The British Columbia Wildlife Federation will receive $100,000 in federal funds to restore and conserve wetlands on Quadra Island, in Hope, and in the Columbia Basin.
The B.C. Wildlife Federation will work to empower community members and wetland practitioners to steward, conserve, and restore wetlands with local workshops and training sessions.
Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault on Monday announced over $1 million in funding to support twelve new projects in British Columbia over the next four years under the EcoAction Community Funding Program.
The Minister met with BCWF president Chuck Zuckerman and several dozen representatives from local conservation groups on September 2 at John Hendry Park in Vancouver.
“It was a great opportunity to explain how the B.C. Wildlife Federation’s goals align with the mandate given to Minister Guilbeault by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,” said Zuckerman.
These twelve projects will have measurable and positive impacts on the environment and engage communities across the province. They are all focused on improving freshwater quality, reducing harmful substances in fresh water, and restoring and protecting freshwater ecosystem health, according to the ministry.
Some of the BCWF projects are already underway.
The Quadra Island Elementary School property and future home of a new B.C. wetland was historically a wetland and waterway.
“During the summer the field seems like the perfect place for a sports field, however in the fall and winter, the field becomes incredibly wet and muddy, due to the site’s groundwater and inability to retain rainwater efficiently,” said wetlands restoration specialist Miranda Cross of Rewilding Water and Earth Inc.
“Restoring this site to a wetland not only will increase indigenous biodiversity, it will also serve as an outdoor classroom for Quadra Elementary students.”
The project, in partnership with Quadra Elementary, School District 72 and Quadra Island Climate Action Network will provide experiential learning opportunities for students and community access to an ecosystem that provides important habitat for wildlife. Wetland restoration also supports climate change adaptation and resilience by capturing, cleaning, and storing water and mitigating wildfire and flood risks.
The community is helping collect native riparian plant seeds to cultivate native plants at the project site, and the BCWF will be hosting a planting day in October in partnership with We Wai Kai First Nations.
Other projects made possible by this grant:
- BCWF is working with the Chawathil First Nation near Hope to train in wetland and stream health assessment, restoration design and freshwater conservation.
- Fifteen hectares of wetland and floodplain habitat is being restored on Yaqan Nukiy (Ktuxana Nation) territory in partnership with the Lower Kootenay Band, work which will restore connectivity to the Kootenay River.
- Protect approximately 2000 square meters of wetland from cattle in Gyppo Landing Logging Basin through alternative fencing structures, training, and installation.
- Develop and implement restoration plans for a wetland at Ravine Creek Farm in Winlaw to serve as a demonstration site and to build capacity in restoration design in the Slocan Valley community.