BC WILDLIFE FEDERATION. Rock Creek FUNDED BY: FINAL REPORT PREPARED BY: CHRIS LIM & DEREK SCHOFIELD

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1 BC WILDLIFE FEDERATION Rock Creek 2018 FINAL REPORT PREPARED BY: CHRIS LIM & DEREK SCHOFIELD FUNDED BY:

2 It's a wonderful camp! I love the opportunities it gives the kids in our community. I love that there are activities at a price range that some families might not otherwise participate in. Go Wild Parent 2018 General Thoughts about the Camp

The BCWF aims to develop and support comprehensive educational programs to make all British Columbians aware of the value of fish, wildlife, park and outdoor recreational resources, and to arouse in

3 THE BC WILDLIFE FEDERATION The British Columbia Wildlife Federation (BCWF) is BC s oldest and longest lasting Conservation group. Representing 40,000 members province-wide, including over a hundred hunting and angling clubs, BCWF members are on the frontlines of BC s wilderness. Education is a critical value for the BCWF. The BCWF aims to develop and support comprehensive educational programs to make all British Columbians aware of the value of fish, wildlife, park and outdoor recreational resources, and to arouse in the public conscience a recognition of, and a respect for, the place of fish, wildlife and outdoor recreation in the wise integrated use of the province s natural resources. Go Wild! Youth for Conservation (Go Wild) is a program that aims to educate and help develop British Columbia s future leaders of conservation. By providing scientific and fact-based information through presentations, games, and workshops Go Wild prepares its youth participants to not only understand but also share and use the information they receive in their local community. Go Wild is part of the BCWF s long-term mission to protect, enhance, and promote the wise use of the environment for the benefit of present and future generations. A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT HARVEY ANDRUSAK In our already complex world, the advent of social media has on the one hand been a boon for communication amongst young people while on the other hand these communication tools have further distanced youth from the natural environment. Kids and young people today, especially in the urban centers, have few opportunities to connect and learn about fish and wildlife and their habitats. They know how to navigate the electronic world but have few skills in navigating the natural world. The challenge has been to create opportunities for young people to experience on the ground the amazing world of conservation of fish and wildlife. The BCWF realized this 4 years ago, resulting in the establishment of Go Wild! Youth for Conservation. This program is designed for young people to learn about the outdoors. The program is intended to spark curiosity, increase knowledge about the outdoors and develop a lasting relationship with the natural world. Most importantly, the program is designed to have fun in natural settings. Our youth are our natural assets and they represent future conservationists based on what they experience and skills they learn through the Go Wild program.

4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Go Wild Overview.. 1 a. History b Camps Rock Creek a. Overview b. Schedule c. Day 1-5 d. Local Sponsors Lake Country a. Overview b. Schedule Survey Results Thank You, Funders and In-Kind Support. 7

5 Go Wild is a 5-day leadership day camp with a focus on conservation. Aimed at youths aged 13-17, Go Wild incorporates outdoor education programming, but primarily provides workshops on leadership and conservation. The goal of the Go Wild is to get youth outdoors and having fun, while learning about conservation and leadership. The program introduces youth to a variety of outdoor activities that tie into important lessons about wildlife, ecology, ethics and conservation. This combination of fun and education guides youth to discover the importance of conservation work, which will ensure that future generations are able to enjoy British Columbia s wilderness. The youth are given tools and information that will allow them to be leaders in conservation in their communities and to share knowledge with others. Each camp culminates in a conservation project giving participants hands-on experience on conservation work and what impact they can have in their community. HISTORY Go Wild! Youth for Conservation has been running annually since the first 4-day pilot leadership workshop in 2013, held in Surrey, British Columbia. The group visited the Semiahmoo Fish and Game Club, participating in various activities such as archery and a hatchery tour. The Langley Environmental Partnership gave presentations on gardening and composting. The youth learned about ecology through a presentation and a debate. With the help of Yarrow Ecovillage, the youth built a wetland and listened to a talk by Don Stahl, a local conservation officer. The week wrapped up with an invasive species removal project at Cedar Grove Park and a leadership workshop saw an expansion upon on the pilot program with three workshops being held around in the Lower Mainland, Kelowna, and Courtenay. In 2015, Go Wild transitioned from workshops to 5 to 6 day leadership day-camps CAMPS This year, we reached a total of 31 youth in the communities of Rock Creek and the surrounding area. Camp was offered for a low cost of $50 for a 5- day camp, which included lunches, to lower any barriers that might prevent youth from being able to attend Go Wild. A trial overnight component was to be added in the planned Lake Country camp, though due to a serious car accident, the Lake Country Go Wild camp had to be cancelled last minute. The Rock Creek camp included base programs combined with place-based programming. Place-based programming incorporates local attractions and venues in developing a program. By using this design concept, the Go Wild camp was unique and allowed campers to discover local eco attractions that some never knew existed in their community. Examples of place-based programming in 2018 included visits from local experts, float tubing, hiking a section of the Trans Canada Trail and fishing at a local lake. 1

ROCK CREEK Go Wild Rock Creek ran from July 23-27 and was hosted by the Kettle Valley Wildlife Association.

31 campers registered for the camp and 4 of which were sponsored by local organizations in the area. Camper had a very diverse week learning about communication, leadership, and wildlife (e.g. cervids, waterfowl, and BC Fish).

The camp was also visited by local RCMP and Conservation Officers who spoke on gun safety and local conservation issues.

6 ROCK CREEK Go Wild Rock Creek ran from July and was hosted by the Kettle Valley Wildlife Association. Like Go Wild Dawson Creek 2017, this Go Wild Rock Creek was open to a wider age range of 9-17 to maximize the interest of campers from the previous year s Wild Kidz Rock Creek. 31 campers registered for the camp and 4 of which were sponsored by local organizations in the area. Camper had a very diverse week learning about communication, leadership, and wildlife (e.g. cervids, waterfowl, and BC Fish). Go Wild Rock Creek also incorporated a unique range day that included NASP archery, trap shooting, and.22 competition that lasted an extra after the camp. The camp was also visited by local RCMP and Conservation Officers who spoke on gun safety and local conservation issues. The camp finished off with trail clean-up of the Rock Creek section of the Trans- Canada Trail. Go Wild Rock Creek made possible by contributions from the Boundary District Teachers Association, Rock Creek Lions Club, A1 Buses Ltd, West Boundary Community Forest, BC Conservation Foundation, Wildlife Habitat Canada and the 18 volunteers who helped throughout the week by donating 336 hours of their time! CAMP SCHEDULE 2

DAY 1 DAY 4 Day 4 was another exciting day at the club highlighted by the opening of Range Day.

After a thorough safety orientation, campers were given the opportunity to try.22 caliber rifles, trap shooting, and archery.

Campers were introduced to the fundamentals of archery through exercises with simple string bows and a mockup of a range.

DAY 2 Day 2 brought the focus to survival skills, fishing basics, wildfire management and to Archery with the compound bows.

Fishing basics introduced campers to local freshwater fish, the parts of a rod, and how to handle a fish when it is on your hook.

7 DAY 1 DAY 4 Day 4 was another exciting day at the club highlighted by the opening of Range Day. Camper first listened to presentation put on by local RCMP and Conservation Officers on gun safety, conservation issues, and hunting ethics. After a thorough safety orientation, campers were given the opportunity to try.22 caliber rifles, trap shooting, and archery. Campers participated in several leadership and communication games such as Minefield and Tanks. Campers were introduced to the fundamentals of archery through exercises with simple string bows and a mockup of a range. Finally, to start off our education portion of Go Wild, the campers learned about the deer family, and how to make different calls like an elk chuckle and a cow moose call. DAY 2 Day 2 brought the focus to survival skills, fishing basics, wildfire management and to Archery with the compound bows. Campers were given the opportunity to use a GPS, handle a compass, start building an overnight shelter, and start their own campfires! Fishing basics introduced campers to local freshwater fish, the parts of a rod, and how to handle a fish when it is on your hook. Wildfire Management talked about the benefits and dangers of wildfires, how they are fought and prevented, and how to report one. DAY 3 The day ended with a.22 shooting competition with all but a handful of the campers. The competition lasted past the end of the day. DAY 5 Go Wild concluded with a restoration of a nearby section of the Trans-Canada Trail. Campers helped clear debris from the spring floods that devastated the Kootenays in the spring. The camp end with a family BBQ and the handout of awards. Awards were given for Best Shooter, Safest Shooter and Most Improved Shooter for both boys and girls LOCAL SPONSORS The third day had the whole group away from our host club for most of the day. The morning started with a bus ride to Jewel Lake where campers had the opportunity to put their new-found fishing knowledge to the test. With the help of our volunteers we were able to keep everyone casting for the full morning. Back by popular demand, the afternoon was spent tubing trip down the Kettle River in the Kettle River Recreation Area! The day ended with duck calls and a presentation on Waterfowl of North America. 3

LAKE COUNTRY Go Wild Lake Country was scheduled to run from July 16-20, 2018.

The BCWF is happy to report that all the two staff member involved suffered minor injuries and are recovering well.

The camp was to be hosted by the Oceola Fish and Game Club with in-kind support from the local partners the Okanagan Forest Taskforce, Bluestar Coach Lines, Camp Arbuckle, and Castanet.

8 LAKE COUNTRY Go Wild Lake Country was scheduled to run from July 16-20, Unfortunately, due to a serious car accident involving the camp truck and two of the youth camp staff on July 14th the decision was made to cancel the Lake Country Camp. The BCWF is happy to report that all the two staff member involved suffered minor injuries and are recovering well. At the time of cancellation there were 22 registered participants, ages 10-14, all of who were issued full refunds. The camp was to be hosted by the Oceola Fish and Game Club with in-kind support from the local partners the Okanagan Forest Taskforce, Bluestar Coach Lines, Camp Arbuckle, and Castanet. Scheduled program included fishing, hiking, a career presentation by local conservation officers, urban trail restoration in collaboration with the Okanagan Forest Taskforce, and the pilot of our first ever overnight component. We would like to express special thanks to the BCWF volunteers who helped our staff during the aftermath of the accident. We also extend our apologies to the families and campers of Go Wild Lake Country for cancelling the camp and reassure them that we intended to return to the Okanagan in CAMP SCHEDULE 4

9 MEASURED OUTCOMES The predicted outcome of the Go Wild program is increased youth leadership and participation in community environmental, conservational, and wildlife initiatives. The following results were derived from two surveys: (1) a pre-camp survey for the campers and (2) a post-camp survey from Wild Kidz campers. The camper survey contained 18 questions that ranged from binary, yes or no questions, to short answer responses. The total number of participants in the 2018 Go Wild program was 31. Of the 31, 24 of the campers returned their survey. Method Camper results were intended to be derived from a comparison between pre- and post-camp surveys from Go Wild campers. However, due to an oversight, Go Wild Rock Creek campers were only given pre-camp surveys. The camper survey results, therefore, are based on the returned post-camp surveys from all BCWF camps (i.e. Go Wild and Wild Kidz). Put simply, the Go Wild Rock Creek pre-camp surveys were compared with the 10 shared questions on all returned Wild Kidz post-camp surveys. Further comparisons could not be made due to the cancelation of Go Wild Lake Country. These are the overall results from the single Go Wild camp (Rock Creek). Please note the following data analysis is raw statistical data. Standard deviations and standard error of the results have not been calculated. Reservations should be given on these results due to the inconsistent collection of surveys and the slight variations in program delivery between each camp. Results from each camp can be provided upon request. Results Across all the camps (Go Wild and Wild Kidz), a trend of improvement was observed with campers earning a 13% higher mark on average on their post-camp survey than their pre-camp survey. This value was reached by comparing the average mark for each question from each camp and then weighing the average grade against the number of surveys filled out for each the post and pre-camp surveys. In this manner each survey carries equal value when determining the average mark. Of the ten questions where pre-camp and post-camp data exists there was an observed improvement in score ranging from a 2.3% increase all the way up to a 27.7% increase in eight of the questions. Two of the ten questions (Compass and Cervid Question) had a lower average grade in the post-camp survey ranging from -2.8% to -8.6%. We suspect that this decrease in score is due respondents not answering the question (i.e. leaving the question blank) as well as lack of clarity in how the questions were written. Conclusion Despite set backs such as the accident and incomplete survey analysis, we believe that 2018 Go Wild program to be a success, seeing as a positive trend can be derived based of our other camps. Furthermore, the results from our Parent Survey can further attest to the program (see page 6). The Go Wild will continue to seek better ways to further measure the learning outcomes and activity benefits from the program in Pre-camp Weighted Post-camp Weighted Improvement / Decline Question # Average Average 1 (Fire needs) 48.0% 75.7% 27.7% 2 (Freshwater Fish) 73.4% 75.7% 2.3% 3 (Cervids) 65.6% 84.4% 18.9% 4 (Invasive Species) 33.2% 50.7% 17.5% 5 (Waterfowl) 73.1% 94.7% 21.5% 6 (Compass) 85.7% 82.9% -2.8% 7 (Wildfire Fighting) 62.0% 77.8% 15.9% 8 (GPS Precision) 35.5% 56.4% 20.9% 9 (Causes of Wildfires) 30.2% 48.9% 18.7% 10 (Caribou v Reindeer) 61.2% 52.7% -8.6% 11 (Lost in the woods) 64.3% No Data No Data 12 (Shooting knowledge) 28.6% No Data No Data 13 (Wildfires) 42.9% No Data No Data 5

SURVEY RESULTS Parent Survey Results The 31 participants of Go Wild Rock Creek were from 24 different families. Of the 24 families, 17 (71%) responded to the parent survey.

The results below are from the questions regarding camp satisfaction. Full parent survey results are available upon request. Are you a part of a fish and game club?

Asking whether parents/families were members of a fish and game club helped measure how many youth and families we have exposed to hunting and fishing.

A score of (1) equates to Dissatisfaction and score of (5) equates to Extreme Satisfaction. All 17 respondents scored either (4) very satisfied and (5) extremely satisfied.

10 SURVEY RESULTS Parent Survey Results The 31 participants of Go Wild Rock Creek were from 24 different families. Of the 24 families, 17 (71%) responded to the parent survey. The parent survey consisted of 14 questions that were designed to collect information of camp satisfaction, participant demography, and camp improvements. The results below are from the questions regarding camp satisfaction. Full parent survey results are available upon request. Are you a part of a fish and game club? How satisfied are you with Go Wild? Asking whether parents/families were members of a fish and game club helped measure how many youth and families we have exposed to hunting and fishing. 59% of families were likely exposed to fishing and hunting through Go Wild. Satisfaction was determined on a 5-point scale. A score of (1) equates to Dissatisfaction and score of (5) equates to Extreme Satisfaction. All 17 respondents scored either (4) very satisfied and (5) extremely satisfied. Do you feel your child learned valuable skills? How likely are you to sign up your child again? 94% of the respondents felt that their child(ren) learned valuable skills during Go Wild. 6% felt unsure. Based on a 5-point likelihood scale, 82% of respondents claimed the (5) they were extremely likely to sign up their child(ren) for future Go Wild camps. 18% claimed (4), they were very likely. 6

tirelessly offered their time and resources to make a difference in youth lives.

either through financial contributions or in-kind support such as product/service donations or volunteerism.

He aided in preparing the Rock Creek camp and he and his family humbly offered their home for accommodations for staff during

Sam Badminton Sam is the Vice-President of the Oceola Fish and Game Club and acted as our liaison for Go Wild Lake Country.

The Go Wild program is entirely funded on grants and donations.

Canada, Canada Summer Jobs, CapriCMW Insurance, the West Boundary Community Forest Grant, A1 Bus Ltd, and the Kettle Lions Club

11 THANK YOU Go Wild! Youth for Conservation would not be possible if it were not for amazing funders, sponsors, and especially volunteers, who tirelessly offered their time and resources to make a difference in youth lives. On behalf of the BCWF, we would like to thank every organization, partner, and volunteer who made the summer of 2019 possible either through financial contributions or in-kind support such as product/service donations or volunteerism. FUNDERS Les Best Les is a Past-President for the Kettle Wildlife Association. He aided in preparing the Rock Creek camp and he and his family humbly offered their home for accommodations for staff during the camp. Sam Badminton Sam is the Vice-President of the Oceola Fish and Game Club and acted as our liaison for Go Wild Lake Country. Aside from the many volunteer hours she put into preparing the camp she also help the Youth Staff after the accident. The Go Wild program is entirely funded on grants and donations. The BCWF would like to thank the Government of British Columbia s Gaming Grant, BC Hydro Community Investment, Wildlife Habitat Canada, Canada Summer Jobs, CapriCMW Insurance, the West Boundary Community Forest Grant, A1 Bus Ltd, and the Kettle Lions Club for their respective, generous financial contributions and dedication to investing in the future of BC youth. IN-KIND SUPPORT Aside from financial contributions, Go Wild s largest need is community support. The BCWF appreciates the immense value of volunteerism and in-kind support. This year, the Go Wild program has accrued over 436 hours volunteer hours and over $8100 worth of in-kind support from the following community groups and partners either through product/service donations or hours spent volunteering at the camps. Thank you all for your service. 7

Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund 2017 Request for Proposals (RFP)

Project Title: Total Project Budget: $ Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund 2017 Request for Proposals (RFP) Floating Classroom: Connecting 20,000 Youth to Minnesota Waterways Category: Proposed