150 Years Later: Restoring British Columbia’s Estuaries to Save Salmon

Photo: Cluxewe Estuary by Nathan Vadeboncoeur

Tuesday, September 22 - 6:30pm

What happens when 150 years of human engineering collides with thousands of years of natural history?

British Columbia's estuaries, where rivers meet the sea, are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth. For millennia, they sustained vast salmon runs and the Indigenous communities that depended upon them. But over the past century and a half, diking, drainage, logging, agriculture, industry, and urban development have fundamentally reshaped these landscapes.

Today, scientists, conservation organizations, governments, and First Nations are working together to repair some of that legacy.

Join us for a fascinating journey along the British Columbia coast, from Alaska to Washington State and throughout Vancouver Island, exploring one of Canada's largest efforts to restore salmon habitat. Through stunning drone imagery, LiDAR mapping, historical photographs, and coastal science, you'll discover how researchers are monitoring fragile estuaries, projecting the impacts of sea level rise, and helping rebuild ecosystems that have been changing for generations.

Along the way, we'll explore the remarkable natural history of salmon, the history of human settlement along the coast, and how modern technology is helping us understand, and begin repairing, the ecological consequences of the past.

The talk will be presented by Dr. Nathan Vadeboncoeur, who led national and international coastal science assessments and worked on estuary restoration projects throughout British Columbia under the Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund.

Reserve a seat by pre-ordering a pint for $10 (includes tax & tip) using the link here: https://www.goodcheer.beer/shop/p/150-years-later-repairing-british-columbias-estuaries-to-save-salmon

Good Cheer Brewing - 1220 20 Ave SE, Calgary, AB