Wed, 15 Dec 2021
Tags: Habitat Acquisition

Pickles Waterfall Wetland Purchased for Conservation

Pickles Waterfall Wetland - photo provided by the Denman Conservancy Association

Denman Conservancy Association (DCA) is delighted to announce that it has purchased two adjacent lots of maturing Coastal Douglas-fir forest ecosystems and valuable wetlands on Denman Island. The properties, traditionally occupied by various Coast Salish peoples, and unceded, were most recently held by Raven Forest Products Ltd. of Campbell River BC. Together they total 32.02 hectares (~80 acres).

The “Pickles Waterfall Wetland” properties are contiguous with Denman Island Provincial Park land and are across Pickles Road from the Inner Island Nature Reserve, held by Islands Trust Conservancy. The land also has a common boundary with DCA’s Settlement Lands. This new conservation area is home to the SARA listed Red-legged frog (Rana aurora) and contains habitat for many other species at risk recorded in adjacent conservation areas.

Securing this Conservation land rounds out a series of conservation campaigns and land acquisitions that spans the entire 30-year life of Denman Conservancy Association. Contiguous conservation lands now extend from DCA’s Central Park northward to Chickadee Lake and the main bulk of Denman Island Provincial Park.

“This is splendid news,” said Des Kennedy, a founding director of DCA who has been active in conservation initiatives since the 1970s. “The current DCA Board of Directors is to be applauded for stellar work in significantly expanding the Pickles preserved area through this most recent acquisition,” Kennedy said.

This project was made possible by the Government of Canada through the Natural Heritage Conservation Program, part of Canada’s Nature Fund, and the Provincial Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation’s Acquisition Grant, as well as DCA’s Acquisition Fund, a grant from Islands Trust Conservancy’s Opportunity Fund, in-kind support from Nature Conservancy of Canada and funds generously provided by DCA members and supporters including Denman Island Chocolate and the Denman Climate Action Network. The purchase was completed on September 29th 2021.

“By working with partners like the Denman Conservancy Association, we are protecting nature in British Columbia and across the country. Protecting and conserving more nature across the country is an important part of our plan to address the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. Through programs like the Natural Heritage Conservation Program, we are making progress towards our goal of conserving a quarter of Canada’s lands and a quarter of its oceans by 2025, working towards 30% by 2030.” – The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Denman Conservancy Association is a community-based volunteer organization and a registered charity formed to preserve, protect and enhance the quality of the human and natural environment of Denman Island. It is supported by about 240 members, most of whom are residents of the Island.

80 Acres of Precious Biodiverse Ecosystems Protected!

The newly protected Pickles Waterfall Wetland area features coastal Douglas-fir forest stands averaging from 30 to 50 years with select remnant old-growth Douglas-fir trees, and the majority of a 3.94 hectare wetland and its outflow which drains to Pickles Marsh and the Beadnell Creek salmon-bearing watershed. The property includes the crest of an east facing slope which makes up the northeastern boundary. Along the entirety of this slope down toward Pickles Marsh, adjacent to the newly purchased land is approximately 4 hectares of old growth Coastal Douglas-fir forest with significant stands of Western redcedar including a stand of culturally modified trees just 3m outside the northeast boundary of the land, in Denman Island Provincial Park. Denman Conservancy has been interested in the securement of these lands since at least 2004, but the funding has not been available to acquire them until now.

 

Further information:

DCA Land Manager Erika Bland

250-702-7773 email: dcalandmanager@gmail.com

DD Fuchs, DCA Director

250-335-1413 email: tdfuchs@telus.net

www.denman-conservancy.org

Thu, 21 Oct 2021
Tags: invasive mussels

Invasive Mussels: Keeping an Eye on Christina Lake

Tanner Remo of the Christina Lake Stewardship Society (CLSS) sampling for invasive mussels

There’s an invader moving west! Invasive zebra and quagga mussels, native to Eastern Europe, have been moving westward across North America since the late 1980s. While not yet detected in B.C., these invasive species pose a serious threat to B.C.’s aquatic ecosystems by disrupting food chains, impacting fish populations, and having serious economic impacts on infrastructure such as hydro and water treatment facilities as well as the freshwater recreational sectors. In 2015, the province established the Invasive Mussel Defence Program to prevent the introduction of zebra and quagga mussels into B.C. The program’s prevention efforts are focused on inspecting boats, monitoring lakes, educating the public, and coordinating actions with neighbouring jurisdictions.

Comparison of Invasive & Native mussel species

Since 2018, the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF) has partnered with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (ENV) to support invasive mussel monitoring in B.C.’s waterbodies. In 2021, over $148,000 in funding from ENV was provided to 12 organizations to support lake monitoring efforts across the province. The efforts of these conservation partners are focused on early detection monitoring through the collection of water samples, and educating the public about preventative practices.

For many monitoring teams, this year presented the additional challenge of dealing with extreme heat and fire conditions. Conservation practitioners, such as Suzanne Adrain-Vincent of the Christina Lake Stewardship Society (CLSS) and her team have faced an unprecedented fire season this year. Despite the “notable increase in recreational users at the lake over the past two summers, some heavy wildfire smoke, and scheduling one sampling event around water bombers, the summer program has been great” said Suzanne.

Monitoring activities have also proven to be an opportune chance for public outreach. “CLSS uses our sampling activities as an opportunity to teach people on the threat of invasive mussels (because everyone asks what we are fishing for when they see the equipment)” said Suzanne. Additionally, information kiosks at boat launches are helping to expand understanding and best practices beyond boaters. “We have noted that most boat operators are familiar with the Clean, Drain, Dry practices, but many of the non-motorized water users – floaties, kayaks, paddleboards – still do not understand that their watercraft and equipment can transport invasive mussels.”

Once the sampling season is concluded, HCTF anticipates that monitoring data will have been collected at 60+ waterbodies throughout B.C. with nearly 800 samples analyzed by a designated lab. To date, all samples have tested negative for zebra and quagga mussels.

Secchi Disc sampling to measure water clarity with CLSS

How you can help:

Report any suspected invasive species via the provincial “Report Invasives BC” smartphone application (available for download from gov.bc.ca/invasive-species) and any suspected invasive zebra or quagga mussels to the Report All Poachers and Polluters hotline 1-877-952-7277.

Clean, Drain, Dry when moving gear and watercraft from one waterbody to another. Remove all plants and mud before moving to a new water body. Properly drain all compartments, pull the drain plug and allow to dry before moving to another waterbody.

HCTF’s Invasive Mussel Monitoring Grant Program will continue in 2022. If you are interested in participating, HCTF will be accepting grant applications for the Invasive Mussel Monitoring Grant Program from early December 2021 until February 1st, 2022.

HCTF Contact:

Barb von Sacken

Project Coordinator

Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation

bvonsacken@hctf.ca

 

 

Wed, 15 Sep 2021

Now Accepting Conservation Grant Proposals for 2022-2023

Project #3-419 - Fraser River Bighorns Capture Disease Assessment and Herd Recovery

Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation is now accepting applications for Enhancement/Restoration & Stewardship (ERS) grants, and Caribou Habitat Restoration Fund (CHRF) grants. Applications must be submitted through HCTF’s online application system by 4:30pm on November 5th, 2021 (PST).

Please visit our FAQ page to find useful tips and guidance for the online Survey Apply system.

Before beginning your application on the Survey Apply system, we strongly recommend that you complete your application on the Word worksheets posted on our website (updated worksheets for the 2022-23 grant year are now posted). Once completed you can copy-and-paste your answers into the online form. The worksheets also provide a useful overview of the questions and information requirements. Please note that HCTF cannot accept applications submitted by email.

Each year, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation provides approximately $6 million dollars in Enhancement and Restoration grants to help fund projects that support the conservation of British Columbia’s native freshwater fish, wildlife, and their habitats. Since the inception of our work in 1981, the Foundation and its predecessors have invested over $195 million in more than 3230 projects across BC.

HCTF continues to partner with the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) to meet shared conservation objectives through co-investments in conservation projects administered through HCTF.

For questions related to Enhancement/Restoration and Stewardship grants, please contact Lisa Wielinga at Lisa.Wielinga@hctf.ca or 250-940-9781.

For questions related to CHRF, please contact Karen Berry at Karen.Berry@hctf.ca or 250-940-9785

Wed, 15 Sep 2021
Tags: chinook / moose / salmon / scholarship

2021 Al Martin HCTF Conservation Fellowship Recipients Announced

The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation and HCTF Education are excited to announce the first-ever recipients of the Al Martin HCTF Conservation Fellowship (AMCF): Kaitlyn Zinn & Carl Jefferies.

The AMCF awards $10,000 annually to two graduate students who are wishing to pursue a career in fish or wildlife management and conservation in British Columbia.

The award is named in honor of Al Martin, a lifelong conservation giant who passed away suddenly in 2019. Al had an influential career with the BC provincial government that spanned three decades in fish and wildlife management and habitat conservation. After his retirement in 2010, Al continued to be a leader in the conservation community as a Board Director with HCTF and Director of Strategic Initiatives with the BC Wildlife Federation.

More About Al

2021 Recipients:

Kaitlyn Zinn

Kaitlyn is a PhD student at UBC’s Faculty of Forestry under the supervision of Dr. Scott Hinch in the Pacific Salmon Ecology and Conservation Laboratory. AMCF funds will be used to support her research for her thesis “Effects of Recreational Catch and Release on Chinook: From Marine Environments to Spawning Grounds”. Kaitlyn’s long term goal is to be involved in salmonid conservation, contributing to the conservation of wild salmon stocks in British Columbia.

More About Kaitlyn

 

Carl Jefferies

Carl is a MSc student in the Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (NRES) program at UNBC under the supervision of Dr. Heather Bryan. AMCF funds will be used to support his proposed thesis “Towards a better understanding of moose declines in BC: Effects of climate and anthropogenic landscape change on moose body condition and physiology”. Carl’s long term goal is to contribute to the management of conservation of wildlife populations throughout BC by balancing ecological conservation with the values and priorities of stakeholders, particularly First Nations and citizen groups.

More About Carl

If you or someone you know may be interested in applying for the Al Martin HCTF Conservation Scholarship, check out the following links:

Applicant Info Apply Online

 

 

Wed, 11 Aug 2021

11 Community Conservation Projects Receive PCAF Funding

The Aleza Lake Research Forest Society working on a headwater-stream monitoring program that harnessed local volunteer efforts and citizen science.

HCTF’s Public Conservation Assistance Fund (PCAF) will be providing grants to 11 different organizations working to complete volunteer-based conservation projects in BC. The Foundation approved over $115,000 in PCAF grants this year for projects ranging from wetland restoration to enhancing fisher nesting habitat. A full list of this year’s grant recipients is below.

You can find out more about HCTF’s PCAF program here.

Western Painted Turtle Research, Protection, Enhancement Project

GRANT RECIPIENT: Greater Twin Lakes Area Stewardship Society

The Turtle Project Subcommittee of GTLASS is embarking on a 3 year project to protect and enhance the sustainability of the Western Painted Turtle (Inter-mountain population) which is designated as a Species of Concern. The main threat is urbanization in the Twin Lakes area, exacerbated by climate change and increased forestry activity.The goals of this project are to monitor the activities of the turtle population to collect accurate data on numbers of road crossings, mortality rates, and nesting sites; to put in place mitigation measures such as traffic calming measures, fencing, and enhancing or creating new, safer nesting areas.

S,DÁYES Flycatcher Forest Restoration Project

GRANT RECIPIENT: Raincoast Conservation Foundation

In September 2020, Raincoast Conservation Foundation (“Raincoast”) and the Pender Islands Conservancy Association (“the Conservancy”) joined forces to launch a fundraising campaign towards the purchase and protection of a 13 acre property on North Pender Island. The name for the forest (S,DÁYES Flycatcher Forest,) was chosen to honor the cultural history of North Pender Island and to highlight the vital habitat being protected for the many species found here, namely olive-sided flycatchers. This land acquisition is the first in a larger effort to maintain contiguous forests and habitats across Pender Islands and funds will support the work of developing a management and restoration plan, prioritizing ecological integrity and resilience.

Cedars for the Next Century, Phase 2

GRANT RECIPIENT: Galiano Conservancy Association

The 28-hectare Chrystal Creek watershed forms the heart of the Galiano Conservancy Association’s (GCA) 76 hectare Millard Learning Centre (MLC), which lies within the critically imperiled Coastal Douglas-fir (CDF) biogeoclimatic zone. The overarching goal of this project is to restore and enhance natural infrastructure across the watershed, improving the landscape’s ability to absorb freshwater and sequester carbon through native reforestation and wetland creation. Central to this goal is the establishment of diverse native vegetation within a successional framework that will result in the restoration of climate-resilient western red cedar forest in the long term.

Snk’mip Marsh Sanctuary Wetland and Riparian Restoration Project

GRANT RECIPIENT: Valhalla Foundation for Ecology

This project will support volunteer activities linked to our restoration work at the Snk’mip Marsh Sanctuary. Volunteers and community ambassadors are crucial to building support for conservation, and play a hands-on role in restoring and expanding amphibian, reptile, bird and other wildlife habitat. Project activities will support volunteer coordination, biological oversight, volunteers participating in weed-pulls, planting bees, and the installation and monitoring of bird nesting boxes.

Pacific Gardens Reclamation Project

GRANT RECIPIENT: Nanaimo & Area Land Trust

This project focuses on the preservation and restoration of Pacific Chorus Frog habitat near the Chase River. This project will be carried out in partnership with the Nanaimo & Area Land Trust (NALT) and volunteers from both NALT and the residents of Pacific Gardens Co-housing.

Fish Habitat & Riparian Restoration Stewardship Workshops

GRANT RECIPIENT: BC Wildlife Federation

The BC Wildlife Federation’s Fish Habitat Restoration and Education Program is partnering with two community stewardship groups to host educational workshops that will increase community knowledge of freshwater fish habitat, riparian restoration, and best practices for future conservation initiatives. This project will substantially improve and expand wetland and riparian habitat and create a place for people to interact with nature and learn more about wetlands and their restoration.

Lloyd Wetland Stewardship

GRANT RECIPIENT: Wildcoast Ecological Society

This project involes the restoration of a wetland in North Vancouver that provides important ecosystem services for a variety of species in the marsh as well as an adjacent creek. This uniquely urban wetland provides vital habitat for a variety of birds, cutthroat trout and other salmonids.

Tracking Bird Movement using Motus – TLBO (2021 Pilot: Saw-whet Owls)

GRANT RECIPIENT: Tatlayoko Field Station Society

During the late autumn of 2021 the Tatlayoko Lake Bird Observatory (TLBO) will deploy Motus radio tracking tags on Northern Saw-whet Owls that are caught as part of the TLBO’s annual owl banding program. Note this project is part of a collaboration with shared methodology and goals, the content of this application is largely consistent with the Rocky point Bird Observatory PCAF project.

Vancouver Bats Project

GRANT RECIPIENT: Wildcoast Ecological Society

Federally endangered and provincially red-listed, the Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifugus) faces many threats including habitat loss and degradation, predators, and human disturbance. While focusing on this charismatic species, we will also conduct surveys for bat species with known overlapping range in the Vancouver area, including the provincially red-listed Keen’s Myotis (Myotis keenii) and the provincially blue-listed Townsend’s Big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus Townsendii).

Grand Forks Grasslands Livestock Exclusion

GRANT RECIPIENT: Southern Interior Land Trust

In 2020, SILT purchased 144 hectares of grassland habitat just east of the City of Grand Forks, BC. SILT’s goals for its Grand Forks Grasslands property are: a) to protect and maintain habitat for bighorn sheep, deer, and several species at risk, b) to reduce and restore habitat damage caused by motor vehicle trespass and cattle grazing, and c) to increase public awareness and care of the property.

Tracking Bird Movement Using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System (2021 Pilot: Northern Saw-whet Owls)

GRANT RECIPIENT: Rocky Point Bird Observatory

During autumn 2021, Rocky Point Bird Observatory (RPBO) will deploy Motus radio tracking tags on Northern Saw-whet Owls as part of RPBO’s annual owl banding program. Note this project is part of a collaboration with shared methodology and goals, the content of this application is largely consistent with the Tatlayoko Lake Bird Observatory PCAF project.

Mount Trematon Riparian Biodiversity Restoration Project

GRANT RECIPIENT: Lasqueti Island Nature Conservancy

The Mt Trematon Riparian Biodiversity Restoration Project will allow for natural and assisted regeneration of plant and animal communities along Trematon Creek, Lasqueti Island. The Mt Trematon Nature Reserve is 140 acres (56.7ha) of red-listed Coastal Douglas Fir Forest (CDF) owned by Islands Trust Conservancy (ITC) and includes 7 different CDF ecosystems. With PCAF support, our goal is to protect and restore the riparian zone on Mt Trematon Nature Reserve by increasing biodiversity, habitat, and resilience in this threatened forest ecosystem.

NatureKids BC: Communities in Conservation

GRANT RECIPIENT: Young Naturalists’ Club of BC Society (NatureKids BC)

NatureKids BC (formerly the Young Naturalists’ Club of BC Society) is a registered grassroots charity that helps children get outdoors to explore, play, learn about and take action for nature through an award-winning network of volunteer-led family nature clubs that extends across British Columbia. Our Community Nature Clubs host youth members, ages 5-12, and their families, to learn about and step up for nature. As members of a local volunteer-led nature club, they participate in Explorer Day field trips, stewardship projects, and citizen science activities with the assistance of volunteer nature mentors (local biologists, environmental and educational specialists, natural history experts, and outdoor enthusiasts) who share their passion and expertise about wildlife species and their habitat.

Blue Heron Habitat Enhancement and Sensitive Areas Signage

GRANT RECIPIENT: Hatzic Watershed Restoration Society

This project will enhance roosting habitat for Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) by installing perches and sensitive area signage to deter disturbance of nesting and feeding waterfowl by motorized vessels at Hatzic Lake near Mission, BC. Restoration of disturbed riparian areas where signage is to be installed through invasive Flowering Rush (Botumus umbellatus) removal and planting of native shrubs. Visible roosting structures and educational signage will bring awareness to the issue of motorized boats speeding through habitat home to species at risk. This will benefit multiple species of birds as Hatzic Lake is home to a diverse bird population, well known among birdwatchers and bird surveyors.

Kitimat Rod & Gun Association Fisher Nesting Enhancement Project

GRANT RECIPIENT: Kitimat Rod & Gun Association

This project will construct, install, and monitor fisher nesting boxes to provide nesting and rearing sites that have been degraded due to the loss of old-growth habitat. For fisher nesting habitat to start to occur naturally requires trees in the 100 year age class, and has been a key factor in fisher population declines and limiting population growth. Studies have been positive confirming that the installation of nesting boxes are successfully used by female fishers to give birth and rear young.

Tue, 27 Jul 2021

Restricted Funding Available!

Occasionally, HCTF receives funding that is restricted to a specific location, species, or activity. The majority of our restricted funding is the result of court awards made to HCTF through creative sentencing intended to repair or compensate for environmental and ecosystem related crimes. The restricted funding can be the basis for a full project or form a small component of a larger project.

HCTF provides a list funds available, their value, and the associated conditions on our website in an effort to encourage proposals that will utilize the funding for the upcoming year’s grant intake. The current list of available restricted funding has been posted below.

2022-23 Available Court Award Funding

Region Amount HCTF Reference # Restriction
6 $ 95,000.00 30502 Fish, wildlife, and habitat initiatives in the Skeena Region, with a preference for restoration work along the Skeena River between Terrace and Prince Rupert
1 $ 8,000.00 16111-1 Sum of $8,000 to be used in its entirety for the Fiddlehead Farm area and that of Powell River, British Columbia for conservation purposes.
3 $ 6,860.00 43225 To be used for elk enhancement in the Kamloops region.
2 $ 2,505.00 2738-1 For a study on the effects of non-lethal bear management

If you are interested in submitting a proposal for any of the restricted funding, please review the Enhancement and Restoration Grants page. Note that all restricted funding applications should be submitted through our regular enhancement grant process, by November 5, 2021.

Do you have a project idea for helping to secure elk populations near Kamloops, or conserving wildlife, fish or habitat along the Skeena River? We’d love to hear from you!