Regional Research, Stewardship, and Citizen Science Open House

This event is funded by the Canadian Mountain Network as part of the View from 2117 project. The View from 2117 project is a four-year project that aims to understand the impact of human actions on mountain ecosystems, specifically within the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region (MABR). Under this project, an interdisciplinary team has been working on five studies to answer the main research question: What are the ways in which individual and collective behaviour, population growth, regulatory regimes, and societal change have affected and will affect First Nations, mountain communities, and mountain environments over the next century? Preliminary results from this project will be shared at the open house.  

Launch of the MABR in Bloom Community Profile

The open house will also be used as the launch event for the new MABR in Bloom community profile, which is part of the View from 2117 project. The MABR in Bloom community profile is a significant document because it can inform decision-makers about the health of the community by showcasing the health of the community through well-being indicators. A community profile is a tool that can be used to learn about a certain area and identify where there may be gaps in social, environmental, and economic needs. Municipal governments can then make informed decisions based on the information provided.

The research team is excited about this project because it is the first community profile created for the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region and sets the groundwork for future community profiles to be developed. In this case, trends can be identified over time and significantly contribute to a healthy future for the MABR community.

Schedule of Presentations 

2:30 - 2:45 pm - Welcome from Dr. Pamela Shaw, Research Director of MABRRI 

2:45 - 3:05 pm - MABR in Bloom by Alisha Feser and Pierce Melnick as part of the View from 2117 project

3:10 - 3:30 pm - Arrowsmith Naturalists by Sally Soanes 

3:35 - 3:55 pm - Sense of Place Study by Dr. Lindsay McCunn, Taylor Shorting, and Karissa Sawyer as part of the View from 2117 project

4:00 - 4:20 pm - Organizational Arrangements for Watershed Governance on Vancouver Island by Julie Pisani as her research thesis 

4:25 - 4:45 pm - Pacific Indigenous Protected and Conserved (IPCA) Innovation Centre by Dr. Pamela Shaw

4:50 - 5:10 pm - Ecosystem Analysis by Jessica Pyett (MABRRI) as part of the View from 2117 project 

5:10 - 5:30 pm - BREAK 

5:30 - 5:50 pm - Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region and the Sustainable Development Goals by Courtney Vaugeois and Stephanie Pastro (MABRRI)

5:55 - 6:15 pm - Forage Fish Spawning Habitat Monitoring Project by Alanna Vivani (MABRRI) 

6:20 - 6:40 pm - MABR in Bloom: A Community Profile by Alisha Feser and Pierce Melnick as part of the View from 2117 project 

6:45 - 7:05 pm - Resident Cutthroat Trout Migration Study in Shelly Creek by Ally Badger (Research Assistant for Mid-Vancouver Island Habitat Enhancement Society)

7:10 - 7:30 pm - Sense of Place Study by Dr. Lindsay McCunn, Taylor Shorting, and Karissa Sawyer as part of the View from 2117 project

7:30 - 7:45 pm - Closing from Dr. Pamela Shaw 

List of Participating Organizations

In addition to the presentations listed above, the open house will showcase booths from local stewardship and citizen science groups. These are the participating organizations that you can learn more about at the open house: 

• Arrowsmith Naturalists
• Brant Wildlife Festival 
• Hamilton Marsh 
• Regional District of Nanaimo - Team Water Smart
• Mid-Vancouver Island Habitat Enhancement Society (MVIHES) 
• Nanaimo & Area Land Trust 
• Qualicum Beach Stream Keepers
• Qualicum Nature Preservation Society 

We will also have a table offering kids activities. The activities offered at the table will be from the MABR's Youth Program, which is designed to  teach students the importance of environmental, social, cultural, and economic sustainability on a local scale.

Entry 

Entry to the open house is free. All community members are welcome to attend! However, due to COVID-19 regulations all attendees must show proof of vaccination at the door and must be wearing a mask. 

There is no registration for the open house. Attendees are encouraged to drop by at any time during the event (2:00 - 8:00 pm). 

We gratefully and humbly acknowledge the Qualicum, Snaw-naw-as, Snuneymuxw, K'ómox, Tseshaht, Hupacasath, and Dididaht First Nations whose traditional lands the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region is situated within. MABRRI is grateful for the opportunity to host this event on the traditional unceded territory of the Qualicum First Nation.