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Conservation Projects

For over 30 years our Conservation Projects have been putting our research results into action, using the participatory action research approach of putting research into real-world action, such as strategies for wildlife management. We are implementing a variety of projects, some of them are listed under the categories of Fauna, Flora, Resource Management.

Our conservation management strategies are dictated by the habitat’s carrying capacity. We work to maintain species numbers at the maximum population size for the habitat’s maximum potential carrying capacity.

We take responsibility for protecting the Chilcotin Ark as an ecologically important area into perpetuity and are actively using Evergreen Land Plans and educating others about their goals:

Fauna Conservation Projects

Flora Conservation Projects

Resource Management

Our goal is to create a working landscape in the Chilcotin Ark, where sustainable land management and resource use in between protected areas is implemented and monitored by all land and resource users like First Nations, farmers, ranchers, guide outfitters, forestry and mining guided by the Evergreen Stewardship Plans.

Every year we fill out wildlife sightings forms, grass assessments, creel reports and white bark pine assessments as well as collecting grizzly hair and mountain goat feces along with guests to the Chilcotin Ark to build up our database and show them how they can get involved in conservation. We empower them to become wilderness stewards, experience a nature connection and invest in their personal development.

The data collected is used to inform us about how actual population numbers relate to the carrying capacity and is used to determine our population management and by local government. Every visitor to the area can access the wildlife sightings form.

Our partner the Stewardship Foundation is promoting sustainable natural resource use and presents the Evergreen Stewardship Plans for the Chilcotin Ark and its sub regions. The following categories reflect the structure and information of the Stewardship Plans according to governmental planning policies. All management directions constructed in the Evergreen Stewardship Plans are made based on government data from one or more of the following sources:

  1. Published policies from government
  2. Government sponsored or supported scientific research
  3. Traditional knowledge from wildlife practitioners
  4. Direction from past Land and Resource Management Plans

Resources

Chilcotin Ark

The Chilcotin Ark Institute is linked to on the Chilcotin Ark’s own website. The website, chilcotinark.org, educates people about the virtues of the Chilcotin Ark and why it is important to conserve it. The website includes the top ten virtues of the Ark, all the businesses, conservation organizations, communities and First Nations in the Ark and ways for people to get involved in its conservation.

The work with the Chilcotin Ark is generally focused on educating the public about the area and empowering them to take responsibility. As such, it produces marketing material that the Chilcotin Ark Institute uses to educate the public about the importance of the Ark. The brochure about the Chilcotin Ark’s ten features encourages readers to check out the Chilcotin Ark website to find out more. The two Chilcotin Ark posters, one featuring mountain goats and the other a grizzly sow with four cubs, highlight two of the important species of the area. These posters are available to download .

Conservation signage

The Chilcotin Ark Institute supported local efforts to educate the public about the conservation of the Chilcotin Ark and were happy to see the following signs in the Chilcotin Ark.

The “Chilcotin Ark” sign welcomed people to the area but encouraged them to take responsibility for it. It also links to the Chilcotin Ark website for more information.

The “1500m no fly zone” signs educated helicopter and fixed wing aircraft about the regulations to not fly closer than 1500m to mountain goat habitat to avoid displacing the animals.

The “harvest billies only” signs educated resident hunters about the importance of only harvesting billy goats due to the sensitive nature of mountain goats to female harvest.

“RAPP (Report All Poachers and Polluters)” signs encourage responsible and legal hunting from resident hunters.

“No motorized vehicles in the alpine” signs educate the public about the 1700m motorized vehicle closure on most of the mountains in the Chilcotin Ark and out of wildlife summer range habitat.

#chilcotinark

#chilcotinark is gaining popularity on social media. Businesses and visitors to the Ark are using this hashtag and sharing set posts from the Chilcotin Ark website on social media. When sharing your adventures in the Chilcotin Ark on social media don’t forget to use #chilcotinark. You can also contribute by posting these set posts.