This day-long symposium will explore changing ecosystems and emerging wildfire risk, land ownership and management contexts, relationship building, knowledge holding and knowledge sharing, and collaborations and projects that help to improve ecosystem health and build wildfire resilience in the Wildland Urban Interface of the Comox Lake Watershed.
Registration is limited and by invitation to practitioners – message meaghan@cumberlandforest.com

We will explore a series of questions including:

The event is 8:30am-4:30pm on Thursday Jan 30th.

Lunch is provided by LUSH.

Registration is by invitation to practitioners.

Please email Meaghan to inquire.

gilakas’la / čɛčɛ haθɛč,

We give thanks to the people who are today called K’ómoks, consisting of the Pentlatch, Ieeksan (eye-ick-sun), Sasitla (sa-seet-la), and Sathloot (sath-loot) people who have cared for the land and water of this unceded territory since time immemorial.

Session Schedule

  • 8:30 am  Arrival, Registration, Meet and Greet
  • 9:00 am    BLOCK 1
    Context – How did we get here?
  • 10:00 am  BLOCK 2
    Ecosystem Integrity and Ecosystem Change
  • 11:20 am  BLOCK 3
    Wildfire Risk, Resilience and Relationships
  • 12:30 pm  LUNCH
  • 1:00 pm   BLOCK 4
    Knowledge Holding and Knowledge Sharing
  • 2:00 pm   BLOCK 5
    Case Studies, Trust Building and Collaboration
  • 3:45 pm   BLOCK 6
    Table Discussions Toward Next Steps, Additional Learning and Action

Presenters include:

  • Kristin Storry – Forester, Strategic Natural Resources Consulting, Community Wildfire Resilience Plan
  • Cory Cliffe – Lekwiltok First Nation, 7 Generation Stewards Society
  • Andy MacKinnon  – Forest Ecologist, expert on BC’s ectomycorrhizal fungal species. researcher, teacher and lecturer
  • Cori L. Barraclough – Aqua-Tex Scientific Consulting Ltd., author, Comox Lake Watershed Protection Plan
  • Robin Cox – Program Head – Climate Action Leadership, Professor – School of Humanitarian Studies, Royal Roads University
  • Raini Bevilacqua and Lia Tarle – K’omoks First Nation, Archaeology & Referrals Department
  • John Kervel – Reconciliation Program Manager, Natural Resource Sector Reconciliation Policy and Strategies Branch, Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship
  • Daniel Perrakis- Natural Resources Canada, author of Fire Behaviour and Burn Probability Analysis for the Greater Victoria watershed
  • Tal Engel – Wolftree Integrative Forest Rehabilitation
  • Jessical Hutchinson, Executive Director Redd Fish Restoration Society

SITE VISITS Wednesday January 29th - registration required

Are you interested in understanding the landscape up close? Join us on January 29th for 3 site tours that will contribute to better understanding of the opportunities and challenges in this altered landscape.

9:30 till 11:30 am

WolfTree Integrative Forest Rehabilitation, 7634 Armstrong Road, Merville, B.C

Join the CCFS for a 2-hour workshop in the living lab of Merville’s industrial forestry heartland and Honey Grove’s forest restoration experiment sites, guided by Tal Engel of WolfTree Integrative Forest Rehabilitation. Together, we will explore how industrial forestry has radically altered the structure, composition, function, and relationships essential for the growth of a resilient and healthy forest.

12:30 - 2 pm

Conservation Lands at Lower Perseverance and Comox Lake, Comox Lake Road

Join the CCFS and CVRD for a 90 minute guided walk through these new conservation lands, the former site of the #4 Coal Mine. Learn about the restoration and community engagement opportunities that are helping to restore ecosystem health and reduce wildfire risk as a result of this unique collaborative land management project.

2:15 - 3:45 pm

Proposed Future Conservation Lands, Western Flank

Join the CCFS and guests for a guided walk through a much younger forest, on the western flank of the current Cumberland Community Forest in the Comox Lake Watershed. Explore where potential lies for cultivating ecological and wildfire resilience through restoration of these heavily impacted lands. This is a great location to look at fire hazards including invasives, drought impacts and understory health as well as resiliency features, wetlands etc.

BONUS FUN

The evening of Thursday January 30th the Cumberland Community Forest Society will be hosting a public “Science Pub” event called UNDERSTORIES  – Restoration Ecology, Resilience and Relationships.

If charitable giving is part of your financial strategy this year, we would be honoured to be considered.