Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology

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

 

2013

New ways to use digital technologies in the field May 15-16, 2013 in Castlegar BC

CMI Annual Researchers' Meeting and AGM, May 10, 2013 in Silverton BC

Occupancy Modelling course, April 16-18, 2013 in Revelstoke BC

2012

Design and analysis of distance sampling studies course, November 27-29, 2012 in Revelstoke BC

Ordinary and logistic regression course, November 20-22, 2012, Revelstoke BC

Resource Roads in British Columbia: Environmental challenges at the site level workshop, November 7-8, 2012 in Cranbrook BC

Natural processes for the restoration of drastically disturbed sites course, November 6, 2012 in Cranbrook BC

Introduction to "R" Software course, June 5-6, 2012 in Nelson BC

Soils Refresher course, May 31 and June 1, 2012 in Castlegar

Capture-Recapture for Spatial Data course, May 29-31, 2012 in Nelson BC

CMI Annual Researchers Meeting and AGM, course, May 1, 2012 in Nelson BC

Urban Wildlife: Challenges and Management conference, April 18-19, 2012 in Cranbrook BC

2011

Trend Analysis and Environmental Impact Assessment, April 12-14, 2011 in Revelstoke BC

Design and Analysis of Mark-Recapture Studies April 18-20, 2011 in Revelstoke BC

CMI Annual Researchers' Meeting and AGM, May 12, 2011, in Kimberley BC

Carbon Management in British Columbia Ecosystems, June 15-16, 2011 in Nelson BC

Occupancy Modelling, November 1-3, 2011 in Revelstoke BC

Statistics for Biologists - A Refresher Course, October 18-20, 2011, in Revelstoke BC

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

Introduction to "R" software, August 24-25, 2010

Ecological Approaches to Invasive Plant Management, September 13-14, 2010 in Revelstoke BC

Statistics for Biologists - A Refresher Course, September 21-23, 2010, in Revelstoke BC

Trend Analysis and Environmental Impact Assessment, September 28-30, 2010, in Revelstoke BC

Public Participation Skills for Natural Resource Managers, October 4-5, 2010, in Revelstoke

Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management conference, October 6-7, 2010, in Revelstoke

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

 

 

New Ways to Use Digital Technologies in the Field - workshop

May 15-16, 2013
Selkirk College, Castlegar BC

The conference summary is in preparation and will be posted here in mid-June.

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 offered a day of oral presentations, a day of hands-on demonstrations, and opportunities for networking with experts and other participants. A workshop summary will help you follow-up on the new things you’ve learned.

 

 

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

Our workshop supporters

Columbia Mountains Institute was pleased 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.

 

 

 

 

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

 

______________________________________

List of our oral presentations on May 15, 2013

Keynote speaker:
Dr. Greg Newman of Colorado State University
Technology to empower citizen scientists

 

Hitchhiker’s guide to starting mobile data collection, Jase Zwarich, Summit Environmental Consultants

Clipboard vs. mobile apps: QA/QC in the field, Rebekka Lindskoog, Summit Environmental Consultants

GPS Demystified, Sidney Kwakkel, Summit Environmental Consultants

Timesavers translated from the field to office: Mobile Government Database (VENUS) and GIS Applications, Carrie Nadeau, Summit Environmental Consultant

Smartphones in the field: Examples of software that enables multi-user data collection, Dr. Brendan Wilson, Selkirk College.

Monitoring rangelands using mobile digital technologies, Matthew Braun, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations

Report-a-Weed, Nancy Elliot, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations

Automated grain size method in ecohydrology, Giles Shearing, University of British Columbia

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

Rethinking digital connections, Eva Johansson, Kootenay Camas Project

Demonstrations and mini-courses

YSI EXO: The latest technology for water quality monitoring, Shawn Ternan, Hoskin Scientific Ltd.

Rangeland health assessments using a variety of techniques, Matthew Braun and Nancy Elliot, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations

Hands-on with Trimbles, Rebekka Lindskoog, Carrie Nadeau, Sidney Kwakkel, and Jase Zwarich, Summit Environmental Consultants

Using an iPad for navigation and completing field forms, Chris Oman, Forest Practices Board

Clipboard vs. mobile apps: QA/QC in the field, Rebekka Lindskoog, Summit Environmental Consultants

Using iNaturalist, Valerie Huff and Eva Johansson of Kootenay Native Plant Society, and Ian Parfitt, Selkirk Geospatial Research Centre

Using iPads for GIS applications in the field, Jared Hobbs, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations

 

CMI Annual Researchers’ Meeting 2013 & Annual General Meeting

May 10, 2013
Memorial Hall, Silverton BC

Download the meeting summary here.

Meeting description

Every year CMI members get together to provide updates on their projects, catch up on each others' news, and take part in field trips. It’s an informal atmosphere and non-CMI members are always welcome. This year 50 people met at Memorial Hall in Silverton and heard 7 talks, viewed 4 posters, and had a choice of 3 field trips. Our Annual General Meeting was held just before lunch.

 

Jakob Dulisse followed-up on his presentation from the morning by showing us a breeding area, some fencing, and two Highway 6 underpasses at Summit Lake. Jakob netted toads from Summit Lake so the group could view them

 

Oral Presentations

Timesavers translated from the field to office: Mobile Government Database (VENUS) and GIS applications, Carrie Nadeau, Summit Environmental Consultants

Rare or little known biodiversity of the Selkirk Mountains, Craig Pettitt and Anne Sherrod, Valhalla Wilderness Society

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

Assessing western toad mortality on Highway 6 at Summit Lake, Jakob Dulisse, Jakob Dulisse Consulting

Community values in lake management planning, Therese DesCamp and Sally Hammond, Slocan Lake Stewardship Society

The Slocan River, Follow the Fish – From compensation to ecology, Jennifer Yeow, Passmore Laboratory

Kootenay Camas Project, Eva Johansson

Posters

Slocan Lake Stewardship Society, Margaret Hartley

Integrating Honeybees with riparian tree and shrub production: Agroforestry in Slocan BC, Michael Murray, Murray Woodlot

Stump removal for root disease control: Trial examinations in southeastern BC, Michael Murray, Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations.

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

Field trip to the heart, Mary Therese DesCamp, Heart’s Rest Retreat Centre

Interface fuel treatment and morels, Tyson Ehlers, Tysig Ecological Research, and Stephan Martineau, Slocan Integral Forestry Cooperative

Toads at Summit Lake, Jakob Dulisse, Jacob Dulisse Consulting

 

 

Design and analysis of distance sampling studies course

November 27-29, 2012
Revelstoke, British Columbia

Course description

Distance sampling: The term "distance sampling" covers a range of methods for assessing wildlife abundance:

• line transect sampling, in which the distances sampled are distances of detected objects (usually animals) from the line along which the observer travels;
• point transect sampling, in which the distances sampled are distances of detected objects (usually birds) from the point at which the observer stands;
• cue counting, in which the distances sampled are distances from a moving observer to each detected cue given by the objects of interest (usually whales); or
• trapping webs, in which the distances sampled are from the web centre to trapped objects (usually invertebrates or small terrestrial vertebrates).

The course concentrated primarily on line and point transect sampling. The concepts of distance sampling were explained and the assumptions of the methods discussed. Although the basic theory was covered, the focus of the course was on practical application of the methods.

The course began with an introduction to wildlife population assessment methods, and demonstration of how line and point transect methods are generalizations of sample count methods (strip counts and point counts respectively). The underlying theory and assumptions of both line and point transect sampling were covered, and the relative merits of the two approaches in different circumstances discussed.

More complex issues were then addressed. Special methods are required when animals occur in groups or "clusters". For example, size bias can occur - large clusters have a higher probability of detection than small clusters, so that population size is overestimated. Methods for adjusting for this bias were given. Another issue is stratification, which is used to improve the precision of estimates when animal abundance, detection probability or clustering varies over time or space. Good survey design is an essential ingredient of a successful survey so design issues and field methods were covered in detail. Some specialized applications of distance sampling such as cue counting, trapping webs, and indirect counts (e.g., dung or nests) were addressed.

Fifteen people attended this three day course.

 

Our instructor is Dr. Carl Schwarz, Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, at Simon Fraser University.

http://www.stat.sfu.ca/~cschwarz   

 

 

 

 

Resource roads in British Columbia:
Environmental challenges at the site level

November 7-8, 2012
Cranbrook BC

The conference summary is available here. (5.3 MB PDF file, 154 pages)

Workshop description

Within British Columbia, paved and unpaved road length increased by 82% between 1988 and 2005. In 2000, there were over 420,000 road-stream crossings in BC; over the subsequent five years, road-stream crossings increased by about 13,000 per year (BC Ministry of Environment 2007). Estimates of unpaved roads vary from 400,000 to 550,000 km across the province (BC Forest Practice Board 2005). Many more backcountry roads have been built since. The environmental effects of backcountry roads are diverse, and include impacts on aquatic and terrestrial wildlife and habitat, soils, and water. At this event we addressed both the site-level environmental impacts of backcountry roads and management responses.

Eighty people attended our 1.5 day workshop on November 7–8, 2012 at the Rocky Mountain Prestige Inn in Cranbrook, BC. Participants heard 18 speakers, and viewed 7 posters and displays. A networking / social session at the end of the first day was sponsored by DWB Consulting Services.

Our workshop sponsors

 

Columbia Basin Trust, a regional corporation created to deliver social, economic, and environmental benefits to the residents of the Columbia Basin.
http://www.cbt.org/

 

 

 

DWB Consulting Services offers a full suite of value-added engineering, environmental and forestry services to clients across northern British Columbia.
http://dwbconsulting.ca/

 

 

We also thank...

• Our presenters and the people who brought posters and displays travelled from various communities in British Columbia and the US Pacific Northwest. We are grateful for your willingness to share your expertise with us, and for the support of your agencies in sending you to our workshop.
• We appreciate the willingness of Ray Warden, Ktunaxa Nation Council, and Hon. Wayne Stetski, Mayor of Cranbrook, for offering a welcome at the start of the workshop.
• Special thanks go to our volunteers Julie Tyrrell, Leigh Anne Isaac, and Ryland Nelson for their help in keeping the event running smoothly.

We are appreciative of the work of our event organizing committee, and others who contributed expertise as the workshop developed. The members of the organizing committee were:

• Patrick Daigle, CMI Director, Chair of organizing committee, and Master of Ceremonies.
• Martin Carver, Aqua Environmental Associates
• Malcolm Gray, Ministry of Forest, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
• Peter Jordan, Ministry of Forest, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
• Doug Martin, Ministry of Forest, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
• Darcy Monchak, One Sparrow Images
• Jackie Morris, Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology
• Richard Thompson, Ministry of Environment
• Del Williams, Forest Practices Board

 

Wednesday November 7, 2012 (Mountain Time Zone)
9:00 a.m.	Welcome on behalf of the Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology, by Jackie Morris, CMI Executive Director. Introduction of Master of Ceremonies, Patrick Daigle. Additional introductions.
9:15 a.m.	The diverse environmental impacts of roads on ecosystems, wildlife, and their habitats, Patrick W. Daigle, RPF (Retired), Victoria BC
9:45 a.m.	Impact of roads on Canada’s deforestation estimates: A British Columbia perspective, Andrew Dyk, Natural Resources Canada, Victoria, BC
10:10 a.m.	Impacts of increased road use associated with major project development on listed and other wildlife species in southern BC, Marlene Machmer, Pandion Ecological Research Ltd, Nelson BC
10:35 p.m.	Coffee and tea break. Thank you to our sponsors, Columbia Basin Trust and DWB Consulting Services.
10:55 a.m.	BC Natural Resource Road Act: The state of play today, Don Gosnell, BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Victoria BC
12:00 p.m.	Lunch, provided.
1:00 p.m.	Landslides caused by forest roads in British Columbia: Recent trends in landslide occurrence in the West Arm – Lower Kootenay River area, Peter Jordan, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Nelson, BC
1:25 p.m.	Inventory and Modeling the Hydro-geomorphic Impacts of Forest Roads on the Middle Fork of the Payette River, Idaho, Tom Black, USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, Boise, ID
1:50 p.m.	Restoration of resource roads, David Polster, Polster Environmental Services, Duncan BC
2:15 p.m.	Coffee and tea break
2:30 p.m.	Influence of active versus passive forest road restoration on ecohydrologic structure and function over time in the Clearwater National Forest, Idaho, Rebecca Lloyd, US Director of Conservation Science and Action, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation, Initiative, Missoula, MT
2:55 p.m.	Roads as vectors for the introduction and spread of invasive plants, Marty Hafke, East Kootenay Invasive Plant Council, Cranbrook, BC
3:20 p.m.	Cost effective road mitigation for amphibian populations, Elke Wind, E. Wind Consulting, Nanaimo, BC
3:45 p.m.	Networking session, posters. Sponsored by DWB Consulting Services, thank you!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
8:30 a.m.	Welcome back by Master of Ceremonies, Patrick Daigle
8:35 a.m.	Three talks with a combined question and answer period: Fish Passage in BC – Status, Issues and Solutions, Ian Miller, Resource Practices Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Victoria Assessing Fish Passage at Culverts – The method, its metrics and preliminary findings from over 8,000 assessments, Richard Thompson, Ministry of Environment. Victoria, BC Habitat modeling and culvert assessments to determine the scope of the fish passage problem in BC, Craig Mount, BC Ministry of Environment, Victoria BC
9:35 a.m.	BC’s Forest and Range Effectiveness Evaluation: Water Quality Effectiveness Evaluation, David Maloney, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Kamloops BC
10:00 a.m.	The effects of roads on the post-harvest condition of streams, riparian areas, and fish habitats in British Columbia, 1996 – 2010, Peter J. Tschaplinski, BC Ministry of Environment, Victoria BC
10:25 a.m.	Coffee and tea break
10:45 a.m.	The West Okanagan–Similkameen Pilot Cumulative Impacts Project, Doug Lewis, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Victoria
11:10 a.m..	Forest Practices Board presentation on road and bridge practices – What have we seen? Chris Mosher, Director, Audits, Forest Practices Board, and Garth Lord, Forest Practices Board
11:35 a.m.	Closing comments, Al Gorley, Chair, Forest Practices Board
11:55 a.m.	Wrap-up, workshop finishes. No lunch provided.

 

Natural Processes for the Restoration of Drastically Disturbed Sites - course

November 6, 2012
Cranbrook BC

Course description

Natural processes have been “reclaiming” natural disturbances since the beginnings of time. This one-day workshop will explore how these natural processes can be applied to the reclamation of roads, borrow pits, and other sites that humans have disturbed.

Traditional reclamation programs fail to generate the ecological goods and services that were lost during the disturbance of the site. Providing erosion control is a key element in the development of effective restoration programs. We will look at the processes of erosion and how natural systems solve erosion problems. Similarly, many disturbed sites lack nutrients for plant growth or the capacity to cycle the nutrients that are available. We will explore the natural processes that provide nutrients and nutrient cycling capacity to ecosystems and how these can be re-established on disturbed sites. In many cases the systems and processes that naturally reclaim disturbed sites can be established on anthropogenic disturbances easily and at a lower cost than using traditional reclamation techniques.

Thirty-one people attended this one day course.

 

David Polster describes the collection and use of cuttings for soil bioengineering treatments (Photo from Fraser Valley Watershed Coalition).

Our instructor

The course will be led by David Polster. Mr. Polster has been involved in the reclamation of severely disturbed sites for over 30 years. He is president of the Canadian Land Reclamation Association (3rd term) and is on the board of the BC Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration and the BC Invasive Plant Council.  Dave is well known for his work in the use of soil bioengineering treatments to solve difficult reclamation problems. He recently instructed a post-graduate certification program in designing for natural processes at the University of Victoria.

 

 

 

Course outline

1. Traditional treatments and issues
2. Introduction to ecological recovery processes
3. Succession as a model for restoration
4. Erosion processes and solutions
5. Other filters (constraints) and solutions
6. Restoration of difficult sites (e.g. soil bioengineering treatments)
7. Implementation, monitoring
8. Questions.

 

Soils Refresher Course

May 31 & June 1, 2012
Selkirk College, Castlegar BC

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

 

 

Course description

The Soils Refresher course was taught by Derek Marcoux of Selkirk College in Castlegar. It was fully subscribed with 18 people. The participants were biologists, foresters and other resource professionals interested in reviewing basic concepts of soils and soil management. Topics covered included:

• Review of basic mineral and rock characteristics 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 spent the first day mostly in the classroom and lab reviewing basic soils concepts and practicing field texturing. On the second day, participants went on an all-day field trip from Castlegar to Grand Forks to review the soil properties in forest, riparian, wetland, and grassland environments.

Course outline

Day 1 - Classroom day at Selkirk College campus in Castlegar

• 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 practice coding for field notes.
• Car-pooling will be needed.

An excellent resource for this course! 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

 

 

 

Capture–recapture for Spatial Data course

May 29-31, 2012,
Prestige Lakeside Resort, Nelson BC

Taught by Dr. Murray Efford of Otago University, New Zealand, this class was fully subscribed with 16 people. Particpants brought their own laptop pre-loaded with software (R, the R package 'secr', and Density).

Course description

Animal populations are often studied by trapping individuals, marked or otherwise distinguishable, at discrete points in space or by searching an area for sign. The statistical analysis of such data to estimate population density or size is more robust and effective if it accounts for the spatial distribution of sampling. There has been rapid growth of relevant methods and software in the last few years, but these have yet to appear in standard texts. Spatially explicit capture–recapture (SECR) analyses are used widely for bear populations sampled with hair snags and for large cats caught on automatic cameras. The methods extend to grid trapping of small mammals, mist-netting of birds, DNA from feces, and sounds recorded on microphone arrays.

Content

This 3-day short course introduced the core concepts of SECR, the free Windows software ‘Density’ and the R package ‘secr’. There was some time set aside to discuss participants’ data. Specific topics covered included:

• spatial data types
• detection functions
• the use of habitat masks
• modelling of trap response and spatial, temporal or individual covariates
• interpreting output and troubleshooting
• study design
• density surfaces
• open-population analysis.

Our instructor

Dr. Murray Efford is a population ecologist with long experience in live-trapping studies. He has recently focused on developing spatially explicit capture–recapture methods, and acoustic methods for assessing bird populations. He is the author of the Windows software ‘Density’ and the R package ‘secr’, and has presented SECR workshops in New Zealand, Malaysia, UK, and Canada.

 

 

 

 

 

CMI Annual Researchers’ Meeting & Annual General Meeting

May 1, 2012
1:00 p.m. to about 4:30 p.m.
Lakeside Prestige Resort, Nelson BC

A compilation of abstracts from this meeting is available here. (410 kb PDF)

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 to attend.

This year 29 people attended our half-day meeting in Nelson.

Meeting agenda

 

1:00 p.m.	CMI Annual General Meeting Non-members are welcome to attend.
1:30- 4:30 p.m	Climate Change in the West Kootenays -- What's coming? (information from a Vulnerability Assessment project) with Greg Utzig, Kutenai Nature Investigations, and Dr. Rachel Holt, Veridian Ecological Consulting. Forest Carbon Management at Selkirk College, Dr. Brendan Wilson, Selkirk College Mine Reclamation in British Columbia: Enhancing biodiversity on drastically disturbed sites, David Polster, Polster Environmental Services. Identifying the little remaining potential Western Screech Owl habitat on Kootenay Lake, Cal Aylmer, Selkirk College student Adventures in grassland reclamation in the Rocky Mountain Trench, Michelle Heinz, Clear Sky Meditation and Study Foundation Whitebark Pine restoration trial in the south Selkirk Mountains, Adrian Leslie, White Bark Consulting Is collaboration an effective tool for environmental management? Kathleen Porter, Summit Environmental Consultants.
Posters (More posters are welcome)	A trail system to link Selkirk College to downtown Castlegar, Eugene Voykin, Selkirk College student

 

Urban Wildlife: Challenges and Management

April 18-19, 2012
Rocky Mountain Prestige Inn, 209 Van Horne Street South
Cranbrook BC

The conference summary is available here. (3.9 MB PDF download, 134 pages)

Conference description

Wildlife numbers are increasing within many British Columbia municipalities, leading to more interactions with humans and our infrastructure. Interactions can lead to property damage, public safety issues, public health concerns, impacts on biodiversity, and death or suffering of wildlife. Deer, elk, coyotes, moose, geese, racoons, bears, and other animals can become more than a nuisance, putting themselves and humans at risk. Through a combination of presentations, posters, and a demonstration, this conference will address management of wildlife - and people - related to problem wildlife in urban settings.

About 110 people attended this conference.

 

Photo by Lorne Smithson, Grand Forks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conference agenda

Day one: April 18, 2012

8:30 a.m.	Welcome on behalf of the Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology, by Jackie Morris, CMI Executive Director. Introduction of Master of Ceremonies, Marc-André Beaucher, CMI Director. Welcome on behalf of City of Cranbrook by Mayor Wayne Stetski. Welcome on behalf of Ktunaxa Nation by Kathryn Teneese, Chair, Ktunaxa Nation Council. Biology of mule deer and white-tailed deer with implications for urban deer management, Brian Harris, Regional Wildlife Biologist, BC. Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations. Understanding urban white-tailed deer movement in a Canadian metropolitan centre, Erin McCance, Department of Environment and Geography, University of Manitoba. Challenges to coexistence with urban coyotes: A spatial-temporal analysis of diet and human-coyote interactions in Calgary, Alberta, Victoria Lukasik, Department of Geography, University of Calgary.
9:50 a.m.	Coffee break
	Challenges of managing stormwater wetlands for Black Terns: A case study, Erika Almasi-Klausz, City of Calgary, and Kelly Day, City of Calgary. Bats in buildings: Roost conservation and enhancement, Juliet Craig, Silverwing Ecological Consulting. Silencing the dinner bell: how do we reduce the feeding of urban wildlife? Sara Dubois, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, Animal Welfare Program, University of British Columbia. A process for solving urban wildlife conflicts at the community level, Mark Hall, Jaffray BC.
Noon	Lunch, provided, with thanks to Interior Reforestation.
1:00 p.m.	Urban deer management in Cranbrook, Chris Zettel, Corporate Communications Officer, City of Cranbrook, and Bob Whetham, Councillor, City of Cranbrook. The Grand Forks Deer Committee: A deer town with a people problem, Jenny Coleshill, Grand Forks Deer Committee. Urban elk management in Banff National Park, Blair Fyten, Resource Conservation, Parks Canada.
2:30 p.m.	Coffee break
2:50 p.m.	Wildlife exclusion fencing in urban areas: Issues and solutions, Bill Harper, Wildlife Advisor, Kicking Horse Canyon Project. Electric fencing: An effective deterrent to protect fruit trees and small livestock from bears, Gillian Sanders, North Kootenay Lake Bear Smart Program. Introduction of people who brought posters.
4:00 p.m.	Poster session and social time, until 5:30 p.m. Dinner is not provided.

 

Evening speaker Co-existing with grizzly bears in the urban/rural Creston Valley Dr. Michael Proctor, of Birchdale Ecological Ltd. April 18 ~ 7:30 p.m. in our conference room at the Rocky Mountain Prestige Inn. Dr. Proctor will speak about recovering threatened grizzly populations, re-establishing regional connectivity, and providing adaptive options for climate change. The general public is invited to join the conference participants at no charge to hear Dr. Proctor's presentation.

Day two: April 19, 2012

8:30 a.m.	Welcome back by Master of Ceremonies Marc-André Beaucher.
	Meeting the needs of wildlife education and outreach in the East Kootenay, Shaunna McInnis, Kimberley BC. Bear Aware Mapping Initiative, Frank Ritcey, Bear Aware, BC Conservation Foundation. Changing human behaviour as part of wildlife management, Kai Elmauer, elmauer institute.
10:00 a.m.	Coffee break
	Considerations for mitigating human-moose conflict in moose habitats undergoing urban development, Gayle Hesse, Wildlife Collision Prevention Program, British Columbia Conservation Foundation A community response to geese management, Janette Loveys, Park Operation Services, Capital Regional District. Management of southern sub-populations of Canada geese in British Columbia: The biological and practical challenges of implementing appropriately scaled management plans, Kate Hagmeier, EBB Environmental Consulting. The rabbit problem: The University of Victoria story, Thomas Smith, Facilities Management, University of Victoria.
Noon	Lunch, provided, thanks to Stantec Consulting.
12:45 p.m.	Herding dog demonstration with Chris Jobe, Canine Solutions.
1:15 p.m.	Wildlife corridor planning in a rapidly growing community, Gary Buxton, General Manager of Municipal Infrastructure, Town of Canmore. Data collection as a means of validating human-wildlife conflicts management decisions in the Town of Canmore, Jay Honeyman, Bear Conflict Biologist, Alberta Ministry of Sustainable Resource Development. How to engage communities in reducing human-wildlife conflict through community outreach and social media, Kim Titchener, Program Director, Bow Valley WildSmart Community Program.
3:00 p.m.	Conference wrap-up.

List of posters

 

1. The Provincial Agriculture Zone Wildlife Program in the Kootenay Boundary Region, Donna Thornton, Agriculture Wildlife Specialist, BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations.
2. Evaluating East Kootenay elk use on private land under hunting pressure, Donna Thornton, Agriculture Wildlife Specialist, BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations, and Becky Phillips, Wildlife Biologist, BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations.
3. Saving those on the not so cute side of the ledger, Frank Ritcey, Kamloops BC
4. Challenges of wildlife utilizing roadways: Investigating amphibian road occurrence and road mortality mitigation within the south Okanagan, British Columbia, Jonquil Crosby, Department of Environment and Resource Studies, University of Waterloo.
5. Bear behaviour and trains: Examining the behavioural relationship between bears and trains using loco-cam data, Brianna Burley, Parks Canada, and University of Calgary.
6. Kimberley Wildlife Aware display, Shaunna McInnis, Kimberley BC.
7. Kimberley Bear Aware display, Shaunna McInnis, Kimberley BC.
8. Resident coyotes in the City of Calgary, Alberta: Functional connectivity of urban natural spaces, Karina Lamy, Department of Environmental Design, University of Calgary.
9. Managing for human-facilitated wildlife invasions: Lessons from an adaptive management program for introduced frogs in the South Okanagan Valley, BC, Natasha Lukey, Department of Environment and Resource Studies, University of Waterloo.
10. Management of resident Canada Geese and restoration of degraded estuaries on eastern Vancouver Island, John Cooper, Cooper Beauchesne and Associates Ltd.
11. Rethinking beaver management to reduce conflicts and costs, Glynnis A. Hood, University of Alberta, Augustana Campus.
12. Wildlife record keeping at western Canadian regional airports: Implications for risk assessments Gayle Hesse, Wildlife Collision Prevention Program, British Columbia Conservation Foundation, Roy Rea, University of Northern British Columbia, and Annie Booth, University of Northern British Columbia.
13. Sumas Mountain Environmental Management Plan, Billi Gowans, Stantec Consulting
14. Coquitlam's journey to co-exist with wildlife, Drake Stephens, Coquitlam Urban Wildlife Coordinator.
15. Long-term fluctuations of avian biodiversity in urban woodlots: Replacement or loss, Robert Milne, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies,Wilfrid Laurier University
16. Development of a wildlife hotline resource manual: Toward a model of community education. Erin Luther, Toronto Wildlife Centre.
17. Herding deer and elk with dogs - display by John Zehnder, and demonstration with geese by Chris Jobe, Canine Solutions.
    

 

Occupancy Modelling

November 1-3, 2011 and repeated April 15-16, 2013
Revelstoke BC

Taught by Dr. Carl Schwarz from Simon Fraser University, this course was fully subscribed with 16 people. If you would like to take this course, tell us you are interested, because our courses are offered when there is enough demand. You can sign up for our event announcements.

Course description

The presence or absence of a species in a set of units (polygons, landscape units, territories, etc.) is a fundamental concept in many ecological studies (e.g. resource selection modelling, biodiversity, range). Visits to sampled units can results in a positive detection of a species or a non-detection of the species in that unit. However, a species may not always be detected if present which results in "false negatives". If the issue of detectablity is not accounted for, estimates that rely on the level of occupancy can be misleading. This workshop covers methods for modelling species occurrence while accounting for potential false negatives.

Course outline

Introduction:
• differences/similarities of occupancy and capture-recapture modelling
• role of detectability
• basic statistical review
o concepts and notations
o binomial data, odds ratios
o basic likelihood
o model selection and multi-model inference

Single-season occupancy models
• basic sampling protocol
• PRESENCE software to fitting single-season models
• model assumptions
• dealing with missing data
• dealing with heterogeneity
• more advanced features of PRESENCE - design matrices/covariates
• planning studies; GENPRES software

Multiple-season occupancy models
• sampling protocol
• dynamics of population across seasons
• using PRESENCE
• alternative parameterizations
• characterizing occupancy dynamics
• modelling spatial correlations in occupancy dynamics
• dealing with missing data
• dealing with covariates
• study design

Species co-occurrence models
• sharing information among species
• species richness or biodiversity
• single season models
• multi season models

Extensions
• incorporation of count data
• incorporation of marked animals
• incorporation of telemetry data

 

Carbon Management in British Columbia Ecosystems

June 15-16, 2011
Nelson, BC

Click here to download the conference summary. This is a 3 MB PDF document.

Conference description

Climate change is one of the most important environmental challenges facing civilization. Managing how carbon is taken in, stored, and released from natural systems has the potential to mitigate the rate and extent of future climate change. This conference focused on how moving towards a low carbon economy may alter management strategies, economics, plans, and on-the-ground practices of natural resource managers. The event include two days of presentations, a poster session, an evening speaker open to the public, a field trip, and opportunities for informal dialogue among participants and presenters. About 85 people attended the conference.

We are grateful for the financial support of these agencies:

The Columbia Mountains Institute gratefully acknowledges the financial support of Columbia Basin Trust, a regional corporation created to deliver social, economic, and environmental benefits to the residents of the Columbia Basin.

 

 

Selkirk College has recently been awarded a National Science and Engineering Research Council College and Community Innovation grant for developing forest carbon decision-support tools for the regional forestry sector.

 

 

CMI Annual Researchers’ Meeting & Annual General Meeting

May 12, 2011
Trickle Creek Lodge, Kimberley BC

Click here to download the meeting summary.

 

Every year CMI members get together to provide updates on their projects (research, field trials, new initiatives in southeastern British Columbia), network, and catch up on each other’s news. The meeting was attended by 41 members and non-CMI members. This year's meeting definately had an East Kootenays theme with presentations and field trips related to grasslands and East Kootenay projects. CMI's short Annual General Meeting was held immediately after lunch.

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of Becky Phillips

 

We'd like to thank Keefer Ecological Services, Tipi Mountain Native Plants and Interior Reforestation Co. Ltd. for their financial support for the CMI Annual Researchers' Meeting

 

 

 

 

 

 

Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management

October 6-7, 2010
Revelstoke Community Centre, Revelstoke BC

A summary of the conference presentations can be downloaded here. This is a 2.5 MB file, 180 pages.

 

“Human Dimensions … is a reference to the social attitudes, processes, and behaviors related to how we maintain, protect, enhance, and use our natural resources. Today’s natural resource managers are increasingly recognizing that natural resource management involves not only ecological processes, but also social processes and consequences as well. In a very basic sense, Human Dimensions examines how the “science of human systems” or theory-based social science can aid in natural resource management.” - Cornell University, Department of Natural Resources

Conference description

Natural resource practitioners are accustomed to integrating biological and other natural science and technical factors into their decision-making. Integrating data from the natural sciences with information about social values and human behaviours increases the effectiveness of natural resource management. Through 1.5 days of presentations (followed by optional field trips during the afternoon of the 7th), a poster session, and opportunities for informal dialogue, this conference strengthened the ability of managers and practitioners to incorporate human dimensions into the many aspects of natural resource management. A conference summary will be available on the CMI website after the event.

Thank you to our conference sponsors!

 

Columbia Basin Trust's Environmental Initiatives Program is a contributor to this conference. CBT is a regional corporation created to deliver social, economic, and environmental benefits to the residents of the Columbia Basin.

 

Parks Canada and CMI share a common goal of maintaining the ecological integrity of regional ecosystems. We acknowledge Parks Canada's financial support for this conference.

 

BC Hydro supports groups that are active in environmental sustainability. We are proud to have BC Hydro as a conference supporter.

 

 

 

Public Participation Skills for Natural Resource Managers

October 4-5, 2010 1.5 day course
Hillcrest Hotel, Revelstoke BC

 

This is a FORREX course, hosted by
the Columbia Mountains Institute.

 

 

This course was instructed by Dr. Ajit Krishnaswamy, FORREX Forum for Research and Extension in Natural Resources to a class of 15 people.

Course description

Participation is…“various forms of direct public involvement where people, individually or through organized groups, can exchange information, express opinions and articulate interests, and have the potential to influence decisions or the outcome of specific issues.” (UN FAO 2000 )

This course introduced the basic concepts and skills for planning and implementing a public participation process. Although participation is widely recognized as a critical aspect of natural resource management, and is a regulatory requirement for a variety of environmental and natural resource management processes, few resource managers have had formal training or professional development opportunities in this field. Many practitioners "do" participation every day, but do not have the opportunity to reflect on their practice or to contemplate ways to do it better. This course provided this opportunity, by using the collective experience of participants themselves as the key learning content. The course also provided a suite of resources that allow these activities to be grounded in some basic common concepts, and a set of tools that can be adopted and adapted by practitioners.

This course assisted participants in developing:

• An understanding of basic concepts and best practices of participation;
• Familiarity with different tools that can be used for effective public participation, and an awareness of which tools are appropriate under different circumstances;
• Strategies to assess the effectiveness of participatory processes; and
• An understanding of the limits of their knowledge and where they can go for help.

 

 

Ajit (red vest) and participants at a similar FORREX workshop

 

Course outline

This course was delivered over 1.5 days in six modules, each with a specific learning outcome. The six modules and learning outcomes were:

 

Module	Learning Outcomes
The many facets of participation	Articulate a clear definition of participation. Identify different levels of participation in decision-making processes.
Benefits, challenges, and best practices	Recognize the benefits and common challenges of participation. Understand best practices of participation in planning and decision-making processes.
The context and purpose of participation	Recognize the variety of contextual factors in which public participation occurs. Develop clear objectives for effective participation in planning and decision-making processes.
Identifying who participates	Identify different interest groups, stakeholders, and citizens and how they may affect (or be affected by) decisions.
Planning to evaluate	Identify ways to assess the effectiveness of participation programs.
Tools for participation	Identify a variety of participation tools that can be used to achieve different levels of participation. Use a typology to help select participation tools appropriate for particular situations.

 

Trend Analysis and Environmental Impact Assessment

September 28-30, 2010, repeated April 12-14, 2011
Coast Hillcrest Hotel, Revelstoke, BC

This course is taught by Dr. Carl Schwarz from Simon Fraser University, to a maximum class size of 16 people. Carl has a wealth of information about statistics for biologists posted on his website at: http://www.stat.sfu.ca/~cschwarz/.
Pre-requisites: Basic knowledge of regression and ANOVA (e.g. the Statistical Refresher Course)

Course description

Environmental monitoring often looks at trends over time. Environmental impact assessments want to know if trends over time differ between control and impact sites. Statistical methods for the analysis of trends over time use many of the same methods as the analysis of experimental data (e.g. ANOVA, regression) but must now deal with problems such as autocorrelation and process error.

Course content

(8:30 a.m to about 4:30 p.m each day)

1. Review of statistical concepts on estimates, standard errors, confidence intervals, p-values, bias, precision, accuracy, missing values, etc.

2. Detecting step changes over time

• ANOVA and non-parametric methods
• Power and how many years to monitor
• Dealing with seasonality and autocorrelation
• Sampling vs process error

3. Detecting linear changes over time

• Regression and non-parametric methods
• Power and how many years to monitor
• Dealing with seaonality and autocorrelation
• Sampling vs process error
• Pooling slopes (ANCOVA)

4. BACI designs and variants

• Simple Before and After Controlled Impact design (BACI) - Introduction to two factor ANOVA
• BACI with multiple sites
• BACI with multiple years/multiple sites before/after
• Paired BACI with multiple years/multiple sites before/after
• Regression BACI (analysis of covariance)
• Power/sample size

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.

 

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. waypoint (point) routes and tracks (line and polygons with area calculations) GPS photo geotagging Downloading and visualizing GPS data using various tools. visualize data in Google Earth, online mapping sites, and other services
Noon	Lunch, provided
1:00 p.m.	Pre-trip planning exercise route planning with Google Earth GPS data transfer and online mapping site integration options produce field map Online mapping tools and data sources Selkirk Geospatial Research Centre, iMAP BC online mapping layers integration Garmin MapSource data (proprietary and free base data options) GeoBC and Natural Resource Canada mapping resources Open discussion, question period.
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.

 

List of speakers

Thursday, May 28, 2009

1. Valuing our wetlands: Making them relevant, Bruce Harrison, Ducks Unlimited
2. The contribution of wetlands to human health and improved water quality, Dr. Martin Carver, BC Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport
3. Natural forms and functions of montane marshes in Jasper National Park, Dr. Suzanne Bayley, University of Alberta
4. Managing a dyked wetland: Costs, implications, and future options for the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area, Marc-André Beaucher, Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area
5. The impacts of dam construction on wetland ecosystems in the Columbia Basin, Irene Manley, Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program
6. An elegy to wetlands, Eileen Delehanty Pearkes
7. Status and condition of Kelowna wetlands, Kyle Hawes, Ecoscape Environmental Consultants
8. Creating shoreline management guidelines using the sensitive habitat inventory method on Windermere Lake, Heather Lescheid, East Kootenay Integrated Lake Management Partnership
9. Wetland inventory and mapping assessment within the Okanagan Region, Kristina Robbins, BC Ministry of Environment
10. 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
11. West Kootenay amphibian study, John Krebs, Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, and Jakob Dulisse, Jakob Dulisse Consulting
12. 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

1. Restoring Wetlands: Rebuilding Processes and Patterns, David Polster, Polster Ecological Services
2. An opportunity for rehabilitation: City of Vernon Waterfront Neighbourhood Plan, Darryl Arsenault, EBA Engineering Consultants
3. Wildlife physical works for riparian and wetland habitat enhancement in Arrow Lakes Reservoir, Doug Adama, BC Hydro
4. Biology, ecology, and management of key aquatic invasive plants in BC, Linda. M. Wilson, BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
5. Role of Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners, Bob Jamieson, Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners
6. 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 Area
Marc-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 for their financial and in-kind support of this conference: BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands BC Ministry of Environment BC Ministry of Forests and Range Columbia Basin Trust Columbia Kootenay Fisheries Renewal Partnership Parks Canada

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 Rocky Mountain Whooey "

 

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 September 21-23, 2009
September 14-15, 2010

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, October 21-23, 2008, April 18-20, 2011

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 partners The Columbia Mountains Institute wishes to acknowledge the financial and in-kind support of our workshop partners and sponsors:
BC Ministry of Transportation Columbia Basin Trust CN Rail Canadian Pacific Railway	Dillon Consulting Limited Parks Canada Quantum Murray LP The Land Conservancy of British Columbia

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 the financial and in-kind support of our conference partners and sponsors:
BC Ministry of Environment Columbia Basin Trust Don Eastman (School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria) Elk Valley Coal Keefer Ecological Services	Polster Environmental Services Ltd. Rocky Mountain Trench Ecosystem Restoration Steering Committee Swell Environmental Consulting The Land Conservancy of British Columbia

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

Repeat offerings:

May 8-9, 2007, May 15-16, 2007, and September 25-26, 2007
May 28-29, 2008
August 19-20, 2009
August 24-25, 2010
June 5-6, 2012 in Nelson BC

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. Thank you!

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 Supporters The Columbia Mountains Institute is proud to have worked with the following agencies to host this conference:
B.C. Ministry of Environment B.C. Ministry of Forests and Range Canadian Forest Service City of Revelstoke Columbia Basin Trust through the Columbia-Kootenay Fisheries Renewal Partnership	Knight Inlet Lodge National Wildlife Federation Revelstoke Community Forest Corporation University of Alberta University of Calgary University of Montana Wildlife Genetics International

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 Supporters The Columbia Mountains Institute is proud to have worked with the following agencies in hosting this conference.
B.C. Ministry of Environment B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Species at Risk Coordination Office B.C. Timber Sales, Ministry of Forests and Range Canfor Corporation Columbia Basin Trust, through the Columbia Kootenay Fisheries Renewal Partnership	Forest Practices Board Global Precision Inc. Mountain Labyrinths Inc. Revelstoke Community Forest Corporation Veridian Ecological Consulting Weyerhaeuser Company Limited West Fraser Timber

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
September 21-23, 2010.
October 18-20, 2011.

“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.

This course is taught by Dr. Carl Schwarz from Simon Fraser University to a maximum class size of 16 people. Carl has a wealth of information about statistics for biologists posted on his website at: http://www.stat.sfu.ca/~cschwarz/. Participants are required to bring a laptop computer loaded with the current version of JMP software (trial version is adequate for the course). JMP is a SAS program.

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. We are please to have worked with:
BC Conservation Foundation Big Red Consulting, Nelson British Columbia Ministry of Environment City of Canmore City of Revelstoke Columbia Basin Trust, through the Columbia Kootenay Fisheries Renewal Partnership	Columbia Shuswap Regional District Habitat Conservation Trust Fund North Shore Bear Network Parks Canada, Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks Revelstoke Bear Aware Society Siderius Ecological Consulting, Nelson.

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, whose in-kind and financial support made this event possible:
BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands BC Ministry of Environment BC Ministry of Forests and Range Cortex Consulting Corvus Communications Environment Canada	Fisheries and Oceans Canada Pandion Ecological Research Parks Canada Tantalus Ecological University of British Columbia

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:
BC Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Research Network Canadian Forest Service Canadian Institute of Climate Studies Downie Timber Environment Canada Parks Canada	Pope and Talbot Revelstoke Community Forest Corporation Revelstoke Credit Union Royal BC Museum Tembec Forest Industries University of British Columbia US Geological Survey

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 the following partners in hosting this workshop:

BC Hydro British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection (Water Air and Climate Change Branch) Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Research Network British Columbia Columbia Basin Trust District of Invermere East Kootenay Environmental Society

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 for their financial and in-kind support for this conference:
BC Ministry of Forests BC Ministry of Water, Land, and Air Protection Canadian Mountain Holidays Columbia Basin Trust through the Columbia-Kootenay Fisheries Renewal Partnership	Downie Timber Great Canadian Heli-skiing Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing Mountain Equipment Co-op Parks Canada Selkirk Tangiers Helicopter Skiing Tembec Industries

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:

City of Revelstoke Columbia Basin Trust, through the Columbia Kootenay Fisheries Renewal Partnership Haul-All Equipment Margo Supplies Parks Canada Revelstoke Printing Company Rollins Machinery

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, for coordinating this meeting and suggesting the Blue Lake site.

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 for their financial or in-kind support for this workshop:
Armtech Limited BC Rail Canadian National Railway Canadian Pacific Railway CCI Coast Columbia Basin Trust/Affected Areas and Communities Initiatives	EBA Engineering Insurance Corporation of British Columbia Parks Canada Revelstoke Community Futures Summit Environmental Consultants

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 for their financial or in-kind support
BC Ministry of Forests Canadian Mountain Holidays Columbia Basin Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program Downie Bonus Fund	Columbia Basin Trust Most Affected Communities and Areas Initiative Columbia Power Corporation Parks Canada Tembec Industries

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:

Affected Areas and Communities Initiatives (Columbia Basin Trust) Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program Columbia Power Corporation Parks Canada ustainable Fisheries Foundation

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 the following companies for their financial and in-kind contributions

Canadian Pacific Railway Canadian National Railway Summit Environmental Consultants, Vernon SNC Lavalin Parks Canada Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program

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

Bell Pole BC Ministry of Forests Downie Timber Forestry Renewal BC Parks Canada Revelstoke Community Forest Corporation Riverside Forest Products Slocan Group

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 view 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. Click here to view the agenda for the meeting.

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.