Wed, 15 Mar 2017

Preliminary Approved Project List

A preliminary list of 2017-18 Enhancement & Restoration projects approved by the HCTF Board of Directors is now available.

The projects listed are approved in principle, but may have reduced budgets or funding conditions. Official notifications will be emailed to proponents over the next few weeks, and will include approved budget, Board and technical comments and funding conditions (if applicable).

Successful proponents will be mailed a Conditional Grant Agreement to be signed and returned to HCTF. A sample Conditional Grant Agreement is available here.

Please be aware that until both you and HCTF have reviewed, accepted and signed the Conditional Grant Agreement, there is no confirmation of funding and no legal commitment in place.

Congratulations to all successful proponents! To those who were not funded this time, thank you for your application. The next opportunity to apply for HCTF Enhancement and Restoration grants will be fall of 2017.

Sat, 11 Mar 2017

BC Bat Update

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The BC Community Bat Program, in collaboration with the Province of BC, is on the lookout for signs of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS). Fortunately for the bats of BC, it has been a quiet winter. WNS is a fungal disease harmless to humans but responsible for the deaths of millions of insect-eating bats in eastern North America. WNS was first detected in Washington State in March 2016. To monitor the spread of this disease, Community Bat Program coordinators have been collecting reports of unusual winter bat activity across southern BC and ensuring that dead bats are sent to the Canadian Wildlife Health Centre lab for disease testing. To-date, no WNS has been reported in the province.

But spring conditions mean increased bat activity – and an increased chance of detecting the disease. As bats begin to leave hibernacula and return to their summering grounds, our chances of seeing live or dead bats increases, and the Community Bat Program is continuing to ask for assistance.

“We are asking the public to report dead bats or any sightings of daytime bat activity to the Community Bat Project (CBP) as soon as possible (1-855-922-2287 ext 24 or info@bcbats.ca)” says Mandy Kellner, coordinator of the BC Community Bat Program. Reports of unusual bat activity will help focus research, monitoring and protection efforts.

Never touch a bat with your bare hands as bats can carry rabies, a deadly disease. Please note that if you or your pet has been in direct contact with a bat, immediately contact your physician and/or local public health authority or consult with your private veterinarian.

Currently there are no treatments for White Nose Syndrome. However, mitigating other threats to bat populations and preserving and restoring bat habitat may provide bat populations with the resilience to rebound. This is where the BC Community Bat Program and the general public can help. Funded by the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, the Province of BC, and the Habitat Stewardship Program, the BC Community Bat Program works with the government and others on public outreach activities, public reports of roosting bats in buildings, and our citizen-science bat monitoring program.

To contact the BC Community Bat Program, see www.bcbats.ca, email info@bcbats.ca or call 1-855-922-2287 ext. 24.

Our thanks to the BC Community Bat Program for this update.

HCTF is providing funding for the BC Community Bat Program through grants to project 0-476, Got Bats? B.C. Community Outreach, Conservation and Citizen Science Project

Fri, 10 Mar 2017

Preliminary Approved Project List Coming Soon

The HCTF Board of Directors has made their project funding decisions for 2017-18. We will be posting a preliminary list of approved projects on our website early next week.  

Sun, 26 Feb 2017

Visit HCTF at the BC Boat and Sportsmen’s Show

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UPDATE: Congratulations to Jamie V. of Abbotsford who won our draw for a gift card at the Sportsmen’s Tradeshow last weekend. Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth to say hi – it was great to meet so many people enthusiastic about conservation in BC!

 

The BC Boat and Sportsmen’s Show is happening March 3, 4, 5 at Tradex in Abbotsford. HCTF will be at booth #514 to talk about some of the amazing conservation projects and programs that are funded through surcharges on fishing and hunting licences. Hope to see you at the show!

 

Mon, 6 Feb 2017

WANTED: Reports of BC Bats in Winter, Dead or Alive

Little Brown Bat displaying White Nose Syndrome in Vermont. Photo by Marvin Moriarty, US Fish & Wildlife Service.

White Nose Syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease responsible for the death of millions of bats in eastern North America, has moved to the west coast and was confirmed in Washington State in 2016. This is very worrisome for the health of bat populations in British Columbia, with near 100% mortality for some species of bats exposed to the fungus. Although devastating for bats, WNS does not affect humans.

The BC Community Bat Program in collaboration with the BC government is requesting the public’s help in monitoring the spread of this disease. “We knew this deadly fungus was moving westward across North America” says Mandy Kellner, Coordinator of the BC Community Bat Program, “but we thought we had many years to prepare”. Instead, the disease was confirmed near Seattle last March, and the group is gearing up to look for it in BC this winter.

The typical first sign of this disease is bats flying during the winter, an unusual sighting at a time of year when bats are hibernating. Another sign of the presence of WNS is the appearance of dead bats as they succumb to the effects of WNS. “We are encouraging the public to report dead bats or any sightings of winter bat activity to the Community Bat Project (CBP) toll-free phone number, website, or email below. Bat carcasses will be submitted for testing for White Nose Syndrome and would provide the earliest indication of the presence of the disease in BC” says Kellner. Reports of winter bat activity will help focus research, monitoring and protection efforts.

If you find a dead bat, report it to the CBP (1-855-922-2287 ext 24 or info@bcbats.ca) as soon as possible for further information. Never touch a dead bat with your bare hands. Please note that if you or your pet has been in direct contact with the bat you will need further information regarding the risk of rabies to you and your pet.

Currently there are no treatments for White Nose Syndrome. However, mitigating other threats to bat populations and preserving and restoring bat habitat may provide bat populations with the resilience to rebound. This is where the BC Community Bat Program and the general public can help.

Funded by the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, the Province of BC, and the Habitat Stewardship Program, the BC Community Bat Program works with the government and others on public outreach activities, public reports of roosting bats in buildings, and our citizen-science bat monitoring program.

To contact the BC Community Bat Program, see www.bcbats.ca, email info@bcbats.ca or call 1-855-922-2287 ext. 24.

 

HCTF is providing funding for the BC Community Bat Program through grants to project 0-476, Got Bats? B.C. Community Outreach, Conservation and Citizen Science Project

Thu, 2 Feb 2017

Two Weeks Until GO Grant Deadline

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Attention teachers – the application deadline for GO Grants is February 15th. Apply now for a grant to help get your class outside this spring, learning about nature in nature! Educators can apply for up to $600/class or $3500/school to pay for bus transportation, project materials, and leader/program fees for outdoor environmental learning experiences – full grant criteria and links to application forms are available here. For more information, contact HCTF Education at 250-940-9786 or email gogrants@hctf.ca