Forest School 2023

ForestFest 2023 proved to be an incredibly inspiring and educational weekend.

We are pleased to share these videos to further your education, spur your curiosity, and sincerely encourage you to send them to friends, family, and colleagues!

Dive deeply into the ecological present and future of Hornby's forests, including the current and future effects of climate change. Learn how our precious woodlands are affected and what we can do to protect them.

We encourage you to make a donation to help us further our conservation and education efforts.

If you have any questions regarding the event, please contact Bree at chihornby@gmail.com

Thank you, and please enjoy!

Elder Barb Whyte

Elder Barb Whyte, descendant of the Pentlatch and Sathloot people and a respected member of the K'ómoks First Nation, brings a wealth of wisdom and cultural knowledge to our Hornby Island community, which is part of the Unceded territory of the K’ómoks First Nation. With a deep connection to the land and a profound understanding of Indigenous traditions, Elder Barb plays a pivotal role in sharing the rich heritage of the K'ómoks First Nation with others. Her presence and guidance are invaluable and we are delighted to share her talk: 'History of the Cedar—the 'Tree of Life' ' from ForestFest 2023.

Grant Scott

Esteemed Forester/beloved retired Chair of CHI, Grant Scott takes the stage to provide an ‘Overview of Hornby Forests.’ Gain a deeper understanding of our island's rich forest ecosystems.

Grant Scott graduated from the UBC Faculty of Forestry in 1969 and has worked as a professional forester for almost 50 years. Alongside his wife, Carol, he has worked with many Coastal First Nations in treaty negotiations, forestry management, and land use planning. Grant and Carol both obtained teaching degrees from UBC which allowed them to develop ‘Silviculture Worker Training’ programs with, and for, the Kwakiutl people on the north end of Vancouver Island.

As all paths lead to Hornby, Grant and Carol began visiting this special island in the 1970’s and have since moved here permanently, calling it ‘home’ for almost 25 years. Grant was on the Board of Conservancy Hornby Island for 15 years and acted as Chairperson for almost 10.

He says that every day as he walks with his dog ‘Echo’ through the forests of Hornby, he is constantly reminded of the beauty of our, or rather, the K'ómoks and Coast Salish peoples’ amazing coastal Douglas fir forests.

Rick Ellis

Forester, Rick Ellis, BSF, MSc, explores the pressing issue of ‘Climate Change: Global Trends, Tipping Points, and Local Impact on Hornby Island.’ Discover how these global changes are impacting our island.

Rick initiated and managed the provincial ‘Wildlife Habitat Research Program’ in the Ministry of Forests and as a consultant, facilitated the development of the ‘Biodiversity Guidebook’ and ‘Species At Risk’ component of the ‘Forest Practices Code’. He facilitated special projects and strategic planning sessions for various branches of the BC Forest Service and Ministry of Environment.

He developed and facilitated team-building workshops and was a strategy and leadership coach to senior managers and CEOs.

Recently he has focussed on climate change adaptation, writing "Offshore sailing in the climate crisis" for Bluewater Cruising Association, and an "Adaptation to Extreme Weather" plan for communities in SW BC.

Del Meidinger

Del Meidinger, M.Sc., R.P.Bio., has worked as a British Columbia plant ecologist for the past 44 years. He started his ecology career with the BC Forest Service, where he led the development of the Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) system over a 30-year period. In doing so, he also worked with the BEC team to apply the classification to conservation and forest management, including tree species selection, ecologically-based timber supply analysis, at-risk ecosystem assessment, and climate change implications to forestry. Del was responsible for technical quality and standardization of methods and concepts for the BEC program. He has also been intimately involved in the development of the ecosystem mapping protocols for BC, including the Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping (TEM), Predictive Ecosystem Mapping (PEM), and map accuracy assessment standards. His field experience is throughout BC: collecting field data, correlating biogeoclimatic mapping and field guides, and assessing ecosystem mapping.

For the past 14 years, Del has been consulting (Meidinger Ecological Consultants Ltd.), continuing to provide ecological classification services to clients such as Environment Yukon, MetroVancouver, B.C. Ministry of Forests, and Natural Resources Canada. Del also sits on the Canadian National Vegetation Classification Technical Committee, is a Regional Editor of the US National Vegetation Classification, and serves as a vascular plant specialist on the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).

Recently, Del expanded biogeoclimatic mapping to the northwestern States as part of a program to determine which tree species will be suitable in BC under climate change.

Please enjoy Del’s talk: ‘How Hornby Forests are Evolving due to Climate Change.’

Lori Daniels

Dr. Lori Daniels is a Professor of Forest Ecology in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, where she directs the ‘Tree-Ring Lab’ at UBC. Lori investigates the impacts of natural and human disturbances and climate change on forests.   

With her research team, she has on-going projects on wildfires, forest dynamics, and social-ecological resilience to climate change across British Columbia. Her enduring partnerships with local, provincial, and national governments, environmental organizations, forest management companies, community forests, and First Nations ensure her scientific advances are translated to active conservation, restoration and management.   She contributed to the Blueprint for ‘Wildland Fire Science’ in Canada and served as a member of the ‘Canadian Wildfire Strategy Implementation Team’ and the ‘NSERC-Canada Wildfire Research Network’.

Since 2015, she has given more than 200 media interviews on wildfires and their impacts on forests and communities. She is among the 150 Canadian Scientists recognized in 2017 for research shaping new frontiers and making our world a better place (#150Scientists). She was acknowledged as a ‘Women Leader’ in international fire science research in 2018 and received the 2019 ‘Canadian Institute of Forestry Scientific Achievement Award’.

Please enjoy her talk ‘‘Wildfires in British Columbia: Causes, Consequences, and Coexistence’.

Doug Chinnery

Doug Chinnery, a dedicated Hornby Island resident, has served as the Fire Chief since 2017. With a team of 30 dedicated volunteers, Doug has consistently demonstrated his commitment to the community by providing extensive training and support during times of crisis.

Some of Doug's recent notable contributions include the development of a comprehensive pandemic outbreak plan for the community, training over 100 volunteers in naloxone administration, and collaborating with community organizations and external agencies to reinstate the island's helicopter landing zone, ensuring swift medical evacuation when needed. In recognition of his outstanding service, Doug Chinnery was awarded the prestigious 'Comox Valley Local Hero - Emergency Services Award' in 2022.

Whether he's actively training volunteers, upholding safety standards, or orchestrating critical rescue missions, Doug's dedication inspires others to join in and make a difference. We eagerly anticipate his valuable insights on Hornby Island's wildfire preparedness in his upcoming Forest School presentation, 'Wildfire Response: How Well-Prepared is Hornby Island?'

Panel Discussion

The day concluded with an enlightening Panel Discussion that was both engaging and informative. This final session provided a platform for experts and attendees to come together and exchange valuable ideas and insights. It was an opportunity to reflect on the day's presentations, ask questions, and discuss the critical topics explored, from the history and ecology of Hornby Island's forests to the pressing challenges of climate change and wildfire preparedness.

The panel discussion included the following speakers:

- K’ómoks First Nation, Elder Barb Whyte

- Forester, Grant Scott

- Forester, Rick Ellis

- Plant Ecologist, Del Meidinger

- UBC Professor, Lori Daniels

- Hornby Island Fire Chief, Doug Chinnery

- Best-selling author, John Vaillant

This is a valuable opportunity to better understand our island's precious natural resources and how to protect them in the face of climate change.

Please enjoy!

Thank you for watching!

If you enjoyed these talks, please consider making a donation to CHI to help fund our conservation efforts.

Conservancy Hornby Island is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization that relies on support from people like you to continue our land and marine conservation efforts.

HERE'S HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT US:

SUBSCRIBE: youtube.com/ConservancyHornbyIsland

DONATE: conservancyhornbyisland.org/donation

Thank you for all of your support!