Tue, 14 Mar 2023
Tags: Caribou

Climate Change & Caribou Workshop

 

On February 15 and 16, 2023 Sophia Cuthbert, Wildlife Program Manager and Jack Olson, Indigenous Inclusion Coordinator, attended the Climate Change and Caribou Workshop in Prince George, BC.

The workshop was well attended by nearly 80 participants where we discussed how climate change impacts could be incorporated into caribou recovery planning in BC. We heard from experts in climate science and research as well as from Nations, biologists, and consultants undertaking caribou recovery efforts currently. Break-out sessions proved to uncover engaging conversation and debate around caribou recovery efforts in the face of climate change with much concern emerging around continued timber harvest in caribou habitat and the inevitable changes to bio geoclimatic zones in southern mountain and boreal caribou habitat. One thing became clear as the workshop progressed: climate change is a complex and ever-changing phenomenon with a large degree of uncertainty around how it will impact the landscape of BC, or rather, how we as part of those ecosystems will respond to it.

Within weeks of starting Jack’s new position as Indigenous Inclusion Coordinator he was off to attend this workshop and found an engaging and productive two days. Jack found the workshop provided a valuable learning experience along with the opportunity to meet several colleagues working in the environmental field.

HCTF staff have exchanged thoughts and ideas following the workshop including how to integrate climate change into the management of intact caribou habitat as well as resistance and resiliency of the caribou habitat restoration projects we support. We look forward to continued conversations around climate change and look to the work and innovation of our proponents and the restoration community of practice. Please share your thoughts or ideas with us at chrf@hctf.ca.

 

Fri, 30 Sep 2022

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

In recognition of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation office will be closed to reflect the national observance on the history and legacy of residential schools. HCTF reaffirms our commitment to collaborating with Indigenous peoples to create better habitat conservation outcomes and contribute towards a pathway of reconciliation.

HCTF’s recent release of the 2022 Strategic Plan outlines our pledge to engage meaningfully and build respectful relationships with Indigenous people. And over the course of the last year, our organization has taken action towards improving how we reach out to and engage with First Nations governments and Indigenous people in British Columbia. To learn more about the work we are doing to improve HCTF please visit our Indigenous Engagement webpage at the link below.

Indigenous Engagement webpage

Wed, 13 Jul 2022

Conservation Lands Photo Contest

HCTF’s 2022 Conservation Lands Photo Contest is NOW OPEN!

The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation’s Photo Contest is back! This time we are encouraging photographers and BC residents to get out to Conservation Lands across the Province, to enjoy the natural beauty the province has to offer and to send us the images you capture while you are out in nature. If you have a fantastic image of Wildlife, Fish, Landscapes, or People Connecting with Nature snapped from one of BC’s many Conservation Land sites you could win up to $1,000 in Visa Gift Cards.

Photographs must have been taken within the boundaries of HCTF and the Government of British Columbia recognized Conservation Lands area in the province of British Columbia. While we encourage photographers and all nature-minded individuals to explore BC’s Conservation Lands we recommend that you research the Conservation Land you intend to visit beforehand and obey all safety requirements and public access best practices. Conservation Lands are protected and managed for the purposes of conserving important habitat and ecosystem functions and it is important that visitors do their part to maintain these sites for generations to come.

Entries must be submitted via email to communications@hctf.ca by 4:30 PST on October 14th, 2022 and must be submitted in .jpg file format.

Enter A Photo

Prizes include:

Karen Wipond Award (1st Prize): $1,000.00 CAD Visa Gift Card

2nd Prize: $500.00 CAD Visa Gift Card

3rd Prize: $250.00 CAD Visa Gift Card

An individual may enter up to five photos in each category. Photos must have been taken at a recognized Conservation Lands area within the province of British Columbia to be eligible.

 

In Memory of Karen Wipond

Newly dedicated this year, the 1st prize award in the HCTF Photo contest has been renamed in memory of Karen Wipond.

Karen was a lifelong champion for conservation and, for many years, the lead for the Province of British Columbia’s Conservation Lands Program. While working tirelessly to protect these special places, Karen was also an avid and gifted photographer, taking many stunning photos of the landscapes she so loved. Passionate, articulate, stylish, and hilarious, Karen passed away from cancer in 2020. She is missed but not forgotten by her family, friends, peers and colleagues.

To view some of Karen’s landscape photography see here.

Tue, 28 Jun 2022

HCTF Visits the Tweedsmuir Caribou Ranges

Pic 3_Selfie from Chelaslie Rd
Members of the Project Team and HCTF Staff member.

In June 2022, HCTF’s Wildlife Program Coordinator Sophia Cuthbert travelled to the habitat of the Tweedsmuir caribou herd ranges in northern BC, approximately 60 km south of Burns Lake, 230 km west of Prince George. The Tweedsmuir caribou herds are within the traditional territory of the Cheslatta Carrier Nation, where their peoples lived for centuries along the shores of Cheslatta and Murray Lakes. Sophia met up with a project team comprised of Cheslatta Carrier Nation members and biologists from the Province of BC to see first-hand the cumulative impacts of logging, disease, and fire on the forest ecosystem, as well as several efforts undertaken to restore some of these areas.

Fire Guard Undergoing Functional Restoration Treatment

Through the Caribou Habitat Restoration Fund (CHRF), HCTF funds the restoration of linear disturbances, such as logging roads, access roads and fire guards, to minimize access routes that can be used by humans, and predators of caribou like wolves, into caribou habitat. This is achieved by functional restoration of the linear corridors; in this case, trees are felled, and coarse woody debris is distributed over the area, and large berms and ditches are constructed to limit vehicle and snowmobile access, as well as limit the line-of-sight for predators. During functional restoration projects, the road surfaces are also ripped, or loosened, and mounding and contouring is done to assist in vegetation reestablishment. Next, the linear disturbances are replanted with local plant species to help initiate natural vegetation growth which will eventually slow predator access and blend the feature into the surrounding landscape.

Example of Berms and Mounding for Functional Restoration of Linear Disturbance

The June site visit follows a 1-day workshop hosted by HCTF for the caribou habitat restoration community supported by the Caribou Habitat Restoration Fund (CHRF), in which restoration biologists and practitioners came together to share learnings and techniques on the relatively new practice of linear disturbance restoration. It became clear from the workshop that strategies that work well for one area of BC may not work in another location. The variation of habitat type presents its own unique challenges, and techniques and best practices are constantly evolving. Speaking on site with project manager and biologist Anne-Marie Roberts, Ministry of Land, Water, and Resource Stewardship, she explained that project managers need to be able to pivot and adapt to a changing landscape. They face challenges accessing certain areas, dealing with the elements, and logistics of site selection and long-term monitoring. Anne-Marie recognized the importance of working alongside Cheslatta Carrier Nation as a pivotal in advancing this work. Working together has also been extremely important for the ongoing success of the project, and for Cheslatta Carrier Nation in managing their lands and improving habitat for the species that live there.

The CHRF program continues to fund caribou habitat restoration projects across the province, with the next intake of proposals opening in September, 2022. The deadline for 2023-24 funding proposals is November 4th, 2022. Please refer to our CHRF webpage for more details.

Funding for this work is made possible by contributions from the Province of BC and Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Tue, 10 May 2022

BC Annual Bat Count Seeks Bat Roosts and Volunteers

Four species of bats that are commonly found in buildings in BC (photo by Sunshine Coast Wildlife Project)

Bat Count helps monitor endangered wildlife

Spring is here, with rain, flowers, insects, and – bats! Our BC bats are now returning to summer roost sites. One of our more familiar species in buildings and bat boxes is the Little Brown Myotis. Like all BC bats, the Little Brown Myotis is an essential part of our ecology, consuming many insect pests each night. Unfortunately, the Little Brown Myotis is now endangered in Canada. In fact, bats in BC suffer from many threats, and almost half of our 15 species are ‘at-risk’.

A simple way to support bats is to participate in the BC Annual Bat Count this June. The BC Community Bat Program is requesting colony reports and volunteer assistance for this citizen-science initiative that encourages residents to count bats at local roost sites.

Volunteers counting bats ( photo by Sunshine Coast Wildlife Project)

The BC Annual Bat Count is easy, fun, and safe, not to mention vital for monitoring bat populations. “The counts are a wonderful way for people to get outside, learn about bats, and be involved in collecting important scientific information,” says biologist Mandy Kellner, coordinator of the BC Community Bat Program. Volunteers wait outside a known roost site, such as a bat-box, barn, or attic, and count bats as they fly out at twilight. A guano sample can also be sent in to identify the species of bat at the roost site. Find more information at https://bcbats.ca/get-involved/counting-bats/.

The count data helps biologists understand bat distribution and monitor for impacts of the devastating bat disease called white-nose syndrome. White-nose syndrome is an introduced fungal disease, fatal for bats but not for other animals or humans. Not yet identified in BC, the disease continues to spread in Washington State, less than 100 km from our border. Results from the Bat Count may help prioritize areas in BC for research into treatment options and recovery actions.

Map of bat count sites across BC. (photo by BC Community Bat Project)

Funded by the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, the Forest Enhancement Society of BC, the Habitat Stewardship Program, and many local funders, and with the support of the BC Conservation Foundation and the Province of BC, the BC Community Bat Program provides information for people dealing with bat issues on their property or who have questions about how to attract bats. To find out more about bat counts or white-nose syndrome, to report a dead bat, or to get advice on managing bats in buildings, visit www.bcbats.ca or call 1-855-9BC-BATS.

Wed, 16 Mar 2022

2022-23 Preliminary List of Approved Projects

Project #1-728: Cutthroat Trout Study on Cowichan Lake

A preliminary list of HCTF approved projects for 2022-23 is now available.

2022-23 Preliminary Approved Project List

Projects included on this preliminary list have been approved in principle but may have reduced budgets or funding conditions. Over the next few weeks, all applicants will receive official notification emails including HCTF Board and technical committee comments. For approved projects, these emails will include the grant amount and funding conditions (if applicable). Please note that HCTF staff cannot provide further information to you before the Notifications are issued.

Proponents of approved projects will receive a Conditional Grant Agreement. 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 applicants who were not funded this time, thank you for your interest. The next opportunity to apply for an HCTF Enhancement and Restoration, Stewardship or Caribou Habitat Restoration Grant will be Fall of 2022 (Deadline: Friday, November 4, 2022).

How are Grant Applications Reviewed?

Each proposal goes through a multi-level, objective technical review process prior to final Board decisions. Proposals are assessed by a primary reviewer and evaluated by a technical committee prior to being sent to the HCTF Board for final funding decisions. For more information on what these reviewers look for when evaluating a proposal, see our Grant Review page.