No images? Click here
Communities Keeping WATCH for Harmful Algae
Keeping communities safe from seafood contaminated by biotoxins and microbes is a job that requires an extra level of oversight. Using microscopic analysis, We All Take Care of the Harvest (WATCH) community monitors are doing what they can to keep their communities safer with phytoplankton monitoring. In this story, we travel to Klahoose where algae blooms threaten seafood security and the health of local harvesters.
Upcoming LEO Gathering: Exploring our Relationship with Water
The Local Environmental Observer (LEO) Network is a group of local observers and topic experts who share knowledge about unusual, climate and environmental events. This December, the LEO Network in BC is hosting a free virtual gathering entitled “Exploring our Relationship with Water.” The gathering will touch on our relationship with water through a Western and Indigenous lens, current watershed issues, stewardship of water, personal experiences and stories of water, and the language we use when discussing water. To receive a gathering registration link in the coming weeks, please email BC.LEO.Network@fnha.ca.
Celebration of our Waters | Lil'wat Health and Healing
Filmed and produced by Calling Mountains Productions, Lil’wat Health and Healing presents "Celebration of our Waters". This video is a continuation of the 2021 video, "Our Community, Our Water". Lil'wat Health and Healing secured the FNHA's Our Community, Our Water grant funding for their 6th year to support the creation of this video.
We All Take Care of the Harvest (WATCH) 2022 Gathering
"Imagine... a safe and secure seafood system for coastal First Nations" was an online and in-person hybrid event co-hosted by FNHA WATCH and Vancouver Island University (VIU) on Nov. 2 at VIU's Deep Bay marine field station. This was followed by an "Introduction to WATCH monitoring" on Nov. 3. These were special days with rich presentations and conversations, songs, brushings, hands-on training, and seafood! Debra Hellback from the Centre for Seafood Innovation took to LinkedIn to share about the event.
The Online Help Centre for BC Small Water Systems
Developed and maintained by Thompson Rivers University and a team of technical experts, the online help center is your source for on-line technical resources and self-help tools for small water systems in British Columbia.
Here, small water owners and operators and First Nations small water systems will find the tools to plan, construct, and operate a small water system. The website will help you understand the legislation and regulations small water systems must consider and satisfy in order to deliver safe water.
Introducing Kimberley Brown, FNHA’s newest Public Health Engineer
Kim is a member of the Lax Kw’alaams Band and graduated from UBC in 2019 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. She worked co-op terms with both Associated Engineering and Kerr Wood Leidal. At KWL, she worked predominantly for First Nation clients focusing on Water Treatment and Asset Management. Kim obtained her professional engineering designation in July of this year. Welcome to the team, Kim!
Funding Opportunity: 2023 Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) Internship Program
Is your organization facing a climate action challenge? Looking for knowledgeable and enthusiastic help with climate change mitigation or adaptation? PICS internships provide $12,000 to support the hiring of university students at organizations pursuing climate change mitigation and adaptation research, planning or implementation. Internships provide students with vital experience and exposure in a competitive growth job market, while helping organizations advance climate change projects and efforts. The deadline to apply is Monday, Jan. 9, 2023.
Welcoming Herring Home in Howe Sound
A new generation of stewards is keeping careful tabs on the comeback efforts of a tiny fish with big cultural value. It’s Tem Lhawt’, the time of the herring, in the heart of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh homelands. In early spring, a small team of young citizen scientists visited the shoreline of Howe Sound to search for signs of herring roe. A study considered "too peripheral" for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to tackle, the team hopes that by studying fish eggs they can determine whether environmental conditions are improving or worsening.
BC Community Climate Funding Guide
The BC Community Climate Funding Guide offers a simple way for Indigenous communities and local governments to find funding for their climate action projects. Whatever your role and whatever your project, this is the place to start if you’re looking to fund a climate action project and working on behalf of an Indigenous community.
