A BC Wildlife Federation (BCWF) workshop highlighting the importance of wetlands in the Elk River was held on Sunday, April 26.
The workshop was appropriately timed to take place on the heels of the BCWF that was hosting in Fernie just a few days prior.
Sixteen individuals attended the workshop to learn more about how to increase community capacity to map and conserve wetlands in the Elk River.
“The workshop was set up to support an initiative that the Elk River Alliance (ERA) is currently undertaking to increase their capacity to manage floods in the area,” said wetlands program coordinator Neil Fletcher.
The workshop itself included indoor training hosted at the College of the Rockies as well as hands-on mapping at the McDougall Wetlands, located on the east end of the city.
“We had some great feedback from participants who said they learned a lot,” said Fletcher, who noted that a number of members from ERA and the Fish and Game Club were in attendance in addition to members of the public.
“For many who don’t know much about the wetlands, it was an eye-opener on why they’re so important here and to society at large. For others more experienced, they received some information that inspired them to do more mapping in the Elk River watershed,” said Fletcher.
The workshop was funded by a number of grant agencies including the Columbia Basin Trust, the provincial government and Environment Canada.