Get Involved in Your Area
Many groups are working hard in their communities to restore streams, rivers and wetlands. Go ahead – join one and meet like-minded people and feel a rewarding sense of achievement! The Ministry of Environment regional offices, your municipality or Regional District Council may be able to help you with contacts, groups working in the area and educational resources. Visit Civic Info to find out more about local government planning, planning processes and how you can get involved.
Waterbucket is an excellent resource that includes information about agriculture and farming, rainwater management, green infrastructure, water planning and water conservation and small community infrastructure.
Some of the larger river basins have established trusts and councils you can contact to get involved in restoration projects.
The Pacific Salmon Foundation is doing great work on the ground to restore salmon habitat ‘stream by stream’. They have publicly accessible funds for this purpose and will be able to point you in the right direction for restoration groups working in your area. Visit Think Salmon to learn how you can contribute to the best possible conditions and environment for British Columbia’s Pacific salmon.
Want to start your own community project?
If you would like to "green up" your school, the Ministry of Education can help you get started with a BC Green Schools Eco Kit.
As part of the Pacific Green Schools strategy, the Ministry of Education is offering all public and independent schools (K-12) a BC Green Schools Eco Kit. The kit contains an idea book full of possible projects, such as establishing composting or recycling programs in the school, tending a garden or cleaning a local pond. A log book allows students and staff to help their school rise in rank through an environmental-status merit system.
This is an opportunity for all B.C. schools, teachers and students to become green with a bias-balanced, curriculum fit green schools Eco Kit.
The B.C. government has also developed information and guidance to assist community groups who are undertaking restoration programs. The Ecological Restoration Guidelines for British Columbia provides information on common project components, and suggestions for finding resources, funding and developing plans.
The Stewardship Centre of B.C. helps groups with tools, resources, information, news and events, handy links, forums and a funding database.
The Pacific Stream Keepers Federation, with membership across B.C., has a great website, resources and a public message board to help small community groups look after their local streams.
Living Rivers Trust Fund
The B.C. government has committed $21 million to the Living Rivers Trust Fund to preserve and restore B.C.'s rivers. This fund helps:
- Organizations share resources and knowledge to ensure healthy watersheds and sustainable ecosystems are part of B.C. communities.
- Helps expand watershed conservation and enhancement efforts across the province. Examples of projects and programs targeted by the fund include:
- Watershed protection and restoration.
- Increased public awareness of the conservation and sustainable use of water.
- Management and restoration of river flows in systems susceptible to periodic droughts.
- Implementation of recovery plans to restore priority fish populations such as white sturgeon in the Fraser and Columbia Rivers, and steelhead in the Georgia Basin.
Premier Gordon Campbell and Environment Minister Barry Penner joined John Woodward, chair of the Living Rivers Advisory Group, to plant native plant species on the banks of the Fraser River after announcing the Province will triple funding for the Living Rivers Trust Fund to $21 million.
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