Natural Resource Management
Explore the benefits of nature positive decisions as a part of resource extraction activities.
Join leaders in natural resource management and the NatureTech space to learn how biodiversity data and eDNA can inform risk assessment, resilience planning, and sustainable practices. Collaborate with experts, share insights, and discover actionable strategies, all set against the beautiful backdrop of Victoria, BC.
About the workshop
Date: October 9 - 10, 2025
Location: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Time Frame: 1.5 days (Day 1 starts late afternoon, Day 2 runs full day, workshop closes ~3 PM)
Venue: Wild Rose Room, University Club, University of Victoria
Hotel: Hotel Grand Pacific; 1 night covered for participants (Check in at 4 PM and check out at 11 AM). Bags can be stored onsite. The hotel is non-smoking.
What to bring: Laptop recommended for online tool demos
Capacity: ~18 participants
Costs & Funding: Workshop meals and one hotel night covered. Participants cover your own travel.
Language: English
Accessibility: Venue is wheelchair accessible. Please let us know about dietary restrictions or accessibility needs when registering.
Contact: lorissa@ednaexplorer.org
Explore our venues
Hotel Grand Pacific
Includes a large indoor pool, hot tub, gym, and an attached lobby bar and restaurant.
Walk to:
The BC Legislature and Parliament Buildings
The downtown restaurant and shopping district
Fisherman’s Wharf
The University Club
The University Club is nestled in a forested oasis located right on the University of Victoria grounds. Their secluded pond and west coast inspired building is the perfect venue to entertain, engage, enjoy, and experience!
Enjoy their premier meeting space, bar, and restaurant.
Downtown Victoria
Just steps from the waterfront, downtown Victoria offers a vibrant mix of history, culture, and coastal charm. Take some time before or after the workshop to enjoy the city’s highlights:
Stroll through the Inner Harbour
Visit the Royal BC Museum or the Parliament Buildings
Explore shops, cafés, and local restaurants
Agenda
Day 1: Foundational Knowledge Sharing
Hotel Grand Pacific
1:30 PM - Meet in hotel lobby to drive to venue
Wild Rose Room, University Club
2:00 PM - Doors open
2:30 PM - Ice breaker activity
3:00 PM - Opening remarks
3:15 PM - Case studies
3:45 PM - Individual introductions
4:10 PM - Group exercise: Think pair share and stories
4:45 PM - Break: Drinks and appetizers
5:00 PM - Fireside chat panel and discussion
6:00 PM - Closing remarks
6:30 PM - Dinner
Evening - Transport back to hotel and free time
Day 2: Tools and Gaps
Hotel Grand Pacific
7:30 AM - Meet in hotel lobby to drive to venue
Wild Rose Room, University Club
8:00 AM - Breakfast
9:00 AM - Recollections from Day 1
9:30 AM - Interactive tool options demos and exploration part 1
11:00 AM - Break
11:15 AM - Interactive tool options demos and exploration part 2
12:15 PM - Working lunch
12:30 PM - GAP analysis challenge
1:30 PM - GAP analysis presentations
2:00 PM - Discussion on how to fill the gaps
2:30 PM - Final wrap-up and next steps
3:00 PM - Workshop close
GAP Analysis
Tool Demo: Nootka Sounds Salmon and Watershed Assessment Tool
Here is some information for the Nootka Sound Salmon and Watershed Assessment Tool that Ecofish have built for the Nootka Sound Watershed Society (https://www.nootkasound.info/), who also work in close partnership with the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation (https://www.mmfn.ca/) and the Salmon Parks Society (https://www.salmonparks.ca/).
The Nootka Sound Salmon and Watershed Assessment Tool is a custom built, password-protected website that can be temporarily accessed at https://shiny.ecofishresearch.com/nsws_staging/map (Password on slide).
The website has several pages including:
Home landing page that provides an overview of the tool and objectives
Map page with all of the interactive data within different collections
Methods page that describes our methods, data sources, and provides further background
Guide page that provides some information about how to use the tool.
Background on the tool:
The Nootka Sound Salmon and Watershed Assessment tool was developed as a key communication, data sharing, and decision-support tool related to salmon assessment and recovery in Nootka Sound. The tool was developed with financial support from the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BC SRIF) to NSWS, including from the project BC SRIF 2020_301 and ongoing project BC SRIF 2023_407.
The information presented includes spatial data related to anthropogenic impacts from forestry, road development, and climate change to salmon-bearing watersheds, applying methods from BC Cumulative Effects Framework for Aquatic Ecosystems. Salmon population and fish distribution information, and information related to salmon habitat restoration projects in Nootka Sound are presented.
In addition, the tool integrates time series monitoring of hydrometric and stream temperature data collected at over 60 stations within Nootka Sound to better assess and monitor potential impacts from climate change to salmon populations and develop options for ongoing management. External reports and spatial data related to ecological and salmon studies are also included. Overall, the Nootka Sound Salmon and Watershed Assessment Tool is intended to be used as source of information and communication tool with NSWS members and collaborators to support ongoing salmon assessment and recovery initiatives in Nootka Sound.
Interested in attending?
