Fuel Treatments in a Northern BC Community Forest
Wednesday April 5, 2023 12:00pm - Thursday April 13, 2023 1:00pm
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Seminar Series
From September through May of each year, the Bulkley Valley Research Centre hosts public seminars every second Wednesday over the lunch hour. This is a chance to connect and hear from regional and international scientists and practitioners about the latest developments in natural and cultural resource research and management.
Where: Zoom Webinar (BVRC members will receive an invite; non-members can email info@bvcentre.ca)
When: Every second Wednesday (September to May), 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
SEMINAR ARCHIVE: Visit the BVRC YouTube Channel to view recordings of past seminars. Recent seminars will be available within 1-2 weeks.
We send out regular notifications to our membership about each upcoming seminar. If you would like to be added to the email list to receive notifications of the Seminar Series, or if you are interested in making a presentation, please call the Centre at 250-847-2827 or email info@bvcentre.ca.
We would like to thank our Seminar Series sponsors, BV Community Foundation and Bulkley Valley Credit Union.
Upcoming Seminars
Past Seminars
Returning to Burning: Boundary Spanners Needed to Support Innovative Solutions to Wildfire
Wednesday March 8, 2023 12:00pm-1:00pm
Via Zoom -
About this Seminar
A key challenge in western Canada is how to manage wildfire risk and support the application of cultural and prescribed fire across regional, provincial and Indigenous territorial boundaries. Often roles and responsibilities for proactive fire management are unevenly distributed...
Current Research on Impacts of Glyphosate-based Herbicide Use in Forests
Wednesday February 22, 2023 12:00pm-1:00pm
Via Zoom -
About This Seminar
This presentation will explore recent research into the effects of chemical herbicides, primarily glyphosate, on plants in forest operations. Glyphosate-based herbicides have been used in reforestation since the 1980s to reduce competition for coniferous seedlings. Until...
Moose Winter Willow Forage Enhancement Operational Research
Wednesday February 8, 2023 12:00pm-1:00pm
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About this Presentation
In 2021/22, 630 ha of Scouler's willow sites on Old Fort Mountain, Babine Lake watershed, were manually treated by hinging or felling 65-75% of the mature willows to promote both stump and bowl sprout production. Nine treatment units were established to comparatively assess...
Forest Carbon Recovery After Fire
Wednesday January 25, 2023 12:00pm-1:00pm
Coast Mountain College and via Zoom - Smithers, BC
About This Presentation
Wildfire is a natural disturbance in many forested biomes, with the loss of carbon to the atmosphere and mortality of trees actively sequestering carbon of global concern as a contribution to climate change. Natural regeneration is often successful at re-establishing a...
Old Growth and Beyond: Assessing Ecosystem Integrity in Landscapes Managed for Forestry
Wednesday December 7, 2022 12:00pm-1:00pm
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About the Presentation
Evaluating and maintaining ecological integrity of landscapes managed for forestry is of high interest to Government, First Nations, Industry, and the public in BC. While old-growth assessment is an important component of evaluating ecological integrity, the assessment of...
Pining for Home: Assisted Migration as a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy
Wednesday November 23, 2022 12:00pm-1:00pm
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About this Presentation
This presentation makes a case for “boldly going where no forester has gone before”: deconstructing the 100-year-old paradigm of reforesting with local seed sources. Numerous reports have already linked large-scale forest disturbance with 20th and 21st-century climate...
Community Matters—On the Public Interest in a Complex and Uncertain World
Wednesday November 9, 2022 12:00pm-1:00pm
Zoom webinar -
Local Ecological Knowledge of Mountain Goats in the Skeena Region
Wednesday June 1, 2022 12:00pm-1:00pm
- Zoom Webinar
ABOUT THIS SEMINAR
Since time immemorial, people have been interacting with mountain goats in the mountainous landscapes of what is now commonly known as the Skeena Region. Many have gained exceptional and even intimate knowledge of specific populations through seasonal expeditions to mountain...
Dying Wolf Moments: Inspirations and Reflections on a Wildlife Career
Wednesday May 18, 2022 12:00pm-1:00pm
- Zoom Webinar
ABOUT THIS SEMINAR
Dr. Kessler will reflect on her 45-year wildlife science and management career in this seminar. Kessler studied at Berkeley and Texas A&M University. She then taught and researched for 19 years at the University of Idaho, and in 1997 Kessler became the founding chair of the...
Indigenous-Led Fire Stewardship and the Revitalization of Landscape Scale Pyrodiversity
Wednesday March 23, 2022 12:00pm-1:00pm
- Zoom Webinar - Smithers
ABOUT THIS SEMINAR
Each year, huge sums of public money are spent suppressing wildfires, while little is invested in reducing wildfire risk through prescribed fire, forest thinning, and supporting Indigenous fire stewardship. Given the vulnerability of Indigenous peoples to the impacts of wildfire...
Change in the Morice River Watershed: Climate, Glaciers, Snowpack and Impacts on Streams and Salmon
Wednesday January 12, 2022 12:00pm-1:00pm
- Zoom webinar, Smithers
About this Presentation
This presentation investigates the primary factors determining stream temperatures in the Morice River watershed today and forecasts conditions to 2100 based on modelled climate change, glacier recession and seasonal snowpack. Matt will share the history of glacier...
Biodiversity, Disturbance and Ecological Memory: A forest management approach
Wednesday January 12, 2022 12:00pm-1:00pm
Zoom webinar - Smithers, BC
About This Presentation
Natural disturbances (e.g., wildfire) are important drivers of forest change that influence the present and future composition of species across the landscape. Normally, these disturbances leave behind legacies of the pre-disturbance landscape – both within and outside of...
Field Observations and Remote Sensing of Wildland Fuels: A Case Study
Wednesday December 8, 2021 12:00pm-1:00pm
Zoom webinar - Smithers, BC
About This Presentation
In 2018, the Alkali Lake wildfire destroyed structures, burned well over 100,000 hectares, and was still smouldering a year later. As the Alkali Lake fire begins the process of regrowth, it is important to document the types of “forest fuels” that are growing to better...
Historical-Ecological Perspectives on Land-Use in the Pacific Northwest
Wednesday November 10, 2021 12:00pm-1:00pm
Zoom Webinar - Smithers, BC
About This Presentation
Ts'msyen and Coast Salish people have a long history of managing and stewarding the lived landscape. Dr. Armstrong will combine archaeological evidence with rich, community-based history to showcase Indigenous Forest Gardens: relict ecosystems of managed fruit and nut trees...
Developing Forest Management Strategies to Conserve Wildlife Habitat: A look back over 25 years
Wednesday October 13, 2021 12:00pm-1:00pm
Zoom Webinar - Smithers, BC
About This Presentation
Kari will present a variety of results from her work over the past 25 years that has influenced forest management in parts of BC. Research topics include songbird community response to varying levels of tree retention in cutblocks, logging practices necessary to effectively...
Wildfire Research in Northwestern BC: An MA thesis research summary
Wednesday June 2, 2021 12:00pm-1:00pm
Zoom Webinar - Smithers, BC
ABOUT THIS PRESENTATION
Susan will describe her MA thesis project entitled Community voices as agents of change: 2018 wildfire experiences in the Southside. This research tells the story of the 2018 wildfire season in Cheslatta Carrier Nation territory (the Southside) from the perspective of...
Protecting Farmland: A Policy Perspective
Wednesday May 5, 2021 12:00pm-1:00pm
Zoom Webinar - Smithers, BC
ABOUT THIS PRESENTATION
Protecting agricultural land is a long-standing concern of policy in British Columbia, since the “uncontrolled residential development” in the Lower Mainland of the 1950s to the recent planting trees for carbon credits in the central interior. In this presentation, David...
Occupational Health Impacts of Wildfire
Wednesday April 21, 2021 12:00pm-1:00pm
Zoom Webinar - Smithers, BC
ABOUT THIS PRESENTATION
With increasing global wildfire activity, a growing number of workers are engaged in wildfire suppression activities. Wildfire fighters work through their summers to keep our communities safe and it is important we understand the potential impacts on their health. During...
The very hungry caterpillar: Temperature and humidity impacts on an insect pest of tree fruits
Wednesday April 7, 2021 12:00pm-1:00pm
Zoom Webinar - Smithers, BC
ABOUT THIS PRESENTATION
Temperature and moisture are among the most important abiotic factors that can influence insect abundance and distribution. Outbreaks of insect pests in agricultural crops are increasingly attributed to global climate change as mean temperatures increase along with more...
Long-term effects of timber harvesting on coarse woody debris and marten habitat
Wednesday March 24, 2021 12:00pm-1:00pm
Zoom Webinar - Smithers, BC
ABOUT THIS PRESENTATION
Coarse woody debris (CWD) is an important component of many forest ecosystem functions, and there is increasing recognition that CWD dynamics need to be considered during forest management planning. Over time, timber harvesting impacts the quantity, quality, and input rates...
Long-Term Monitoring of Bald Eagles at Besnard Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada 1968-2021
Wednesday March 10, 2021 12:00pm-1:00pm
Zoom Webinar - Smithers, BC
ABOUT THIS PRESENTATION
Dr. Dzus will provide an overview of the world's longest running Bald Eagle research project. Topics to be covered include the history of eagle monitoring in northern Saskatchewan set in the context of the historical declines and increases of Bald Eagles in northern...
BC’s Old Growth Forest: A Last Stand for Biodiversity
Wednesday February 10, 2021 12:00pm-1:00pm
Zoom Webinar - Smithers, BC
ABOUT THIS PRESENTATION
Old growth is disappearing globally with implications for biodiversity, forest resilience and carbon storage, yet uncertainty remains about how much exists. We analysed publicly available data to examine the status of old growth stratified by ecosystem and productivity....
Developing Wildfire Resiliency in BC Forests
Wednesday January 27, 2021 12:00pm-1:00pm
Zoom Webinar - Smithers, BC
ABOUT THIS PRESENTATION
A team of interdisciplinary researchers will present an overview of the BVRC's wildfire research program, which is designed to improve resource management and reduce the vulnerability of communities and forests to negative effects of wildfires. For more information about...
Ecology of Native Bees
Wednesday December 2, 2020 12:00pm-1:00pm
via Zoom - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
There are over 500 species of bees within British Columbia, each with specific life history traits and floral relationships. Understanding the basic ecology of native bees will help us to better provide the key resources and habitat components that they require to persist....
Highlights from the Forest Practices Board
Wednesday November 18, 2020 12:00pm-1:00pm
Zoom Webinar - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
The Forest Practices Board (FPB) celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2020. In those 25 years, the Board has produced 649 reports and made over 500 recommendations for improvements. This presentation will cover some recent reports from the FPB and summarize areas where the...
Working Across Difference in Natural Resource Management
Wednesday November 4, 2020 12:00pm-1:00pm
Zoom Webinar - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
People working in resource management face many complex and difficult problems, including reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and different levels of Canadian governments; mitigation and adaptation to climate change; recovery of endangered species; and achievement of...
The Missing Link
Wednesday October 21, 2020 12:00pm-1:00pm
Zoom Webinar - Smithers, BC
About this Presentation
Low-elevation pine forests in north central British Columbia provide high value caribou winter range. These stands have been impacted by fire and mountain pine beetle and various silviculture treatments are being proposed within these stands. Biologists and wildlife habitat...
Harvesting for Goshawks
Wednesday October 7, 2020 12:00pm-1:00pm
Zoom Webinar - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
The Northern Goshawk is an iconic forest raptor (“ghost of the forest”) that was once a common bird throughout the Bulkley Valley. This presentation will show the linkages between extensive forest harvest and the dramatic decline in the number of goshawks. In response to...
Skeena Knowledge Trust Update
Wednesday September 23, 2020 12:00pm-1:00pm
Zoom videoconference - Smithers, BC
The Skeena Knowledge Trust (SKT) was formed in 2017 and is governed by five trustees with the operations managed by Eclipse Geomatics Ltd. The SKT’s main function is to promote knowledge management throughout the Skeena watershed as it relates to salmon ecosystems. To carry out our mandate we have...
From Tiny Bubbles to Resilient Systems: A Wildlife Ecologist’s Backyard Quest for Connection
Wednesday July 15, 2020 12:00pm-1:00pm
Zoom - Online (from Smithers, BC)
Please RSVP to info@bvcentre.ca to register for this seminar.
ABOUT THIS PRESENTATION
Resilience—coarsely defined as the capacity to cope with and adapt to major life stressors and change—is key for people, human societies, and ecosystems to persist and thrive. A silver lining of the COVID-19...
Lichens on the edge: Keeping sensitive lichens in the managed forest
Wednesday March 11, 2020 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
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About this presentation
The Kispiox inland rainforest is a biological hotspot for forest canopy lichens, but has little formal protection. With only 7% in protected areas, we need conservation strategies that maintain rare lichens on the managed land base. Retaining groups of live trees around...
Columnar growth in western redcedar
Wednesday February 26, 2020 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About the Presentation
Adriana will provide an update on her study that seeks to better understand columnar growth of western redcedar (Thuja plicata) in the Kitimat Valley. In her research, Adriana assesses the effects of industrial aerial emissions in gas exchange, foliage, and soil accumulation...
What is responsible development?
Wednesday February 12, 2020 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About This Presentation
We often hear about responsible development, but rarely define what it means. The lack of clarity often leads to polarizing conversations and few tools for communities to have meaningful discussions and input. This talk will look at weaknesses in our current approach and...
Logging Differently for Wildlife
Wednesday January 29, 2020 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About this Presentation
We are hearing more and more about an imminent paradigm shift in forest management in BC. What does that mean, if anything, to our harvest practices? Join the discussion on how industry and government are looking into expanding alternative logging regimes in the north and...
Conservation Ranking of Grizzly Bear Population Units
Wednesday January 15, 2020 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About this Presentation
British Columbia is part of NatureServe’s western hemisphere-wide network of non-profit conservation programs. NatureServe modified its Element Rank Calculator to enable the assignment of conservation ranks to the Province’s Grizzly Bear Population Units (GBPU). A rank is...
Aspen ecology and management in the US Southwest
Wednesday December 4, 2019 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
Quaking aspen (Populous tremuloides) is an iconic species with a range extending across much of North America. In the US Southwest, near the southern end of the species range, sustaining aspen populations has been a challenge for decades. Ungulate browse is a major limiting...
Managing Forests for Resilience
Wednesday November 20, 2019 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
Sustainable forest management isn't good enough any more. Challenged by insect outbreaks, mega-fires, and lost markets, it is time to emphasize flexibility, persistence and adaptability over optimization. Diversity at many levels is a multi-faceted strategy for maintaining...
Defining Sustainable Forest Management in the Tropics: A Disaggregated Landscape Approach
Wednesday November 6, 2019 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About this Presentation
"Sustainable forest management (SFM) has become the guiding paradigm for forestry around the world, but all too often it is not clearly defined. While I accept that SFM is more than sustained yield timber management, I worry about the consequences for nature of broad...
BC Community Bat Program and NABat Monitoring – Project Updates
Wednesday October 23, 2019 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Smithers Art Gallery - Smithers, BC
Please note the change of venue: This seminar will be hosted at The Smithers Art Gallery (this week only).
About this presentation
The BC Community Bat Program is a network of community bat projects across BC, carried out in partnership with the Ministry of Environment. The goals of this network...
A Quick Introduction to ML/ARD at Mine Sites
Wednesday October 9, 2019 12:00pm-1:30pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
This presentation will cover (1) properties and processes of sulphidic rock and how they affect drainage; (2) sulphide geologic materials; (3) challenges and requirements; and (4) tools and procedures.
Food production, housing, energy production, health care and...
Climate Change in Northern BC
Wednesday June 5, 2019 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers BC
About this presentation
This presentation will give an overview of recent changes in climate, focusing on the northwest, from instrumental observations. It will also discuss climate change projections, impacts and adaptation.
About Vanessa Foord, M.Sc., P.Ag.
Vanessa Foord is a Research...
Do Birds Need Trees? Long-term Response to Forest Retention
Wednesday May 22, 2019 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
Retention forestry aims to maintain biodiversity within managed stands. We followed breeding birds over 25 years after harvest within stands with 0% (clearcut), 40%, 70% and 100% (unharvested control) retention. Response varied with habitat preference. Conifer-forest...
Vegetation dynamics on terrestrial lichen sites, 11-13 years following fire
Wednesday May 8, 2019 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
In 2014, the Chelaslie Arm fire burned over 130,000 ha of the Tweedsmuir-Entiako caribou (Rangifer tarandus) winter and migration range. The massive size of the fire and its impact on the Tweedsmuir-Entiako caribou winter and migration range has led to concerns about...
Drones and Natural Resource Management
Wednesday March 27, 2019 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
This presentation will cover the entire landscape of drones in natural resource management, including regulations, technology, applications and the evaluation of derived products.
New Regulations from Transport Canada coming into force this June will simplify and reduce...
Burning Questions: Effects of Fire on Ecosystems
Wednesday March 13, 2019 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About the presentation
The changing climate has resulted in significant changes in fire regimes in BC and elsewhere. BC just experienced two of the most severe fire seasons on record. Evelyn’s presentation will outline some of the implications of predicted changes in climate on fire regimes,...
The Metlakatla CEM Program: A Novel First Nation-led Cumulative Effects Management System
Wednesday February 27, 2019 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
The Metlakatla Cumulative Effects Management (CEM) Program was initiated in 2014 in direct response to increased development pressures on the Metlakatla First Nation and its territory on the North Coast of BC. The goal of the CEM Program is to track and assess the condition...
A Brief But Tortuous History of Forestry in BC.
Wednesday February 13, 2019 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
Let us follow the course of BC forestry, from tie cutting to pellets, from unregulated expansion to regulation, deregulation, and increasing entropy. With particular attention to allowable annual cuts, intensive forestry, political influence, death and transfiguration, and...
Whitebark Pine at the Northern Edge: Current Constraints & Future Potential Northern Distribution
Wednesday January 30, 2019 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
Climate change is anticipated to generally result in a poleward or upward elevational movement of species due to warming temperatures. The underlying assumption of this prediction is that climate, particularly cold climates, are the most important driver of species range...
Fire legacies in a BC coastal temperate rainforest
Wednesday January 16, 2019 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
While wildfire is globally most common in the savanna-grassland ecotone, the flammability of coastal temperate rainforests is considered low and little is known regarding historic fire activity. Reconstructing historical fire activity typically requires dendrochronological...
The History of a Mixed Economy: Witsuwit’en Relations to Natural Resource Industries, 1870-1970
Wednesday December 12, 2018 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
This talk will examine the history of Witsuwit’en relations to natural resource industries in the century following the first major incursion of settlers into Witsuwit’en territories following the Omineca Gold Rush. Indigenous labour was vital to early resource industries....
Resource Management in Northern BC: A Brief Retrospective & Future Considerations
Wednesday November 21, 2018 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
Looking back on the past 20 years of natural resource management in Northern BC, Marsden brings new perspectives on the central role of conflict over major projects and what we can collectively learn and apply for future co-management between First Nations, the two levels...
Comparing Traditional Plant Uses: BC & NZ
Wednesday November 7, 2018 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - 3704 1st Ave - Smithers, BC
About this presentation:
This presentation compares the use of plants for food, medicinal, spiritual and technological purposes by the Maori of New Zealand and First Nations in Northwestern BC. It provides a brief history of plant use by both groups and provides similar and different uses for...
The Road North: A Cassiar Adventure
Wednesday October 24, 2018 12:00pm-1:00pm
Northwest Community College - 3966 2nd Avenue, Smithers, BC - Smithers
About the presentation
The Road North is a non-technical account of geological fieldwork by horse party in the Cassiar Mountains in the late 1980's, along with tales of the local mines and prospectors.
Please note: this presentation will be at Northwest Community College in Smithers, NOT the Old...
Guardians of the Babine - Grizzly Bears of the Babine River Watershed
Wednesday October 10, 2018 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church, 3704 1st Ave - Smithers, BC
About this Presentation
Len Vanderstar, R.P.Bio., R.P.F., B.Ed., RGCS Fellow - is a Skeena Region based habitat protection biologist and has spent decades adventuring within the Babine River watershed. Len is an advocate for grizzly bear conservation and he will share his personal stories along...
What’s a ‘Cumulative Impact’, Anyway?
Wednesday September 26, 2018 12:00pm-3:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About this presentation & workshop:
This presentation (1 hour) and workshop (2 hours) will share results from four years of research on the cumulative environmental, community and health impacts of resource development across northern BC. Participants can expect to: learn about cumulative impacts...
Environmental DNA (eDNA) Testing
Thursday June 14, 2018 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
The BVRC is proud to host a special lunch hour seminar on June 14th at the Old Church for “eDNA week in Smithers.” Dr. Caren Helbing will be coming to Smithers to offer a seminar on the eDNA work she has been leading in her lab, involving non-invasive DNA water sampling....
Warning signals of adverse interactions between climate change and native stressors
Wednesday April 18, 2018 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church (corner of King and First Ave) - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
The climate of central BC has changed over the past century, generally becoming warmer throughout the year and wetter in spring and summer. These environmental trends benefit a variety of forest disturbance agents including insects such as the mountain pine beetle and...
Skeena Knowledge Trust
Wednesday April 4, 2018 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church (corner of First Avenue and King Street) - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
Johanna will present an update on the Skeena Knowledge Trust (SKT), as well as a demonstration of the Skeena Salmon Data Centre and related Skeena Maps Portal. By providing an easy-to-use portal to access comprehensive curated information, the SKT hopes to empower...
Spatial Tool for Monitoring Aircraft Compliance with Wildlife Avoidance Strategies
Wednesday March 21, 2018 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church (corner of First Avenue and King Street) - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
Until recently, the provincial government did not have the means to audit heli-ski operations to assess compliance with wildlife avoidance strategies. Given that the Skeena Region has significant populations of mountain goats within all its heli-ski tenure areas, it was...
Skeena Salmon and Climate Change: Adapting to an Uncertain Future
Wednesday March 7, 2018 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church (corner of First Avenue and King Street) - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
This talk will look at what impacts we are already seeing and experiencing in the Skeena watershed. It will also explore the changing conditions in our coastal waters and the North Pacific that have a large impact on how many fish return each year. The Skeena and its people...
From bogs to bays: Watershed exports link Pacific coastal temperate rainforests to marine ecosystems
Wednesday February 21, 2018 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church (corner of First Avenue and King Street) - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
The coastal temperate rainforests (CTR) of British Columbia are dynamic zones for the transfer of water and carbon from land to sea. However, little is known about the quantity or quality of carbon exported from the CTR or its fate in coastal ocean food webs. This...
The understory plant community as an indicator of ecological recovery after logging
Wednesday January 24, 2018 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church (corner of First Avenue and King Street) - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
After a quarter century of monitoring plant community responses to different levels of canopy retention, we examined if higher levels of retention promote less change and faster recovery after logging. Most vegetation indicators did show more stability with higher...
Shaping Watersheds: The Augmented Reality Sandbox
Wednesday November 15, 2017 12:00pm-3:00pm
The Old Church (corner of First Avenue and King Street) - Smithers, BC
About this event
In honour of GIS Day (November 15, 2017), the BVRC is proud to present an interactive, augmented reality exhibit designed to improve public understanding and stewardship of freshwater lake ecosystems using 3D visualizations. As individuals move the sand, a projected elevation model...
Assessing Lichens, Birds and Stand Structure as Indicators of Biodiversity
Wednesday November 1, 2017 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church (corner of First Avenue and King Street) - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
Our project investigates the effectiveness of post-harvest retention of forest stand structure for maintaining biodiversity within sub-boreal spruce forests of the Babine Watershed Monitoring Trust (BWMT) study area. Our question was: Is the level of retention of forest...
Ethical Evolution in Health Care: Medical Assistance in Dying
Wednesday October 18, 2017 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
Since June 17, 2016, medical assistance in dying can legally be provided in Canada by Physicians and Nurse Practitioners for a person who meets eligibility criteria set by the federal government. This presentation will describe how the care is being provided in BC and will...
Constructed Wetlands and Surface Water Treatment
Wednesday April 26, 2017 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
When precipitation and surface water runoff come in contact with a log storage facility there is a potential for leachate to develop. The impact of leachate often produces poor water quality resulting in an impact on aquatic life. The development of a constructed wetland...
Quantifying the Water Balance of Northeastern Boreal Watersheds, British Columbia
Wednesday April 12, 2017 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church (corner of First Avenue and King Street) - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
This study aims to provide water balance of boreal watersheds of northeastern BC using the MIKE SHE hydrological model. More specifically, this study intends to quantify historical and regional water balances of two boreal watersheds—the Coles Lake and Tsea Lake...
Birds in High Places: ecology and conservation value of northern mountains for avian biodiversity
Wednesday March 29, 2017 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church (corner of First Avenue and King Street) - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
Mountains comprise about 50% of the BC and Yukon landbase, and one-third of birds breeding in North America use mountain habitats for at least one critical period of their annual life cycle. Birds have developed exceptional adaptions to live in these environmentally...
Human Groups as Evolving Organisms
Wednesday March 1, 2017 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church (corner of First Avenue and King Street) - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
In this seminar, Richard Overstall continues the story from previous talks of how a complex, horizontal, bottom-up social order developed on what is now called the North Coast of British Columbia. Earlier presentations showed that the spatial and temporal patterns of...
Ecosystem Interactions Along the North Coast of British Columbia
Wednesday February 15, 2017 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church (corner of First Avenue and King Street) - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
Intertidal infaunal communities represent a powerful, but currently under-exploited tool with regards to environmental monitoring along the northern coast of British Columbia. Community assemblages (species presence/absence and densities) can be used to elucidate ecosystem...
A Future for Whitebark Pine Ecosystems in Northern BC
Wednesday February 1, 2017 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church (on the corner of First Avenue and King Street) - Smithers, BC
About this presentation
It has been 10 years since the Bulkley Valley Research Centre began its research into the restoration of endangered whitebark pine in northern BC. It is time to celebrate achievements, reflect on challenges, and lay out a strategy to ensure a future for this unique tree...
Is the Drone Industry Poised to Take Off in the Natural Resource Sector?
Wednesday November 30, 2016 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church (on the corner of First Avenue and King Street) - Smithers, BC
About this seminar:
Larry McCulloch will reveal how unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), better known as drones, might be used in natural resource management. He will provide a framework for understanding the potential, limitations, and exigencies involved in UAV use and showcase results from some of...
Water Sustainability: National Impacts and Local Opportunities
Wednesday November 16, 2016 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church (on the corner of First Avenue and King Street) - Smithers, BC
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About this seminar:
British Columbia’s history, identity, and future are inseparable from water. Water is essential for the environment, for communities, and for a vibrant economy. With a goal of seeing all waters in good ecological condition, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) embarked upon Canada’s...
Research Resources from The Real Thing: the natural history of Ian McTaggart Cowan
Monday September 19, 2016 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church (on the corner of First Avenue and King Street) - Smithers, BC
About this seminar:
The Cowan Biography Project has brought 60 years of journals kept by Ian McTaggart Cowan to light. These now transcribed and digitized journals provide windows into pre-industrialized landscapes of British Columbia from the Ootsa, Peace and Kootenay Rivers and Mackenzie Delta...
Modelling Spring Runoff in the Kiskatinaw River, British Columbia
Wednesday April 20, 2016 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - on the corner of First Avenue and King St. - Smithers, BC
Image: “Weatherisation at Blackhawk, within the Kiskatinaw River Basin.”
About this seminar:
Precipitation that falls as snow has important social, economic and ecological implications in cool temperate and subarctic regions. The amount of water that held within the snowpack is of particular...
Spill Response & The Test of Due Diligence
Wednesday March 23, 2016 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - on the corner of First Avenue and King St. - Smithers, BC
About this seminar:
Due diligence is a legal defense that the spiller took reasonable measures to prevent the spill incident from occurring. Therefore the “test” of due diligence is the process of ensuring that reasonable preventative measures were identified and implemented. Although the focus...
An Introduction to Human Rights Law in the Northern BC Context
Wednesday March 9, 2016 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - on the corner of First Avenue and King St. - Smithers, BC
About this seminar:
The term “human rights” is often used indiscriminately, to refer to what is moral, what ought to be. In the legal context, however, the term is defined more narrowly. While inspired by “morality”, in Canadian law, human rights are restricted to individuals who face...
Richard Overstall: Sea lions, Salmon, Eulachon and Humans
Wednesday February 24, 2016 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - on the corner of First Avenue and King St, Smithers, BC. - Smithers, BC
Sea lions, Salmon, Eulachon and Humans: how a complex legal order emerged on the Northwest Coast two millennia ago.
About this seminar:
This seminar will explore the evolution of a complex indigenous legal order at the mouth of the Skeena and Nass rivers about two thousand years ago. It will...
Quantifying the Water Budget for a Northern Boreal Watershed: The Coles Lake Study
Wednesday February 10, 2016 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - on the corner of First Avenue and King St. - Smithers, B.C.
About this seminar: Northeastern British Columbia is undergoing rapid development for oil and gas extraction and this depends largely on subsurface hydraulic fracturing (fracking), which depends on the available freshwater.
The aim of this study is to characterize and quantify all components of...
How much is too much? Critical Loads and the regulation of industrial emissions in Northwest B.C.
Wednesday January 27, 2016 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - on the corner of First Avenue and King St. - Smithers, B.C.
Patrick Williston is a biologist who has worked and lived in the Northwest BC (Smithers and Terrace) for most of his life. Over the past three years he has worked at the BC Ministry of Environment where he has been involved with assessing the potential impacts of industrial air emissions on...
Modelling Photochemical Air Pollutants from Industrial and Biogenic Emissions in Terrace-Kitimat
Wednesday January 13, 2016 12:00pm-1:00pm
The Old Church - on the corner of First Avenue and King St, Smithers, BC. - Smithers, BC
Ben Weinstein completed a BSc. in Atmospheric Science at UBC in 2003, and shortly thereafter moved to Smithers to work for BC Environment on air quality-related projects. In 2005 he became the air quality meteorologist for Skeena Region and managed all air quality-related files in NW BC. In 2013 he...
Geoscience BC: A special seminar
Wednesday June 17, 2015 12:00pm-1:00pm
Northwest Community College - Smithers
Join us for a discussion with Robin Archdekin and Andrea Clifford from Geoscience BC. This will be a chance to learn about the work the organization is undertaking across the province, and catalyze a community dialogue about earth science in the region and how it can be used to guide informed land...
Natural Resource Assessment in the Morice Watershed
Wednesday April 29, 2015 12:00pm-1:00pm
Northwest Community College - Smithers
Don Morgan, a natural resource management and systems researcher with the Ministry of Environment, will present the results from a natural resource assessment case study in the Morice watershed. Morgan will discuss methods used to characterize historic and future landscape condition and the...
David Hughes: The Potential LNG Industry and B.C.’s Natural Gas Supply
Thursday April 16, 2015 12:00pm-1:00pm
Northwest Community College - Smithers
Hosted by the Bulkley Valley Research Centre and the Northwest Institute, energy expert and geoscientist David Hughes discusses the natural gas supply and proposed LNG industry in BC, showing the connections this has to the national global energy supply picture. David is a geoscientist who has...
COSEWIC Status Report on Caribou
Wednesday April 1, 2015 12:00pm-1:00pm
Northwest Community College - Smithers
In 2000, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assessed caribou within the Southern Mountain National Ecological Area in the southern portion of BC and in southwestern Alberta as Threatened, and caribou within the Northern Mountain National Ecological Area in...
Bulkley Landscape Reforestation Standards Project
Wednesday March 18, 2015 12:00pm-1:00pm
Northwest Community College - Smithers
The desire to link silviculture reforestation stocking standards to timber supply assumptions and to other related objectives at the landscape level has been discussed for more than a decade.
Gary Quanstrom, RPF of Pacific Inland Resources, will speak on plans to develop a Bulkley Landscape...
Quantifying the water budget for Coles Lake
Friday March 6, 2015 12:00pm-1:00pm
Northwest Community College - Smithers
Greenhouse gas emissions have warmed the Earth by dramatically increasing heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere and studies indicate the resulting rise in global air temperature has profound consequences for humans and the environment. BC has been highly affected by climate change compare to the...
Genomics: Changing the way we mine
Wednesday February 18, 2015 12:00pm-1:00pm
Northwest Community College - Smithers
Sue Baldwin, UBC professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, leads a discussion about the treatment of mine-affected water through the applications of bioremediation and meta-genomics. Bioremediation is a useful approach for treating mine-affected water. It is based on...
Helicopter drones for forest data acquisition: Separating the facts from the buzz
Wednesday February 4, 2015 12:00pm-1:00pm
Northwest Community College - Smithers
Helicopter drones (as well as fixed wing) have garnered significant attention in the last couple years. In the forest sector, many see the many potential uses and benefits of this tool. But, once you get past the buzz, are expectations unrealistic? Larry McCulloch and Matt Sakals provide a few...
Local and global insight into the future of northern forest ecosystems in uncertain times
Wednesday December 17, 2014 12:00pm-1:00pm
Northwest Community College - Smithers
Climate change is projected to impact forest ecosystems and the good and services they provide by directly influencing forest growth, regeneration and mortality, and indirectly through shifts in climate-sensitive landscape disturbance, such as fire and insect outbreaks. Concomitant economic and...
Western Cedar Deformity
Wednesday December 10, 2014 12:00pm-1:00pm
Northwest Community College - Smithers
Adriana Almeida-Rodriguez discusses a study that seeks to better understand columnar growth of western redcedar in the Kitimat Valley using aerial emissions and geological maps superimposed for selecting six sample sites, three of which are located along the aerial industrial emission corridor from...
Innovative subdivisions to retain and protect valued features
Wednesday November 26, 2014 12:00pm-1:00pm
Northwest Community College - Smithers
Cristina Soto, PhD, discusses this project examining tools to help protect sensitive habitat and recreation areas in the face of subdivision development, including specific bylaws, conservation covenants, collaboration with neighbours, government partnerships, particular formats of subdivision...
Science in the Public Interest: A discussion about science’s role in deciding our region’s future
Wednesday November 12, 2014 12:00pm-1:00pm
Northwest Community College - Smithers
Join the Bulkley Valley Research Centre as we discuss what we’re up to, where we’re headed and the role research plays in the face of an economic and industrial boom for the North. This event is free; bring a lunch!
All-Candidates’ Forum
Wednesday October 29, 2014 12:00pm-2:00pm
The Gathering Place, Northwest Community College - Smithers, BC
Join the Bulkley Valley Research Centre for a special Seminar Series presentation as we host an all-candidates' forum leading up to the November election.
This event is open to the public and participants will have the opportunity to ask candidates questions regarding local research and the...
Native Bees of the Bulkley Valley
Wednesday April 30, 2014 12:00pm-1:00pm
Northwest Community College - Smithers
Presenter: Lynn Westcott, Entomologist - Westcott Environmental Services, Smithers
Native bees are the most important pollinating insects in many of the world’s ecosystems. Animals ranging from birds to grizzly bears to humans rely on the pollinating efforts of this diverse group of insects.
This...
Restoring Endangered Whitebark Pine Ecosystems in Northern BC
Wednesday April 2, 2014 12:00pm-1:00pm
Northwest Community College - Smithers
Presenters: Alana Clason and Sybille Haeussler
In this seminar, Dr. Sybille Haeussler and Alana Clason will discuss their research and conservation work on whitebark pine since the initiation of the Bulkley Valley Research Centre whitebark pine program in 2007. Come learn about this charismatic...
SPECIAL PRESENTATION - Veducation - Year Round Greenhouse
Monday March 31, 2014 7:00pm-9:00pm
Northwest Community College - Smithers
Presenter: Northern Roots Community Garden
Find out about the experimental greenhouse project at Smithers Secondary School which involves the use of compost heat to grow high nutrient produce 365 days a year.
Does it matter who competes with whom: soil fertility affects competitive interactions among trees
Wednesday March 19, 2014 12:00pm-1:00pm
Northwest Community College - Smithers
Presenter: Erica Lilles, Bulkley Valley Research Centre
The forest stand dynamics group in the Bulkley Valley Research Centre has been working to understand how tree species interact with each other in our local forests, and how these interactions change with soil fertility. This seminar will...
Seminar Series—Virtual Edition November 9, 2022
October 31, 2022
Deb Wellwood
Biodiversity, Disturbance and Ecological Memory: A Forest Management Approach
January 12, 2022
Jaime Pinzon
Natural disturbances (e.g., wildfire) are important drivers of forest change that influence the present and future composition of species across the landscape. Normally, these disturbances leave behind legacies of the pre-disturbance landscape – both within and outside of the disturbed area – that...
