Courses and Training
SER E-Learning Course: Overview of the Practice of Ecological Restoration
A video training by the SER. Provides an introduction to restoration and promotes their full e-learning course (need to be a member to access the full course)
https://www.ser.org/page/elearningcoursehttp://www.saanich.ca/parkrec/parks/natural/pulling.html
Invasive Species and Forestry (eLearning)
This is a free 2-hour course offered through the Invasive Species Council of BC that contains training on characteristics and the identification of British Columbia’s invasive species. Information on reporting, management, and impacts of these species is also included.
OpenLearn Environmental Studies Course Catalogue
The OpenLearn Environmental Studies Course Catalogue includes 47 free online courses that were created by the Open University. Upon completion, you will receive a statement of participation to keep for your records. The courses range in time and difficulty, ranging from 1-24+hours and can be completed at your own pace. Topics vary widely and may involve climate change, ecological restoration, coevolution, and eutrophication.
AQUATIC INVASIVES 101
In just 30 minutes, you will learn about 9 different aquatic invasive species – how to identify them, their impacts and current distribution within the Sea to Sky, and how you can protect our community by preventing further spread.
https://ssinvasives.thinkific.com/courses/aquatic-invasives-101
Talks and Webinars
Webinar Gallery (Invasive Species Council of BC)
The Invasive Species Council of BC offers a collection of recorded webinars for free viewing. Subjects include “Invasive Species 101,” “Exotic Reptiles in BC,” and lots more topics to help educate us about the management and presence of these species in BC.
Impacts of European green crab in British Columbia
As in terrestrial environments, the movement of people and goods to coastal environments has resulted in an increasing number of introduced and invasive species in marine ecosystems. British Columbia is already host to a number of significant marine invasive species, including the European green crab (Carcinus maenas), one of IUCN’s ‘worst’ invaders. This talk will explain some of the unique challenges to understanding marine invasions, using green crab as an example, and summarize what we know (and do not know) about the impacts of this species to British Columbia’s ocean ecosystem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjNTxwpbaSA&feature=emb_logo
Open Access: A Framework for Climate-smart Restoration
This webinar offered through the Society of Ecological Restoration explains the challenges of ecological restoration during our rapidly changing climate and why this may be the cause of certain unsuccessful restoration projects. They focus on “climate-smart restoration” in which the restoration is tailored to be resilient to future climate change.
https://www.ser.org/news/506068/Open-Access-A-Framework-for-Climate-smart-Restoration.htm
Discover Canada’s Native Bees
This Canadian Wildlife Federation Webinar is offered through UOttawa and offers information about the bees that are native to Canada. Information on identification, habitat, conservation, and their crucial roles in our ecosystems are detailed. This page also contains links to other resources pertaining to Canada’s bees and pollination, including information for gardeners.
https://cwf-fcf.org/en/resources/downloads/webinars/public/discover-canadas-native-bees-1.html
Papers and eBooks
Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity
In celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity on 22 May 2018, Wiley has put together a special collection of over 100 research articles from 12 journals highlighting important contributions to advancing the understanding, protection, and preservation of biodiversity. Articles come from numerous fields in the natural and social sciences. They are free to share, read and download for a limited time.
More Than Planting Trees: Career Opportunities in Ecological Restoration
A 2019 article for Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment that details the possibilities and growing demands of ecological careers throughout the world. An emphasis is placed on the importance, accessibility, and requirements of restoration occupations.
https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fee.2083
Choosing Your Path: ECO Canada
Ecological Careers Organization (ECO) Canada provides a free eBook with information about a variety of sectors in ecological restoration. This guide includes current information on the growing number of career paths in ecology along with requirements and aptitudes necessary for a given sector. Additional resources are listed at the end of the book and on ECO Canada’s website.
Gardening with Native Plants: Habitat Acquisition Trust BC
This free guide contains information about Vancouver Island’s native plants. It details optimal regions/conditions for growth as well as combinations of native plants that traditionally coexist in nature. Additionally, it offers general gardening tips regarding care and invasive species and recommends certain garden designs. At the end of the document, it lists nurseries on the island that offer a selection of native plants.
https://hat.bc.ca/images/Native-Plant-Guide-for-Web-22.08.2017-2.pdf
Fire and Biodiversity in British Columbia
This 2020 paper written for Biodiversity of BC explains the concept of fire regimes and how they shape BC’s environment by contributing to its landscapes, speciation, and biodiversity. The authors also detail the role of fires in garry oak ecosystems and the effects of fire suppression and climate change on BC’s forests.
https://ibis.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/FireandBiodiversityinBritishColumbia.html
Other
Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetics Resources
The Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetics Resources (RNGR) website is a popular resource for those who grow or outplant native plants for reforestation, restoration, or conservation. The site hosts a national directory of forestry and conservation nurseries, a calendar of relevant events, and access to a repository of approximately 15,000 articles (searchable and free to download). The site also includes pages specific to tropical plants, tribal nurseries, and seed.
Roadside revegetation: An integrated approach to establishing native plants and pollinator habitat
The roadsides of the United States play an important role in the conservation of declining wild pollinators and in supporting the health of managed pollinators. The An Integrated Approach to Establishing Native Plants and Pollinator Habitat program provides current best practices for planning, designing, and implementing a revegetation project that will also create habitat for pollinators. The web resource offers a comprehensive Roadside Revegetation Report detailing the complete roadside revegetation process, from project initiation, through monitoring and management. It is also home to the Ecoregional Revegetation Application online tool and a Roadside Revegetation online library.
Restoration Evidence
Restoration Evidence is a free resource developed by the Endangered Landscapes Programme that aims to make ecological restoration more effective by providing evidence about the effectiveness of specific restoration actions. The searchable website contains summaries of scientific research on the effects of actions to restore habitats, in order to support decision making. Actions are categorized by the target habitat or species. Summaries of evidence are available for the ecological restoration of forests, peatland vegetation, shrublands and heathlands, and farmland, and for restoration actions aimed at enhancing populations of birds, amphibians, bees, bats and primates.
Leave no Trace: Center for Outdoor Ethics
Leave no Trace: Center for Outdoor Ethics is a website full of free information and resources that pertain to ethical camping, hiking, and tourism. The Leave no Trace principles help to ensure that use of natural sites can be continued in the future and help to combat some of the effects of overcrowding, fires, and pollution.
iNaturalist
The iNaturalist platform helps you ID and make observations of plants all over the world by taking pictures of the wildlife around you. It can be used on any device and helps track speciation and biodiversity. The platform can help to connect you with specialists and projects and you can help others learn about nature, too!
Native Plant Encyclopedia: Canadian Wildlife Federation
The Canadian Wildlife Federation’s Native Plant Encyclopedia catalogues native plant species throughout Canada. Profiles include information on a plant’s native range, habitat, growing conditions, and other characteristics. Searches can be completed by a) either searching for a species of which the ID is known so as to gather details about a plant or by b) plant type and region to help you identify a species.
https://cwf-fcf.org/en/resources/encyclopedias/native-plant-encyclopedia/
Reporting Invasive Species: Province of British Columbia
This link takes you to the Government of British Columbia’s resources for the general population to help report invasive species. An online form as well as mobile apps are listed for quick submission of photos to provincial specialists to confirm your identification and fastrack management.