A panoramic view of the Okanagan Valley with West Kelowna in the foreground and mountains in the background

In this issue:

A Wet Outlook on the Land?
A Look Out on the Wetlands...

Reflecting On Our Cooperation
OCCP Action Team News
Partner & Conservation News
Workshops and Conferences
Events
Supporting Our Species - SOS
Funding Opportunities
Resources

Reflecting On Our Cooperation

OCCP logoAs we celebrate World Wetlands Day, and look forward with some longing and trepidation towards spring, we invite you to think about wetland and riparian protection in your neighbourhood, and consider how you can help to improve protection of wetlands over the next year. OCCP supports work that provides information about historical environmental impacts to help local landowners and governments make informed decisions about how to best plan to keep our ecosystems healthy in our future.

"…the Okanagan Valley natural system is a unique and special place.
The Okanagan Valley is an area of uncommon richness of biodiversity. The mixture of large lake/riparian habitats, undeveloped grasslands and dry forest habitats host species that do not occur elsewhere in Canada, making the Okanagan one of Canada’s three most endangered ecosystems with international importance. The area also forms a biological corridor that connects the shrub-steppe habitats of the Columbia Basin with the grasslands of the Thompson Valley and coniferous forests to the north...

Several species residing in the Okanagan are listed as nationally threatened, endangered or vulnerable*, and Okanagan Chinook Salmon and Okanagan Sockeye Salmon have COSEWIC status. Over a third of all provincially red-listed species are found in the Okanagan.

* Confirmed - Long-billed curlews, flammulated owls, skinks, gopher snakes, painted turtles, grasshopper sparrows, swainson’s hawks, rattlesnakes, screech-owls, spadefoots, badgers, grizzly bears, racers, short-eared owls, rubber boas, spotted bats, townsend's big-eared bats, western toads, and Lewis's woodpeckers."

Large listing of the logos of OCCP partners

OCCP Action Team News

OCCP has contributed to a number of initiatives this month that improve information for all Okanagan residents on our wetlands and riparian areas, and encourage them to plan to "Keep Nature In Our Future".

Now Available: Report Summarizing Top Actions for Wetland Protection

OCCP helped plan and facilitate the "Conserving Okanagan Wetlands: Local Government and Provincial Tools" workshop

OCCP would like to remind you that the "Conserving Okanagan Wetlands: Local Government and Provincial Tools" workshop report is now available on the Ecological Reports Catalogue (EcoCat). This report summarizes the top actions for wetland protection identified in the presentations and the feedback from working groups at the November workshop. The workshop was attended by over 50 local government staff and environmental professionals, and was intended to provide an update on recent wetland conservation initiatives in the Okanagan, highlight the role of the provincial Water Sustainability Act, share best practices for local government tools, and allow participants to identify opportunities to improve wetland conservation outcomes in the Okanagan.

Gap Analysis of Wetland Protection for the Okanagan

OCCP has also been working over the past year on a committee of the Okanagan Basin Water Board's Water Stewardship Council to develop a gap analysis of wetland protection for the Okanagan. A list of recommendations resulting from this gap analysis will be brought forward to the council for consideration in March, and will be used to inform the Okanagan Wetland Strategy for the Okanagan.

OCCP Seeks Amphibian Biologists & Enthusiasts

OCCP is also looking for amphibian biologists and enthusiasts to help with an amphibian survey this spring in the North Okanagan. Please contact Tanis at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you are interested in participating in amphibian surveys.

Exploring the Idea of a North Okanagan Conservation Fund

In early January, the Regional District of North Okanagan Electoral Advisory Committee discussed whether to proceed with setting up a conservation fund for the North Okanagan, and they have decided to send a report to staff asking that they explore the idea further. The South Okanagan-Similkameen Conservation Program (SOSCP) and OCCP appeared as a delegation to introduce the idea in September, and asked the RDNO to consider starting a regional conservation fund in the region. The idea was met with a positive response from Board Directors at the time, and some ideas for what a conservation fund could accomplish in the North Okanagan include protecting important ecosystems, and doing creek restoration work. A report back from RDNO staff about conservation funds is being developed.

The second edition of "Local Conservation Funds in British Columbia: A Guide for Local Governments and Community Organizations" is now available.

Local Conservation Funds, Celebrations & Project Announcements

It's been 10 years since the first Local Conservation Fund in Canada was established in the Columbia Valley. A community celebration to mark this historic achievement is being planned for this April by the Kootenay Conservation Program. A similar fund was established last year in the South Okanagan-Similkameen region, where about ten dollars per household is now contributed into the fund each year. The Regional District Okanagan Similkameen Board has just announced the approved projects from the first call for proposals under the South Okanagan Conservation Fund, which totalled $400,271.68! These funds will be distributed to local projects that support environmental stewardship, and purchasing lands for conservation:

  • Locatee Lands Project Securement of CP 40-4, En'owkin/Penticton Indian Band
  • Fish Spawning Areas/Reconnection of Floodplain in Penticton Creek, Okanagan Nation Alliance/Penticton Indian Band
  • Fish Passage at Ellis Creek sediment basin, Okanagan Nation Alliance/Penticton Indian Band
  • Habitat Stewardship and Enhancement in the South Okanagan, Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship Society
  • White Lake Basin Park Rill Creek East Property Securement, Nature Trust of BC
  • Invasive-Free Certification Program, Okanagan and Similkameen Invasive Species Society
  • OSCA Eco-management Project, Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Alliance, Okanagan Community Bat Program

This resource is an essential “how-to” guide for local governments and community groups interested in establishing dedicated funds for local community sustainability and environmental conservation projects.

The second edition of Local Conservation Funds in British Columbia: A Guide for Local Governments and Community Organizations is now available online from the SOSCP website. This resource is an essential “how-to” guide for local governments and community groups interested in establishing dedicated funds for local community sustainability and environmental conservation projects. In addition to the guide itself, visitors to the website can find current case studies, and links to additional helpful resources.

Partner & Conservation News

Wetland Stewardship News

Much wetland enhancement and stewardship is performed by volunteers.

Much wetland enhancement and stewardship happens by volunteer work, coordinated through groups like Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship. Wetland protection usually happens in parks, or by landowners who are willing to take an active role in being wetland stewards, or establish wetland conservation covenants with governments or land trusts. Wetland conservation also happens by citizen scientists, who identify wetland issues like goldfish on the loose in Okanagan wetlands.

Best Geek Pranks

The best geek prank collection can be found at GeekPrank.com. Play with the Windows simulator, the fake upgrade screens, the fake disk formatter and other pranks.

Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship (OSS) News

Read the Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship (OSS) winter newsletter to check out some of the projects that have been keeping them busy, learn tips for helping out birds in the winter, find information on how to become a wildlife habitat steward, and more.

OSS Summer Internship

OSS has just posted a summer internship position. Want to have fun outside in the Okanagan this summer? Come work for OSS. We work together with amazing landowners to preserve an enhance habitat in the Okanagan. The job will be a mix of physical work, lots of invasive plant management and environmental education and outreach.

Community to Community “Growing Strong Together Riparian Restoration”

Shaw TV has recently produced an excellent one hour video about the Community to Community “Growing Strong Together Riparian Restoration” project. This video explores why one tree, black cottonwood, is such an essential Okanagan species, what cottonwood ecosystems mean to syilx (Okanagan) people, and why it should be valued by all of us.

“Growing Strong Together Riparian Restoration” project black cottonwood planting project.

In 2017 the Regional District Okanagan Similkameen (RDOS) received financial support from Heritage Canada 150 for the project, which is one of a number of activities that took place across the country in 2017 to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of Confederation. The RDOS was interested in being part of Canada 150 celebrations through mounting an environmentally significant pilot project to help build social capital for conservation by collaborating with syilx (Okanagan) people, along with schools, and community groups. The original idea for the restoration portion of this project was to propagate 1,500 cottonwood seedlings, select ten locations and plant 150 seedlings on each site throughout the RDOS.

Black cottonwood was chosen as the project focus because cottonwoods are considered foundation species – the irreplaceable base of a unique ecosystem with plant and animal associations on land and water. For many thousands of years, and even today, syilx people make efficient use of the entire cottonwood tree. Black cottonwood in nsyilxcən language is mulx. 63% of the cottonwood ecosystem has been lost over the last 150 years. Cottonwood ecosystems of the southern interior have been ranked by the BC Conservation Data Center as one of the rarest plant communities in the province. Hence, cottonwood acted as a catalyst for the RDOS to work together with syilx partners: the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) and the En’owkin Centre, both who gave early support to the project and helped us achieve their goals.

Black cottonwood was chosen as the project focus because cottonwoods are considered foundation species – the irreplaceable base of a unique ecosystem with plant and animal associations on land and water. For many thousands of years, and even today, syilx people make efficient use of the entire cottonwood tree.

With the En’owkin Centre, the project team conducted planting events, classroom presentations and guided tours, celebrating and sharing the knowledge about this ecosystem. A Traditional Ecological Knowledge keeper participated at each event. Okanagan Nation Alliance was instrumental in helping select sites on reserve lands and also undertaking community outreach to recruit volunteers. 1,500 black cottonwoods were planted at various sites throughout the South Okanagan. Through lucky coincidence, a UBC PhD student joined the team and will be monitoring our planted trees for the next three years.

The collaboration between RDOS, ONA and En’owkin was one of equal partners all working together towards common mutually beneficial goals, thus setting the stage for positive future collaborations. The project created increased environmental awareness of the fragility of black cottonwood ecosystems, built respectful and cooperative ways to address common goals, built bridges between syilx and non-syilx youth, and connected students with syilx traditional knowledge about black cottonwood ecosystems, thus increasing student’s cultural awareness of syilx multi-generational perspective towards the Earth.

The black cottonwood (mulx) of the southern interior holds cultural significance to syilx (Okanagan) people and provides key habitat to a large number of endangered species. Cottonwood ecosystems are themselves critically at risk. The project supports and contributes to the environmental stewardship of our Okanagan waterways by educating students and community members as to the importance of our riparian ecosystem. RDOS worked together with project partners to celebrate many thousands of years of regional landscapes of the Okanagan. The project commemorated the shared land and water, paving the way forward to a more sustainable future for the South Okanagan.

Water Conservation and Quality Improvement Grants

Photos of recently-funded WCQI projects: (top left) Mission Creek Restoration Initiative flood protection work, (top right) Foreshore Inventory Mapping of Okanagan Lake, (bottom left) Social Life of Water exhibit, (bottom right) media launch of BCWF Conservation App.

Photos of recently-funded WCQI projects: (top left) Mission Creek Restoration Initiative flood protection work, (top right) Foreshore Inventory Mapping of Okanagan Lake, (bottom left) Social Life of Water exhibit, (bottom right) media launch of BCWF Conservation App.

HAVE AN OKANAGAN WATER PROJECT IDEA? NEED FUNDS? The Okanagan Basin Water Board is accepting applications to its 2018 Water Conservation & Quality Improvement Grant Program. The DEADLINE IS 4 p.m. Friday, February 16, 2018. Those eligible to apply include non-profit community groups, schools, local governments (regional districts or municipalities), and irrigation or improvement districts. Successful applicants can receive up to $30,000 for their project. See the news release and the application for more details.

Amendments to the Federal Fisheries Act Announced

News agencies reported about the announcement this week of proposed amendments to the Federal Fisheries Act:

  • The National Post
    "In 2012, the Harper government scaled back protections to only fish that were part of commercial, recreational or Indigenous fisheries, and lifted a prohibition against the “harmful alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat.” Those protections have now been restored. But the Liberal legislation goes beyond what was in place before 2012, with a new requirement for an online registry with information about project decisions, and more emphasis on rebuilding depleted fish stocks and restoring habitat."
  • CBC
    "(Fisheries Minister Dominic) LeBlanc said the government is spending $284.2 million to restore those lost protections and introduce new ones...
    Some of that money would be used to enforce the new law, including hiring new officers...
    "No habitat means no fish," said Leblanc...
    The government will also have to consider the rights of Indigenous peoples and "traditional knowledge" when making decisions about fish habitats."
  • CTV
    "The government intends to produce regulations that will spell out exactly which projects will require a federal assessment and ministerial permit to proceed and which will not. The department is consulting on those regulations now. As well, any reviews done will be captured in a public registry so the public can see the results of every review, something that is not required now..."

BC Government Seeks Feedback on Livestock Watering

The Government of British Columbia intends to improve water management and the protection of the environment by developing livestock watering regulations under the Water Sustainability Act. An intentions paper proposes new regulations that would improve livestock watering practices on range land where there is low-density livestock grazing, either on Crown land or private range lands. The proposed regulations would allow the diversion of water from a stream or aquifer for livestock watering. It would also allow for construction of livestock-watering works, subject to requirements that would minimize adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems. The Province seeks input from the public, First Nations and industry stakeholders. Feedback on the proposed policies will inform final recommendations to government in spring 2018. Comments on the intentions paper will be accepted until Feb. 16, 2018. Source.

Keep An Eye Out for Our Okanagan Bats

Public help needed to monitor spread of the deadly White Nose Syndrome (WNS) bat disease. Please report dead bats, and bats flying in winter, to the BC Community Bat Program. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 1-855-922-2287 ext. 24 or see www.bcbats.ca for details.

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.

BC bats may be threatened by disease, and researchers are asking for the public to help. 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. Confirmed in Washington State in 2016 and 2017, the presence of the fungus 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. However, do not ever 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.

“We are encouraging the public to report dead bats or any sightings of winter bat activity to the Community Bat Project (CBP)..."

The typical first sign of WNS 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. 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.

White-nose syndrome occurrence map – by year (2017)

Got Bats? Do Your Renos Now! 

A reminder from the Okanagan Community Bat Program, if you are doing an attic renovation to enhance bat habitat or to exclude them, now is the time to do it. Most of the 14 species of bats that live in the Okanagan are hibernating at this time of year and their building roost sites should be empty. Some bats will start returning to these roosts as early as March. Three of our 14 species of bats may use some buildings throughout the winter months so it is critical to check for bat presence before sealing or renovating a roost. Use a bright flashlight to look into any crevices, corners, and cracks to see if bats are present. If you are doing a bat exclusion, install a bat box before the bats start returning in March. This will give them an alternate place to live. For more information, go to the OCBP website.

CPAWS is hiring in the South Okanagan!

CPAWS-BC is seeking an innovative, driven self-starter to fill the role of South Okanagan Community Organizer. This full-time, 2-year contract position (with possibility of extension) will help drive community engagement in the South Okanagan as part of the local campaign to advance the establishment a new National Park Reserve in the region.

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, BC Chapter (CPAWS-BC) is one of Canada’s oldest non-profit conservation groups. We protect wilderness in every corner of B.C. and deep into the ocean. We have been protecting B.C.’s nature since 1978, and are dedicated to keeping B.C.’s public land and water wild forever.

Workshops & Conferences

KCP Winter Webinar Series

KCP is pleased to bring back the Winter Webinar Series. This four-part series will focus on the 2017-2018 KCP theme of "Grasslands to Wetlands: Connecting Diversity" and will feature:
John Cathro, Fire and Forests: What we need to know in the Kootenays
Thursday, February 8, 10am-11am PST/11am-noon MST

Albert Chirico, Fish and Wildlife Mapping: Tools everyone should know about
Wednesday, February 28, 10am-11am PST/11am-noon MST

Deepa Filatow and David Poon, BC Soil Information Finder Tool: Because what’s underground matters
Thursday, March 8, 10am-11am PST/11am-noon MST

Paul L. Hansen Lentic and Lotic Riparian Assessment: A standardized approach
Monday, March 12, 10am-11am PST/11am-noon MST

Are you a farmer looking for land? Are you a landowner looking for farmers? We Want You!

Young Agrarians flyerFeb 17th 1-6 pm Land Linking Workshop – Networking, Land Access Arrangements, Expert Panel, & more!

Join us for a workshop on the nuts and bolts of land linking. We’ll network, learn about land access, leases, and licenses, and hear from our expert panel on topics such as housing, finances, and more! You just might find a farmer who can turn your vacant field into a productive farm, or a land owner who has the ideal piece of land for you! Refreshments & light snacks provided.
Location: Shatford Centre, Auditorium | 760 Main Street, Penticton, BC, V2A 5E2 (map)
Please RSVP: Register now, and don’t forget to join the Facebook Event! Learn more

 

 

 

 

Pollinator Stewardship Workshop

Pollinator Stewardship Workshop flyerCo-hosted by the Entomological Society of British Columbia, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Pollinator Partnership Canada and the British Columbia Ministry of Environment
Tuesday, March 20th, 10:30am registration & coffee
Okanagan College, Penticton Campus
Cost $20 pre-registration by March 17th; $30 at the door. Register and pay online.

  • Refreshments and catered lunch included (vegetarian, vegan and other dietary options available)
  • Overview of pollinators, their importance, issues, and solutions,
  • focusing on native bees
  • Important native plants for pollinators in the Okanagan and how to manage
  • land to encourage native bees and other pollinators
  • Best management practices to encourage pollinators
  • Cost-saving benefits to land managers, scalability for large and small sites
  • Identification of common groups, monitoring, and public engagement
  • Bee nest structure building and management

Events

Kelowna Museum: Nakulamen Program

Nakulamen Program at the Kelowna Museum program flyer

Sustainability Film Fest

Sustainability Film Fest event flyerA different film every Thursday with discussion afterwards!
6:30pm. - seating limited so plan to arrive a bit early.
Admission is free, everyone is welcome.

Feb 1 - A New Economy - Cooperation - putting humanity before the bottom line

Feb 8 - Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Thing - How might your life be better with less?

Feb 15 - Inhabit: A Permaculture Perspective - A design method that uses ecology to solve issues related to agriculture, economics, governance, and more. Humans are capable of being planetary healing forces!

Feb 22 - Bag It!: Is Your Life Too Plastic? - Where do the bags/plastics end up, at what cost to our environment?

Supporting Our Species - SOS

South Okanagan National Park Reserve Update

From our friends at the Central Okanagan Naturalists’ Club

"The Future of the South Okanagan National Park Reserve Proposal

This is a follow up to the discussion at CONC's Annual General Meeting on January 9th.Much of this information was provided by Doreen Olson from the South Okanagan-Similkameen National Park Network (SOSNPN). Park advocates in the South Okanagan Similkameen welcomed the announcement on October 27, 2017 when the provincial, federal and First Nation governments agreed to work together to establish a national park reserve here.

As in all decisions there are people who are opposed. Since the announcement, a group has banded together to fight the decision. The members have organized a Facebook page and a parliamentary petition and have recently registered as the non-profit society South Okanagan Similkameen Preservation Society (SOSPS). Their first order of business is “to stop the implementation of a National Park in the South Okanagan”. As a counter to the above, the SOSNPN, which has been working for 15 years towards apark, set up a parliamentary petition that calls upon the Government of Canada to expedite the creation of the South Okanagan-Similkameen National Park Reserve. This petition is doing well but we need everyone who supports the park to add their name and to share the link to the petition with likeminded friends. The petition is open for signatures until the end of March, but the earlier you sign it the better. Here is the link.

If you haven’t seen the SOSNPN website you can visit it at https://sosnationalpark.com There is also a direct link on the home page where you are able to sign the petition. The petition can only be signed once and will be verified by the Parliamentary Clerk of Petitions.

Long-term members of CONC are well aware of the reasons for establishing a national park reserve in the South Okanagan. The petition has many bullet points that you could use in writing letters. Newer members may wish to read George Scotter’s 2003 article entitled Okanagan-Similkameen National Park Reserve? BC Naturalist 41(3): 4-5 for additional details.

As for letters, it would be best to write to Minister Heyman and Minister McKenna. We find that there is faster response to an email. Please ask that responses be cc’d to your MP and MLA especially if Stephen Fuhr is your representative as he is very supportive. We are also asking the following questions:

  • Why is there a delay in bringing information to the public?
  • When will Parks Canada have an office locally?

Contacts for your emails:

(Provincial) Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy George Heyman This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

(Federal) Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKennaThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please cc:

Stephen Fuhr (MP for Kelowna-Lake Country) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Richard Cannings (MP for South Okanagan-West Kootenay)This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dan Albas (MP for Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Kevin McNamee (Director, Parks Establishment,Parks Canada)This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Steve Thomson (MLA, Kelowna-Mission) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Norm Letnick (MLA, Kelowna-Lake Country) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Thanks to everyone for their continued support.
Rick Gee"

Great Backyard Bird Count

February 16 to 19

Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, the Great Backyard Bird Count was the first online citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real-time. Now, more than 160,000 people worldwide join the four-day count each February to create an annual snapshot of the distribution and abundance of birds. You are invite you to participate! For at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count, February 16 to 19, simply tally the numbers and kinds of birds you see. If the cold and snow keep you indoors, count the birds outside your window! This free, family-friendly event is fun, provides opportunities to learn about birds and connect with nature, and supports bird conservation. To learn more, click here.

Closing roads counters effects of habitat loss for grizzly bears

From the Journal of Applied Ecology: "In a recent study examining a long-term DNA dataset of grizzly bear activity in British Columbia, Clayton Lamb and his colleagues conclusively determined what scientists have long suspected: higher road density leads to lower grizzly bear density." Thanks to the Kootenay Conservation Program for sharing this information. Click here for the full article.

Funding Opportunities

Brink/McLean Grassland Conservation Fund
Application Deadline: February 9, 4:30 pm.
Established by The Nature Trust of BC, up to $2500 is available help gain a better understanding of grassland management. Applicants should contact Leanna Warman at 604-969-3246 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to discuss their project and its eligibility for funding support.

Baillie Memorial Fund for Bird Research and Preservation
Student Research Award Deadline: February 15
The James L. Baillie Memorial Fund for Bird Research and Preservation provides grants for projects that advance the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of wild birds and their habitats.

Get Outdoors (GO) Grant
Deadline: February 15th (for field trips between Apr 1 – Jun 30)
Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation invites BC educators and schools to apply for a Get Outdoors (GO) Grant. These grants provide funding for activities that connect K-12 students with the outdoors and support hands-on learning experiences about the environment. GO Grants have helped over 20,000 students to get outdoors since the program began in 2012.

Water Conservation and Quality Improvement (WCQI) Grant
Application Deadline: February 16
The Water Conservation and Quality Improvement (WCQI) grant program is a component of the Water Management Initiative of the OBWB. The grant funds projects that focus on drought planning, groundwater studies and water flow monitoring to assist water managers to better understand the state of our water supplies and adapt to extreme events like floods and droughts.

Real Estate Foundation General Grants
Application Deadline: February 28, 2018 (decisions in June 2018 and September 2018)
REFBC funds projects that support the sustainable use of land and that build knowledge and professionalism in the real estate industry, and the General Grants are open to any non-profit working on land use projects in BC.<ép>

EEEC EcoAction Community Funding Program
Application Deadline: March 21
Environment and Climate Change Canada's (ECCC) EcoAction Community Funding Program is now accepting applications for funding until March 21, 2018 for projects beginning summer 2018. Funding is available for new projects that engage Canadians and clearly demonstrate measurable, positive environmental results related to clean water or climate change.<ép>

Habitat Stewardship Program (Species at Risk Stream) and the Aboriginal Funds for Species At Risk Program (both Prevention Stream and Species at Risk Stream).

Application Deadline: March 19th
We are pleased to inform you that the 2018-2019 Call for Proposals is now open for the HSP (Species at Risk Stream), and AFSAR (both Prevention Stream and Species at Risk Stream).

To Apply: It is important to contact the appropriate regional coordinator early during the Call for Proposals window (open now until March 19th 2018) in order to complete an Expression of Interest, particularly for terrestrial projects to discuss the new tiered priorities. Regional coordinators also provide access to the online tracking system, which is required to submit your proposal. Please note the online tracking system is currently being updated with the 2018-2019 application forms and is anticipated to be ready by mid-February.

There will be no Call for Proposals for new projects for the 2018-2019 fiscal year for the National Wetland Conservation Fund, or the Prevention Stream of the Habitat Stewardship Program. Due to re-allocation of funds to other conservation priorities, these programs are fully allocated for the 2018-2019 fiscal year. Please note that all existing multi-year agreements under these programs are unaffected. For more information, please see the NWCF and HSP websites.

Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation Acquisition Grants
Application Deadline: March 31
HCTF accepts proposals for projects that acquire land or interests in land to secure the value of these areas for conservation of fish and wildlife habitats and populations. The deadline for submitting an HCTF Acquisition Proposal is March 31, 2018 at 4:30 PM PST.

Twisty puzzle solving offers an entertaining way of improving your dexterity and problem solving skills.

Resources

Stewardship Centre of BC Stewardship Practices Guides
The Stewardship Centre of BC offers a diverse and comprehensive set of resources for the stewardship community of B.C., including four Stewardship Practices Guides on the following topics: Drainage Maintenance in Agricultural Waterways; Guidance for Restoration Activities in Riparian Areas; Riparian Areas in Settled Landscapes; and Reducing Domestic and Feral Cat Predation.

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