Appendix 2

Thirty-six workshop evaluation forms were received from participants. The following are summaries of the comments that address themes and considerations for future workshops, and responses to the statement: "As a result of this workshop I plan to…"

Generally, the respondents were pleased with the workshop. Several people expressed disappointment in the lack of attendance by municipal and regional district staff. As might be expected with attendance from people with diverse interests, some people found the level of information too detailed, and some found it too general.

Themes and considerations for future workshops

How do we incorporate this information into community plans?
How do we target local governments and get them to set goals?
Low workshop registration fee is important.
Allow lots of time for networking and casual posing of questions to speakers after the presentations.
Put together another workshop in a few years when more information is available.
Plenary wrap-up was tedious (going over other flipchart notes from other groups): "There’s got to be a better way," for example, provide the comments in a follow-up mail-out, or focus on responses to only the most critical question. Rest of comments get written up in workshop notes for those who are interested.
Facilitated groups must finish at the same time.
Regional get-togethers on specific themes would be a good idea.
Several people expressed a wish for sector-focussed discussion groups.
Request for a workshop on Ecosystem Implications. Specialists to be hired to provide detailed information on what is likely to happen to ecosystems. Then develop specific actions to address changes.
Breakout groups provided an opportunity for "mixing" of local residents with the experts.
There should be a list summarizing the region’s progress in adapting to climate change posted at next workshop (i.e., what progress has been made since this workshop).
Include the viewpoint of a philosopher.
PowerPoint presentations make it easy to lean on heavy use of graphs, difficult for lay audience.
Lights should be "on" during presentations so we can see the presenter.
Hold a workshop titled "A community and business response to climate change in the Columbia Basin." Each sector presents its views and actions. Could be repeated in several towns.
Include themes related to human health.
Focus on "action steps" we can all take.
Longer lunch breaks and longer coffee breaks would allow for more networking.
Suggested themes—planning for agriculture, understanding the Treaty, and mitigating climate change.
Include a "day in my life" of someone living in 2050 to show how things might have changed.
Host smaller sessions in each community on focused themes (e.g., forestry or municipal planning).
There should be major support for a few communities to break ground in addressing climate change issues—then tell us about it at another workshop, and the rest of the communities can follow their example.

Response to the Statement “As a result of this workshop I plan to…”

Get other foresters to put climate change on the planning agenda.
Read more papers on climate change.
Speak out more about things we don’t know (precautionary principle).
Write an assessment of what climate change means for my company and set adaptation directions, to be distributed within my company.
Bring climate change to land use planning tables.
Follow issues more closely now that I have some understanding.
Include climate change in future municipal planning discussions.
Include mention of climate change in upcoming naturalist-oriented book.
Attempt to influence logging practices in my area to include climate change perspectives.
Build on the contacts I made.
Open up more dialogue with my town council.
Keep climate change in mind when designing structures.
Learn more about what is happening south of the border; maybe we can learn from what has happened there already, not re-invent the wheel. What have they done to influence public actions and attitudes?
Introduce measures to mitigate the danger of flooding in communities near the Elk River, and restrict development in floodplains.
Raise concern about adequate fire protection for the accommodation development at Fernie Alpine Resort.
Will work "Climate Change" into my presentations on protecting communities from forest fires.