Researchers’ Meeting and Annual General Meeting 2006 April 27 – 28, 2006 - Nelson Rod and Gun Club Hall, Nelson BC
2005
Statistics for Biologists - A Refresher Course November 15-17, 2005 - Revelstoke BC
Creating Bear Smart Communities November 2-3, 2005
Identifying Critical Habitat: Methods, Issues, and Solutions October 18-19, 2005, Cranbrook BC
Statistics for Biologists – A Refresher Course May 31- June 2, 2005 - Revelstoke BC
Implications of Climate Change in British Columbia's Southern Interior Forests April 26-27, 2005
CMI Annual General Meeting 2005 April 26, 2005
2004
Statistics for Biologists – A Refresher Course May 11-13, 2004 - Revelstoke BC
Applying DNA Methods to the Study of Wildlife Distribution and Abundance May 3-6, 2004 - Nelson BC
CMI Annual Researchers' Meeting April 28, 2004 - Nakusp BC
2003
Applying DNA Methods to the Study of Wildlife Distribution and Abundance December 1-4, 2003 - Nelson BC
CMI Annual Researchers' Meeting April 29-30, 2003 - Blue Lake Forest Education Centre
Climate Change in the Columbia Basin January 17-18, 2003 - Prestige Inn, Cranbrook BC
2002
DNA-Based Wildlife Studies - Study Design, Field Methods, Genetic Analysis, and Analysis of Mark-Recapture Data November 18-21, 2002
Mountain Caribou in 21st Century Ecosystems October 16-18, 2002
Conducting Wildlife Post Mortems in the Field October 15, 2002
CMI Annual Researchers Meeting & CMI Annual General Meeting April 22-23, 2002
Wildlife Chemical Immobilization Course March 12-15, 2002
2001
Creating Bear Aware Communities November 16-17, 2001
Non-Invasive DNA Hair Sampling Course October 2, 2001
CMI Annual Researchers' Meeting & Annual General Meeting April 25-26, 2001
Fifth Annual Roads Rails and Environment Workshop March 13 - 14, 2001
Wildlife Chemical Immobilization February 27 - March 2, 2001
2000
Managing for Bears in Forested Environments October 17-19, 2000
Ecology of the Columbia River Reservoirs May 9-10, 2000
CMI Annual Researchers' Meeting April 27th, 2000
Wildlife Chemical Immobilization Course January 24-27, 2000
1999
Roads, Rails, and Environment IV November 2- 3, 1999
Managing Forests for Lichen: the Mountain Caribou Issue September 29-30, 1999
DNA Fingerprinting for Wildlife and Fisheries Officers April 8, 1999
Wildlife Immobilization April 13-15, 1999
CMI Annual Researcher’s Workshop April 27-28, 1999
Learning From the Past Workshop April 22-23, 1999
1998
DNA Analysis for Field Biologists Dec 1, 1998
Forestry and Avalanches Oct 16, 1998
Roads, Rails and the Environment III September 29-30, 1998
Researcher's Workshop May 7, 1998
DNA and Field Ecology May 6, 1998
1997
DNA Fingerprinting for Wildlife Officers December 1997
Climate Impacts in Mountain Basins (CLIMB) November 19-20, 1997
Roads, Rails and the Environment II April 9-10, 1997
CMI Annual Researchers’ Meeting & Annual General Meeting 2010
May 12, 2010
Staff Lounge, Selkirk College, Castlegar BC
A meeting summary, including abstracts, is available here as a 690 kb PDF download.
The Columbia Mountains Institute is please to acknowlege the contribution of Selkirk College for the use of their facilities, and of the Kootenay Association for Science and Technology for sponsoring our lunch.
Meeting description
Every year CMI members get together to provide updates on their projects (research, field trials, new initiatives in southeastern British Columbia) and catch up on each other’s news. It’s an informal atmosphere and non-CMI members and post-secondary students are welcome. This year about thirty people gathered at the Castlegar campus of Selkirk College for the meeting.
Our Annual General Meeting was held right after lunch. The Annual Report for 2009-2010 is available here.
College. The return route includes a climb up the bank which might be a bit challenging for some folks. For a map of the route, click here.
Online GIS for Citizen Science and Stewardship Workshop
May 13, 2010
Staff Lounge, Selkirk College, Castlegar BC
The Columbia Mountains Institute was pleased to partner with the Selkirk College Geospatial Research Centre to offer this workshop.
Workshop description
The Columbia Mountains Institute partnered with Selkirk College to host this one day workshop, which was attended by 18 people and instructed by Ian Parfitt with assistance by Dr. Brendan Wilson. Topics included an overview of the power of maps in society; the use of GIS in participatory decision making; a guided tour and demonstrations of Kootenay web-based mapping resources; and how to generate maps using several readily available tools such as iMAP BC (a portal to environmental and natural resources information in BC), Columbia Basin Biodiversity Atlas and the Columbia Basin Watershed Interactive Map. By the end of the day, participants had learned how to use online GIS mapping resources to learn about an area of interest, and how to make their own customized maps.
GPS Unleashed:
Making the most of GPS data and free online mapping resources
May 14, 2010
Staff Lounge, Selkirk College, Castlegar BC
The Columbia Mountains Institute was pleased to partner with the Selkirk College Geospatial Research Centre to offer this course.
Course description
The Columbia Mountains Institute partnered with Selkirk College to host this one day course, instructed by Keyes Lessard and Chris Gray. Participants gathered GPS data, downloaded the data, and integrated GPS data with on-line mapping tools and data sources. By the end of the day, students were familiar with various GPS data collection techniques and integration options using freely accessible mapping resources. These skills can be applied to enhance a variety of field-based occupational and recreational interests.
Course content and schedule
| Friday, May 14, 2010 | |
| 8:30 a.m. | Introductions. Course objectives and plans for the day. GPS Data collection outside.
|
| Noon | Lunch, provided |
| 1:00 p.m. | Pre-trip planning exercise
|
| 4:30 p.m. | Course wrap-up |
Aboriginal Cultural Awareness for Natural Resource Managers
April 20-21, 2010
Revelstoke BC
This was a Global Indigenous Services workshop, hosted by the Columbia Mountains Insitute.
Course description
The course was designed for non-Aboriginals who will be working with Aboriginal people and who wish to work in a culturally appropriate manner to convey respect and build trust. This two day interactive course provided participants with the practical tools for engaging Aboriginal peoples, communities, organizations and institutions in natural resource discussions and decision-making.
The nature of culture and the role that cultural differences can play in interpersonal interactions were examined. Historical and contemporary Aboriginal issues are reviewed from an Aboriginal perspective. Aboriginal worldviews regarding nature, environment, stewardship, and the connectivity of all things, both living and non-living, are explored through the Medicine Wheel, the Universal Aboriginal Code of Ethics, core aboriginal values, ceremonies and spiritual beliefs. Participants will have opportunities to participate in Aboriginal cultural activities and learn appropriate behavioural protocols. Governance, demographics, and socio-economic issues are presented in a non-threatening manner. The legal basis of the Duty to Consult and protocols for effective consultation are important aspects of the workshop. A variety of cultural learning tools ranging from art to artifacts, basketry to beadwork, from music to musical instruments, ceremonial objects and ceremonies, as well as contemporary instructional materials such as videos, books, maps, PowerPoint presentations, newsletters, newspapers and magazines were used to enrich the learning environment. Interaction was emphasized.
Bob Moody instructing the Aboriginal Cultural Awareness course.
Course instructors
Bob Moody is an Aboriginal person with over a decade of experience working with and for First Nations as both a Natural Resource Director and Chief Executive Officer for two Tribal Councils. Bob has received many honours, including three eagle feathers, from tribal elders, leaders and communities. As a Metis he has lived with a foot in both the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal worlds. Anne Moody is a plant ecologist with a lifelong interest in Aboriginal traditional knowledge, ethnobotany, culture and art. Both Bob and Anne have graduate degrees in ecology and have been Registered Professional Biologists for over 20 years.
Course content and learning objectives
Unit One: What is culture and why is cultural awareness important?
Objectives: Upon completion of this unit, participants will be able to:
- Understand the concept of culture and its components.
- Know why culture is like an iceberg, mostly unseen.
- Appreciate that cultural awareness develops cultural intelligence that can avoid many of the difficulties often experienced in working with people from Aboriginal cultures.
- Learn communications skills that will enhance working relationships.
- Learn 15 ways to improve your cultural awareness of Aboriginal Peoples.
Unit Two: Historical and contemporary Aboriginal issues
Objectives: Upon completion of this unit, participants will be able to:
- Clearly understand the diversity and sophistication of Aboriginal cultures in the Americas at the time of European contact.
- Appreciate the magnitude of the impacts of colonization by Europeans on Aboriginal peoples and societies.
- Know about the Aboriginal basis of modern participatory democracy.
- Explain the historical significance of the Royal Proclamation of 1763.
- Understand the historical and legal bases for Aboriginal Title and Rights.
- Recognize the consequences of the Indian Act, the creation of reserves, and Residential Schools.
- Understand historic treaties and the current BC Treaty Process.
- Learn about current government approaches to Aboriginal issues.
Unit Three: Aboriginal peoples and cultures
Objectives: Upon completion of this unit, participants will be able to:
- Identify the three distinct Aboriginal Peoples of Canada.
- Learn about Indian Nations, with particular attention to central BC.
- Understand Aboriginal worldviews and values through the teachings of the Medicine Wheel and ceremonies.
- Understand the basic principals of Aboriginal spirituality, healing and justice.
- Appreciate the important role of Elders in Aboriginal societies.
- Know the appropriate terminology to address Aboriginal people.
- Know the difference between status and non-status Indians and treaty Indians.
- Know the differences between First Nations, Indian Bands, Tribal Councils, and provincial and national Aboriginal organizations.
- Appreciate the different types of Band Council elections and election terms.
- Describe the powers of a Band Council under the Indian Act.
- Appreciate the significance of Aboriginal demographics on Canadian society.
- Understand that the fastest growing segment of Canadian society lives in Third World conditions.
- Appreciate the magnitude of the serious socio-economic conditions faced by Aboriginal peoples even today.
Unit Four: Consultation with Aboriginal Peoples
Objectives: Upon completion of this unit, participants will be able to:
- Understand the legal obligation to consult with Aboriginal Peoples.
- Describe who must, and who should, consult with Aboriginal Peoples.
- Learn how to consult meaningfully and respectfully.
- Understand why it can be difficult to reach people or to have them respond.
- Learn terms and behaviours to use (and avoid) during meetings.
- Understand why the term “stakeholder” is offensive to First Nations.
Introduction to Bayesian Methods for Ecologists
November 3-5, 2009
Revelstoke BC
This three day course was taught by Dr. Carl Scwharz, from Simon Fraser University. Bayesian methods supplement the standard analysis methods such as regression, ANOVA, and generalized linear models. They are helpful in two general situations. First, when information from a number of studies is to be merged together. Second, there are certain problems that are “hard” to do using standard methods. For example, dealing with censored data in regression, or random effects in logistic regression. This course presented a overview of the use of Bayesian methods in ecology.
Course content
- Introduction to R
- Conceptual overview of Bayesian methods and comparisons with standard methods
- Introduction to WinBugs
- Hierarchical models – borrowing information
- Two-sample comparisons of means and proportions in a Bayesian context
- The regression model in a Bayesian context
- The ANOVA models in a Bayesian context
- Generalized linear models in a Bayesian context
- Simple mark-recapture models in a Bayesian context.
Conserving Wetlands in British Columbia
May 28-29, 2009
Revelstoke BC
Conference description
Reservoir creation, settlement, agricultural activities, transportation corridors, and other factors have eliminated many wetland complexes or diminished their natural form and function. We examined how a combination of management, restoration, and stewardship projects can improve the ecological values of our wetlands. These themes were addressed through a combination of one and a half days of presentations, a poster session, an evening speaker, field trips, and opportunities for conversation among participants.
Conference summary
A summary of the conference presentations can be downloaded here . This is a 3.2 MB PDF file.
Martin Carver photo
List of speakers
Thursday, May 28, 2009
- Valuing our wetlands: Making them relevant, Bruce Harrison, Ducks Unlimited
- The contribution of wetlands to human health and improved water quality, Dr. Martin Carver, BC Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport
- Natural forms and functions of montane marshes in Jasper National Park, Dr. Suzanne Bayley, University of Alberta
- Managing a dyked wetland: Costs, implications, and future options for the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area, Marc-André Beaucher, Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area
- The impacts of dam construction on wetland ecosystems in the Columbia Basin, Irene Manley, Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program
- An elegy to wetlands, Eileen Delehanty Pearkes
- Status and condition of Kelowna wetlands, Kyle Hawes, Ecoscape Environmental Consultants
- Creating shoreline management guidelines using the sensitive habitat inventory method on Windermere Lake, Heather Lescheid, East Kootenay Integrated Lake Management Partnership
- Wetland inventory and mapping assessment within the Okanagan Region, Kristina Robbins, BC Ministry of Environment
- Chytridiomycosis in BC wetlands: How it has affected the endangered northern leopard frog and what all wetland researchers need to be aware of, Barb Houston, Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program
- West Kootenay amphibian study, John Krebs, Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, and Jakob Dulisse, Jakob Dulisse Consulting
- Forest harvesting and the management of small wetlands and amphibian populations, Elke Wind, E. Wind Consulting
Evening Speaker
May 28, 2009
7:30 p.m. Revelstoke Community Centre
Wetlands and Climate Change: Where has all the water gone?
Dr. Fred Bunnell, Professor Emeritus, Centre for Applied Ecology, University of British Columbia
Friday, May 29, 2009
- Restoring Wetlands: Rebuilding Processes and Patterns, David Polster, Polster Ecological Services
- An opportunity for rehabilitation: City of Vernon Waterfront Neighbourhood Plan, Darryl Arsenault, EBA Engineering Consultants
- Wildlife physical works for riparian and wetland habitat enhancement in Arrow Lakes Reservoir, Doug Adama, BC Hydro
- Biology, ecology, and management of key aquatic invasive plants in BC, Linda. M. Wilson, BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
- Role of Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners, Bob Jamieson, Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners
- Wetland Stewardship Partnership, Andrea Barnett, Ducks Unlimited
Field trip descriptions and associated events
Wednesday, May 27
BC Bird Atlas: Helping Wetlands and Beyond - Evening talk
Peter Davidson of Bird Studies Canada talked about the BC Breeding Atlas project and how the Atlas can be used to help the conservation of wetlands. This 5-year citizen-science project is mobilizing bird-watchers and wildlife professionals to map the breeding distribution of birds in Canada’s most rugged province. Pete’s presentation included a slide-show followed by a question-and-answer session.
Thursday, May 28, evening after guest speaker
Coeur d'Alene Salamanders in Mount Revelstoke National Park
Parks Canada researcher Lisa Larson took a small group up the Mount Revelstoke Parkway to look at Couer d'Alene Salamander habitat and search for these nocturnal salamanders.
Looking at a Coeur D'Alene salamander
Giles Shearing photo
Friday, May 29
Accidental Bird Habitat in a Reservoir Drawdown Zone
Local naturalist and birder Michael Morris took a group to the ponds near the Revelstoke Airport to walk on old roads and trails through the upper part of the Arrow Reservoir. Fragments of good bird habitat exist as a consequence of gravel excavation for the airport and the power of forty years of plant succession. Michael talked about the history of land use in the valley bottom and its benefits and impacts to wildlife, birds in particular.
Western Painted Turtles
Ross Clarke from the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program took a group south of Revelstoke near the airport to discuss the biology, distribution, and habitat requirements of painted turtles. They looked at issues specific to this population including safe nesting areas and efforts that have been undertaken to ensure the ongoing survival of the population. They looked for evidence of current year nesting, and saw turtles basking at nearby ponds.
BC Hydro's plans for habitat improvements
Doug Adama of BC Hydro took a group south of Revelstoke to Cartier Bay, to view a number of sites that BC Hydro is planning to treat in 2010. Their goal is to enhance habitat values for water birds, amphibians, and reptiles.
Conference sponsors
The Columbia Mountains Institute is proud to work with these agencies, which are providing financial and/or in-kind support for this conference:
CMI Annual Meeting 2009
May 7-8, 2009
Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area
About 25 people gathered at the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area for this year’s Annual Meeting. Usually our Annual Meetings include lots of PowerPoint presentations but this year we opted for a different format. Beginning at noon on Thursday and ending at noon of Friday, the meeting included a choice of eight field trips, an evening talk, and of course the CMI's Annual General Meeting. Several members brought along their children, and one of the field trips was for children.
The CMI thanks our field trip leaders for sharing their expertise with the group. We are also grateful to the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area for hosting the event. Here are descriptions of the field trips.
Creston Valley Wildlife Management AreaMarc-André Beaucher photo.
The CMI Annual Report for 2008-2009 is posted here.
Thursday afternoon trips
1. Walking Tour of Corn Creek Marsh
Marc-André Beaucher of the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area led a group along the walking trails (dikes) through the wetland to discuss some aspects of wetland management and view some of the management tools used to control water levels. There were good opportunities for wildlife viewing – birds, frogs, snakes, etc. The event was a good precursor to the CMI Wetlands Conference later in May.
2. Wetlands for Kids
CMI President Brendan Wilson led a short adventure walk around trails adjacent to the centre. The focus will be to introduce kids of all ages (and their parents) to cool wetland plants and creatures.
3. Searching for Vaux's Swifts
Irene Manley of the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Progam led a trip to look at nesting habitat for Vaux’s Swifts.Particpants looked at the structure of riparian cottonwood and cedar wildlife trees at the old Summit Creek campground and reviewed features required for nesting by Vaux’s Swifts. Vaux’s Swifts nest in large hollow wildlife trees with entrances large enough for them to access. This is one of the rarer types of wildlife trees available in the landscape, but the Creston area has the required combination of large hollow trees and suitable wetland and riparian foraging habitats. Special nesting box chimneys were installed at Summit Creek in 2008. The group saw foraging swifts above the riparian forest and wetland habitat.
4. Northern leopard frog nocturnal calling survey
Barb Houston, Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program led this nocturnal field trip to one of the few sites where BC’s endangered northern leopard frog breeds. Participants heard the quirky characteristic call and had a good look at a northern leopard frog.
Friday morning trips
5. Elk Composition Survey
Garth Mowat, BC Ministry of Environment took a small group out into the Creston Valley. The objective of a composition survey is to classify the animals seen into juvenile, adult female and adult male classes. Juvenile to female ratios are used as indices of population growth and male to female ratios are used to index hunting intensity by wildlife biologists. Male elk have lost their antlers by May, so on this survey they learned how to classify last year’s calves. The group also discussed crop damage from elk and ways to manage this problem in the Creston Valley.
6. Tour of Leach Lake
Marc-André Beaucher, Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area, led a trip to Leach Lake ponds 3 & 4. to discuss some aspects of wetland management and view some of the management tools used to control water levels.
7. Western Skink Habitat Restoration Project at Fox Tree Hill
Jakob Dulisse, wildlife biologist, led thnis trip. Fox Tree Hill is a spectacular example of the rare ICHxw BEC subzone and is home to a variety of unique plants and reptiles at risk, including the western skink. Jakob and the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program are spearheading an ecosystem restoration project which focuses on the colourful and secretive western skink.
Left - Looking at a Western Skink.
Above - Jakob Dulisse and field trippers in Western Skink habitat.
Doug Adama photos
7. Western Skink Habitat Restoration Project at Fox Tree Hill
Jakob Dulisse, wildlife biologist, led this trip. Fox Tree Hill is a spectacular example of the rare ICHxw BEC subzone and is home to a variety of unique plants and reptiles at risk, including the western skink. Jakob and the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program are spearheading an ecosystem restoration project which focuses on the colourful and secretive western skink.
8. Caribou Luring Trial
Leo DeGroot, Ministry of Environment, led this trip to Kootenay Pass. The purpose of the trial is to assess if caribou can be lured into an enclosure for collaring or other purposes. Small amounts of grain and hay, along with salt and lichens have been placed in a wooden trough beginning in January 2009. The trough is monitored by a remote sensored camera and has been checked weekly since setup. An enclosure is not part of this trial; at this point the purpose is to assess if caribou respond to these attractants.
Wildland-Urban Interface Fires, Fuel Management, and Ecosystems Conference
November 5-6, 2008
Prestige Inn, Cranbrook BC
Click here to download the Conference Summary as a 2.7 MB PDF file.
Conference description
Management plans for reducing the likelihood or severity of wildland/urban interface (WUI) fires are in preparation and, by their nature, favour economic and social factors. Through one and half days of presentations, a poster session, and field trips, we examined these factors, and addressed how management for WUI fires and fuels might also accommodate, or improve, ecological values.
We are grateful to the following agencies
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Conference Speakers
Wednesday November 5, 2008
Welcome by Master of Ceremonies, CMI Director Patrick Daigle; Welcoming remarks by Joe Pierre, St. Mary’s Band, and Councillor Scott Manjak, City of Kimberley.
Coming to terms: Common understandings of terminology, Patrick Daigle, BC Ministry of Environment
Fire management in BC parks, Lyle Gawalko, Protected Area Division, BC Ministry of Environment
From collaboration to implementation: The status of interface fire management in Williams Lake and area, Mike Simpson, Fraser Basin Council
First Nations community safety from wildfire in mountain pine beetle impacted areas – The work of the Forest Fuel Management Working Group, Al Gerow, First Nations Forestry Council, and Blaine Wiggins, First Nations’ Emergency Services.
Lessons Learned: Interface Fuel Management and Ecological Restoration in Parks of the Okanagan, Judy Millar, BC Ministry of Environment
Ecological effects of wildland / urban interface forest management in Banff National Park, Ian Pengelly, Banff National Park
Fuel management and the rare damselfly, Argia vivida, Andrea Kortello, Banff National Park
Effectiveness monitoring of fuel abatement treatments in southwest Yukon, Brad Hawkes, Pacific Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service
Prescribed burning in Mount Robson Provincial Park: Balancing terrain stability with biodiversity, habitat, forest health, and fuel management, Kirk Safford, BC Ministry of Environment
Mythbusters: Communication programs within a community wildfire protection program, Raymond Schmidt, Banff National Park
Using stakeholder input to measure fire consequences for wildfire risk assessment, Matthew Tutsch, Simon Fraser University and Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
Proposed changes to the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation, Rebecca Freedman, Air Protection, BC Ministry of Environment (Includes an opportunity for feedback on changes to regulation.)
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Cliff White, Banff National Park "Wild Fires and Tame Wildlife: Tales of Weirdness from the |
Thursday November 6, 2008
Funding your community wildfire protection project, Mark Fercho, Integrated Community Sustainability Planning Leader, City of Prince George; Mike Dittaro, Protection Branch, BC Ministry of Forests and Range; and Sue Clark, Union of BC Municipalities.
City of Nelson Operational Readiness, by Simon Gypma, Nelson Fire Chief
Fuel management: Effects on wildlife habitat and diversity, Walt Klenner, Forest Sciences, BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
Ecologically based guidelines for fuel management in the WUI - Optimizing conditions for wildlife, Alan Westhaver, Jasper National Park.
Field Trips
Field trips ran for the entire afternoon of November 6.
Striking the balance: Managing for endangered plant communities, increased fuel loading, and nearby expensive real estate at Kikomun Provincial Park, with Mike Gall, Protected Areas Conservation Specialist, BC Ministry of Environment.
Ministry of Environment staff discussed challenges associated with operating in a Provincial Protected Area and describe the multi-agency involvement process used at Kikomun Creek Provincial Park. Themes were:
- How BC Parks has incorporated its conservation and ecological restoration programs with its recreational mandate, in a grassland environment.
- Examples of fuel reduction treatment that included a mix of full scale tree removal to slashing and burning.
- Balancing grassland dependent wildlife and plant communities with the mandates of the various agencies that manage crown lands.
City of Kimberley’s Fuel Treatments, with Peter Hisch, Ministry of Forests and Range, and Al Collinson, City of Kimberley.
- There were three stops in the Kimberley area. These are all fuel treatments in various stages of completion, and include: mechanical harvesting; hand treatments (cut pile and burn); chipping; hog fuel grinding for co-generation; and prescribed fire.
- Site # 1 Levirs Ave; Site # 2 Kimberley Campground; and Site # 3 Gerry Sorensen Way.
- The following agencies are involved in the process of conducting these Kimberley fuel treatments: Kimberley Fire Dept.; Teck-Cominco; Tembec Industries Inc.; Resorts of the Canadian Rockies; Ministry of Forests and Range (Protection Program); R.W. Gray Consulting Ltd.; Kimberley Nordic Club; Kimberley Nature Park Society; and Wildsight.
- Funding sources for these treatments are: Union of BC Municipalities; Natural Resources Canada; Community Development Fund (Job Opportunities Program); and an in-kind contribution from the City of Kimberley.
Ecological Approaches to Managing Invasive Plants
Course offered September 25-26, 2008, May 26-27, 2008, and September 21-23, 2009
Revelstoke BC
This two day course taught by David Polster presented an ecological approach to invasive plant management, where vegetation management systems are designed to work with natural successional processes. The first day was a classroom session, and the second was a hands-on field day with the participants evaluating and treating a site. This was an intense course in that lots of material is covered in a short time. A course manual was provided.
Topics addressed included:
1. Identification and ecology of invasive species
2. Strategies for dealing with invasive species
- Identification of the problem – mapping and sampling
- Decision support tool for invasive species
- Ecological approach to vegetation management
- Hand and power tools for dealing with invasive species
- Herbicides
3. Management of crews
4. Monitoring
CMI Annual Researchers' Meeting 2008
May 1, 2008
Revelstoke BC
A meeting summary, containing abstracts and contact information for presenters, is available here as a 225 kb PDF file.
Every year CMI members get together to provide updates on their projects (ecological research, field trials, show & tell about new initiatives in southeastern British Columbia) and catch up on each other’s news. This year about 30 people gathered to hear presentations on Thursday, May 1. A special session on riparian values, songbirds, and species at risk was sponsored by the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program. Our short Annual General Meeting was held right after lunch.
Soil Bioengineering Course
Course was offered on October 10-11, 2007 In Cranbrook BC,
and April 29-30, 2008, September 22-23, 2008, and September 24-25, 2009 in Revelstoke BC
This two day course was taught by David Polster of Polster Environmental Services, to 27 participants. David discussed soil bioengineering techniques and options involved in restoration and reclamation of damaged ecosystems, using a combination of structural materials, vegetative cuttings, and other specialized techniques. Soil bioengineering is an applied science that uses live plant materials to perform an engineering function such as slope stabilization, soil erosion control, or seepage control.
Topics covered included:
- Factors involved in successful restoration
- Successional reclamation
- Soil bioengineering techniques
- Regional differences in climate, soils, hydrology, plant types, and growing seasons
- Maintenance and monitoring.
Day One: A classroom session was held at the Hillcrest Hotel in Revelstoke.
Day Two: A field session near Highway 23 South gave the participants hands-on experience with a restoration project.
Design and Analysis of Mark-Recapture Studies
Repeated: November 20-22, 2007, October 7-9, 2008 and October 21-23, 2008
Coast Hillcrest Hotel, Revelstoke BC
Course description
Our instructor for this course was Dr Carl Schwarz, Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, Simon Fraser University (http://www.stat.sfu.ca/~cschwarz/). The course examined common mark-recapture methods. While the focus was on methods commonly used in fisheries management, the methodology presented is suitable for many other situations as well. Aspects of study design (e.g. sample size) and the analysis of the final results will be presented. The course consisted of theory and worked examples, using mostly MARK. An overview of methods coming in the future was also presented. There was an opportunity for participants to work through their own projects. Class size was limited to 16 people.
Mark- Recapture course outline
Introduction
- Where Capture-Recapture (CR) fits in the overall context of abundance and survival estimation.
- Overview of all CR methods; what are the possibilities?
- Some basic theory
- the multinomial distribution
- maximum likelihood
- model selection and averaging via AIC.
The Petersen estimator
- The simple Petersen estimator
- What sample sizes are needed
- Effects of violations of assumptions and how to compensate.
- Stratified-Petersen estimator (SPAS and other software)
- Combining multiple-Petersen estimates (NOREMARK)
An overview and introduction to MARK
- Data types and data formatting
- Use of Parameter Identification Matrices (PIM) to specify models
- Model averaging
- Covariates
- Groups
Closed populations – multiple marking
- Otis et al (1988) suite and extensions
- Assumptions and effects of violations
- Fitting models in MARK
Open-populations – Cormack-Jolly-Seber (CJS) models
- A bit of theory
- The Lebreton et al (1992) suite of models
- Model specification, selection, and fitting in MARK
- Assessing goodness-of-fit
- Review of more advanced models (e.g. random effects; Bayesian models).
Open-populations – Jolly-Seber (JS) models
- A bit of theory
- Model specification, selection, and fitting in MARK
- Assessing goodness-of-fit
- Review of more advanced models (e.g. other parameterizations; density-dependence).
Robust-design
- A bit of theory
- Model specification, selection, and fitting in MARK
- Assessing goodness-of-fit
Summary and other topics.
Managing Environmental Impacts of Linear Corridors and Infrastructure
November 7-8, 2007
Revelstoke Community Centre, Revelstoke BC
A conference summary is available as a free PDF download. Click here to download the 80 page, 1.8 MB PDF file.
Conference description
What are the environmental impacts of railways, highways, pipelines, transmission lines, and seismic lines? How can we plan for and minimize these impacts? At this workshop we examined problems and solutions related to environmental management of linear corridors and related infrastructure. The following topics were addressed:
- Update on regulatory requirements and standards
- Corridors and wildlife – reducing mortality, etc.
- Project planning and management – case studies, cumulative impacts
- Right of way management – vegetation, etc.
- Emergency response: prevention, planning, and preparedness.
November 7 included a full day of presentations and opportunities for discussion, followed by a reception at the Revelstoke Railway Museum. On November 8, presentations continued until about noon. Posters and displays were on display in the conference room for the duration of the workshop.
Conference partnersThe Columbia Mountains Institute wishes to acknowledge the financial and in-kind support of our workshop partners and sponsors: |
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Ecological Restoration in Southeastern BC: Grasslands to Mountaintops
October 11-13, 2007
Prestige Inn, Cranbrook BC
This event was co-hosted by the CMI and the BC Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER-BC).
Click here for the Conference Summary (1.5 MB PDF file, 104 pages)
Southeastern British Columbia is a hotbed for ecological restoration. We listened as eighteen speakers and two evening speakers told us about new initiatives, restoration activities, and research in the region. Posters, displays, four field trips, and opportunities for informal networking add to the exchange of knowledge. Themes covered at this conference included:
- Restoration of grasslands and forests at different elevations
- Rehabilitation of mine spoils
- Restoration of wetland and aquatic features.
Time was allotted for the Annual General Meeting of SER-BC, and a review of their strategic plan. For more information about the SER-BC, visit: http://www.ser.org/serbc .
The Columbia Mountains Institute and SER-BC acknowledge |
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Soil Bioengineering Course
October 10-11, 2007
Prestige Inn, Cranbrook BC
The BC Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration and the Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology co-hosted this course.
This two day course was taught by David Polster of Polster Environmental Services, to 32 participants. David discussed soil bioengineering techniques and options involved in restoration and reclamation of damaged ecosystems, using a combination of structural materials, vegetative cuttings, and other specialized techniques. Soil bioengineering is an applied science that uses live plant materials to perform an engineering function such as slope stabilization, soil erosion control, or seepage control.
Topics covered included:
- Factors involved in successful restoration
- Successional reclamation
- Soil bioengineering techniques
- Regional differences in climate, soils, hydrology, plant types, and growing seasons
- Maintenance and monitoring.
Day One: A classroom session was held at the Prestige Inn, Cranbrook, from 9:00 a.m. to about 4:30 p.m.
Day Two: A field session at Joseph Creek in Cranbrook gave the participants hands-on experience with a restoration project.
Introduction to Using “R” Software
Repeated on: May 8-9, 2007, May 15-16, 2007, and September 25-26, 2007 in Nelson,
and May 28-29, 2008, August 19-20, 2009, and August 24-25, 2010 in Revelstoke.
This two-day course introduced users to R software, so that they are able to begin performing statistical analyses and plotting graphs on their own. The course was suitable for individuals who have never used R before as well R-users looking to consolidate their understanding of the basics. With a maximum of 8 students per class, participants received lots of individualized assistance. R is a free programming environment for statistical analyses and graphics that is becoming increasingly popular among numerical biologists. R is extremely powerful, can be readily extended to non-standard methods through the downloading of packages, and runs on a wide variety of operating systems (www.r-project.org). The course was taught by Dr. Joseph Thorley, R.P.Bio. (Poisson Consulting Ltd.). Joe is a Nelson-based fisheries biologist and analyst with 12 years programming experience. Course content included:
Day 1
Calculations in R
Programming in R
Importing data into R
Day 2
Linear regression in R
ANOVA in R
R Graphics
CMI Annual Researchers' Meeting and AGM 2007
May 5-6, 2007
Seniors' Hall, Radium Hot Springs, BC
To download the abstracts of the presentations, click here. (458 kb PDF format)
Every year CMI members get together to provide updates on their projects, catch up on the news, and hear about new ecological initiatives in southeastern British Columbia. This year, in addition to the regular assortment of talks, we highlighted habitat restoration activities in the East Kootenays. About 35 people attended this meeting at the Senior's Hall in Radium.
Presentations were held all day on Saturday, May 5 and on the morning of Sunday, May 6. Field trips were held in the afternoon of May 6.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada sponsored our coffee breaks for the meeting.
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Ordinary and Logistic Regression Course
November 7-9, 2006
Revelstoke, BC
Regression analysis is one of the most commonly used methods in ecology. Analyses range from the very simple (a single response vs a single predictor) to the very complex (hundreds of predictors). This course reviewed the use of regression methods using modern statistical software (JMP). As well, regression methods have been extended to try and predict categorical responses (e.g. predicting live vs dead using logistic regression) and predicting counts (e.g. stem counts in forest surveys as a function of covariates). An introduction to generalized linear modelling using these more advanced methods was be given.
This course was taught by Dr. Carl Schwarz from Simon Fraser University and was attended by 17 people (full).
Bear Conservation in a Fast-Changing North America
October 24 - 25 2006, with field trips on October 26
Revelstoke, BC
Click here to download the Conference Summary (790 kb PDF file, 71 pages).
Conference Description
Bears and people face a fast-changing world. Bear habitat is changing due a variety factors such as roads, rural settlement, resource extraction, and climate change. The past decade has seen rapid advances in ways professionals can gain insight into bear biology through a variety of research tools including DNA fingerprinting, isotopic analysis, telemetry, and G.I.S.-related data modelling. Through a combination of presentations, discussion periods, a poster session, and opportunities for informal dialogue, this conference assisted professionals to keep pace with these changes and anticipate emerging issues in bear conservation and management.
The conference included two days of presentations, and evening talk open to the community, by Dr. Andrew Derocher from the University of Alberta on Polar Bears. The event also included a poster session, and two post-conference field trips. One field trip was a tour of Revelstoke to look what the community is doing to become Bear Aware and Bear Smart. The other trip went north of Revelstoke to the Revelstoke Community Forest Corporation's TFL, to look at resource management issues related to bears.
About 125 people attended this event.
Conference Partners and SupportersThe Columbia Mountains Institute is proud to have worked with the following agencies to host this conference: |
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Multidisciplinary Approaches to Recovering Caribou in Mountain Ecosystems
May 29 - 31, 2006
Revelstoke Community Centre, Revelstoke, BC
To download the conference summary for this event, click here. This is a 3.5 MB document in PDF format.
Conference Description
In 2002, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) designated caribou within the Southern Mountains National Ecological Area as “threatened”. This area, which includes southern British Columbia and Alberta, contains numerous caribou herds that have declined sharply. Preparing and implementing recovery plans is paramount to prevent local extirpations of caribou. However, the combination of habitat loss and fragmentation, accompanied by early seral habitat creation, roads, alteration of predator/prey systems, intensive recreation, and likely climate warming, are challenging recovery planning efforts. Integrating these biological factors with political, social, and economic factors requires us to examine a multidisciplinary approach to caribou recovery.
This conference addressed recovery planning for caribou in the Southern Mountains National Ecological Area (map at http://www.cosewic.gc.ca/images/cdn_National_ecological_e.jpg). These woodland caribou occupy the plateaux and mountains of southern British Columbia, the mountains and foothills of adjacent Alberta, and bordering Idaho and Washington.
The conference included an evening speaker on May 29, two days of presentations, a poster session, and speaker / audience discussions. About 120 people attended this event.
Conference Partners and SupportersThe Columbia Mountains Institute is proud to have worked with the following agencies in hosting this conference. |
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CMI Annual Researchers’ Meeting and Annual General Meeting 2006
April 27-28, 2006
Nelson Rod and Gun Club Hall, Nelson BC
To view a document containing abstracts of presentations from this meeting, click here for a 370 KB PDF download.
Just over fifty people attended this year’s CMI Annual Researchers’ Meeting at the Nelson and District Rod and Gun Club Hall. The meeting began at 1:00 p.m. on April 27 with presentations all afternoon, and reconvened on the morning of April 28 for the CMI’s short Annual General Meeting. Presentations continued through the morning. A hot lunch was offered at noon, and then groups departed on field trips.
Statistics for Biologists – A Refresher Course
Repeated: May 11-13, 2004, May 31- June 2, 2005, November 15-17, 2005, October 20-22, 2009, November 17-19, 2009.
Revelstoke and Castlegar.
“The earth is flat (p<0.5).”
Many scientific studies are full of statistical jargon, tables of averages and other statistics, and results of statistical tests which purport to prove a certain hypothesis. The purpose of this course was to review some of the basic sampling and experiment designs used by ecologists and to understand exactly what can and cannot be extracted from a set of data. With the advent of modern statistical packages, the analysis of data is fairly easy, but it is far too easy to get nonsense results. This course also reviewed common pitfalls in the analysis of data.
Thirteen students attended the course, which was taught by Dr. Carl Schwarz from Simon Fraser University. Carl has a wealth of information about statistics for biologists posted on his website at: http://www.stat.sfu.ca/~cschwarz/. Participants were required to bring a laptop computer loaded with the JMP-IN 5.1 software.
Course Outline:
1.Review of statistical concepts on estimates, standard errors, confidence intervals, p-values etc.
2. Overview of environmental monitoring designs
3. Overview of some basic sampling strategies
- simple random sample
- stratified sampling
- cluster sampling
- two stage sampling
- ratio estimation
4. Details on simple random sampling, stratified sampling, cluster sampling
- how to plan
- sample size requirements etc
- how to analyze
- pitfalls and which to use when
5. Overview of experimental designs (single factor, two factor)
6. Details on single factor designs
- two-sample t-test
- one way ANOVA
- subsampling
- pseudo-replication, pairing, blocking, etc.
7. Overview of regression analysis
8. Details on single variable regression analysis
9. Overview of categorical data analysis
10. Details on chi-square tests
11. A.I.C. Statistics (very briefly)
Creating Bear Aware Communities
November 2-3, 2005
Revelstoke BC
A summary of the workshop presentations is available here as a 1.46 MB PDF document.
Workshop description
Communities adopting Bear Smart programs reduce the number of bear / human conflicts, thereby making their towns safer and reducing the number of black and grizzly bears that are destroyed. Yet many communities continue to allow practices that draw bears into our neighbourhoods, creating on-going hazards for people and bears alike. The Bear Smart Community Program, created by the BC Ministry Environment, the Union of BC Municipalities, and the BC Conservation Foundation, provides direction for municipalities, regional districts, businesses, interest groups, and citizens to work together to eliminate the root causes of bear / human conflicts. Bear Smart accommodates the individual needs of each community.
On November 2, participants heard about the components of the provincial Bear Smart Community Program and how its principles were being put into action in various communities around the province. Participants were introduced to people and resources that can support them in making their communities Bear Aware and Bear Smart.
On November 3, participants from Bear Aware and conservation–oriented community groups took part in an interactive workshop to learn the steps to achieving sustainability, including an understanding of the factors that promote sustainability, how to define goals, plan programs, find funding, etc. This workshop was led by Kylie Hutchinson, of Community Solutions Planning and Evaluation (http://www.communitysolutions.ca).
The following agencies contributed financial or in-kind support for this workshop.
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Identifying Critical Habitat: Methods, Issues and Solutions
October 18-19, 2005
Cranbrook BC
To download the conference summary for this event, click here. This is a 888 KB PDF file.
Conference description
At this two day conference, 125 participants heard talks from federal and provincial government staff, and consulting biologists, on the methods and issues surrounding identification of critical habitat. As there is no “cookbook” approach suitable for all situations, presenters were chosen for their experiences with a variety of species and situations.
On the third day (October 20), CMI Director Ian Adams led 18 participants in a field trip from Cranbrook to Radium Hot Springs.
On October 20, 18 people attended a session offered by Karyn Sutherland and Susan Leech of FORREX (http://www.forrex.org) titled “ABCs of Planning a Communication Strategy that Works”.
The Columbia Mountains Institute thanks these the workshop partners, |
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Implications of Climate Change in British Columbia's Southern Interior Forests
April 26-27, 2005
Revelstoke BC
To download the Conference Summary for this event, click here. This is a 3.8 MB PDF file.
Conference description
On the first day of this two day event, about 115 participants learned about climate models and what they are projecting for British Columbia. They heard experts speak about the implications of a changing climate for fire, insects, ecosystems, biodiversity, birds, and mountain caribou. On the second morning, presentations were on the use of models to visualize climate change, on responses of the Ministry of Forests to climate change, and on approaches for resource managers who need to plan for the uncertainties of a changing climate. The second afternoon was spent in breakout sessions, trying to put the knowledge gained at the workshop into practice. Using case studies for a managed forest and a protected area, workshop participants reviewed management objectives, identified vulnerabilities, and suggested adaptation strategies.
Our workshop was attended by about 15 students from Selkirk College, as part of their field school. Thanks to the Community Initiatives Program of the Columbia Basin Trust, a class of Biology 11 students and a class of Geography 12 students from the Revelstoke Secondary School were able to attend parts of the workshop.
The financial and in-kind support from these agencies was important to the success of this conference: |
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CMI Annual General Meeting 2005
April 26, 2005
Revelstoke, BC
In most years, the CMI’s Annual General Meeting is held in concert with the Annual Researchers’ Meeting. This year, because the "Implications of Climate Change in BC’s Southern Interior Forests" workshop was held at the time we normally have the Annual Researchers’ Meeting, we did not host an Annual Researchers’ Meeting.
Nine members attended the AGM.
The Annual Report for 2004/2005 was presented at the meeting, and can be downloaded in PDF format, here. Prior to the AGM, the Directors of the CMI recommended revisions of the Constitution to the members. A vote on the motion to approve the revisions was conducted by mail. The ballots were counted and the result was announced at the AGM. The revised Constitution and Bylaws were approved.
Applying DNA Methods to the Study of Wildlife Distribution and Abundance
November 18-21, 2002, repeated December 1-4, 2003 and May 3-6, 2004
Nelson BC
Twenty-one people from across North America attended this course. The course was taught in three sessions.
Recent Advances in DNA Technology
Instructor: David Paetkau, Wildlife Genetics International
Nelson, BC
Tel: 250-352-3563
dpaetkau@wildlifegenetics.ca
http://www.wildlifegenetics.ca
The goal of this session was to provide non-geneticists with targeted information that will enable them to understand, scrutinize, and defend the genetic data that they receive from laboratories. The workshop began with a review of basic molecular genetics (what is DNA, the central dogma, terminology, etc.), and an introduction to the common techniques (extraction, PCR, electrophoresis, DNA sequencing) that a low molecular biologists to study the genetic code at its most fundamental level. This was followed by a description of the specific markers and techniques that are used to establish individual identity. The workshop culminated in a discussion of how and where things can go wrong, and what can be done about it. Participants were introduced to signatures of error, protocols that can prevent and detect error, and empirical evidence as to how good (or bad) datasets can be.
Designing a DNA-Based Project
Instructor: Garth Mowat, Aurora Wildlife Research
Crescent Valley, BC
Tel: 250-359-7699
gmowat@telus.net
We discussed sampling designs for broad-scale inventories of terrestrial mammals including methods for predicting sample size needs. We began with a brief introduction to mark-recapture theory and how to use the program CAPTURE to predict estimator precision. Then we discussed field methods for sampling DNA from carnivores including bears, mustelids and felids. Topics included the use of baits, comparison of hair removal methods, and the handling of samples including sorting and sub-sampling to minimize laboratory analysis costs. We closed with a brief discussion of how broad-scale data of this type has been used and how we may benefit from these methods in the future.
Advanced Data Analysis Strategies
Instructor: John Boulanger, Integrated Ecological Research
Nelson, BC
Tel: 250-352-2605
info@ecological.bc.ca
http://www.ecological.bc.ca
In the past ten years there has been a large degree of advancement in mark-recapture estimation. One of the main advancements has been the advent of flexible models that allow incorporation of covariates and the testing of research hypotheses directly from mark-recapture data as incorporated in program MARK. In this session we explored explore the application of newer mark-recapture methods to DNA data from grizzly bear populations. An overview of newer models and general estimation methodology and philosophy was given. From this, case studies of DNA projects for the purpose of population estimation and trend were introduced and discussed with an emphasis on the strengths and weaknesses of newer and older approaches to data analysis. Given the short time period of this workshop there was not enough time to analyze participant’s data sets. However, participants were encouraged to bring ideas and questions about how newer methods may be able to aid their research programs.
CMI Annual Researchers' Meeting 2004
Nakusp Seniors’ Centre, Nakusp BC
April 28, 2004
Summaries of presentations are available here.
CMI’s Annual Researchers’ Meeting and Annual General Meeting for 2003/2004 were held at the Nakusp Seniors Centre in Nakusp, BC. About thirty-five people heard presentations about current ecological research and new initiatives in the Columbia Basin.
CMI Annual Researchers' Meeting 2003
April 29-30, 2003
Blue Lake Forest Education Centre
Abstracts of presentations are available here.
Information exchange continues around the campfire at Blue Lake. Left to right, standing: Jackie Morris, Karen Bray, Chris Steeger, Patrick Daigle, Larry Halverson, Murray Peterson. Musicians: Ian Adams and Rob Walker. Doug Adama photo.
CMI’s Annual Researchers’ Meeting and Annual General Meeting for 2002/2003 were held at the Blue Lake Forest Education Centre near Canal Flats, BC on April 29-30th. Twenty-eight people heard presentations about current ecological research and new initiatives in the Columbia Basin.
Climate Change in the Columbia Basin
January 17-18, 2003
Cranbrook, British Columbia
To download the report for the “Climate Change in the Columbia Basin” workshop click here. (450 KB PDF file)
Climate change will mean much more to British Columbians than warmer temperatures. It will also mean changes in precipitation and cloud cover, extreme weather events, and changes in other aspects of climate. These changes will affect physical systems, including the movement and availability of water, and related biological systems, including ecosystem function and the distribution of fish, wildlife, forests, and grasslands. Communities and agencies in British Columbia will be able to adapt to many of the impacts of climate change. Proactive planning will often reduce costs, help communities avoid some of the potential adverse impacts of climate change, and gain some of the potential economic benefits.
The aims of this workshop were to begin the process of educating the public about climate change in southeastern British Columbia, and to begin a dialogue about how communities and stakeholders can begin adapting to a changing climate.
On Friday night, 135 workshop participants and 35 “drop-in” members of the public heard two overview talks on British Columbia’s changing climate, including the themes of past and present climate change, potential impacts of a changing climate, and why we should prepare for climate change.
On Saturday morning, seven presenters addressed the possible impacts of climate change on the water resources, aquatic ecosystems, wildlife, and forests of the Columbia Basin. In the seven breakout groups on Saturday afternoon, workshop participants discussed how climate change might affect their communities, businesses, and resource interests. These discussions were summarized in a plenary session, and the major points from the discussions form a part of this report.
The Columbia Mountains Institute is proud to have worked with |
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Mountain Caribou in 21st Century Ecosystems
October 16-18, 2002
Revelstoke BC, Canada
A "Summaries of Presentations" for this conference is available as a PDF file (1.2MB) click here.
This conference was attended by over 180 people. On October 16 and 17, twenty-two speakers presented information on the ecology and management of southeastern British Columbia’s red-listed mountain caribou populations. On October 16th, Dr. Dale Seip spoke to eighty people at an evening presentation open to the community. On October 18th, 80 people attended a field trip north of Revelstoke to learn about caribou habitat, forestry practices, and other topics.
A feature of the conference was the release of the provincial government’s "A Strategy for the Recovery of Mountain Caribou in British Columbia". This document is available at the BC Ministry of Water, Land, and Air Protection web site at: http://wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/mtcaribou_rcvrystrat02.pdf
The Columbia Mountains Institute thanks the following agencies |
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Conducting Wildlife Post Mortems in the Field
October 15, 2002
Revelstoke BC, Canada
Thirteen people attended the Wildlife Post Mortem session, which was instructed by Dr. Helen Schwantje, veterinarian with the BC Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection. The session consisted of a classroom session and practical session.
Refer to the CMI web site's Links page, under the category of Wildlife Immobilization and Health, for links to information on necropsies.
CMI Annual Researchers Meeting and CMI Annual General Meeting 2002
April 22-23, 2002
Revelstoke BC
To download the PDF file (172KB) containing the Summaries of Presentations and the contact information for presenters, click here.
Here the group is walking along the edge of a seeded area, looking at erosion in a side channel near Drimmie Creek.
The CMI Annual Researchers’ Meeting for 2002 was held in Revelstoke at the Hillcrest Hotel. The meeting included evening presentations on the evening of April 22nd, and continued with more presentations then a field trip on April 23rd . In addition to the regular mix of CMI member presentations, we heard BC Hydro contractors present on “Benefits of Shoreline Revegetation in the Upper Arrow Reservoir”, a project undertaken as part of BC Hydro's Strategic Environmental Initiatives Program. The presentations outlined the results of a three-year project to assess the benefits of the seeding program carried out by BC Hydro over the last decade. Study contractors present their key findings, including trends in vegetation growth and productivity in revegetated areas, aquatic productivity (fish and invertebrates), bird use of revegetated areas, recreation in the Upper Arrow Reservoir, and ecological modelling of vegetation growth and productivity.
The field trip was to Drimmie Creek, about 15 km south of Revelstoke in the Upper Arrow Lakes drawdown zone. About 20 meeting participants went on-site with the BC Hydro contractors who had assessed the ecological benefits of BC Hydro’s seeding program.
The CMI is grateful to BC Hydro for their financial and in-kind support of this meeting. |
Creating Bear Aware Communities
November 16-17, 2001
Revelstoke BC, Canada
Summaries of presentations are available here as a 160 PDF download.
This workshop offered information on reducing bear/human conflicts in communities. One day of presentations covered the following topics:
- Overview of bear biology and why bears come into communities.
- Why bear–proofing of communities is important.
- Case studies of success stories – Canmore, Whistler, Revelstoke, and Parks Canada
- BC Provincial government’s Bear Smart Communities Program
- Practical solutions – landfill fencing and bear-proof containers.
- Working within the municipal structure to become Bear Aware
A field trip around town on the morning of the second day showed what Revelstoke has done to become a leading "Bear Aware" community.
The Columbia Mountains Institute is grateful for the support of the following agencies that contributed financial or in-kind support for this event: |
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Non-Invasive DNA Hair Sampling: Uses and Field Techniques
October 2, 2001
Revelstoke BC, Canada
Non-invasive DNA hair sampling has become an effective and practical method for collecting genetic samples from secretive wildlife species including Ursids, Felids, and Mustilids. Applications include population estimation, population fragmentation, connectivity, familial relatedness, and forensics. Use of genetic samples for scientific investigation or forensics requires collecting samples from wild animals and genetic analysis done in a lab.
The course consisted of a morning classroom session that addressed scientific questions, field techniques, sample storage, choosing a lab, and genetic concepts. In the afternoon field session participants learned how to set up and take down a barbed wire hair trap.
Instructor Michael Proctor has been using this technique for population estimation, fragmentation, and relatedness studies for the past six years.
CMI Annual Researchers' Meeting 2001
April 25-26, 2001
Blue Lake Forest Education Centre
Abstracts for presentations are available here (63KB PDF).
CMI’s Annual Researchers’ Meeting and Annual General Meeting for 2000/2001 were held at the Blue Lake Forest Education Centre near Canal Flats, BC on April 25-26th. Fifty-two people heard presentations about current ecological research and new initiatives in the Columbia Basin.
Many thanks to Ian Adams, CMI Director, |
Fifth Annual Roads, Rails and Environment Workshop
March 13 - 14, 2001
Revelstoke BC
A conference summary is available here in PDF format (68 KB)
The Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology (CMI) hosted the Fifth Annual Roads, Rails, and Environment Workshop in Revelstoke BC. The theme for this year's workshop was "Effects of day-to-day operations and maintenance activities on the environment".
The Columbia Mountains Institute is grateful to the following supporters |
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Wildlife Chemical Immobilization
February 27 - March 2, 2001, Jan 24-27, 2000, April 13-15, 1999
Revelstoke BC
Dr. Todd Shury, wildlife veterinarian, taught this four day course. Topics covered included
- animal anatomy and physiology
- pharmacology of immobilization drugs
- capture and immobilization techniques
- practical lab session
CMI will not be running this course again. For information on other similar courses, contact Marc Cattet marc.cattet@usask.ca . He is at the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre in Saskatoon (http://wildlife.usask.ca).
Managing for Bears in Forested Environments
October 17-19, 2000
Revelstoke BC
To view summaries of presentations and contact info for speakers, click here. This is a 200 KB PDF file.
The Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology held a three day workshop on managing grizzly and black bears in forested environments. Over 260 people attend the workshop. The workshop featured three sessions:
- Techniques to monitor bear populations
- Forest management issues and guidelines in bear habitat
- Living in bear country
Three field trips were offered:
- Bear-proofing your community
- Forest practices and bears
- DNA collection methods
Dr. Steve Herrero spoke to the workshop participants and the public on the evening of October 17th. His topic was "Causes and Avoidance of Bear Attacks."
The Columbia Mountains Institute is grateful to the following supporters |
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Ecology of the Columbia River Reservoirs
May 9- 10, 2000
Revelstoke BC
A summary of the presentations is available here.
Workshop presentations featured the changing ecosystems of the reservoirs, and provide an overview of current rehabilitation projects and programs. The workshop consisted of a full day of presentations, an evening speaker, and a five hour field trip to sites on the Columbia River near Revelstoke.
The CMI acknowleges the financial and in-kind support from these agencies: |
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CMI Annual Researchers' Meeting 2000
April 27, 2000
Revelstoke BC
A summary of presentations is available here.
At the CMI Annual Researchers' Meeting, CMI members, other researchers, and students in southeastern BC presented short up-dates and posters on their projects and heard what others are doing. Chris Steeger of Pandion Ecological Research coordinated this year's meeting. The CMI's half-hour AGM took place just before lunch.
Roads, Rails, and Environment IV
November 2- 3, 1999
Revelstoke, BC
Click here to download the summaries of presentations for this conference. (1.25 MB PDF document)
The Fourth Annual Roads, Rails and Environment Workshop focused on practical solutions to impacts of roads and railways on aquatic environments. Presentations were on topics such as water quality and quantity, bioengineering techniques, fish passage and barrier mitigation, wetlands, culverts, etc. This workshop was intended for an interdisciplinary audience of biologists, engineers, rail and highway crews, managers, conservationists, and all those with an interest in sharing information on how our transportation systems and aquatic ecosystems interact.
The Columbia Mountains Institute would like to acknowledge |
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Managing Forests for Lichen: the Mountain Caribou Issue
September 29-30, 1999
Revelstoke BC
Click here to view summaries of the presentations given at this workshop.
This workshop focused on the issue of managing forests for the high lichen biomass required by mountain caribou. Participants were familiarized with the latest research findings about lichen ecology, mountain caribou requirements, and forest management practices with the potential to better maintain mountain caribou habitat. The workshop consisted of consist of a full day of presentations and a half day field trip to the Keystone Patch Cuts, the first area harvested in the Columbia Forest District with the objective of balancing timber extraction and caribou habitat maintenance.
The Columbia Mountains Institute wishes to acknowledge the following companies for their financial and in-kind contributions |
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DNA Fingerprinting for Wildlife and Fisheries Officers
April 8, 1999
Revelstoke BC
DNA fingerprinting is increasingly used as a forensics tool by conservation officers, wildlife officers, fisheries officers, park wardens, and park rangers. In this one day course, Dr. John Coffin of the University of Alberta will introduce DNA fingerprinting. Course topics included:
- What is a DNA fingerprint?
- How can DNA be used in a forensics case?
- How should DNA samples be handled?
- Why do we need background DNA samples from wildlife and fisheries populations?
CMI Annual Researcher’s Workshop
April 27-28, 1999
Revelstoke BC
Click here to download abstracts of presentations.
At this annual get-together of researchers working in the Columbia Mountains, researchers presented updates on their work and renewed acquaintances. A short Annual General Meeting for the CMI was part of the agenda.
Learning From the Past Workshop
April 22-23, 1999
Revelstoke BC
Click here to view the abstracts from the Learning from the Past workshop. This is a 290 KB PDF file.
The fields of palaeoecology, ethnobotany, ecohistory, and archaeology are repositories of knowledge on the environments of both the near and distant past. Research in these fields shows us how landscapes have changed since the last major glaciation, and how humans used and shaped the changing environment. This workshop was an attempt to bring together this interdisciplinary body of information to help us understand and resolve current resource management issues.
Note: In 1999, the conference summary for this event was prepared as a print document only. In 2008 the Word Perfect files for the print document were converted to Word 2007 and then to PDF format. CMI apologizes for errors in formatting that occurred during this transcription, and notes that this document has not received a copy edit.
DNA Analysis for Field Biologists
Dec 1, 1998
Revelstoke BC
No information.
Forestry and Avalanches
Oct 16, 1998
Revelstoke BC
Click here to a summary of the presentations given at the Forestry and Avalanches Workshop.
Roads, Rails and the Environment III
September 29-30, 1998
Golden BC
No conference summary was prepared.
CMI Annual Researcher's Workshop
May 7, 1998
Revelstoke BC
The CMI held its Annual Researchers Workshop in conjunction with the AGM on May 7, 1998 in Revelstoke. A wide variety of talks were presented on topics relating to Wildlife, Fisheries, Volunteers in Research, Physical Processes, and Research and Management. No summary was prepared.
DNA and Field Ecology
May 6, 1998
Revelstoke BC
This years DNA II Workshop provided a forum on the application of DNA analysis methods to field ecology. Presentations featured on-going work on DNA fingerprinting theory, field collection of DNA samples, the use of DNA in estimating population size, and other applications of DNA and isotope analysis technologies to ecological studies.
DNA Fingerprinting for Wildlife Officers
December 1997
Revelstoke BC
This one-day seminar presented information on DNA fingerprinting for conservation officers and park wardens. The instructor was Dr. John Coffin from the University of Alberta.
Climate Impacts in Mountain Basins (CLIMB)
November 19-20, 1997
Revelstoke BC
This two day seminar focused on the future impacts of climate change on the snow, ice, glaciers and hydrology of western Canada.
Roads, Rails and the Environment II
April 9-10, 1997
Revelstoke BC
The workshop proceedings are available; click here to download the 2.1 MB PDF file.
The CMI hosted the second Roads, Rails and the Environment workshop in Revelstoke. More than 50 biologists, highway planners, engineers and administrators from transportation and natural resource agencies in BC, Alberta and Washington State attended the gathering. The workshop was divided into three sessions:
- Research, monitoring and modelling for mitigating transportation impacts on wildlife
- Transportation related wildlife mortality and performance evaluations on measures to reduce it
- Means of improving the quality of information used to make decisions regarding transportation effects on the environment.