College of Applied Biologists

Construction Monitoring — Wildlife Mitigation – Online – February 18th, 2025
2025-02-18 08:30 - 12:30 (America/Vancouver) | Online
This course will dive deep into industry-leading techniques for wildlife mitigation amidst construction projects. Explore strategies for pinpointing potential impacts, selecting appropriate mitigation measures, and evaluating their effectiveness. Emphasizing hands-on learning, you’ll navigate timing considerations for various species and explore terrestrial and aquatic isolation methods.

Introduction to Statistics for Ecology using R
2025-02-18 - 2025-02-20 | Selkirk College, 301 Frank Beinder Way, Castlegar, BC, V1N 4L3, Canada
This course presented by the Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology provides an introductory primer for statistical concepts and techniques. Learners will explore ecological data, assumptions about probability distributions, hypothesis testing, one and two sample tests, ANOVA, regression, and model building topics. Emphasis will be placed on integrating practical examples into course exercises.
The course will be taught using Excel and R software.

College of Applied Biologists Information Session
2025-02-13 18:00 - 21:00 | The Blue Horizon Hotel, 1225 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC, V6E 1C3, Canada
An information session is scheduled a session from 6:00 – 9:00 pm on Thursday, February 13, 2025 in Vancouver.
The event will be held at:
The Blue Horizon Hotel (Baker & Arrowsmith Rooms)
1225 Robson Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 1C3
https://www.bluehorizonhotel.com/
The agenda includes:
• 6pm: Networking reception, which includes a beverage and appetizers ($25 advanced registration, $30 at the door)
• 7pm: An open information session (free and open to registrants and non-registrants) with College staff on reserved practice and regulatory updates
• 8pm: There will be refreshments and networking opportunities after the information session
In order to attend the event, please register using the College portal https://portal.cab-bc.org/: create a profile (if needed), log in, then click the Events tab at the top of your registrant portal homepage.
NOTE: If you plan to attend the information session only and networking opportunity afterwards, the event is free.

Plant Identification Level 1 – Online – February 13th, 2025
2025-02-13 13:00 - 17:00 | Online
Tailored for beginners or as a refresher for those seeking to reinforce their botanical knowledge, this MicroCourse aims to bolster your confidence in identifying plants and set you on a path for continuous learning and growth in this fascinating field.

Planning and Designing Fish Habitat Assessments – Online – February 11th, 2025
2025-02-11 10:00 - 14:00 | Online
This Micro-Course describes strategies and approaches to selecting specific methods, in a defensible manner and combining information from a range of scales, to complete efficient and effective fish habitat assessments. Participants are assumed to have working knowledge of the standard stream fish habitat assessment methods.

Species at Risk – Online, February 11th – 12th, 2025
2025-02-11 09:00 - 2025-02-12 16:00 | Online
Species at Risk is an applied, two-day, online with a student led field component course focusing on how to determine which species at risk are known to occur in a particular area, how to identify potential habitat opportunities, and how to assign a relative potential for that species to be present.

Ichthyology – Online, February 10th – 11th, 2025
2025-02-10 09:00 - 2025-02-11 16:00 | Online
The two-day, fully online Ichthyology course provides a comprehensive overview of fish phylogeny, ecology, and physiology. Participants will develop the foundation for studying and managing fisheries and evaluating biological requirements for fish habitat restoration projects.

Bird Nest Surveys — Beyond Standard Approaches – Online – February 4th, 2025
2025-02-04 08:30 - 12:30 | Online
Bird nest surveys are an important, but controversial, tool for protecting the nests, eggs, and young that may be threatened by human-caused disturbances, and in so doing remain compliant with Canadian environmental law. In this micro-course we will discuss how to recognize, avoid, and overcome some of the most common limitations of bird nest surveys.

Fish Habitat Restoration — Instream Techniques – Online, February 3rd – 4th, 2025
2025-02-03 09:00 - 2025-02-04 16:00 | Online
This course will provide skills and knowledge to successfully conduct and manage an instream restoration project specific to low-gradient stream environments, conduct site selection, habitat assessment, construction techniques and other key considerations for a variety of in-stream restoration projects, including riffle and groyne design (Newbury Riffle design principles), aeration, bank stabilization, creation of spawning/rearing habitat and opportunities for rehabilitation in salt lakes (unique to the Canadian prairies).

Fish Habitat Restoration — Identification of Factors Limiting Fish Productivity – Online – January 31st, 2025
2025-01-31 10:00 - 14:00 | Online
This MicroCourse offers a concise yet thorough review of proven, science-based techniques for assessing limiting factors, such as life history, habitat space, competition, resource availability, and environmental conditions. By the end of this course, participants will be equipped to systematically evaluate these factors and use their findings to effectively guide restoration efforts.

Fish Habitat Restoration — Groyne Design and Function in Rivers – Online – January 30th, 2025
2025-01-30 10:00 - 14:00 | Online
In this MicroCourse, you’ll explore the design and application of rock groynes, with a focus on real-world examples of both successful and unsuccessful projects. Through interactive desktop exercises, participants will gain hands-on experience in designing groynes for streambank protection.

Winning Proposals — Writing to Secure Funding – Online – January 28th, 2025
2025-01-28 10:00 - 14:00 | Online
This MicroCourse is dedicated to helping those responsible for responding to requests for proposals or grant applications achieve greater success in their efforts. Successful proposal writing requires understanding the value of persuasion, knowing what to include to be competitive, appreciating what not to include, and striking the correct tone to inspire confidence by the reader. In this course, the instructor(s) will share tactics and techniques they have learned over decades of writing proposals and grant applications, and strategies and considerations that will allow your writing to rise to the top of the candidate pile.

Ecosystems Field Data Collection Micro-Credential
2025-01-28 - 2025-01-30 | Online
The Ecosystems Field Data Collection Micro-Credential trains resource and/or forestry practitioners in the use of field skills to identify ecosystems in the field, describe and map ecological strata, identify and describe critical soil hazards and site issues. Procedures and methodologies taught will allow practitioners to classify areas, even if they are devoid of vegetation due to wildfire, or other alterations. Presented by UNBC.

Drone Applications in Environmental Surveying – Online – January 23rd, 2025
2025-01-23 13:00 - 17:00 | Online
In this course several models of drones and their applications in today’s environmental field work will be explored. Topics covered will include – an overview of models of drones – some of the important regulations regarding drone use around the world and setting up flights, capturing data, and processing the data for powerful use of the derived information.

Field Safety — Preparation – Online – January 22nd & 27th, 2025
2025-01-22 09:00 - 2025-01-27 11:00 | Online
This MicroCourse dives into the foundational elements of safe fieldwork planning, equipping you with the strategies, documentation practices, and data-processing techniques necessary to ensure a productive and secure experience. But beyond methodological rigor, a critical component is often overlooked: planning for your safe and healthy return.

Introduction to Camera Trap Data Management and Analysis in R
2025-01-22 - 2025-01-24 | Revelstoke, BC, Canada
This course presented by Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology aims to guide participants in effective ways to store, manipulate and analyze camera trap data within the R statistical environment. It will cover data storage and exploration of best practices, introductions to the major methods used to analyze camera trap data, all using real world camera data. The course will give participants the tools to manage, analyze and share camera trap data in an approachable and practical way.
This course is designed for students who are familiar with the basics of using R and R Studio.

Wetland Assessment – Online, January 21st – 22nd, 2025
2025-01-21 09:00 - 2025-01-22 16:00 | Online
Wetland Assessment is an applied, two-day, online with a student led field component course focusing on the step-by-step process of how to characterize, classify, and delineate wetlands in Canada and the northern United States.

Advanced Fish Sampling – Online – January 20th, 2024
2025-01-20 10:00 - 14:00 | Online
This MicroCourse is intended for the purpose, to draw on decades of experience capturing and sampling fish to provide students tips, tricks, and strategies to not only set the gear but also to do so in manners to increase catch, while also reducing impacts to trapped fish or mammalian and avian bycatch. The course will build on the basics and refine strategies for use of the most commonly used freshwater sampling methods (minnow traps, Fyke net, seines, snorkeling).

Advanced Electrofishing – Online – January 17th, 2025
2025-01-17 10:00 - 14:00 | Online
To assist practitioners in capturing more fish when doing this work, NRTG’s Advanced Electrofishing MicroCourse provides students with lessons learned over decades on how to effectively capture fish using this tool.

Fish Habitat Restoration — Stream Morphology Assessment – Online – January 16th, 2025
2025-01-16 10:00 - 14:00 | Online
In this MicroCourse, you’ll explore the different types of channel morphologies, the conditions that create them, and their stability over time. You’ll also learn about the challenges of working within dynamic channel systems. Through the use of photographs, topographic imagery, and channel cross-sections, participants will develop the skills to accurately identify channel morphologies and pinpoint reference reaches, essential for guiding successful stream restoration projects.

Avenza Maps for Planning, Navigating & Collecting Data for Environmental Use – Online – January 14th, 2025
2025-01-14 13:00 - 17:00 | Online
This course will demonstrate how to effectively use Avenza Maps alongside traditional tools like hand maps and compasses, allowing you to navigate the field with confidence. Applications like Avenza Maps enable users to access their current GPS location while in the field, making travel and data collection easier.

22nd Annual BC Natural Resources Forum
2025-01-14 - 2025-01-16 | Prince George Conference and Civic Centre, Prince George, BC, Canada
The BC Natural Resources Forum offers a positive, non-partisan arena to discuss and learn first-hand the latest news, trends and opportunities linked to the resource sector in BC. The conference has become an important platform for leaders across the resource sectors and BC’s communities to build relationships, share ideas and discuss solutions common to their industries.

Lake Management Techniques – Online, January 8th-9th, 2025
2025-01-08 09:00 - 2025-01-09 17:00 | Online
Lake management requires key skills and knowledge required to study and sample the physical, chemical, and biological properties of lakes. This two-day course includes instructor-led presentations, as well as ample ‘hands on’ student application through discussions, breakout groups and exercises.

Fish Habitat Restoration — Primer on Stream Hydrology – Online – January 7th, 2025
2025-01-07 10:00 - 14:00 | Online
In this MicroCourse, you’ll explore different types of flow and learn how flow dynamics impact water quality and habitats. Through engaging videos and field-based photos, you’ll gain the skills to interpret real-world stream conditions. By the end of the course, participants will have a strong foundation in stream hydraulics, with the ability to identify and explain flow types and apply this knowledge to habitat assessments, water quality sampling, and stream restoration design.

Fundamentals of Wildland Fire Ecology and Management micro-credential
2025-01-07 - 2025-06-01 | Online
Presented from both Indigenous and western perspectives, the Fundamentals of Wildland Fire Ecology and Management program provides a unique learning opportunity that combines knowledge of western fire science and Indigenous ways of knowing with landscape and fire ecology and social sciences to address a vital need for professional training in the increasingly complex area of wildfire management. Delivered by UBC Okanagan Campus, Continuing and Professional Education.

QGIS Level I & II (Online, flexible dates)
2025-01-01 - 2025-12-31 | Online
The QGIS mapping program has become the go-to software for people that want to map and analyze geospatial data using a free, open source product. Supported and continuously developed by designers world-wide, the program is replacing ArcGIS in many organizations. The program is easy to download and use but requires a bit of orientation for people that are new to mapping software.

ABWRET Blended Course (W25 Offering)
2024-12-15 - 2025-04-30 | Online
The ABWRET-A (W25) Blended Course provides learners with a strong understanding of the Government of Alberta’s wetland function assessment tool, needed for Alberta Water Act approvals.

Grassland Vegetation Inventory Blended Course (W25 Offering)
2024-12-15 - 2025-04-30 | Online
The Grassland Vegetation Inventory is a land cover and land use classification system for the grasslands. GVI provides an extensive array of natural upland, riparian and wetland classes. Coupled with anthropogenic (modified) land use classes, GVI is a robust system that captures the variety of biophysical land uses in the grasslands.

ABWRET-A Blended Course
2024-12-13 11:00 - 13:30 | Blended online/offline
ABWRET-A, or the Alberta Wetland Rapid Evaluation Tool-Actual is a standardized method for assessing the important natural functions performed by all types of Alberta wetlands using both field and spatial data. SALMTEC has designed this course to provide participants with a strong understanding of the ABWRET-A. This course targets an intermediate audience with some experience working in natural sciences. The course is primarily instructed by Dr. Paul Adamus, the creator of the wetland evaluation tool, who lends his voice, experience and knowledge to this intensive online course.

GVI Blended Course
2024-12-06 11:00 - 13:30 | Blended online/offline
GVI, or Grassland Vegetation Inventory, is a biophysical and land use classification system specifically designed by the Government of Alberta (GoA) for the grassland region. This course presented by SALMTEC has four learning modules and consists of online, offline and interactive components.
