Noting there are in the climate monitoring gaps in Northern BC, the 3Nations Collaborative Stewardship Framework (Kaska, Tahltan, Taku River Tlingit and BC) and the BC Ministry of Forest partnered to install climate monitoring stations in the 3Nations respective territories.
Objective
The objective of this project was to install a climate monitoring station in each of 3Nations (Kaska, Tahltan and Taku River Tlingit Ancestral Territories). It was acknowledged that there are data gaps in climate data in the Kaska, Tahltan and Taku River Tlingit Territories. The data collected from these climate stations will help fill these gaps and develop stewardship strategies.
Partners
3Nations Guardians Program (Kaska, Tahltan, Taku River Tlingit) partnered with BC Ministry of Forest through the 3Nations/BC Collaborative Stewardship Network to establish climate monitoring stations in each of the 3Nations territories.
The climate monitoring stations belong to the respective Nations (Kaska, Taku River Tlingit and Tahltan), but the data will be shared with the BC Ministry of Forests.
Funding for this work was provided by the province of BC with support from the 3Nations Society.
Activities
Climate Monitoring Station Installation and Training
BC MOF Research Climatologist, Vanessa Foord, worked with the Kaska Land Guardians, Tanya Ball, Lisa Shepherd, and Robbie Porter to select the best site for the climate station and to installed the station in the summer of 2023.
Kaska Guardians received training with respect to reading, retrieving and analyzing the information collected by the climate monitoring station.
Outcomes
The Kaska climate monitoring stations were successfully installed in Kaska, Tahltan and Taku River Tlingit territories. The Kaska climate station was installed at Crooked Lake. Data will be retrieved twice a year and shared with the province of BC and the 3Nation communities. All Kaska data will be input into the DNYD Microsoft Access Database.
The climate monitoring stations will provide information that will help to monitor what weather changes are occurring and how rapidly. This information will provide baseline data such as changes in water that may affect fish populations and changes in the migration movement of animals such as caribou.
This was a successful, collaborative initiative showing how partnering agencies and Land Guardians can work together to achieve benefits to provide effective and responsible land stewardship.
Kaska Dena Land Guardian Program 1:29
This video highlights the installation of the climate stations and the amazing work by each guardian program.