BC and World Rivers Day 2023 is set for Sunday, September 24. Rivers Day is the world’s largest celebration of rivers and the many communities and lifeforms they sustain, and it evolved from one cleanup on the Thompson River!

BC Rivers Day

In the Province of BC, the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC (ORCBC) coordinates the promotion of activities and events. ORCBC also has a host of Rivers Day resources including an event hosting toolkit, scavenger hunt, bingo sheets and more!

Resources

World Rivers Day

World Rivers Day is a celebration of the world’s waterways. It highlights the many values of our rivers, strives to increase public awareness, and encourages the improved stewardship of all rivers around the world. Rivers in virtually every country face an array of threats, and only through our active involvement can we ensure their health in the years ahead.

Join us in Kamloops this Rivers Day!

This Rivers Day, join TNCC and the Kamloops Naturalist Club for a clean-up on the banks of the Thompson River in Kamloops. Read more.

Please let us know of any activities you are planning in the Thompson-Nicola Watershed that TNCC can promote or participate in.

Contact Us

This month TNCC collaborated with Skeetchestn Indian Band, Skeetchestn Elder Terry Denault, and environmental educator Sue Staniforth, to share cultural knowledge and learnings with Skeetchestn youth through fun activities, teachings and more.

During the field day, the group visited Deadman Lake and Deadman Falls where they learned about the native plants, water and trees.

After Terry welcomed everyone, Sue led a sensory warm-up activity when the group arrived at Deadman Falls Lake. This engaged the youth in the environment around them to help “wake up” all five senses after the bus drive to the lake.

Using paint chips, Sue handed out colours to each of the participants with the goal of finding a piece of nature that matched the colour chip.

Terry spoke inspirationally to the group about the importance of the role youth have in protecting the land from the current and future effects of climate change. Terry also talked about ways Indigenous Knowledge and western science can be incorporated together to help us learn from new perspectives.

Terry led a nature walk around the Deadman Falls Lake and identified various plants sharing their cultural, nutritional and medicinal values.

At the second stop of the Field Day, Terry shared with the youth the significance of Deadman Creek Falls to the Skeetchestn community.

Sue led the final activity about the different parts of a tree and their roles in a tree’s system. Each youth picked a part of the tree to represent in a group activity that brought these concepts together.

Thanks to Wildlife Habitat Canada for their support of TNCC’s “Connecting With the Land: Youth Elder Field Days” project.

The Province of BC is providing $44 million to communities for emergency readiness projects under the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF).

Funding is for First Nations and local governments throughout BC and may be used toward:

• risk mapping, risk assessments and planning (such as the development of a hazard map);
• land-use planning (amendments to relevant plans, bylaws or policies);
• purchasing equipment (such as monitoring equipment);
• delivering community education; and
• small-scale structural projects.

These projects include the Adams Lake Indian Band’s Disaster Risk Reduction Climate Adaptation Project, Clearwater’s Emergency Backup Power, and many more across BC. The CEPF enhancement is a response to the increase in climate-related hazards, such as flooding, drought, wildfires and heat, and supports the Province’s Climate Preparedness and Adaption Strategy. Intake for the current Disaster Risk Reduction-Climate Adaptation program stream is open until Oct. 6, 2023.

Learn More

The Interior Wildlife Rehabilitation Society captured and rehabilitated four injured beavers as part of a wetlands conservation project near Merritt. The project is run by Tom Willms, a professor and biologist at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT), and is supported by the Nooaitch First Nation. Once home to many beavers, Howarth Creek has been a common trapping area that, over the years, slowly dissipated the local beaver population taking with them the natural regulation of wetlands in the area. Bringing beavers back into Howarth Creek will help restore the wetlands making them more resilient to fires, droughts and flooding.

Read More

The BC Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy has provided $2 million to fund a one-year pilot program that will be delivered by two First Nations organizations with experience delivering environmental programs: the Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative (CFN-GBI) and First Nations Emergency Services Society. The province has worked with Indigenous advisory groups to develop this pilot project to provide community supports, such as mentorship, knowledge products, adaptation training and a learning network to advance Indigenous climate resilience.

The scope of the pilot program consists of three streams, focused on:

• climate-resilience staffing
• training and education delivery
• peer-to-peer network building

The first stream, or braid, will provide resources for regional climate-resilience coordinators who will be in place to support Indigenous communities throughout BC. The second braid will provide these new coordinators with training and skills that can be passed along to community members to support Indigenous communities to understand and prepare for climate change. Lastly, the third braid of the program will create a peer network and mentorship program for the regional coordinators to develop their capacity and share information that will help them better serve Indigenous communities.

Read More

Through a partnership between the Upper Nicola Band and Living Lakes Canada, Indigenous Knowledge is being incorporated into a new approach for climate-resilient lake management. The Local Indigenous Knowledge and Values Framework report developed by the Upper Nicola Band and Living Lakes Canada will “instruct ways of harmonizing Indigenous Knowledge and western science, creating opportunities for both worldviews to work in tandem throughout the Foreshore Integrated Management Planning (FIMP) project process”. This summer, the Upper Nicola Band will be applying this methodology to complete a FIMP re-survey of Nicola Lake.

Read more to learn about this breakthrough collaboration.

Full Article

A Tŝihqot’in delegation presented at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in April in New York. Nits’ilʔin (Chief) Joe Alphonse’s speech outlined the importance of Indigenous knowledge during the climate crisis – specifically during wildfires and other emergencies.

In May, four Tŝihqot’in Rangers attended the National Guardians Network Gathering in Ottawa, including Bruce Lulua and Jimmy Harry Jr. who presented to the group on being a Ranger, the training required to be on land and water, and work with Government Agencies.

The Fisheries team has completed the installation of the temporary conservation hatchery at the Hanceville site, a key milestone in developing long-term conservation hatchery capacity in Tŝihqot’in Territory.

Read the full articles in the Tŝihqot’in National Government (TNG) spring newsletter, from which this content was abridged.

TNG News

The Elephant Hill Wildfire Invasive Plant Program was developed by the Thompson Nicola Regional District to mitigate the impacts of invasive species in areas affected by wildfire. With funding from the Canadian Red Cross, the program implemented a range of activities from 2019-2022 including post-fire aerial and hand-seeding, treatments and monitoring. Events were held to engage with landholders and the community to gain input and distribute information.

Success Story

Healthy Watersheds Initiative has launched the graphic novel We Are of Water, illustrated by Chenoa Gao, now available to download. We Are of Water provides visuals connected to voices and knowledge shared by Indigenous Elders, youth, and community members through Healthy Watershed Initiative projects on the significance of watersheds and water.

Full Story

Partnering with the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program, we continue to work together on Conservation Planning for Climate Change in the Thompson Okanagan, a multi-year initiative to connect Indigenous knowledge and land uses with climate change modelling to support sustainable land use decision-making.

By incorporating a Two-Eyed Seeing approach, the TNCC is working with Elders and Knowledge Keepers to map locations where culturally important lands are found within the project area while investigating how the distribution of wetlands and grasslands in the Thompson-Nicola region may be impacted by climate change. To further identify climate-impacted wetlands and grasslands, researchers at UBC are working to develop a predictive model for mapping the type and condition of these ecosystems using satellite remote sensing and digital topographic data.

This summer, the team will be conducting field surveys to help refine the predictive models which, once finalized, will guide regional efforts to develop policy and land use practices to support climate-informed conservation planning.

Grasslands are one of the major ecosystems in the world and are called by many different names depending on where they are found, from prairies in North America to pampas in South America. On an environmental gradient, grasslands can be thought of as an intermediate ecosystem, with forests at one end and deserts at the other. Grasslands are environments where there is too little moisture to support forests but too much moisture to support a desert.

Tropical and Temperate Grasslands

Grasslands are typically classified as either tropical or temperate, mainly determined by climate. Tropical grasslands have scattered individual trees or shrubs and are found where the climate is warm or hot and annual rainfall is 50-130 cm per year. Tropical grasslands cover almost half of Africa, and parts of Australia, South American, Nepal and India.

Temperate grasslands lack trees or large shrubs, and grass is the dominant vegetation. The grassland prairies of North America are temperate grasslands as are the veldts of South Africa, the puszta of Hungary, the pampas of Argentina and Uruguay, and the steppes of the former Soviet Union. The temperature grasslands are much more variable from summer to winter and rainfall is less than in the tropics.

The Importance of Grasslands

Grasslands are among the most vulnerable ecosystems on the planet. While grasslands support some common plant life in the form of relatively abundant species of grasses, they also support a variety of wildlife and rare species. Within BC, grasslands are the rarest land cover type, covering only 1% of the province but disproportionately supports about one third of BC’s species at risk.

Blue grama

Grassland ecosystems in the Thompson Watershed provide critical habitat for many species which are nationally at risk, including the American badger (Endangered), burrowing owl (Endangered), sharp-tailed grouse and western rattlesnake (Threatened).

Grasslands also have an important role in climate change mitigation. Approximately 12% of Earth’s carbon stocks are in grasslands, and due to the susceptibility of forests to degradation through wildfires and droughts, grasslands may be a more reliable land-based carbon sink.

In addition, the cultural, heritage and recreational values of these grasslands to communities are immeasurable.

Threats to Grasslands

The diversity and occurrence of grasslands around the world, and the richness of species found within them is threatened by humans, mostly due to their conversion into agricultural land. Grassland soils are naturally fertile making them ideal for agricultural use, particularly for growing food crops and grazing livestock. Farms, rural towns and cities have been established on or near grasslands and continue to expand and develop as populations grow.

Grasslands are sensitive to climatic changes and vulnerable to climate change impacts. Even slight changes in temperature and precipitation will affect grasslands and the plants and animals inhabiting them. Wildlife found in fragmented grasslands will be particularly susceptible to loss of habitat due as opportunities for species to disperse in tandem with climate are limited. Dryer and hotter conditions may also lead to the encroachment of new species including invasives, and a greater risk of wildfire.

The impacts of these combined threats are being experienced across the globe and close to home, for example in 2006, grassland losses in specific ecosections within the Thompson Watershed were calculated to be up to 56%. From 1970 to 2016, grassland bird populations declined across Canada by 57%.

Burrowing Owl by Roger Chapman

What’s Being Done

Despite their importance to human health and economies, less than 10% percent of the world’s grasslands are protected. In the Thompson Watershed, it is increasingly important to conserve and steward much of the remaining grasslands. Here’s a snapshot of how TNCC and partners are working towards that goal.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada recognizes the urgency and has been working since 2008 to conserve heritage grasslands in the Thompson Watershed including:

• Lac du Bois Conservation Area
• Napier Lake Ranch Conservation Area
• Warner Philip Conservation Area
• Rattlesnake Bluffs

The Nature Trust of BC’s priority properties protected forever, include BC’s grasslands such as the iconic Keremeos Columns – MapleCross Grassland.

The Grasslands Conservation Council of BC was formed in 1999 to ensure the conservation, restoration and stewardship of British Columbia’s grasslands.

TNCC is working on Conservation Planning for Climate Change, a multi-year initiative, in partnership with Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program, to help identify key natural areas to protect across the Thompson Okanagan. By combining Indigenous knowledge and western science, and with the use of mapping technology, computer simulations and climate change modelling, the natural areas that require increased conservation efforts will be identified. The project focuses on grasslands, wetlands, the land wildlife use to travel between them, and areas of cultural importance. Sign up for our e-newsletters or follow us on social media to receive updates on this project.

Lac du Bois Grasslands by Grasslands Conservation Council of BC

Related Resources

Conservation Status of Species and Ecosystems in the Thompson-Nicola

The Laurie Guichon Memorial Grasslands interpretive site, research projects and more (south-east of Merritt, BC)

Invasive Species Council of BC

Conservation in a Changing Climate: Impacts to Grasslands

Burrowing Owl Conservation Society of BC

Feature image: Lac du Bois Grasslands by Andrew Strain

February 2 marks World Wetlands Day and the anniversary of the Convention on Wetlands, an intergovernmental treaty adopted in 1971 and which now has a global membership of 172 countries. World Wetlands Day aims to increase public awareness of how much wetlands do for humanity and the planet, and to promote actions that will lead to their conservation, wise use, and restoration.

Wetlands are in Danger

Wetlands are critically important ecosystems that contribute to biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaptation, freshwater availability, world economies, and more. According to the Convention on Wetlands, nearly 90% of the world’s wetlands have been degraded since the 1700s, and we are losing wetlands three times faster than forests. Threats include development, grazing and climate change. Read our article for more on wetlands.

What We Can Do

Wetlands that have already been impacted can benefit from restoration. Benefits of restoring wetlands across the planet include:

• increased biodiversity
• replenished and filtered water supply
• enhanced protection against floods and storms
• more local and sustainable livelihoods, less poverty
• increased tourism, higher quality leisure time
• increased carbon storage and avoided emissions
• inner satisfaction of achieving a transformation

View the full infographic: 7 Benefits of Restoring Wetlands

Fully re-creating the benefits of a natural wetland may take time, but with restoration many harmful effects of degradation can be reversed. Successful wetland restoration projects follow these best practices:

• restore multiple benefits
• develop a restoration plan
• involve the community
• address the causes of degradation
• restore native flora and fauna
• clean up the degraded area
• structure access to the wetland (as appropriate)

View the full infographic: 7 Best Practices in Wetland Restoration

Wetland Protection in the Thompson Watershed

What’s even better than restoring wetlands? Preventing their loss! To help protect wetlands in the Thompson Okanagan, TNCC is working in partnership with Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program on the multi-year initiative Conservation Planning for Climate Change. One of the initiative’s projects will be looking closely at where wetlands are currently found in the Thompson Watershed.

Little Shuswap Lake, Chase, BC. Photo by Ben den Engelsen on Unsplash.

We know climate change and the related changes in temperature, precipitation, drought, flooding and more will impact wetlands. Not only will wetlands change, but some will be more sensitive and less resilient to climate change than others. As a result, we are working on models to help us identify and protect the wetlands most resilient to climate change. Read more.

Additional Resources

Pitch Your Wetlands Project for a 10,000 Euro Grant: If you have an idea for a project to benefit wetlands, you can pitch for the opportunity to receive a 10,000 euro grant from the Convention of Wetlands, provided by Danone. Applications are being accepted from February 2-March 2, 2023.

Wetland Restoration: Why it is time?

Take a Pledge for World Wetlands Day

World Wetlands Day

Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention)

BC Wildlife Federation Wetlands Education Program

Feature Photo by Dru! via Flickr CC BY-NC 2.0

This winter you may be able to spot footprints of the American badger in the snow in the Thompson-Nicola. 

There are four subspecies of the American badger (Taxidea taxus), each inhabiting a distinct region of Canada. American badgers require grasslands to survive and thrive where they can burrow and feed on small animals, such as mice and squirrels.

The Thompson-Nicola region of BC hosts the western population of the Taxidea taxus jeffersonii. This population is endangered nationally due to its small and decreasing population size, with an estimated 150 to 245 adults. 

One of the largest threats the American badgers face is development and other changes in land-use. Grasslands transitioned to agriculture and the growth of communities including new roads, split up the natural areas American badgers need to live. As their natural wildlife corridors are lost, they are forced to interact with humans more often leading to their death from being hit by vehicles on roads. 

How to Help

The BC Badger Recovery Team is a group with representatives from federal and provincial governments, ranching and farming industries, research scientists, First Nations, and conservation organizations. Together they are monitoring the American badger population in BC and locating where to focus conservation efforts in the province. They ask for anyone who sees a badger, dead or alive, or badger burrows, to report sightings to Report-A-Badger. Recent successes include installing badger crossings.

Photo by John Surgenor

Yellow perch (Perca flavescens) is a freshwater fish species native to Canada, naturally found in waterways from Alberta, north to the Northwest Territories and east to Nova Scotia. Yellow perch are invasive in BC but they have ended up here by accidental or intentional movement: through boats, people intentionally moving them, releasing them into waterways from aquariums and fish markets, and escaping from fishing lines as live bait. Once introduced into a new area, yellow perch can reproduce very quickly, with females laying up to 15,000 eggs at once. They spread rapidly as individuals swim to new waterways in search of food.

The Problem

Yellow perch are harmful when in BC’s rivers and lakes. They are threatening native species as they feed more aggressively on tadpoles and other fish in their natural home waters. They also carry parasites that harm native fish species, reducing the overall health and biodiversity of the waterways.

How to Help

Here’s how you can stop the introduction and spread of this invasive species – and help protect the natural life found in the Thompson-Nicola’s lakes and rivers:

• Do not release yellow perch into BC waterways;
• Do not use Yellow perch as live bait;
• Do not release aquarium species into waterways;
• Learn to identify yellow perch; and
• Tell others about yellow perch to raise awareness.

Get more detailed information in this Invasive Species Alert from the Province of British Columbia.

Photo by M. Herborg

As world leaders gather in Montreal for the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), we are highlighting some of the amazing biodiversity found in the Thompson Watershed by featuring the top ten wildlife most at risk here.

White Sturgeon

The white sturgeon is an enormous, mysterious fish that dates back to prehistoric times. It is the largest freshwater fish in Canada, growing to 6m in length, and is the oldest living creature still found on Earth! The white sturgeon is Endangered globally and is only found on a handful of BC’s rivers. It has suffered over a 50% decline in the last three generations mainly caused by overfishing, dam construction, and loss of water quality due to pollution.*

Little Brown Myotis

The little brown myotis (bat) is globally classified as vulnerable. Half of its population lives in Canada where it is currently endangered. Wetlands are critical for this species but as wetlands are bring lost, so are their inhabitants. This small bat is also threatened by the deadly fungus white nose syndrome. Conservation of this bat, and the wetlands where it lives, is critical to prevent it from becoming extinct.

Spotted Owl

The spotted owl is found in the Thompson Watershed where it heavily depends on large, old trees for nesting. Spotted owl populations have declined dramatically in BC mainly due to the loss of old forests from logging. It is a nocturnal owl which feeds on small mammals and birds. The spotted owl is globally classified as vulnerable, and is endangered in Canada.

Western Screech-Owl

The western screech-owl is threatened in Canada and is a species of special concern in BC. Like the spotted owl, the western screech-owl depends mainly on large, old cottonwoods for nesting and foraging. These trees are mainly found in areas along streams, lakes and rivers, but due to development along shorelines, these habitats are rapidly declining.

Burrowing Owl

The burrowing owl is endangered in Canada. They are typically found on grasslands which have diminished over time due to development and agriculture. They are also threatened by pesticides, motor collisions, and even hunting by cats and dogs. As a result, burrowing owl populations are being lost by nearly 4% every year.

Western Rattlesnake

The western rattlesnake’s population has declined so much that it is currently threatened across Canada. Like the burrowing owl, this species relies on the grasslands in the Thompson Watershed, which are being split up and have been lost completely in many areas. The western rattlesnake also faces the major challenge of road mortality. Almost 500,000 hectares of land in the Thompson Nicola Regional District have been designated critical habitat for this snake to help its protection.

Southern Mountain Caribou

Southern mountain caribou are threatened in Canada and Red listed in BC. They live in old growth forests and hard-to-access high alpine areas where they can more easily avoid predators. The caribou feed on lichen and in winter, when ground lichen is no longer available, they depend on tree lichen found in old-growth forests for food.

Great Basin Spadefoot

The Great Basin spadefoot is threatened in Canada. This species of toad is heavily dependent on the wetlands and grasslands found in the Thompson Watershed and uses wetlands for breeding and grasslands for foraging for food. Soils that crumble easily enable the spadefoot to dig burrows for safety, warmth and overwintering. The Thompson Watershed includes critical habitat legally designated for the protection of the Great Basin spadefoot toad.

American Badger

The American badger subspecies found in the Thompson Watershed is endangered and fewer than 250 mature badgers are found in the western region. The American badger depends on expanses of grasslands to live but this habitat is being lost due to these areas being split up or cleared of native vegetation. Another very real problem contributing to the decline of the American badger is collisions with motorized vehicles. You can help the ongoing monitoring and support of badgers in BC by reporting sightings of badgers and their burrows to Report-A-Badger BC.

Olive Clubtail

In 2011, the olive clubtail dragonfly was designated as Endangered by COSEWIC due to major threats including shoreline development, invasive species, pollution, and agricultural practices. In Canada, this extremely rare dragonfly with striking blue eyes has only been confirmed in the South Thompson, Christina Creek and three locations in the Okanagan. A sighting of the olive clubtail indicates the good health of a stream or river.

Learn More

Read further about the biodiversity in the Thompson Watershed in this report on the Conservation Status of Species and Ecosystems in the Thompson-Nicola.

*Photo by Cliff from Arlington, Virginia, USA – White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) Uploaded by Magnus Manske, CC BY 2.0

Biodiversity is a hot topic this month as world leaders convene in Montreal for The Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15). Much of our work relates to conservation of critical habitat for species at risk to help save the habitat and reduce biodiversity loss in the Thompson Watershed.

One of our core programs is a multi-year, collaborative initiative with the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program. The Conservation Planning for Climate Change in the Thompson Okanagan initiative connects conservation planning, Indigenous knowledge and climate change modelling to support sustainable land use decision-making.

As populations grow and land is developed, key natural areas are being lost. The lands, rivers, lakes and streams which are threatened are home to a variety of at-risk plants and animals; they provide clean water and food to communities and have cultural significance to Indigenous Peoples.

The Conservation Planning for Climate Change initiative will combine Indigenous ecological and cultural knowledge and western science to identify natural areas across the Thompson Okanagan that need more protection.

Work on the initiative is ramping up with Indigenous engagement well underway in an area around Kamloops. Meanwhile, resources are being added to the team at the University of British Columbia – Okanagan which will be collecting ecological and climate-related data to interweave with the Indigenous knowledge. By combining this Indigenous knowledge and western science, and with the use of mapping technology and computer simulations of future changes to climate, the natural areas that require increased conservation efforts will be identified.

Read more about Conservation Planning for Climate Change.

This initiative has been made possible thanks to our funders.

Indigenous Climate Action is now accepting applications for the Climate Leadership Program taking place November 25-27, 2022!

• Do you self-identify as Indigenous?
• Do you have a strong desire to create positive change in your community/organization?

Yes? Then this training is for you! This program is designed to focus on how climate change is impacting Indigenous communities and rights, and empower and uplift Indigenous peoples to become climate change leaders in their own communities. Subsidies are available. Read more and apply today.

Photo: Melissa Bradley

Learn More

On October 15, 2022, Estsék’ Environmental Services, Simpcw First Nation and the Thompson-Nicola Conservation Collaborative co-hosted a Grizzly Knowledge Learning Circle at Thompson River University’s Wells Gray Education and Research Station. Wells Gray is located within Simpcw’s caretaker area of responsibility within the Secwépemc Nation. Participants were welcomed to the event, and to Simpcw Territory by Counselors Amanda Celesta and Alison Green. Tom Dickinson, Professor Emeritus at TRU, welcomed them to the facility. Tina Donald, Simpcw Natural Resources Department Fish and Wildlife Manager was unable to attend but is a core member of the team.

Grizzly Bears are a blue-listed species in British Columbia and the last published population estimate of the species (2012) for the Wells Gray population, an estimated 317 individual bears. The project, which runs from 2021 to 2024, will increase our understanding of grizzlies in Wells Gray. Over the course of the next few years, grizzly population dynamics, historic and current cultural ties with Simpcwemc (the People of Simpcw), and the effects of land development due to human development in their territory, (e.g., increased human presence from Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, and logging) will be evaluated. The data collected will inform the long-term monitoring trends for population management within Simpcwúl̓ecw (Simpcw Territory), and for Simpcwemc.

To obtain hair samples from grizzlies, the team spent the summer and early fall setting up, checking, and removing “bait” stations, which are non-reward (no food) scent mounds surrounded by a small, barbed wire fence. The scent mounds, composed of well-decomposed logs, moss, and sticks, are scented with rotted cows’ blood and fish, with a rotation of additional, ‘novel’ scents, such as anise oil and beaver castor. The bait stations are checked regularly, and any hair found on the barbed wire was collected for DNA analysis. This data will help staff determine how many individual grizzlies are in the area and in the long-term, inform Simpcw First Nation and their collaborators regarding land management decisions.

The Learning Circle began with a welcome song, by Paul Michel, Special Advisor to the TRU President on Indigenous Matters followed by a round table of introductions by everyone in attendance. Simpcw First Nation Councillor and Estsék’ Technician, Amanda Celesta, and Ceryne Staples, Ecosystems Biologist with Estsék’, shared information about the first year of the Grizzly Bear Study, which wrapped up in October. The Learning Circle participants enjoyed the teams’ stories of the season’s preliminary results. An open exchange followed which ranged from input into the study in the future to discussion of the behaviour of Grizzles and other wildlife in the area.

Members attending the event then had the opportunity to visit Edgewood Blue, a nearby property donated to the Land Conservancy of British Columbia by naturalist and lichenologist, Trevor Goward, where he explained the mission of the space as a place for youth to connect with and learn from nature.

Simpcw’s Grizzly Bear Study is funded by Natural Resources Canada through the Terrestrial Cumulative Effects Initiative (TCEI).

Grizzly Knowledge Learning Circle Participants Listen to Dr. Tom Dickinson

Over the past month TNCC has been collaborating the Kamloops Naturalists Club on an invasive weed control project at the Tranquille Wetland, located on the North Shore of the South Thompson River. Read this article to learn more about the history of the Secwépemc people and Tranquille, which is where the river widens to form Kamloops Lake.

This wetland, originally planted with reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) for cattle forage decades ago, is now overrun with the invasive grass species which forms a dense monoculture that chokes out native plants in the area.

According to the report “Conservation Status of Species and Ecosystems in the Thompson-Nicola Region“:

Wetlands are rare on the landscape and provide important habitats for amphibians like the Great Basin Spadefoot, waterfowl and shorebirds. They also support invertebrates that feed many animals, like the Endangered Little Brown Myotis (bat)… Several studies suggest that low elevation wetlands… have declined by ~80%.

The Kamloops Naturalist Club (KNC) has a plan to create a viewing platform in the wetland to encourage more people to become naturalists, learn about Secwépemc land use in the region, and learn about the native plants that would naturally be found in the area.

The province of BC states:

Tranquille Wildlife Management Area provides staging and resting habitat for the spring and fall migration of Canada goose, swans and other wetland species. Mallard, goldeneye and wood ducks nest in the area. In addition, shorebirds and passerine species are abundant. The presence of large numbers of prey species attracts raptors, including bald eagle, golden eagle, osprey, and prairie, gyr and peregrine falcon. Mule deer, beaver, muskrat, coyote, black bear and river otter have been recorded in the area, but only coyote are sighted frequently. The flooded meadows support carp spawning habitat, and some salmonid rearing habitat. Rare species present include tall beggarticks, awned cyperus, small-flowered ipomopsis.

To control the reed canarygrass in the area and make way for this viewing platform, KNC enlisted the expertise of Dr. Catherine Tarasoff with Agrowest Consulting and help from volunteers to remove the stems of this grass and lay down a solid benthic barrier stretching a 75×35 ft area. This barrier smothers the invasive grass, preventing light and air from reaching the plants to reduce their growth.

This experimental method of control for reed canarygrass will be monitored for its efficacy of controlling the grasses and KNC will replant the region with native sedges and wildflowers to help with restoration.

Photos: Dr. Catherine Tarasoff

The Thompson-Nicola Conservation Collaborative is getting active in the Watershed this fall. One way we are doing this is by helping Dr. Catherine Tarasoff from Agrowest Consulting and the Grasslands Conservation Council of BC (GCC) on a Lac Du Bois restoration project.

Grasslands account for less than one per cent of BC’s land mass, but are home to more than 30 per cent of the Province’s at-risk animal and plant species. The Lac du Bois grasslands are also home to invasive plants including spotted knapweed, sulphur cinquefoil and chicory. The Invasive Species Council of BC’s StrongerBC crew treated the invasive plants earlier in the summer in efforts to control their growth.

To help restoration of the treated areas, bluebunch wheatgrass plants were salvaged from a park and volunteers were recruited for the transplantation.

On September 21st, TNCC and KNC helped the staff and volunteers transplant 1,000 bluebunch wheatgrass plants into Lac Du Bois in hopes of restoring the area to native plants.

Read an article published on the restoration efforts by CBC. The project is funded by Environment Canada, the Grasslands Conservation Council of B.C.

Photos: Caitlin Quist

On September 30th, the TNCC team visited Tsútswecw Provincial Park to witness the Little Shuswap Lake Band and neighbouring Secwépemc communities celebrate the return of the sockeye salmon to Adams River and simultaneously recognize National Truth and Reconciliation Day.

Adams River, Sep 30, 2022

The sockeye salmon journey from the Pacific Ocean to Adams River to spawn, in what is the largest sockeye salmon run in North America. This year’s salmon run is the dominant run with around 14 million salmon.

Along the riverside the Little Shuswap Lake Band and neighbouring communities had several ceremonies celebrating the return of the sockeye to mark the opening day of the Salute to the Sockeye. The public had the chance to participate in some of the opening ceremonies, including one activity called the salmon dance where they clasped their hands together and made a fish movement to mimic the swimming pattern of salmon.

Accompanying the celebrations by the river were several speeches from various leaders from the Little Shuswap Lake Band, neighboring nations, and non-indigenous local leaders on what the importance of salute to sockeye and National Truth & Reconciliation Day mean to them.

Elder Ethel Billy of Cstalnec

Adding to these celebrations were various booths including educational interactive experiences set up by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the BC Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship and an interactive cabin run by the Adams River Salmon Society exploring the life cycle and incredible journey of these salmon.

Outside of education, an artisan market with local artists work were posted throughout the park and several food trucks provided a variety of food for the all attendees.

Danielle Toperczer, TNCC Program Manager

The Salute to the Sockeye events are still running till October 23rd. Take a trip out to Adams River to see the salmon run and experience Little Shuswap Lake Band and Secwépemc culture.

Did you know that World Rivers Day started off with one cleanup on the Thompson River and is now celebrated in over 100 countries? TNCC celebrated by participating in two events in the Thompson Watershed.

North Thompson Riverside Cleanup

On September 25, TNCC co-hosted a riverside cleanup with Kamloops Naturalists Club along the North Thompson at McArthur Island. The event encouraged the public to get involved in the cleanup of our riverbank and create an overall awareness of the importance of the Thompson, in additional to those in BC and throughout the world. The event also paid homage to the original BC Rivers Day which began with one cleanup event on the Thompson in 1980. In 2005, BC Rivers Day evolved to World Rivers Day and this year more than 100 countries across 6 continents participated in what has become one of the planet’s biggest environmental celebrations.

Kamloops School Rivers Day Celebration

On October 7th, our conservation stewardship intern Kimberly Parno and Melissa Maslany of the Kamloops Naturalist Club (KNC) joined the Bert Edwards Elementary School of Science and Technology to celebrate their annual Rivers Day event. The event was also attended by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the City of Kamloops who shared the importance of rivers. Together the representatives hosted interactive activities with the students, including a watershed model, learning about salmon, microscope work, and Secwepemc teachings. KNC and TNCC led a scavenger hunt and bingo activity on the Thompson River’s plant and animal life, with Kimberly and Melissa teaching the students about the importance of biodiversity in river systems.

Historically, Orange Shirt Day began in 2013 to recognize the impacts of the Indian Residential School on its survivors and intergenerational effects. On her first day attending Residential school, Phyllis Webstad wore an orange shirt that was taken away from her and never given back, what is now recognized as cultural genocide.

Orange Shirt Day is now recognized by the Canadian government as the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. This national recognition was a result of the 215 children’s remains found outside the Kamloops Indian Residential School in 2021 in unmarked graves and subsequent similar unmarked graves discovered around other Residential Schools across Canada.

September 30, the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, is meant to commemorate the tragic and painful history of Indian Residential Schools and is part of the reconciliation process.

Read more on the Centre for Truth and Reconciliation’s website.

TNCC’s team on National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, 2022. Top left to bottom right, Shelley Witzky, Danielle Toperczer, Allyson Blake and Kimberly Parno.

In the days leading up to one of the the biggest conservation celebrations on the planet, we sat down with BC and World Rivers Day founder Mark Angelo to learn about how BC Rivers Day started on the Thompson River.

Q&A with Mark Angelo

Why is river conservation so important to you?

How did a cleanup on the Thompson River evolve?

How did BC Rivers Day become one of the largest conservation celebrations globally?

Mark’s thoughts on the values of waterways, the pressures that confront them, and what can be done to better conserve them.

About Mark Angelo

Mark Angelo hails from Burnaby, BC and is an internationally-celebrated river conservationist, writer, speaker, teacher and paddler. He is the founder and chair of both BC Rivers Day and World Rivers Day, an event now embraced by millions of people in up to 100 countries. In 2009, Mark was also appointed as the inaugural chair of the Rivers Institute at the British Columbia Institute of Technology.  Prior to that, he was the long-time head of the Fish, Wildlife and Recreation Program at BCIT. Mark has received the Order of British Columbia and the Order of Canada (his country’s highest honour) in recognition of his river conservation efforts over the past four decades. Among his many other awards are the inaugural United Nations Stewardship Award and the National River Conservation Award. Read more.

Learn More

World Rivers Day: https://worldriversday.com/
BC Rivers Day: https://www.orcbc.ca/bc-rivers-day

Wetlands are a major focus of conservation efforts. Why are wetlands so important?

Wetlands are among Earth’s most productive ecosystems and support many species (including species at risk) and significant numbers of migratory birds, fish and amphibians.

This “Wetlands of British Columbia: Field Guide to Indicator Species for Wetland Classification” was recently produced by the BC Wildlife Federation, to help identify species and help classify different types of wetland. This guide should help with your plant identification as you venture out into BC’s wetlands, marshes, bogs and fens. It is meant as a companion guide to “Wetlands of British Columbia: A Guide to Identification“.

This project was supported through the Healthy Watersheds Initiative, which is delivered by the Real Estate Foundation of BC and Watersheds BC, with financial support from the Province of British Columbia.

Photo: Western Skunk Cabbage Lysichiton americanus by Gabe Schp is licensed under CCO.

Farmland Advantage is a research and development project that works with farmers to conserve and enhance critical, natural values in British Columbia.

Farmland Advantage works with farmers to enhance the natural values on their land. These natural values are often referred to as ‘ecosystem services’; services of a natural environment that benefits humans. They are values that are not traded in the markets but have great value to us all. They can include areas like wetlands that filter and purify water, and forests that clean the air and provide habitat for healthy wildlife populations.

The project helps farmers identify the natural values which can be protected and enhanced, and develops recommendations and plans to preserve them. These plans can include actions such as water or stream setbacks, strategic fencing, reforestation, or rangeland enhancement. Farmers then carry out the recommendations, and Farmland Advantage helps to provide compensation based on successful implementation.

Read more about Farmland Advantage and for more information contact the Investment Agriculture Foundation.

The Farmland-Riparian Interface Stewardship Program (FRISP) assists agricultural producers in their efforts to protect and enhance water quality, riparian vegetation, and fish habitat. The BC Cattlemen’s Association (BCCA), manages and delivers the program through a directed common goal approach to address watershed resource concerns, encouraging sustainable land management practices in support of the agricultural sector.

FRISP takes pride in supporting community involvement in all its projects through equipment sharing, dividing up certain contracts for shared workload, as well as involving high school students, industry partners and local non-profits groups in planting partnerships. This can create a great sense of community pride and awareness, focusing on functional watercourse systems and riparian management.

FRISP can help you with any identified riparian issue on your farm or ranch requiring attention or upgrade.

Read more about FRISP on BCCA’s website and contact BCCA for further information.