Our Backyard Glacier – The Past, Present and Future of Kathlyn Glacier
About this Seminar
Kathlyn Glacier – the backyard glacier of Smithers, BC – is a cultural touchstone of the Bulkley Valley and an important hydrologic component of Toboggan Creek and the Bulkley River. As a small (2.4km2) mountain glacier, Kathlyn Glacier is broadly representative of glaciers in the Skeena River watershed and can serve as a reference glacier for the region. This presentation shares the history of Kathlyn Glacier extent change (area and length) from the Little Ice Age Maximum (ca. 1900) to present day, volume change in recent decades, field data from four years (2022-2025) of monitoring by a group of community members, and modeling of the future of Kathlyn Glacier. Recent field work that will be highlighted includes surface mass balance measurements, repeat photography, recession observations, and radar observations of thickness. This work has been completed by a small group of community members including youth from the Climb High program, and supported by the Wetzin’kwa Community Forest, Alpine Club of Canada, and Bulkley Valley Research Centre.
About the Presenter
Dr. Matthew Beedle grew up in Juneau, Alaska with the Mendenhall Glacier as his backyard glacier. Participating in the Juneau Icefield Research Program as a high school student – traversing from Juneau to Atlin, BC – was a pivotal experience that led him formally into the Earth Sciences. He completed a BSc in Earth Science from Montana State University, an MA in Geography and Graduate Certificate in Environmental Policy from the University of Colorado, and a PhD in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies from UNBC. His research has focused on field-based and remote sensing observations of glaciers and how climate change is driving their recession. Matt is a Professor of Geography at Coast Mountain College. His current research focuses on the connections between climate change, glaciers, snowpack, and freshwater ecosystems in northwest BC.