Fri, 15 Sep 2017

Increased Funding Available Through Renewed Partnership with FESBC

HCTF_logo.JPG FESBC_logo.JPG

The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation is pleased to announce that we have renewed and expanded our agreement with the Forest Enhancement Society of British Columbia (FESBC). In 2018, FESBC will be contributing up to one million dollars in funding for projects that meet both HCTF and FESBC wildlife habitat enhancement goals and forest stewardship objectives. This will be in addition to the two to three million dollars that HCTF grants to wildlife projects annually.

About FEBSC

FESBC is a Crown Agency originally established as a Society in February 2016. Currently the Society has received $235 million in funding from the Provincial Government to deliver the purposes identified in its Constitution as follows:

  • To advance environmental and resource stewardship in B.C.’s forests by:

i) preventing and mitigating the impact of wildfires

ii) improving damaged or low value forest

iii) improving habitat for wildlife

iv) supporting the use of fiber from damaged and low value forests

v) treating forests to improve the management of greenhouse gases

  • To advocate for the environmental and resource stewardship of B.C.’s forests; and
  • To do all such other things as are incidental and ancillary to the attainment of the foregoing purposes and the exercise of the powers of the Society

You can find out more about FESBC by visiting their website at www.fesbc.ca


HCTF and FESBC: Natural Partners

Both HCTF and FESBC have a mandate to improve habitat for wildlife. HCTF has over 35 years of experience in administering grants for projects that enhance wildlife habitat in BC. By partnering with HCTF, FESBC is able to efficiently invest in high-quality projects that fulfill their mandate and make a meaningful contribution to conservation in BC. The partnership between HCTF and FESBC also has the benefit of reducing the administrative burden on project proponents by consolidating grant application and reporting processes.


Investment of FESBC Funds

FESBC will continue to use the HCTF application and technical review process to help select the wildlife habitat projects they wish to fund. To apply for FESBC funding, you will need to complete an HCTF Enhancement & Restoration Grant application using HCTF’s online application system. You do not need to specify that you wish to be considered for FESBC funding in your proposal. All proposed projects must meet HCTF’s criteria and priorities. Applications received by HCTF during the fall intake will be reviewed by committees of scientific experts to identify those that are technically sound, address important wildlife conservation issues, and have a high likelihood of success. A list of projects meeting these criteria will be provided to FESBC, who will then identify the projects they wish to jointly fund with HCTF. Grants for jointly-funded projects will be administered by HCTF, with recipients notified by March 2018.

You can read descriptions of the projects that were selected for co-funding this spring by downloading our 2017-18 approved project list. If you have any questions about HCTF grant intake process, please contact Kathryn Martell at kathryn.martell@hctf.ca or call 250-940-9785. If you have questions about applying for FESBC funding for a project that is not primarily focussed on improving habitat for wildlife, please contact the FESBC office at office@fesbc.ca or 1-877-225-2010.

Fri, 1 Sep 2017

Teachers – Apply for Funding to Take Your Students Outdoors

Teachers: start off the school year on a green note by applying for an HCTF GO Grant. GO Grants provide BC schools and classrooms with up to $600/class or $3500/school to pay for bus transportation, project materials, and leader/program fees for outdoor environmental learning experiences. Since 2012, GO Grants have helped over 35,000 BC students get outdoors to learn about their local environment. Full grant criteria and links to application forms are available here. The application deadline for the fall intake is September 15, 2017. For more information, contact HCTF Education at 250-940-9786 or email gogrants@hctf.ca

Thu, 24 Aug 2017
Tags: Habitat Acquisition

87+ Acres Conserved for Bighorn Sheep

Skaha_Lake_eastside

Penticton—The Nature Trust of British Columbia is pleased to announce the purchase of the Skaha Lake Eastside property near Penticton with the support of many partners and donors.

“So glad there’s been success with the Skaha Lake property,” said Judie Steeves, West Kelowna freelance writer. “As a kid, I used to go hike up on those bluffs and sit and contemplate the future as I looked out over Skaha Lake. I love that area. Saw my first rattler in the wild there, too.”

This property which spans 35.4 hectares (87.5 acres) features critical habitat for Bighorn Sheep and other wildlife on the eastside of Skaha Lake. It is adjacent to our existing Skaha Lake Property complex which is included in the McTaggart-Cowan/Ns?k’?niw’t Wildlife Management Area.

This land has a variety of habitat ideal for Bighorn Sheep. The open grassland dotted with ponderosa pines and Douglas-fir provides grazing area and the rocky steep bluffs provide protection from predators.

“This property is one of the last remaining undeveloped benchlands on the eastside of Skaha Lake,” said Nicholas Burdock, The Nature Trust of BC’s Okanagan Conservation Land Coordinator. “It takes you only a few steps to recognize how beautiful this location is and why it is so important that it remain in a natural state. There are many rare plants and animals that rely on this landscape; it really is a special place in the South Okanagan.”

The Skaha Lake parcel is located in two of the most endangered biogeoclimatic zones: Bunchgrass and Ponderosa Pine. In addition to Bighorn Sheep, this property supports other species at risk such as the White-throated Swift and Western Rattlesnake and potentially the endangered American Badger.

This property is an infill piece, surrounded by our conservation lands to the north and east with the Eastside Road to the west and the south adjacent to a housing development.

“You only have to take one look at a map to understand the risk of this property being developed and its habitat values lost forever,” said Ross Peck, Chair of the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation. “By helping The Nature Trust purchase these lands for conservation, we’re confident they’ll continue to support Okanagan wildlife in perpetuity.”

Management objectives will focus on increasing the quality of Bighorn Sheep habitat, improving connectivity and sheep movement within the adjacent Wildlife Management Area and decreasing human caused disturbance. Purchasing the property will reduce the risk of disease transmission by excluding domestic sheep and goats.

This project was made possible with the generous support of the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, BC Conservation Foundation, Sitka Foundation, Gosling Foundation, Wild Sheep Society of BC, Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk (Government of Canada through Environment and Climate Change Canada) and individual donors.

The Nature Trust of British Columbia is dedicated to protecting BC’s natural diversity of plants and wildlife through the acquisition and management of ecologically significant land. Since 1971 The Nature Trust along with our partners has invested more than $95 million to secure over 71,000 hectares (175,000 acres) across British Columbia.

Wed, 16 Aug 2017
Tags: Fisheries / Wildlife

Photos of Englishman River Estuary Restoration

We love to receive photos of our grant recipients’ conservation projects, and the Vancouver Island Conservation Lands Management Program (VICLMP), in conjunction with The Nature Trust of BC, has been doing a fantastic job of capturing and sharing their progress in restoring the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville, BC. Thanks to Tom Reid, VICLMP Manager, for these images.

Day 1: Removing the remnant roadway that bisected the estuary.

Day 2: Road removal continues

Day 3: 1500 cubic metres of fill removed…

Resulting in water flowing through this area of the Englishman Estuary for the first time in over 50 years!

The next day, the first new occupants are already moving in.

By the end of day 4, the team has removed 2500m3 of fill.

Day 5: An early start, but more than half way there.

Shorebirds come to check out the newly restored area:

Week 2: Placement of large woody debris for fish habitat and connecting the channels.

By the end of week 2, 3500 cubic metres of fill had been removed, channels connected, and fish habitat structures installed. Great job!

You can read more about the Englishman River Estuary Restoration Project here, or follow VICLMP on twitter for more updates on this project.

Thu, 10 Aug 2017

Salmon Arm Watering Bee Saturday August 12th

SABNES is looking for help watering the 3000+ native plants planted this spring on newly created hummocks in Salmon Arm Bay. Hundreds of local students and volunteers helped create the beginnings of a diverse habitat for wildlife this spring, but the plants need a little more TLC to make it through the hot summer. Details of this Saturday’s even are below – as this event is being put on by SABNES, please contact Kim Fulton on 250-309-6535 with any questions.

When: Saturday August 12 anytime between 8am – 12pm

Where: Hummocks at Raven Gate of Foreshore Trail (1060 47th Ave NE Salmon Arm)

Please bring: your favourite weeding tool, a water bucket, a smaller 1 or 2L container for watering, gloves, drinking water, and a snack.

You should wear: a hat, long pants, sturdy closed toe footwear, sunscreen, and sunglasses.

Fri, 28 Jul 2017

Wanted: Reports of Barn Swallow Nests and Bat Roosts on the South Coast

 

Above: Barn swallow and chicks in nest. Photo: TexasEagle

The Sunshine Coast Wildlife Project is asking for the community’s help in monitoring populations of two threatened wildlife groups: swallows and bats. Both groups often live in proximity to humans.

The Barn Swallow was once one of world’s most widespread and common birds, but has experience devastating population declines, declining by more than 90% across North America in the past 40 years. Barn Swallows nest on houses, barns, garages, sheds, and bridges, upon which they build cup-shaped nests of mud mixed with grasses. Many bats have adapted to live in human structures, and maternity colonies may be found in the summer under roofs or siding, or in attics, barns, or other buildings.

Half on BC’s bats are species at risk, and the recent arrival of White Nose Syndrome on the west coast has dramatically increased the threat.

Community members can help these threatened animals by reporting swallow nests and bat roost on their property so they can be included in province-wide monitoring efforts. Wildlife Project biologists can provide guidance about how to coexist with the animals, or options for exclusion if desired. Please email coastwildlife@gmail.com or call 604-989-1007 to report a swallow nest or bat roost. The Wildlife Project also has bat houses and swallow nest structures available for those wishing to enhance habitat on their property.

HCTF is a proud supporter of the Sunshine Coast Community Wildlife Habitat Stewards project