NEXT PRESENTATION | COMING SOON | PREVIOUS PRESENTERS
The next Speakers Series event will be September or October 2019. The VIU campus is closed at night in the summer term.
COMING SOON IN THE SPEAKERS SERIES Top
PRESENTATIONS SCHEDULED
4th Thursday each month, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
April 2019 is the last Speakers Series event until September or October 2019 when the VIU room will hopefully be offered again because the campus is closed at night in the summer term.
Always interesting. Always informative. Best binge in the watershed.
And completely free, thanks to the Real Estate Foundation of BC and VIU.
If you have ideas for presentations, or would like a presentation on a specific topic, please let us know. Send your comments to info@cowichanwatershedboard.ca
These events are made possible with financial assistance of the Real Estate Foundation of BC, and are co-hosted by VIU-Cowichan.
PREVIOUSLY IN THE SPEAKERS SERIES Top
2019
Apr - Climate Change - The Warmer Land
Mar - Willi Jansen & Mark Kissinger, The Enforcers: Meet our Conservation and Fishery Officers
Feb - Killer Whales & Legal Tales
2018
Nov - Voices of our Watersheds
Oct - Genevieve Singleton, Bringing Back the Bluebirds
Sep - Will Duguid, Chinook Growing Pains
Apr - Elke Wind, Amphibian Biologist
Mar - Gord & Anne Baird, Rainwater Harvest, Greywaters Systems
Feb - David Polster, Restoring Damaged Systems Using Native Plants
Jan - Al Gore, An Inconvenient Sequel
2017
Oct - Tom Gleeson, How Much Groundwater is on Earth
Sep - Natalie Anderson & Paul Siggers, Walking in the Watershed: A Cowichan Tribe’s Perspective
Jun - Ben Robinson, WELL SMART! - Get to know your H2O
May - John Borrows, Sources & Contemporary Uses of Indigenous Law
Apr - Jackie Hildering, Humpback Comeback
Mar - Kevin Pellett, Take a Peek at our PITs!
Feb - Nikki Wright, Inshore Marine Habitats
2016
Nov - Dr. Dave Preikshot, Salmon in the Somenos Basin
Sep - Oliver Brandes & Rosie Simms, BC's new Water Law
Jun - Dr. Bethany L. Coulthard, Forecasting Drought through Tree-rings
May - Stan Orchard, The American Bullfrog
Apr - David Campbell, Flow Forecasting with Snow-Pillow Technology
Mar - Elizabeth May, Climate Change
Jan - Emily Doyle-Yamaguchi, Bruce Fraser & Barry Gates, EcoForestry
Thursday, Feb 28, 2019 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
WHAT: Killer Whales & Legal Tales
Endangered Species legislation and Southern Resident Killer Whales.
Cowichan Watershed Board is pleased to welcome Vancouver-based Devon Page, environmental lawyer and Executive Director of Eco-Justice (formerly Sierra Legal Defense Fund) to deliver the first Speaker Series lecture of 2019. This event is co-sponsored by Cowichan Valley Naturalists and VIU Cowichan.
Devon will focus on the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale, and what legal tools can be leveraged to save them. These fish-eating whales spend much of their lives in the Salish Sea, including near Cowichan Bay. Currently only 75 individuals remain, with declines attributed in part to fewer Chinook salmon, their dominant prey.
Some of the Chinook salmon needed to support killer whale survival originate in the Cowichan watershed, making this topic particularly relevant for Cowichan residents. All welcome!
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Devon Page is the Executive Director of Ecojustice, Canada’s largest environmental law charity. Devon spent his first seven years at Ecojustice channeling his love of wilderness into protecting Canada’s endangered birds, wildlife and fish. Devon obtained the first injunction in Canada to stop logging in old-growth forests home to an endangered species — the northern spotted owl — and launched the first cases under federal species at risk legislation. Devon became Executive Director in 2008 and has focused on enhancing Ecojustice’s effectiveness by emphasizing litigation around key environmental and legal priorities, and expanding Ecojustice’s operations from British Columbia and Ontario to Alberta and the Maritimes.
More info:
EcoJustice - https://www.ecojustice.ca/
Media Contacts:
John Keller, EcoJustice, jkeller@ecojustice.ca, 604-685-5618
Tom Rutherford, Executive Director, Cowichan Watershed Board, 250-815-5930 (cell)
Cowichan Watershed Board – www.cowichanwatershedboard.ca or Find us on Facebook>
This event is co-sponsored by the Cowichan Valley Naturalists.
This event is made possible with financial assistance of the Real Estate Foundation of BC, and is co-hosted by VIU-Cowichan.
Thursday, Nov 22, 2018, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
WHAT: An evening of rapid-fire talks by regional watershed stewards sharing nuggets of knowledge about the places they know and love.
This event celebrates the final Cowichan Watershed Board-VIU Speakers Night of 2018, and the new regional watershed services bylaw which was just created to provide better planning and protection for the future of all watersheds.
Presenters are each tasked with teaching us about something they know well using just 18 slides that appear for 18 seconds each, or about 5.5 minutes! Its speed dating with our watersheds! Prepare to listen, learn, and laugh!
Confirmed speakers include:
- Haley Guest, Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre
- Guy Dauncey, Yellow Point Ecological Society
- Rick Bryan, Recreational Canoeing Association of BC
- David Preikshot, Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society
- Erik Piikkila, GreenBlue (Facebook group)
- …and more.
This event is made possible with financial assistance of the Real Estate Foundation of BC, and is co-hosted by VIU-Cowichan.
Thursday, Oct 25, 2018, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
WHO: Genevieve Singleton, Cowichan Valley Treasure - see bio below
WHAT: Come to enjoy stunning photography and learn about the amazing local effort by Cowichan Valley Naturalists' Society to restore a large, self-sustaining breeding population of Western Bluebirds to their historic Garry Oak habitats of southwestern BC, including here in the Cowichan watershed.
About the Speaker: Genevieve R. Singleton, B.Sc., Biology; M.Ed., Counseling Psych..Genevieve is a mother of four, nature interpreter, biologist, environmental activist and unabashed nature lover.
She leads nature walks for children all over the Valley, is the co-chair of the Cowichan Stewardship Roundtable and volunteer warden of several BC Parks.
Says Genevieve, "My life work is being a mother and sharing my love of nature wherever I can."
This event is made possible with financial assistance of the Real Estate Foundation of BC, and is co-hosted by VIU-Cowichan.
Thursday, Sep 27, 2018, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
Growing Pains: Trials of Chinook Salmon in their first year in the Salish Sea
WHO: Will Duguid, Marine Biologist, PhD candidate in the Fisheries Ecology and Marine Conservation Lab in the Department of Biology at the University of Victoria
WHAT: Cowichan Watershed Board is pleased to present Will Duguid to share his research and insights into the challenges faced by juvenile salmon in our local ocean environments.
“The Salish Sea Marine Survival Project is a collaborative US and Canadian attempt to understand dramatic declines in the survival of juvenile Chinook and Coho Salmon and Steelhead in the Salish Sea since the 1980s. Our own research forms part of this project, specifically focusing on the ecology of juvenile Cowichan Chinook Salmon in their first summer and fall at sea. I will discuss some new insights arising from the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project as a whole, and our work on Cowichan Chinook in particular, and engage in some speculation regarding how factors influencing survival of Cowichan Chinook salmon may interact. “
About the Speaker: Will is a PhD candidate in the Fisheries Ecology and Marine Conservation Lab in the Department of Biology at the University of Victoria, working under Dr. Francis Juanes. He previously worked in salmon stock assessment and fisheries management with LGL limited on behalf of a number of British Columbia First Nations. He PhD research focuses on fine scale spatial and temporal patterns of habitat use by juvenile Chinook Salmon in the Salish Sea.
More Info: https://marinesurvivalproject.com/
Check out these two posters for an example of Will Duguid's recent work:
Using salmon to sample the Salish Sea: diets of recreationally harvested Chinook and Coho Salmon as an ecosystem monitoring tool
Katie Innes, Will Duguid, Jessica Qualley, Francis Juanes, Fisheries Ecology and Marine Conservation Lab, Department of Biology, University of Victoria, 2017
Fine scale oceanography and the ecology of juvenile Chinook Salmon in the Salish Sea
William Duguid and Francis Juanes, Fisheries Ecology and Marine Conservation Group, University of Victoria, 2016
This event is made possible with financial assistance of the Real Estate Foundation of BC, and is co-hosted by VIU-Cowichan.
Thursday, Apr 26, 2018, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
Why Did the Toad Cross the Road?
WHO: Elke Wind"
WHAT: Tracking Western Toad Travels in the Cowichan Region
Cowichan Watershed Board is eager to welcome Elke Wind to share photos and findings from her research into native amphibians, particularly western toad habitats in the Cowichan Valley.
The Vancouver Island Western Toad Project fitted local toads with radio transmitters to track where they go, and better understand what habitats are needed during their annual hibernation cycles. Western Toads (Anaxyrus boreas) are listed federally as Special Concern. Sadly, the toads are often killed by traffic during their annual migrations to and from their terrestrial overwinter and aquatic breeding habitats. The project has worked to build education and awareness about these traffic issues to reduce harm as well as improving other habitat needs.
About the Speaker: Elke Wind is an independent contract biologist based in Nanaimo. She has been studying amphibian ecology on the island and coast for over 15 years. Elke has been involved with the development of Best Management Practices for Amphibians & Reptiles in Urban & Rural Areas for the BC Ministry of Environment and Habitat Management Guidelines for Amphibians and Reptiles in the Northwestern United States and Western Canada for PARC.
More Info: http://cowichanvalleywesterntoadproject.blogspot.ca (under the 2016 link, see the video about tracking toads!)
https://www.lakecowichangazette.com/news/toad-study-wraps-up-presentation-in-cowichan-should-be-hopping/
Amphibians of the South Coast: Identification, Habitat Associations, and Inventory Techniques
Elke Wind & Linda Dupuis, 2008
Media Contact: Elke Wind, E. Wind Consulting, ewind@telus.net / 250-716-1119
Download the Poster & Media Release
This event is made possible with financial assistance of the Real Estate Foundation of BC, and is co-hosted by VIU-Cowichan.
Thursday, Mar 22, 2018, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
Rainwater Harvest, Greywater Systems, and more
WHO: Gord Baird of Eco-Sense, presenting the "World's Greenest Home"
WHAT: Celebrating UN World Water Day, Cowichan Watershed Board and VIU-Cowichan Campus are pleased to present an inspiring and knowledge-packed slideshow and talk by Gord Baird, of Eco-Sense.
Eco-Sense is a multi-award winning green home and business in Victoria’s Highlands neighbourhood, providing regenerative design in the areas of water, food, energy, and lifestyle.
Gord will urge and support us to do more with our most precious resource, sharing his extensive experience in the topics of rainwater harvesting, greywater reuse, composting toilets, and more.
Click here to download slide images from Gord's presentation, Responsible Water Alternatives. (Note: large document, at 9 mb.)
About the Speaker:
Gord and Ann Baird have become synonymous with integrated sustainability when it comes to connecting lifestyle, food, economics, policy, community water, and resources otherwise considered by many to be waste. Their life is a snapshot documenting what is possible in a changing world, building the first legal 2-storey load-bearing cob residence in North America, and becoming the first building to receive the Living Building Challenge recognition. Their orchards include 90 fruit trees, 70 nut trees, and over 300 different species of edible perennial plant. And, they use 60% less water than the average farm to pull this off. They use their knowledge to help others, delivering workshops around integrated systems in food, water, energy, and lifestyle. Gord was involved in the Province of BC’s Manual of Composting Toilets and Greywater Practice (making it legal in BC). They both sit as municipal councillors for the Highlands which affords them the ability to educate and inform policy makers around the Capitol region.
More Info: https://eco-sense.ca/about/
Click here to download the notice of this World Water Day event.
Click here to download slide images from Gord's presentation, Responsible Water Alternatives. (Note: large document, at 9 mb.)
This event is made possible with financial assistance of the Real Estate Foundation of BC, and is co-hosted by VIU-Cowichan.
Thursday, Feb 22, 2018, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
Restoring Damaged Systems Using Native Plants
WHO: Local plant ecologist Dave Polster
WHAT: Dave will share knowledge from his long and impactful career using native plants to restore damaged ecological areas.
More: http://polsterenvironmental.com
About the Speaker:
David F. Polster, R.P. Bio. #148 is a plant ecologist with over 40 years of experience in vegetation studies, ecological restoration and invasive species management. He graduated from the University of Victoria with an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in 1975 and a Master of Science degree in 1977. He has developed a wide variety of restoration techniques for mines, industrial developments and steep/unstable slopes as well as techniques for the reestablishment of riparian and aquatic habitats. He is the past-president (third term) of the Canadian Land Reclamation Association. He is the treasurer for the Western Canada Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration and is the NW Regional Representative on the board of the international Society for Ecological Restoration (SER). He was recently awarded the prestigious John Rieger Award from SER. He served as the alternate mining representative on the board of the Invasive Species Council of B.C. for 9 years. Dave Polster has provided on-site design and direction in the development of reclamation and bioengineering systems for restoration of severely damaged ecosystems. He served as the environmental supervisor for CP Rail's massive Roger's Pass Project. He was responsible for developing the bioengineering systems that have successfully revegetated a portion of the Point Grey cliffs at UBC. Dave has prepared reclamation plans for numerous mines, quarries and gravel pits in Canada. He pioneered the concept of successional reclamation where the aim of the reclamation program is the re-integration of the disturbed site into the natural processes of vegetation succession. He has applied his knowledge in ecology to solving problems of unwanted and invasive vegetation. He has authored numerous papers and teaches graduate level courses on these topics.
More: http://polsterenvironmental.com.
This event is made possible with financial assistance of the Real Estate Foundation of BC, and is co-hosted by VIU-Cowichan.
Thursday, Jan 25, 2018, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power
Film Night: Free Showing of An Inconvenient Sequel
In lieu of a Speaker this month, Cowichan Watershed Board is excited to present a free showing of "An Inconvenient Sequel" featuring Al Gore in his follow-up documentary to "An Inconvenient Truth".
It's US focused, and not everyone gave it rave reviews, but it's an inspiring call to action to address climate change to kick off the new year!
Be on time for this one - this film is over 90 minutes so we will have to start promptly at 7pm.
Unfortunately due to the length of the film and VIU's closing time at 9pm, we won't have much time for discussion this month (so think of this one more as Listeners' Night than Speakers Night!). However we bought the rights for unlimited showings so we hope individual or organizations will host your own showings/discussions at your convenience. Contact jill@cowichanwatershedboard.ca to arrange.
WHO: Al Gore
ABOUT THE FILM:
"Ten years after the Academy Award®-winning An Inconvenient Truth brought climate change to the forefront of mainstream culture, former Vice President Al Gore continues his tireless fight to educate the next generation of climate champions. Eye-opening and alarming, this compelling follow-up shows that while the stakes have never been higher, the solutions to the climate crisis are still within our reach."
https://inconvenientsequel.tumblr.com/watch
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power is a 2017 American documentary film directed by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk about former United States Vice President Al Gore's continuing mission to battle climate change. The sequel to An Inconvenient Truth (2006), the film addresses the progress made to tackle the problem and Gore's global efforts to persuade governmental leaders to invest in renewable energy, culminating in the landmark signing of 2016's Paris Agreement. The film was released on July 28, 2017, by Paramount Pictures, and grossed over $5 million worldwide. It received a nomination for Best Documentary at the 71st British Academy Film Awards.
The film follows the efforts made to tackle climate change and Al Gore's attempts to persuade governmental leaders to invest in renewable energy, culminating in the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2016.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Inconvenient_Sequel:_Truth_to_Power
WHEN: Thursday, Jan 25, 2018, 7:00 pm (Free entry; Doors open at 6:15; Seating is limited)
WHERE: Vancouver Island University, Cowichan Campus, Room 140
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Former Vice President Al Gore is the cofounder and chairman of Generation Investment Management. He is a senior partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and a member of Apple Inc.’s board of directors. Gore spends the majority of his time as the chairman of The Climate Reality Project, a nonprofit devoted to solving the climate crisis.
Gore was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976, 1978, 1980, and 1982 and to the U.S. Senate in 1984 and 1990. He was inaugurated as the 45th vice president of the United States on January 20, 1993, and served eight years.
He is the author of the best-sellers “Earth in the Balance,” “An Inconvenient Truth,” “The Assault on Reason,” “Our Choice: A Plan To Solve the Climate Crisis,” “The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change,” and most recently, The New York Times best-seller "An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power.”
He is the subject of an Oscar-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, and a new film which premiered in July 2017, An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power. Gore is the co-recipient, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, for “informing the world of the dangers posed by climate change.”
Former Vice President Gore was born on March 31, 1948, and resides in Nashville, Tennessee.
https://www.algore.com/about
More Info: https://https://inconvenientsequel.tumblr.com/
This event is made possible with financial assistance of the Real Estate Foundation of BC, and is co-hosted by VIU-Cowichan.
Thursday, Oct 26, 2017, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
How much groundwater is on earth?
WHO: Dr. Tom Gleeson, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Victoria. Leader of the Groundwater Science and Sustainability Research Group
WHAT: We are excited to present Dr. Tom Gleeson, lead author of a pioneering study to map the Earth’s total volume of groundwater. The study, conducted by an international collaboration of hydrologists, also examined how much of that groundwater has been renewed in a human lifetime. Come to learn more!
WHEN: Thursday, Oct 26, 2017, 7:00 pm (Free entry; Doors open at 6:15; Seating is limited)
WHERE: Vancouver Island University, Cowichan Campus, Room 140
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
“I am a hydrogeologist interested in groundwater sustainability, regional-to-continental-scale groundwater systems, groundwater-surface water interactions and fluid flow around geologic structures. I address these varied research interests by integrating disciplines that are not often combined: field methods, numerical modeling, environmental chemistry, structural geology, GIS and policy studies. I love new ideas and experiences, food and yoga, and helping people and the world. I grew up building forts in Ontario, moved west to climb mountains, study geology and work as a consulting hydrogeologist, and zigzagged across Canada for a doctorate at Queen’s, postdoc at UBC, and first faculty position at McGill. I am thrilled to be part of the new Civil program at UVic and living in Victoria. “
Tom also founded the “water underground” blog for water resource professionals, academics and anyone interested in groundwater research, teaching and supervision.
Media Contact:Tom Gleeson: tgleeson@uvic.ca, 250-853-3934, https://www.uvic.ca/engineering/civil/people/home/tgleeson.php
More Info: http://www.groundwaterscienceandsustainability.org/
Click here to download the media release
This event is made possible with financial assistance of the Real Estate Foundation of BC.
Thursday, Sep 28, 2017, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
Walking in the Watershed: A Cowichan Tribes’ Perspective on Street Safety and Human Habitats
WHO: Natalie Anderson , Cowichan Tribes Referrals Coordinator, & Paul Siggers, EcoPlan International
WHAT: The Cowichan River has been a means of travel for Cowichan people since time immemorial. But today, due to traffic and urbanization along the river corridor, it’s often unsafe for Cowichan families to walk or bike near their homes and the places they need to go. This presentation will share the process and results of a Cowichan Tribes Transportation and Mobility study that involved engagement with Cowichan community members about how to best address the hazards they encounter during daily trips through the community. In 2016 the plan was recognized by the Canadian Institute of Planners with an Award for Planning Excellence.
WHEN: Thursday, Sep 28, 2017, 7:00 pm (Free entry; Doors open at 6:15; Seating is limited)
WHERE: Vancouver Island University, Cowichan Campus, Room 140
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Natalie Anderson grew up in the Cowichan Valley, and is part of the referrals team at Cowichan Tribes. She coordinated the Cowichan Tribes Transportation and Mobility Plan. Natalie holds a B.A. in Political Science and Government from UBC, and is a descendant of the Metis, Cree, and Anishinaabe peoples of present day Manitoba.
Paul Siggers is an associate at EcoPlan with experience in strategic planning, community engagement, planning for healthy communities, structured decision-making, and monitoring and evaluation programs. Paul holds a B.A. in Literature from Simon Fraser University and Diploma in Applied Urban and Rural Planning from Langara College, and is a member of the Canadian Association of Certified Planning Technicians.
Media Contact: Dana Thorne, Communications Coordinator, Cowichan Tribes. 250-748-3196
More Info: Cowichan Tribes Transportation and Mobility Plan (2015)
Click here to download the media release
This event is made possible with financial assistance of the Real Estate Foundation of BC.
Thursday, Jun 22, 2017, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
WELL SMART!
WHO: Ben Robinson, Groundwater Protection Officer, FLNRO
WHAT: Healthy water is our most basic need in life and yet most of us don't know much about how our water gets to our taps. So, lets get to know our H20!
We invite you to this free "Well Smart" info session with Ben Robinson, MSc, A.Ag., Groundwater Protection Officer, BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Water Protection Section, West Coast Region.
Ben will help us understand our groundwater and aquifers as well as proper construction and care of wells. He will also discuss laws that govern groundwater and its protection in BC, and some common concerns about water quantity. Questions welcome!
WHEN: Thursday, Jun 22, 2017, 7:00 pm (Free entry; Doors open at 6:15; Seating is limited)
WHERE: Vancouver Island University, Cowichan Campus, Room 140
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Ben Robinson has been the Groundwater Protection Officer for the West Coast Region since May, 2016. Prior to this he earned a BSc in Physical Geography from University of Victoria, a MSc Water Resources Management from McGill University, and he spent several years in consulting. He feels that BC is blessed with groundwater resources many would envy, and it’s all of our responsibility to manage this resource sustainably. The new regulation is a strong step in the right direction and he is excited to be on the ground on its launch.
Click here to download the media release
This event is made possible with financial assistance of the Real Estate Foundation of BC.
Thursday, May 25, 2017, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
Sources and Contemporary Uses of Indigenous Law
WHO: John Borrows, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Law at the University of Victoria
WHAT: Sources and Contemporary Uses of Indigenous Law
WHEN: Thursday, May 25, 2017, 7:00 pm (Free entry; Doors open at 6:15; Seating is limited)
WHERE: Vancouver Island University, Cowichan Campus, Room 140
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: John Borrows, B.A., M.A., J.D., LL.M. (Toronto), Ph.D. (Osgoode Hall Law School), LL.D. (Hons., Dalhousie) F.R.S.C., is the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Law at the University of Victoria. His publications include, Recovering Canada; The Resurgence of Indigenous Law (Donald Smiley Award for the best book in Canadian Political Science, 2002), Canada's Indigenous Constitution (Canadian Law and Society Best Book Award 2011), Drawing Out Law: A Spirit's Guide (2010), Freedom and Indigenous Constitutionalism (2015) all from the University of Toronto Press. John is Anishinaabe/Ojibway and a member of the Chippewa of the Nawash First Nation in Ontario, Canada.
This event is made possible with financial assistance of the Real Estate Foundation of BC.
Thursday, Apr 27, 2017, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
Humpback Comeback
WHO: Jackie Hildering
WHAT: They’re big, they’re beautiful, and they’re back from the brink of extinction! Everyone welcome! An informative and entertaining discussion on the return of Humpback Whales to BC's coast, and the research of the Marine Education and Research Society.
Please join us! Especially if you spend time on or near the ocean witnessing the return of these giants.
WHEN: Thursday, April 27, 2017, 7:00 pm (Free entry; Doors open at 6:15; Seating is limited)
WHERE: Vancouver Island University, Cowichan Campus, Room 140
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Jackie Hildering is a researcher with the Marine Education and Research Society and wishes to share MERS’ research with those who are most often on or near the water and discuss how we can work together to better understand these giants and the risks they face (for the sake of boater and whale safety). Information will include research on Humpback feeding and rate of entanglement and efforts to increase awareness around collision and what to do if entanglement is witnessed. As an educator, avid diver and underwater photographer, Jackie is also known as “The Marine Detective” with recent on-camera experience including being featured on Animal Planet’s “Wild Obsession” series and in the BBC productions “New threat to Canada's Pacific humpback whales?” and “Ingenious Animals”. It indeed promises to be informative and entertaining! See www.mersociety.org.
Click here to download the poster.
This event is sponsored by the Cowichan Watershed Board, Cowichan Valley Naturalists Society (CVNS), and the Marine Education and Research Society (MERS)
This event is made possible with financial assistance of the Real Estate Foundation of BC.
Thursday, Mar 30, 2017, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
Take a Peek at our PITs!
BC Conservation Foundation shares insights into the new "PIT Tag" method to track Cowichan River Chinook.
WHO: Kevin Pellett, Fisheries Biologist, BC Conservation Foundation
WHAT: Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags are an exciting new technology enabling biologists to detect and track salmon with an antenna. Mr. Pellett will teach us how the tiny electronic devices are being used locally to investigate survival of Cowichan River Chinook in their first year of life, and what that tells about watershed management.
WHEN: Thursday, Mar 30, 2017, 7 pm
WHERE: VIU Cowichan Campus, 2011 University Way, Duncan, BC. Lecture Hall – Rm 140
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Kevin Pellett is a fisheries biologist whose recent work has focused on Chinook salmon. A local graduate of Malaspina University-College (now VIU) in 2004, his early career was spent restoring Steelhead habitat in response to dramatic population declines in the 1990’s. Kevin is also an avid fisherman, which has provided an opportunity to explore much of the island, both on land and the ocean. Having witnessed the collapse of fisheries within the Strait of Georgia first hand he has a strong motivation to understand the mechanisms controlling marine survival. He is one of many researchers funded by the Pacific Salmon Foundation through the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project (http://marinesurvivalproject.com/) who are intensively studying both juvenile salmon and their environment.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Kevin Pellett, BC Conservation Foundation, kpellett@bccf.com, (250) 616 7504 (cell)
Tom Rutherford, Cowichan Watershed Board, tom.cowichan@gmail.com / 250-815-5930 (cell)
This event is made possible with financial assistance of the Real Estate Foundation of BC.
Thursday, Feb 23, 2017, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
Seagrass, Shellfish, and Salmonids
Understanding our Essential Inshore Marine Habitats
WHO: Nikki Wright, Executive Director, SeaChange Marine Conservation Society
WHAT: Nikki will treat us to her insights into the watery world below the surface in our estuaries and inshore habitats, and the critical role these areas play for healthy salmon, shellfish and more.
WHEN: Thursday, Feb 23, 2017, 7 pm
WHERE: VIU Cowichan Campus, 2011 University Way, Duncan, BC. Lecture Hall – Rm 140
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Nikki Wright has been engaged in community organizing since the 1970’s. She is an environmental educator, conservationist and leader. Since 1998, she has served as the Executive Director of SeaChange Marine Conservation Society, based in Brentwood Bay, BC. SeaChange’s mission is marine and coastal watershed conservation through education and restoration.
With the support of the Canadian Wildlife Service in 2001, she initiated and has helped guide the Seagrass Conservation Working Group. Presently she works with a professional SCUBA dive team and trained surveyors to map, monitor and restore eelgrass beds where possible in the southern Salish Sea. She passionately believes small groups in community are the real agents of change for a more protected coast.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Nikki Wright, SeaChange Marine Conservation Society, seachange@shaw.ca, 250-652-1662
This event is made possible with financial assistance of the Real Estate Foundation of BC.
Thursday, Nov 24, 2016, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
On The Persistence of Coho Salmon in the Somenos Basin
WHO: Dr. Dave Preikshot
WHAT: Free public lecture, Co-hosted by the Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society as part of the WildWings Festival
WHEN: Thursday, Nov 24, 2016, 7 pm
WHERE: VIU Cowichan Campus, 2011 University Way, Duncan, BC. Lecture Hall – Rm 140
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Dave has most recently worked as a fisheries scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Madrone Environmental services. While with Fisheries and Oceans Dave has helped conduct several research projects in the Strait of Georgia examining processes governing the populations of juvenile and adult Pacific Salmon. He has been a lead or co-researcher on projects conducted for the Strait of Georgia Ecosystem Research Initiative, the Pew Charitable Trusts, DFO’s Salmon and Fisheries Ecosystems Division, the Pacific Shellfish institute, the Pacific Salmon Foundation and The Pacific Fisheries Resources Conservation Council.
Click here to read Dr. Preikshot's bio
This event is made possible with financial assistance of the Real Estate Foundation of BC.
Thursday, Sep 22, 2016, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
BC's New Water Law: Old Wine, New Bottles
WHO: Oliver Brandes & Rosie Simms, POLIS Project on Ecological Governance
WHAT: Free public lecture
WHEN: Thursday, Sep 22, 2016, 7 pm
WHERE: VIU Cowichan Campus, 2011 University Way, Duncan, BC. Lecture Hall – Rm 140
Monday, June 27, 2016, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
Tree-ring Tales: a multi-century perspective on the future of drought on Vancouver island
WHO: Dr. Bethany L. Coulthard, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research - University of Arizona. Recent PhD graduate, University of Victoria, Geography.
WHAT: Free public lecture: Using 350 years of tree ring data as well as long-term drought records, Dr. Coulthard has found at least 16 historical droughts worse than the benchmarks used today by hydrologists and water managers in coastal BC. She will present information from her recent report which concludes that the coastal regions of southern BC are very likely to be hit by a worse drought within the coming decades than any time in the last three to four centuries. Says Coulthard, “If we don’t implement more conservative mitigation strategies, the region will be seriously under-prepared when one of these droughts hits. The impacts would be disastrous for stream ecology and salmon.”
WHEN: MONDAY June 27, 2016, 7 pm. Note date change to fit speaker’s travel schedule.
WHERE: VIU Cowichan Campus, 2011 University Way, Duncan, BC. Lecture Hall – Rm 140
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Bethany L. Coulthard
Dr. Coulthard is a paleoclimatologist, dendrochronologist, and earth systems geographer. She specializes in the development and analysis of high-resolution paleoenvironmental (historical environmental) records to interpret the impacts of climate change on earth’s hydro-climatology and forest vegetation. Her goal is to generate useful information for water, forest, and other resource managers, policy-makers, and communities addressing climate change.
Bethany earned her Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Victoria, under the supervision of Dr. Dan Smith (University of Victoria Tree-Ring Laboratory). She also holds an M.Sc. in Geography from the University of Victoria, and a B.A. from Mount Allison University. Currently, she is a Postdoctoral research associate with the Past Landscapes Lab at the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research at University of Arizona. Her previous and ongoing research programs include assessing the unusualness of recent snowpack declines, streamflow drought, glacier ice melt, and forest productivity changes throughout the North American cordilleras. (Photo by Jillian Harvey).
Media Contact: Bethany Coulthard | coulthard.bethany@gmail.com | bethanycoulthard.strikingly.com
Tree-ring data suggest B.C. is facing harshest droughts in 350 years
Thursday, May 26, 2016, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
The American Bullfrog
WHO: Stan Orchard, BullfrogControl.com Inc: Innovations in bullfrog control and eradication.
WHAT: The American Bullfrog Rana (Lithobates) catesbeiana is a robust, brilliant green amphibian that occurs in nature only in North America, from southern Québec and Ontario, throughout the Mississippi drainage, south to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in southern Mexico. Its natural range does not extend across the prairies and Great Plains or west of the Rocky Mountains.
Thriving populations of bullfrogs are today found all over the world because people have imported and released them in the hope of starting commercial farms to supply frogs and tadpoles for fish bait, pets, educational dissection, and human consumption. For the most part, frog farming has proven to not be a viable enterprise. In any case, it inevitably results in unwanted, noisy, and ecologically damaging American bullfrog populations.
ABOUT OUR SPEAKER: Stan Orchard is President of BullfrogControl.com Inc. He is a conservation biologist/amphibian and reptile specialist. From 1981-1999 he ran a herpetology program in the Natural History Section of the Royal British Columbia Museum. From 1994-1999 he was the National Co-ordinator for Canada for the IUCN/SSC Task Force on Declining Amphibian Populations in Canada (DAPCAN). In 1994 he co-founded the Canadian Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Network (CARCNet) and served as its Chairman from 1994 to 1999. He is a member of the IUCN’s Species Survival Commission. In 1998 he was invited to Australia by WWF to – over four years – design, co-ordinate and manage the world’s largest privately-funded amphibian conservation program. It is now an independent organization known as ‘Frogs Australia’. In 2003, he resurrected plans to develop the strategies and tools to effectively control and eradicate populations of alien invasive amphibians. Currently, as President of BullfrogControl.com Inc., he works on southern Vancouver Island creating innovative, cost-effective, eco-friendly strategies, tactics and techniques for eradicating populations of the American bullfrog Rana (Lithobates) catesbeiana – listed as one of the 100 Worst Alien Invasive Species in the World., BullfrogControl.com: Innovations in Control and Eradication.
Thursday, April 28, 2016, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
Pillow Talk: Flow Forecasting for the Cowichan River, including new Snow Pillow Technology
WHO: David Campbell, Head, Ministry of Environment River Forecast Centre.
WHAT: High in the hills above Cowichan Lake, the amount of snow on the ground is of great interest to those who care about the Cowichan watershed, and particularly the impacts of summer drought. David Campbell is an expert in using this and other information to predict river levels. He will share the latest knowledge about Cowichan River flow expectations and he will explain “snow pillows” and what they can (and can’t) tell us about the year to come. He will tell us about the equipment that has been installed on Heather Mountain and some case studies from recent years. He will also look at some of the limitations of forecasting, particularly in the Cowichan Valley.
Click here to view Dr. Campbell's presentation
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: David Campbell has spent nearly two decades working on rivers, large and small, in British Columbia and across Canada. His expertise includes fluvial geomorphology, hydrology, flood hazard, and the implications of climate change on river systems. He currently serves as the Head of the River Forecast Centre where he leads the provincial operational hydrology program responsible for seasonal water supply assessment, snow pack analysis, drought monitoring, and flood forecasting throughout BC.
Click here for the BC River Forecast Centre
Thursday, March 31, 2016, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
WHO: Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada and Member of Parliament for Saanich—Gulf Islands.
WHAT: Climate Change, the Paris COP negotiations, and insights from Elizabeth's years of 'behind the scenes' political negotiations for climate stability.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Elizabeth May is an environmentalist, writer, activist, lawyer, and leader of the Green Party of Canada. Elizabeth became active in the environmental movement in the 1970s. She is a graduate of Dalhousie Law School and was admitted to the Bar in both Nova Scotia and Ontario. She held the position of Associate General Counsel for the Public Interest Advocacy Centre prior to becoming Senior Policy Advisor to the federal minister of the Environment from 1986 until 1988. Elizabeth became Executive Director of the Sierra Club of Canada in 1989, a position she held until March 2006, when she stepped down to run for leadership of the Green Party of Canada.
Click here to read more about Elizabeth ...
Free EcoForestry Lecture
Thursday, January 28, 2016, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
WHO: Emily Doyle-Yamaguchi, Bruce Fraser & Barry Gates.
WHAT: Come and learn about an inspiring project by the Shawnigan Basin Society to explore what land use could look like if we put ecosystems first.
Three Cowichan valley speakers will team up to present the recent work of eco-forester Herb Hammond and the Silva Forest Foundation to create an Ecosystem-based Conservation Plan for the Shawnigan Watershed.
Click here to download the poster for this event.
Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/997685566977813/
The Cougar: Beautiful, Wild and Dangerous
with Paula Wild
Wednesday, November 18, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
WHO: Paula Wild, Author and Freelance Writer Moderated by Genevieve Singleton
WHAT: Paula will read from her book The Cougar: Beautiful, Wild and Dangerous.
Vancouver Island has the highest density of cougars, as well as the highest rate of attacks on humans. And chances are, if you spend any amount of time in the woods, a cougar’s seen you while you’ve been totally oblivious to its presence. In an impeccably researched blend of natural history, scientific research and first-person accounts, Wild explores what makes this animal so beautiful, so dangerous and such a valuable part of our environment.
"Paula Wild covers the gamut – from the cat’s biology and demographics to the lessons people need to live in cougar country. With this, will come understanding, and with understanding will come a better future for cougars.” Howard Quigley, Teton Cougar Project Director & Executive Director, Jaguar Programs at Panthera.
This event is co-hosted by Cowichan Valley Naturalists Society and sponsored by The Writers' Union of Canada.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Paula Wild is the author of six books, including Sointula Island Utopia, winner of a BC Historical Federation Certificate of Merit for its significant contribution to history. She has also written for numerous periodicals, including British Columbia Magazine, Reader’s Digest and Canada’s History Magazine.
She lives in Courtenay, BC.
A BC Bestseller, The Cougar: Beautiful, Wild and Dangerous is the Gold Winner for Nature Book of the Year at Foreword Reviews’ USA IndieFab Awards and was a finalist for the BC Book Prizes’ Booksellers’ Choice Award.
The Cougar: Beautiful, Wild and Dangerous is a September 2013 release by Douglas & McIntyre.
Read more about Paula at her website: www.paulawild.ca.
Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/585587851596432/
Groundwater and Surface Water:
Studies in the Cowichan River Watershed.
Wednesday, Oct 21, 2015, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
WHO: Sylvia Barroso, Regional Hydrogeologist, and Neil Goeller, Regional Hydrologist, Water Protection Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Nanaimo. Moderated by David Slade.
WHAT: Sylvia and Neil will give an overview and discuss the preliminary results from a three year multi-disciplinary study undertaken by researchers from Simon Fraser University, the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and the Ministry of Environment, to help answer questions such as:
- What are the interactions between groundwater and surface water within the lower reaches of the Cowichan River?
- How does the water quality in the river compare to groundwater quality in different parts of the basin and how can this be used to understand the dynamics within the watershed?
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Sylvia Barroso is a hydrogeologist who has been working on water related projects on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands for the past 15 years. She has a BSc in Earth Sciences from the University of Victoria and an MSc in hydrogeology from the University of Waterloo.
Neil Goeller is a hydrologist with a BSc in Earth Sciences from McMaster University and an MSc from Simon Fraser University.
Click here to download the media advisory
Click here to view the PDF of the presentation (Large file: 30 mb)
Click here to view the PowerPoint presentation (Very large file: 109 mb)
Water Heroes in Film
Wednesday, Jul 22, 2015 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
WHO: Water Woman & David Slade
WHAT: In keeping with lazy these summer days, this month's VIU-Watershed Board Speaker Series event will be a film night (lazy for us, not for the people who make the films!) focussed on water and water conservation.
[Note that our speakers series was pushed back one week this month - July 22 (4th Wed).]
Featuring - international debut of water saving video clips of local super-hero - Water Woman with the villainous Leak E Hoser.! Water Woman - Cowichan Water Challenge
Also featuring another local super-hero,... David Slade, live and in person, presenting the latest info from the Cowichan Watershed Board Water Conservation Challenge and other not-to-be-missed info!
See you there!
Deborah Curran: The Big Picture of Water Law in BC: Moving to Watershed and Water-Centric Decision Making
Wednesday, Jun 17, 2015 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
(Come early - this'll be packed!)
WHO: Deborah Curran, Hakai Professor in Environmental Law and Sustainability, Faculty of Law, University of Victoria
WHAT: One of BC's greatest champions of better environmental law will address one of Cowichan's most pressing needs.
Deborah will present and discuss:
- An overview of BC's 100 year old water law and problems arising from that regime, such as no water for fish, water quality concerns and lack of coordinated decision making.
- Highlights from the new Water Sustainability Act.
- Key approaches to moving towards water-centric decision-making.
Followed by Q&A. All welcome.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Deborah Curran is the Hakai Professor in Environmental Law and Sustainability at the University of Victoria Faculty of Law. Her research and teaching focuses on the allocation of environmental entitlements and what we call property interests in law - land, water and rights to those - in the contexts of healthy ecosystems and colonial and indigenous systems of law. Deborah's work is initiated by community members with whom she works in a variety of contexts including the Environmental Law Clinic, the unique field course she teaches in environmental law and sustainability on Calvert Island in the Central Coast of B.C. at the Hakai Beach Research Institute, the POLIS Water Sustainability Project and with local governments across the province. As a municipal lawyer who focuses on sustainability issues, Deborah is currently writing on green real estate, local governments and the evolution of water law in Canada.
Deborah has collaborated with and advised POLIS since inception on smart growth, land development and urban sustainability, and water law. She joined the Eco-Research Chair as a Research Associate in 1997, transitioned into an POLIS Affiliate in 2001 and became part of the Faculty Advisory Roundtable in 2013. During her time as a Research Associate at POLIS she developed the POLIS Smart Growth program and wrote reports on the economic value of natural green space protection and the impact of big box stores. Deborah is a co-founder of Smart Growth BC and served as the president of the board for five years.
Deborah holds a B.A (Hons.) in environmental science studies from Trent University, a L.L.B. from the University of Victoria, and an L.L.M. from the University of California at Berkeley.
Rodger says: We are fortunate to have another great speaker at the Speaker Series. We are in a time of real change as far as water law goes. At last there will be some regulation regarding ground water. Environmental and critical stream flow will finally get some recognition. What will the changes mean to us in the Cowichan? Deborah Curran is a recognized expert and great at translating the law so the regular people can understand it.
If you are interested in water law and water rights then I am sure that you will find our June 17 Speaker Series presentation to be a very informative and enjoyable evening.
I look forward to seeing you at VIU.
Rodger Hunter
Click here to download the media advisory
John Ford: Killer Whales in British Columbia - Past, Present & Future
Wednesday, May 20, 2015, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
(Come early - this'll be packed!)
WHO: Dr. John Ford, DFO, UBC – senior marine mammal scientist with over 40 years of whale observations and knowledge to share.
WHAT: Free public talk about the ecology, behaviour and acoustic communication of Killer Whales, including their relationship to Chinook salmon and other amazing marine creatures of our coast.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Dr. John Ford is the head of the Cetacean Research Program at the Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, BC. Prior to his move to DFO in 2001, John was senior marine mammal scientist and Director of Research and Conservation at the Vancouver Aquarium. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Zoology and the Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia.
John has been involved in field studies of marine mammals off Canada’s west coast since the mid-1970s. His areas of research include the life history, ecology, behaviour and acoustic communication of cetaceans, especially killer whales. He has written or co-written numerous scientific articles and books on whales and his research has been featured extensively in television documentaries and popular magazines. In recent years, his research has focused on the conservation status of cetaceans listed under Canada’s Species-at-Risk Act and involves assessments of population abundance and distribution, critical habitats, and foraging ecology of west coast whales. He is a member of COSEWIC’s Marine Mammal Species Specialist Committee and the IUCN’s Cetacean Specialist Group.
Rodger Hunter, A Virtual Tour of the Cowichan Watershed
Wednesday, April 15, 2015, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
WHO: Rodger Hunter
WHAT: A virtual tour of the Cowichan Watershed. This hour long guided tour will feature images and stories about the Cowichan watershed from its mountainous headwaters, to the grandeur of Cowichan Lake, the weir that provides for summer flows in the river, significant points of interest along our Canadian Heritage river and the lower floodplain and finishing up at our incredible estuary. Along the way we will discuss issues affecting our watershed and acknowledge some of the amazing organizations and people who contribute to its protection and restoration.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Rodger is the part time Coordinator of the Cowichan Watershed Board.
Fukushima Radiation in North American Continental Waters
The scoop on our oceans post-Fukushima
Wednesday, March 11, 2015, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
Robin Brown
PICES (The North Pacific Marine Science Organization)
Robin Brown has worked for Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) for almost 30 years. For the last 15 years with DFO he managed the Ocean Sciences Division at the Institute of Ocean Sciences and was responsible for up to 70 scientists, technicians and support staff who carried out research and monitoring in the North Pacific and Arctic Oceans. Robin was also the federal co-chair of a Federal-Provincial interagency Japan Tsunami Debris Science and Monitoring Working Group. He recently took the position of Executive Secretary of the North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES). PICES is an intergovernmental organization established in 1992 to promote and coordinate marine research in the northern North Pacific and adjacent seas. Its members are Canada, Japan, People's Republic of China, Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America.
Robin is thoughtful, and extremely entertaining speaker who knows his topic well and loves to share his knowledge of the ocean. We are grateful that he is able to speak here in the Cowichan immediately before Canada Water Week.
Some Grow Carrots; Others Grow Clams
An evening about ancient beach gardening on the Pacific coast
Wednesday, Feb 18, 2015, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
Skye Augustine
Northwest Indian College and Clam Garden Network
An upbeat and interesting evening about ancient beach gardening on the Pacific Coast. Presented by Skye Augustine. Skye, a Coast Salish woman of mixed heritage, carries the Hul’qumi’num name Hwsyun’yun from the Stz’uminus Nation. She is currently the Associate Director of the Salish Sea Research Center at Northwest Indian College on the Lummi Reservation near Bellingham, WA.
Skye has a passion for traditional coastal foods and marine science, particularly the interaction of these around education, Aboriginal rights and title, and the conservation of coastal resources. She earned her B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Geography at the University of Victoria, and has worked with Parks Canada on clam gardens since 2009. In particular, she has investigated the relationship between clam garden restoration and conservation policy, and used GIS to identify key regions for clam garden restoration. Skye is also a collaborator on the Learning By The Sea program in the southern Gulf Islands.
Join the discussion on Facebook
Birds of the Cowichan Watershed
Trends, and What We Can Do
Wednesday, Jan 21, 2015, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
Dave Aldcroft
Local naturalist and bird surveyor
Click here to download Dave's presentation (7mb).
Many of you will know of David Aldcroft and his good work. He has had a passion natural history and birds for 50 years and has lived in the Cowichan Valley since 1981.
He has been a member of Natural History Society since that time. In Vancouver he was VP of the Vancouver Natural History Society and Chairman of the Fraser River Coalition. Besides working professionally in ornithology where he banded over 22,000 shorebirds for the Canadian Wildlife Service, Dave has been a builder, a commercial fisherman and as some of you may know through your kids he has driven school bus.
Each year Dave takes part in 2 breeding bird surveys one in the Cowichan and one at Whistler. He also does night hawk surveys, nocturnal owl surveys and he participates in our local Christmas bird count (this year was his 30th).
A number of people have asked about birds and the watershed. This should be a very interesting, informative and enjoyable evening.
I look forward to seeing you.
Rodger Hunter, Coordinator
Cowichan Watershed Board
Reaching Blue
15 cinematographers examine our challenged coastal waters
Wednesday, Dec 17, 2014, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
Ian Hinkle & Andy Robertson
Finding hope beneath the surface. Reaching Blue is the story of a coastal way of life under threat, where hope is found in stories of our past while facing the challenges of the future.
A writer, an oyster farmer and an ocean scientist on the Pacific coast expose new changes found in the Salish Sea, linking each of us to the world's oceans. With twenty-two cinematographers contributing imagery from deep-sea submarines, ocean research vessels and drone cameras around our local waters, we catch a glimpse of a place as it has never been seen before. From John Steinbeck's old research vessel The Western Flyer to residents of coastal communities facing dramatic changes in their own back yards, Reaching Blue shows that we are all connected to the ocean at our doorstep.
Visit www.reachingblue.com for more info and to watch the film.
The Cowichan Lamprey and
Chinook Salmon in the Strait of Georgia
15 cinematographers examine our challenged coastal waters
Wednesday, Nov 19, 2014, 7:00 pm
VIU Cowichan Campus, Room 140
Dr. Dick Beamish
Vist Dick's website for more information.
Resilience - Cowichan Premiere
Wednesday, Feb 19, 2014, 7:00 pm
Cowichan Theatre
A film by Nick Versteeg
Visit Nick's website for more information and films by Nick Versteeg.
Postponed
WHO: Val Napoleon, Law Foundation Professor of Aboriginal Justice and Governance, University of Victoria.
WHAT:Indigenous Law. More info coming soon.
Dr. Napoleon provided these documents as backgrounders for her areas of expertise and her presentation at the Cowichan Watershed Board Speakers Series:
- Thinking About Indigenous Legal Orders, by Val Napoleon
- Tsilhqot'in Law of Consent, by Val Napoleon
- Gathering the Threads: Developing a Methodology for Researching and Rebuilding Indigenous Legal Traditions, by Hadley Friedland & Val Napoleon
- Indigenous Legal Traditions: Roots to Renaissance, by Val Napoleon & Hadley Friedland
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Val Napoleon is from northeast British Columbia (Treaty 8) and a member of Saulteau First Nation. She is also an adopted member of the Gitanyow (Gitksan) House of Luuxhon, Ganada (Frog) Clan. Prior to joining the Faculty of Law at UVic, she was an associate professor cross appointed with the faculties of Native Studies and Law at the University of Alberta. Val worked as a community activist and consultant in northwestern BC for over 25 years, specializing in health, education, and justice issues ...
