Climate Adaptation Research Lab (formerly The Mt Maxwell Watershed Project)
In 2021 Transition Salt Spring secured $100,000 in federal funding and other support to initiate this groundbreaking research around fire risk intervention and resilience in the Maxwell Creek Watershed. This watershed project was chosen because of its importance in providing water to 5,500 residents of Salt Spring Island, and the existing fire risk to farms, homes, and wildlife habitat.
The objective of the project is to develop a better understanding of the status and current condition of the forests and local hydrology around the lake, notably, the potential for fire and the spread of fire, and to develop a strategy to reduce these risks.
The data the team are collecting within the watershed will help identify areas of high restoration potential:
- Notably, biologically important riparian and wetlands areas that could enhance the water holding capacity within the watershed to improve resilience to drought.
- Areas that can function as fire breaks for the spread of fire.
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Areas to increase native plant and species diversity.
Treatments and restoration that will be selected will be designed to improve the health of the overall watershed (eg., ground-surface water storage), enhance native biodiversity, reduce vulnerability to catastrophic canopy fire, and promote fire resilience. Protecting public and private lands in Coastal Douglas Fir dominated watersheds was identified as a top priority in Transition’s Climate Action Plan.
This project will span a two-year period and was developed in partnership with North Salt Spring Water District, SSI Fire and Rescue, and the two key covenant holders in this watershed, the SSI Conservancy and the SSI Water Preservation Society.
Throughout the year you’ll see the project teams’ vehicles along Maxwell road as they continue their fieldwork.
Thank you to our collaborative team members, the SSI Conservancy, the SSI Water Preservation Society, Local Trust, SSI Fire and Rescue, and North Salt Spring Water District.
Climate Adaptation Lab in the News
CBC Features Ruth Waldick and the Mt. Maxwell Project Team
Maxwell Lake, along with the watershed, provides water for about half of Salt Spring Island and the team is taking a look at how to protect this crucial freshwater source. We are so proud of this team and the work they are doing for our community! If you’d like to learn more check out the…
Ruth Waldick Wins the Islands Trust 2022 Community Stewardship Awards!
Ruth Waldick Wins the Islands Trust 2022 Community Stewardship Awards! Congratulations to our very own Ruth Waldick who won the Islands Trust 2022 Community Stewardship Awards! The Islands Trust Council recognized six individuals and one organization for work that supports the Islands Trust’s mandate to protect and preserve. The Community Stewardship Awards celebrate and acknowledge…
Notes from the Field: Updates from the Mt. Maxwell Team
Intern Simona Taronna Writes an Update from the Field 9:00 am and the little parking lot by the “No Trespassing” North Salt Spring Waterworks District sign on Maxwell Road is packed. There is excitement in the air as an eclectic group of ecologists, foresters, restoration experts, technicians, students and volunteers gather in the field. It…
Maxwell Creek Watershed Project Field Files Part 1: Project Impetus
By Shauna Doll, Gulf Islands Forest Project Coordinator A watershed-level restoration initiative focusing on improving ecological integrity within local forests Transition Salt Spring has partnered with experts and organizations from across the Coastal Douglas-fir biogeoclimatic zone, including Raincoast Conservation Foundation, to provide a model for on-the-ground, multidisciplinary, multisectoral, and collaborative climate action. Gulf Islands Forest…
Learning from Nature: Nature-based Approaches to Restoration in the Maxwell Creek Watershed
People have relied on what we call Maxwell Lake and the surrounding watershed for thousands of years, for water, food, and other resources provided by the forests. These forests support a range of wildlife, cougars, bears, songbirds, waterfowl, amphibians, fish and beavers. The tall crowns of coastal Douglas-fir trees reach for the sky with large,…
Internship Position with Transition Salt Spring
Transition Salt Spring is offering 2 three-week placement opportunities suitable for advanced study (third year or more) biology or geography students looking for field and technical GIS experience. This short internship role will provide students with hands-on field experience related to climate change in the Coastal Douglas Fir zone. Students should be familiar with one…
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Job Posting – Forest Health Assessor
Job Posting – Forest Health Assessor The successful candidate will contribute to restorative practices in the Maxwell CreekWatershed on Salt Spring Island, including implementation, data collection and monitoring.Trees will be monitored and evaluated for disease and condition. Wildlife and danger trees willbe assessed in the field, and maps will be produced. Technological skills will berequired/acquired,…
Job Posting – Hydrological Mapping Lead
Job Posting – Hydrological Mapping Lead The successful applicant will contribute to restorative practices in the Maxwell Creek Watershed on Salt Spring Island. This applicant is responsible for assessing watershed hazards, using LiDAR and other remote-sensed data, maps and data to identify priority areas for wetland interventions and riparian restoration. The candidate will conduct a…
Job Posting – Forest Fire Risk Reduction Analyst
Job Posting – Forest Fire Risk Reduction Analyst The applicant will contribute to restorative practices in the Maxwell Creek Watershed on Salt Spring Island. The candidate is responsible for assessing forest hazards at the watershed scale using LiDAR and other remote-sensed data, maps and data to identify priority areas for interventions. Field validation through site…
Healthy forests can help protect us from disasters
Read the whole article in the May 24th 2023 issue of the Gulf Islands Driftwood. Andria Scanlan won’t ever forget the howling winds and trees that came crashing down around her house that December afternoon in 2018. “We have a long-distance view from Channel Ridge, and I could see and hear the gusts rolling in…
Fire Risk Reduction in the Coastal Douglas-fir Biogeoclimatic Zone- Video
Transition Salt Spring hosted a workshop on February 27th, 2023 Fire Risk Reduction in the Coastal Douglas-fir Biogeoclimatic Zone:A Practitioner’s Workshop The event brought together over seventy participants, including regional Fire Smart Coordinators, Fire Rescue, BC Wildfire Services, forest managers, and experts working in the CDF Zone. The many experts at the workshop spoke to…
Reducing Fire and Drought Risk with Erik Piikkila
Reducing Fire and Drought Risk: Protecting Our Drinking Water and Homes from Wildfires We are delighted to present two presentations by local Forest Ecologist Erik Piikkila from Yellow Point Ecological Society. Thursday, June 1st, 7pm – 8.30pm – Online Zoom Register HERE And Sunday, June 4th, 2pm to 4pm – Field trip to Duck Creek…
Project Partners
Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue, North Salt Spring Waterworks District (NSSWD), Salt Spring Island Water Preservation Society (SSIWPS) and the Salt Spring Island Conservancy (SSIC).
The project is being funded by a $100,000 commitment from Environment and Climate Change Canada’s EcoAction Fund, $25,000 from a private donor on the island and work-in-kind offered by NSSWD.
