Current Projects

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In collaboration with the British Columbia Wildlife Federation, we are building beaver dam analogues to enhance habitat in the Kootenay headwaters and mitigate drought. Beavers play a crucial role in retaining moisture on the landscape, which positively impacts ecosystem health, fire resilience, and habitat values. The decline of beaver populations has led to the loss of natural wetlands, but the installation of BDAs can effectively restore these essential functions.

In partnership with ʔAkisq̓nuk First Nation, GPS collars will be deployed in the Columbia Lake herd to understand seasonal movement, critical habitats, mortality causes, and responses to anthropogenic land-use changes. 

In collaboration with the Golden District Rod and Gun Club and the BC Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, we aim to deploy 30 GPS collars on elk in the North Trench area of the East Kootenay Region. This project aims to address data gaps regarding the sustainability of the population, calf recruitment, disease prevalence, population distribution, and migratory patterns.

As breeding bird specialists, we have developed a spatial analysis tool to assess habitats for the risk of incidental take of migratory birds and their nests in relation to ski run development and management. Additionally, we have created informational programming to educate field workers on the location and identification of active bird nests and Wildlife Habitat Features in line with FRPA.

In collaboration with Ktunaxa Nation Council and the Golden District Rod and Gun Club, we have been monitoring this herd throughout the TransCanada Highway Expansion Project to ensure their survival for the future. This initiative has been ongoing since 2019, with three GPS tags currently deployed on sheep and an array of remote cameras throughout their range.

Quality habitat for sheep is limited in this area due to fire suppression and increasing transportation infrastructure. This project aims to enhance existing habitat to promote improved forage availability and sightlines for the local bighorn herd.

In collaboration with the Golden District Rod and Gun Club, this project focuses on habitat enhancement to mimic historical fire regimes. Decades of fire suppression have resulted in heavily ingrown forests, limiting wildlife access. Elk and other ungulates thrive in forests shaped by fire, which creates heterogeneity, enhances snow interception, and provides open sightlines.

Habitat connectivity is vital to maintaining healthy populations in the face of modern pressures. This project, led by Kootenay Connect, Columbia Wetland Stewardship Partners, and the Kootenay Conservation Program in partnership with Environment Canada, seeks to conserve crucial movement corridors across the Rocky Mountain Trench ensuring the preservation of essential ecological pathways.

In collaboration with the North Columbia Bull Trout Working Group and Trout Unlimited, habitat enhancement efforts included population and habitat assessments in the Blaeberry, Waitabit, and Bluewater rivers.

In collaboration with Columbia Wetland Stewardship Partners and Kootenay Connect, we conducted mapping and fieldwork focused on habitat enhancement to protect mature cottonwood trees from beaver damage. Beavers are vital for wetland and forest health, but in areas where mature nesting trees are in short supply, safeguarding these trees is essential for sustaining nesting bird populations.

Remediation of an area formerly used as a gravel pit aims to restore hydrological and ecological integrity, enhancing habitat through techniques like beaver dam analogues. This restoration will benefit migratory fish species and contribute to a more dynamic and resilient system.