Vision for the Future
The BCIT Rivers Institute will be a leader in science based management and restoration aquatic ecosystems in Canada and abroad.
In an effort to achieve this, the Rivers Institute will work closely with related environmental education programs at BCIT including the Ecological Restoration Degree Program, Fish, Wildlife, and Recreation Diploma Program, and the Civil Engineering and Environmental Enginering Degree Programs. The Rivers Institute will develop local linkages with UBC, SFU and the University of Victoria, and international linkages with the Australian Rivers Institute at Grifitth University, the University of Waikato’s Lake Ecosystem Restoration New Zealand Program, and the Technical College in Norway. The Rivers Institute will facilitate local and international learning opportunities to develop environmental science leaders of tomorrow.
The Rivers Institute will partner with existing programs and activities and build on the work of an inspiring and respected faculty members. The Rivers Institute will unite public, private, and non-profit stakeholders in a shared effort to protect the world’s waterways.
Mission and Key Objectives
Mission
To become the leading post-secondary educational program in Canada for science based ecological restoration of aquatic ecosystems.
Key Objectives
- Awareness: Increase public awareness about the importance of our waterways as well as the threats that confront them.
- Stewardship: Promote sound river, lake, estuary and wetland stewardship.
- Leadership: Play a leadership and science based role in river, stream, lake, estuary and wetland management issues.
- Restoration: Initiate and coordinate science based river, stream, lake, estuary and wetland restoration initiatives.
- Education: Remain closely linked to local and international river, stream, lake, estuary and wetland related educational programs while helping to support and encourage future environmental restoration and management professionals.