Free 1 Hour Virtual Workshop! Thurs, Feb 26 at 12pm PST

In partnership with the Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology (CMI), Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP) presents their Annual Winter Webinar Series on the theme of Lessons for the next chapter of Restoration & Stewardship in the Columbia Basin.

Wetlands are rare ecosystems in southeast BC, providing habitat for numerous species, enhancing biodiversity and increasingly affected by the changing climate, which has been warming for several decades, drying wetlands and changing the water flows in streams and rivers. Ecologists and concerned communities have been trying to restore or create wetlands but face major challenges in building healthy wetlands. Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners have been assessing the hydrogeomorphic characteristics that lead to healthy wetlands, and how we can use constructed beaver dams to mitigate the effects of the warming climate on wetlands and streams. This project is in collaboration with Catriona Leven, Jessica Holden and Dr. Ryan MacDonald.

Facilitator

• Dr. Suzanne Bayley is President of the Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners, a NGO in the Columbia Valley of BC. She is an Emeritus Professor of Ecology at the University of Alberta. Suzanne is an expert in the ecology and management of wetlands and shallow lakes. Her primary interest is in applied ecology, the effects of climate change on aquatic systems and she now works to understand the effects of beaver in aquatic systems.

This year’s webinar series is designed to honour the legacy and capture the extensive knowledge of senior restoration and stewardship professionals in the Columbia Basin. As many of these experts approach retirement, this series provides a timely platform for intergenerational knowledge exchange—ensuring that decades of applied research, field experience, and collaborative learning are effectively transferred to the next generation. Presenters will reflect on key lessons from their careers in ecological restoration, land stewardship, and ecosystem monitoring, emphasizing important insights that can and should inform future restoration efforts.

As we explore these stories, we recognize and honour Indigenous peoples as the original and enduring stewards of these lands, and reflect on how Indigenous values, knowledge, and practices can be meaningfully integrated into current and future restoration planning and implementation. By fostering this continuity, the series supports the long-term resilience of conservation efforts in the Kootenays—a region of exceptional biodiversity increasingly affected by climate change and human disturbance

Register Here

Suzanne Bayley, PhD, Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners