Become a Wetland Steward in your Community
Every year, the Wetlands Education Program (WEP) team works to restore, enhance, and conserve wetlands across our beautiful province. We offer courses in communities throughout B.C. to provide the knowledge and tools for participants to be wetland stewards in their own backyard.
WEP collaborates with BCWF clubs and members, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), local community groups, naturalist clubs, First Nations communities, and more to create unique and inclusive educational workshops. Thanks to BCWF’s ongoing concern for conserving wetlands, communities can ensure these extraordinary ecosystems will be enjoyed by wildlife and people for future generations!
To learn more jump to Programs and Workshops, read about our Restoration projects, see our Annual Newsletter, visit our Bog Blog, browse our Photo Gallery, and make sure to join us on Social Media, or sign up for our Mailing List!
15,228
4,789
63
Programs & Workshops
Click the ‘+’ to explore more about each program
Map Our Marshes
Map our Marshes is a one-day workshop that offers passionate community members the technical and field skills for mapping smaller wetlands with Global Positioning System (GPS) units and useful smartphone apps, and how to share this information with local decision makers. This workshop teaches community members how to track changes to wetland landscapes through GPS education, which lays the foundation for habitat protection and conservation.
2024 dates & locations TBA
Wetlandkeepers
Wetlandkeepers is a 2.5 day workshop that educates participants about wetland conservation. We bring this course into communities to teach wetland delineation, plant and animal identification, soil sampling, and other wetland classification and stewardship skills. Each workshop varies to suit the community’s unique wetland needs.
Galiano Island Wetlandkeepers | June 7-9, 2024 | REGISTER HERE
Nanaimo Wetlandkeepers | June 13-14, 2024 | REGISTER HERE
Quadra Island Wetlandkeepers | Date TBA
Additional 2024 dates and locations TBA
Wetlands Institute
The Wetlands Institute is a week-long boot camp for people with a watershed project they want to pursue in their community. The BCWF offers this course, valued at over $1,000, for free to qualified applicants from B.C.
Our experts offer hands-on training in planning, design, and restoration work to facilitate the recovery and enhancement of wetlands throughout the project. Each year, a different host community is chosen for the workshop and the program is tailored to feature local restoration sites, experts, and First Nations communities.
East Kootenays | September 15-21, 2024 | Registration coming soon
Virtual Education Events
The BC Wildlife Federation’s Wetlands Education Program offers virtual education initiatives such as the “Map our Marshes” workshop and the Wetlands Institute: Virtual Speaker Series. These programs highlight the ecological importance of wetlands, covering topics from conservation strategies to the unique wildlife inhabiting these areas. Delivered through interactive online platforms, these courses engage participants with hands-on activities and expert-led discussions, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of wetland ecosystems. Recordings from some previous sessions are available on our YouTube channel.
Virtual Wetlands Institute Speaker Series | November 2024 | Registration & details TBA
Virtual Map our Marshes | November, 2024 | Registration & details TBA
Wetlands Restoration
Are you interested in getting involved with wetland habitat restoration? In recent years, we have increased our input for wetland restoration and we have continued to host wetland restoration/construction workshops or related events to improve wetland habitat in BC.
We are always on the lookout on how we can support partners and British Columbians in accomplishing wetland restoration that benefits wildlife and supports healthy communities.
Thank You to Our Funders