Recreation, Fish and Wildlife

This course is an introductory study of water in our environment including its properties, the natural processes which affect it, climate and weather, and practical experience in the collection and analyses of field and laboratory data using standard techniques and equipment.

This course covers the practical use of common survey instruments and techniques used by environmental technicians. As well, the course will introduce the student to various sampling methods used to collect, assess, classify, and evaluate field data. Emphasis is placed on the proper care and use of basic surveying and measurement tools and the skills involved in collecting and interpreting precise and accurate field data.

This course is an introduction to the basics of Botany and Ecosystem Classification. Botany lectures will focus on plant classification, botanical terms, plant morphology, and plant physiology. Topics include: plant cells, tissues, and organ structure and function, photosynthesis and respiration transpiration and translocation. During botany labs, students will learn to identify about 100 native plants commonly found in the West Kootenay Region of BC.

Ecology lectures will focus on ecosystem classification using the Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification System (BEC) of BC. Other key topics include the study of climatic factors and climate change, disturbance and succession, and landscape and stand structure. Ecology labs focus on classifying ecosystems (including soils, site and vegetation) to site series using BEC. Labs are mainly field based.

This course will cover the identification of common rocks and minerals, landforms and soils of British Columbia. Learners will be introduced to the study of physical geology and geomorphology in relation to management of the forest environment and landscape. Learners will gain skills and knowledge in rock and mineral identification, description of the physical and chemical qualities of soils, and identification and classification of landforms and terrain. Skills will also be developed with respect to interpretation of geology, landforms and soils for environmental management.

This course builds on computer skills students have previously acquired. Applied intermediate to advanced computer applications specific to career opportunities in the environment and geomatics sector are covered including file management, word processing for report writing, spreadsheets and an introduction to databases.

This is an applied math course, focusing on the technical math skills required in Renewable Resources work. Topics include: computation, 2-D and 3-D trigonometry, conversion factors, derived and empirical formulas, exponentials and logarithms, and map scales.

Prerequisites:

Principles of Math 11, Principles or Applications of Math 12, Math 80 or equivalent.

A review of basic English skills is undertaken in this course. Also included is an introduction to general principles in written technical communication and its application to renewable resource management. Classroom sessions focus on developing writing skills, academic research and documentation, the organization and interpretation of data, oral presentation skills, and job search techniques.

This course emphasizes the practical application of maps and air photos in resource management. Students become familiar with types of maps and air photos, indexing systems, using maps and air photos in the field, map reading and measuring techniques, photo interpretation and measuring techniques, obtaining data for mapping, stratification of air photos, and remote sensing techniques. This course will also cover web-based remote sensing technologies and applications in environmental management.

This half-semester course is an introduction to geographic information systems (GIS) theory and applications. Participants will become familiar the basic GIS concepts and apply GIS technologies to environmental, renewable resource management, and planning fields. Emphasis will be placed on how geographic data is represented, collected, managed, analyzed, and displayed using GIS tools. Hands-on experience will be developed with the most widely used and comprehensive desktop GIS software, ESRI’s ArcGIS Desktop.

This 1/2 semester course will cover the navigation skills required in the workforce. The focus is on hands-on use of navigation tools in field settings including map, air photo, compass, altimeter, and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) techniques. Pre-trip planning in a navigation context will also be covered including developing access plans and route plans, and estimating travel times. This course will build on skills introduced in ENVR 160 Surveying and Field Measurements and ENVR 154 Applied Mapping and Remote Sensing courses.

Corequisites:

This course builds upon the concepts from ENVR 162 with further studies of local forest ecosystems. Students will identify key forest structural components and study the role that disturbance (such as fire), environmental gradients, and competition play in defining a species’ niche. Participants will also examine the role of primary and secondary growth, nutrient uptake, reproduction, and survival mechanisms for plants. Winter plant identification, ecosystem form and function, and plant adaptations to timberline will also be examined. A practical field based assignment will form a major portion of the term assessment.

This course will cover identification and ecology of vertebrate animals, habitat requirements, and habitat disturbance implications. Learners will gain experience in applying guidelines and management strategies to minimize impact of other resource uses on fish and wildlife habitat and species.

This course covers standard tests and techniques of statistics and the application of these statistical measures in renewable resources management.

Prerequisites:

Successful completion of MATH 160.

An introduction to general principles in written technical communication and oral presentation. Lectures focus upon business correspondence, the informal and formal report, technical style, and graphic illustration. Students practice delivery techniques for oral presentations of technical data in renewable resource management. Collaborative activities and teamwork skills are practiced and encouraged.

Prerequisites:

TWC 150.

During a two-week course in the spring, students gain practical skills directly related to their field of studies. Activities may include electro-fishing, flat-water canoeing, and wildlife enhancement. Scheduled after final exams in late April (ten days, seventy hours).

During the Fall of the 3rd semester, second year RFW students participate in field-based studies away from the Castlegar Campus. Two extended field trips provide students with opportunities to refine field technical skills within different settings. Students will be actively involved in the planning and preparation for these trips and will be presented with opportunities to develop team skills, leadership and professionalism throughout the course.

In this course, students integrate the knowledge and skills acquired in other program courses to identify, analyze, and manage areas of public and occupational risk within backcountry workplaces. Human, terrestrial, aquatic, and environmental hazards and risk are explored including an examination of leadership and decision-making skills, natural hazard analysis, land-use planning, risk management and mitigation, advanced navigation techniques, backcountry rescue, meteorology, and field weather forecasting.

This course is mainly taught in wilderness terrain. Students must be in good health and physical condition, as some instructional activities require participation for up to eight hours per day. Students must be able to hike, bicycle or snowshoe for four to eight hours at a time over rough, sometimes hazardous terrain in all weather conditions. In addition participants in this course must be able to swim at least one length of the pool.

This course provides learning opportunities for students in ecosystem based management. In the course the student will continue in their learning of ecosystem structure and function at the stand and landscape scale, learn about forest ecosystem health including identification and biology of prominent forest insects and diseases, learn about watershed, wetland and riparian conservation and management, and learn about ecosystem restoration
activities.

The course will place an emphasis on observation using standard field books, data collection and data analysis using standard procedures, and preparation of prescriptions that implement an ecological approach to land management. The student will gain employable skills related to forest health identification, wildlife tree assessment, ecosystem interpretation, ecosystem restoration, and adaptive management.

This course is designed to prepare the student for employment in the field of outdoor recreation, particularly parks. The variety of organizations offering outdoor recreation opportunities in B.C., and their roles in the province are examined. Practical field skills such as trail and campground design, construction, and maintenance as well as analytical skills such as monitoring and managing impacts, assessing public safety, developing site plans and incorporating multiple natural resource and social values in protected area management will be studied and practiced. Examples of real, contemporary recreational management issues are used to make the course current and relevant.

This course prepares the student for immediate employment as a wildlife technician and park interpreter in British Columbia through instruction in wildlife management theory and the application of techniques used in wildlife management.

This course covers the ecology and management of freshwater fish and aquatic ecosystems, including standard field, laboratory, and office techniques used to sample in these ecosystems. The emphasis is on evaluating, assessing and managing freshwater ecosystems in B.C. The material in this course is continued in RFW 281.

This course introduces computer applications most commonly used in the resource management industry. Instruction includes digital mapping with RoadENG and ArcGIS 9 incorporating local and provincial data. Topics such as traverse reduction, map assembly and display, and data transfer are covered. GIS file management, basic data translation and data analysis are covered through hands-on exercises, as data is manipulated and displayed using these software tools. Students will emerge from this course with a set of GIS skills.

This course introduces students to the Aboriginal peoples of Canada and their role in resource management. Topics will include Aboriginal cultures, languages and governance, history since contact and the Indian Act, Aboriginal rights and associated landmark court cases, BC treaty process and interim agreements, the Heritage Conservation Act, and working effectively with Aboriginal peoples. In addition, from a Traditional Ecological Knowledge perspective, learners will engage in team-lead projects involving ecosystem-based management, sustainable management, and environmental management systems. This course involves a team-based model of learning and active participation in scenarios and round table discussions.

This course provides an overview of the environmental legislation used in resource management in British Columbia. The course begins with an introduction to statute law and the court system, and progresses to interpreting specific environment acts, regulations and policies. There is a strong focus on research skills. Local case studies are used when possible.

This course extends the study of natural hazard assessment and land management to winter backcountry environments. The course is delivered as a project-based analysis of a local provincial park or recreation area, in which students identify and analyze avalanche terrain and site-specific snowpack characteristics for the risk of human and structural exposure to snow avalanches. Topics include avalanche forecasting and public safety, land use planning, hazard mitigation, techniques in snowpack assessment and monitoring, avalanche rescue and hazard mapping. Successful students receive a certificate in avalanche safety recognized by the Canadian Avalanche Association.

Students will be exposed to the elements of commercial recreation operations from the proposal stage to the delivery stage including the nature and demand for outdoor commercial recreation activities. Particular attention is paid to the current policies and regulations governing commercial recreation in the province. Additional skills and knowledge related to contract management, developing and evaluating project proposals will be developed.

This course is a guided independent study of an environmental management topic suitable to the field of study. Learners are required to prepare a project proposal and data collection schedule in consultation with a faculty advisor. Research techniques using library and online resources are required as well as accurate data collection and synthesis. This course culminates with the submission of a technical report to current industry standards and presentation of the research results at the annual spring conference held late in the Spring semester.

This course is a direct extension of RFW 272, continuing the development of an understanding of the ecological principles on which wildlife management is based.

This course covers the ecology and management of freshwater fish and aquatic ecosystems, including standard
field, laboratory, and office techniques used to sample in these ecosystems. The emphasis is on evaluating,
assessing and managing freshwater ecosystems in B.C. This material in this course is a continuation of the
material in RFW 280.