Bunchgrass and Badgers in BC
#1. Bunchgrass and Badgers in BC
Date: TBA
Presenters
Hillary Page, Senior Director of Conservation in BC, Nature Conservancy of Canada
Richard Klafki, Program Director for the Canadian Rockies, Nature Conservancy of Canada
Hillary Page has been with Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) for 16 years and currently serves as the Senior Director of Conservation in BC. In her current role, Hillary oversees planning, land securement, and stewardship in the Region. Hillary’s conservation journey was sparked as a summer student at the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program where she worked on monitoring open forest restoration projects in the Rocky Mountain Trench. Armed with an undergraduate degree in conservation biology and a Master’s in wildlife and range management from the University of Alberta, Hillary developed her skills working as an independent biologist in the Columbia Valley focusing on monitoring effectiveness of open forest and grassland restoration. At NCC, Hillary’s mission is clear: she leverages local expertise and scientific knowledge to establish a network of conservation lands that safeguard wildlife habitats, including grasslands, and ecological processes while fostering community engagement.
Richard Klafki became interested in pursuing a career in wildlife biology and conservation growing up in the East Kootenay and has lived and worked as a biologist in the Kootenay region ever since. Richard obtained his B.Sc. in Biology-Wildlife at the University of Northern British Columbia, then completed his M.Sc. in Environmental Science (Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops) on road ecology and highway mitigation for badgers in south-central British Columbia. Working as a contract wildlife biologist on a variety of wildlife-related projects for over a decade throughout western Canada and Ontario, including some short stints in western United States, led to an understanding that the conservation of important habitats is what the species he was passionate about needed most. In 2014, Richard joined the Nature Conservancy of Canada and now works as the Program Director for the Canadian Rockies program based in Invermere, BC. Richard is responsible for directing and managing conservation projects defined by a science-based planning framework, building strong relationships, and coordinating stewardship priorities within the expansive Canadian Rockies Ecoregion.
Grasslands are among the most critical ecosystems in British Columbia, covering less than 5% of the land but supporting over 30% of the province’s species at risk. These landscapes are also essential for communities and agriculture. In this talk, Richard and Hillary will share their unique journeys in grassland ecology and conservation. Richard, a wildlife biologist specializing in badger ecology, and Hillary, a plant ecologist focused on open forest and grassland restoration, bring complementary perspectives to their work. Both now contribute their expertise at the Nature Conservancy of Canada, collaborating with partners to protect and restore these vital habitats, ensuring a future for healthy bunchgrass ecosystems and the wildlife they sustain.
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