My applied research project aims to model the carbon sequestration level along a 20 km stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway in Chiliwack, BC. I will that use that information to make recommendations for highway right-of-way management and create a vegetation plan that will increase the carbon sequestration potential along this vehicle corridor.

Back in the summer of 2020, I went out to various predetermined areas along the highway where I gathered tree measurement data, identified vegetation and took soil samples. The tree measurement data was used in a program called i-Tree Eco v6, which is a software applicated program designed to use single tree measurement data from randomly located plots along with local hourly air pollution and meteorological data to quantify forest structure, environmental effects, and to value to communities. The program provides various analyses included information on carbon sequestration and storage. I also used their online program i-Tree Canopy v7.1, which uses satellite imagery to define land cover types and generates information about carbon sequestration and storage.

I hope to use this information to encourage the BC Government to plant in the highway right-of-ways to increase carbon sequestration in these areas as well as highlight the use of the i-Tree suite of programs that can be used for free.

From November 6^th to the 8^th, 8 Ecological Restoration Graduate students went on a volunteer trip to Galiano to assist the Galiano Conservation Association with some planting in their recently restored areas.

We had a wild time getting to Galiano the first night and just barely made it onto the last ferry that night. When we arrived at the Conservancy, we were met with a beautiful night sky full of stars and a toasty warm cabin classroom where we all had a chance to hangout and chat until we decided to go to sleep that night.

The next morning, we woke up to a grey, windy day but we got our many layers on and headed out to the North East part of the Conservancy’s property to start planting. As like with many of the gulf islands, Galiano has a high population of deer so we needed to construct deer-proof cages to surround the newly planted plants so they wouldn’t disappear overnight by hungry deer.

On the last day, Adam Huggins, the Restoration Coordinator for the Galiano Conservancy Association, showed us around the property and the many places they have restored and plan to restore. One such part is the Nuts’a’maat’ Forage Forest in which they are attempting to cultivate traditional food and medicinal plants in a restored and regenerating ecosystem.

We planted about 300 pants over two days we had to plant while also having some time to hangout and explore the property. Saturday night we managed to get a fire going despite some gusty wind, and on Sunday we watched the sun set at Chrystal Cove on the property. Just before we left for the ferry terminal, we checked out Montague Bay to watch the last of the light fade behind the Vancouver Island mountain ranges. We finished off the weekend by getting pizza at a restaurant in town called Babes in the Woods. We highly recommend their BBQ Chicken and Galiano Sweetheart pizza.

While this was a one-time volunteer opportunity with the Galiano Conservancy Association, we hope to continue this relationship and visit with them year after year to help them with their grand plans to restore the land that they promise to protect.

The following day, we went to check out what we had captured in the small-mammal traps. Most of our traps were successful! We caught multiple Deer Mice, a couple Red-backed voles and two or three Townsends’ Chipmunks. In the larger mammal traps, we caught a three or four Flying squirrels, which we were all excited to see! We tagged the ones that we could (the ones that did not slip out of our hands) and released them.

Following this, we checked out the amphibian gee traps down at the wetland. We successfully caught a handful of Northwestern salamanders! To cap the day off, we headed back into the forest and discusses pellet count surveys and other types of bird surveys.

The two days in the woods was a great way to start the semester and see our cohort for the first time since the abrupt end to in-person courses in March.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the second-year’s  field course was re-scheduled from May 2020 to September and October 2020.  The course was unique in the sense that the course was split between online and in-person learning. The course was spread out over the first two months of the semester with the lecture portion being held weekly that were complimented with in-person practical sessions. We were lucky enough to have five in-person/in the field sessions, which allowed us to learn and practice the field techniques that we were taught.

In September, the second-year cohort ventured out to the Mission Tree Farm for our first in the field session. This session was led by Doug Ransome, Brent Matsuda and Pontus Lindgren and we covered many field techniques that focused on amphibians, small mammals and raptors.  We began the first with amphibian sampling. We conducted terrestrial encounter transects, with some success. We also looked at cover boards and the pitfall traps that were already set up.

Following the amphibian sampling, we practiced our telemetry skills as we used the equipment to locate a transponder somewhere in the forest. It was definitely much harder than it looked but a great (and fun) learning experience.

We then separated into two groups to set up the small-mammal traps. There are two grids set up at the tree farm, one in a second growth stand and the other in a remnant patch of old growth forest. The old growth stand had been left unlogged so the grid was difficult but memorable, as it is very unique to be walk through an untouched old growth forest. The topography, the dense understory and downed logs made it difficult to move through as we set up the traps.

When the second-growth grid group were finished setting their traps, we set up the amphibians gee traps in the small wetland at the site that we would come back to the next day. 

We finished the day off with raptor  and owl call playback surveys. While we did not have any call back, it was a great way to cap off the first day! As we had a second day at the Mission Tree Farm, some of us camped out overnight nearby.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in March, doing science has not been easy for the second-year master’s students. Stringent restrictions have directly impeded progresses of some students’ research projects. Show and tell over Zoom virtual educational sessions as well have their shortcoming because restorations are mostly hands-on in which ecologists and biologists or student alike have to go down to the field and physically do science, for example, sampling, tagging, and vegetation removal, just to name a few. Therefore, to keep up with our progress that we have worked diligently for since the first term in 2019, we have to work in a more meticulous way so that we can keep doing science, and simultaneously help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by doing our parts.