This past February, CIER supported Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) for a two-day, in-person event in Langford, British Columbia.

The sessions were a direct result of feedback received on the Species at Risk Act – Consultation, Cooperation, and Accommodation (SARA-CCA) Project, which requested additional in-person engagement sessions and increased opportunities for training that supports capacity-building.

The first workshop was held on February 25, and was titled “From Sea to Forest: A Workshop on the Conservation of Marbled Murrelet and Other Species at Risk”. This workshop focused on the marbled murrelet (brachyramphus marmoratus), a bird listed as “threatened” under the Species at Risk Act. The workshop also included other federally listed species at risk found on Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, the Gulf Islands, and the coastal lower mainland.

February 26, the second day of the event, was a day of free training for all interested participants in the Natural Resource Training Group’s “Plant Identification and Survey Techniques” course, which resulted in certificates of completion for the attendees.
Using dozens of plant samples, including lichens, mosses, and liverworts, the course covered the foundational knowledge needed for identifying plants and making surveying decisions based on the plant populations of interest and objectives during field work. All attendees received a ‘Plants of Coastal British Columbia’ field guide and a hand lens to help support future learning opportunities.

Invitations for the event were sent to Indigenous communities, Nations, and organizations across all of Vancouver Island, with direct attention to lands managers, Knowledge Holders, and/or technical staff. All costs associated with the two-day session were covered through the SARA-CCA Project through ECCC and administered through CIER, meaning all participants were supported to attend.

For additional information on the work CIER does with SARA-CCA Project, view our webpage here.