Clayoquot Green Economic Opportunities Project

There are at least two options for further development of research and education activities in the region. The first is to expand and improve existing programs and organizations, of which there are a number. The second is to create a new Clayoquot research and education centre that builds on and coordinates these existing efforts, at the same time bringing longevity to the project-funded relationship that has been established between CBT and the University of Victoria (Clayoquot Alliance for Research, Education and Training -CLARET).

The economics of a proposed field training/research center require further business planning and analysis. However there are several indicators that point in favor of the idea, including:

• a clear need to coordinate and share information among the various research and education initiatives in the region
• strong interest both inside and outside the region in increased research and education activity,
• a long history of local leadership for the concept upon which to base this kind of development,
• examples from other areas that demonstrate the potential this type of development offers for job creation and locally relevant research and training, and
• a clear fit with the mandate of the Biosphere Reserve designation and CBT

Ensuring broad-based support will be important in addressing social and cultural sustainability, particularly of research activities. Without this support research is likely to become increasingly intrusive. Integrating any new centre with other research and education initiatives in the region will be important. Meeting locally identified research, training and education needs and the integration of local, traditional and scientific knowledge should form the basis of a new and relevant research and education program. To ensure local relevance a community-established research and education agenda is required.

Both of the above models (expanding existing initiatives and creating a new centre that integrates/incorporates the activities of these other initiatives) are likely to be non-profit ventures strongly supported by government and university funding. A third alternative within this sectoral category is private sector ventures. Opportunities exist in this arena as well. Hooksum Outdoor School and Hollyhock retreat are examples.

Overview: Current status and trends in the industry

The fields of research and education have experienced growth province-wide over the past decade despite cutbacks in public sector employment. Employment in 2002 across BC exceeded 277,000 (14% of total) in the industry categories of Professional, Scientific and Technical Services and Education Services, with 24% growth since 1996. The education sector alone accounted for 140,000 jobs, up 19% over the same time period[1]. Research and education are integral to the much-touted knowledge-based economy of the twenty-first century.

While the sector is predominantly urban, interest among educational institutions in rural issues, ecosystems and communities presents opportunities for regions such as Clayoquot Sound, as does an interest in learning while vacationing in the tourist market. In Clayoquot Sound, the research and education sector is well established. In addition to public education through the school system, workshops and educational events relating to the region as well as a host of research projects have been ongoing for decades. Among others, the Long Beach Model Forest Society (LBMF) played a critical role in this history.

Objective: Use biosphere reserves for basic and applied research, particularly projects with a focus on local issues, interdisciplinary projects incorporating both the natural and social sciences, and projects involving the rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems, the conservation of soils and water and the sustainable use of natural resources... Providing a research space, a logistic base for research and monitoring, is one of the key functions of biosphere reserves. - UNESCO MAB

The announcement of the UN Biosphere Designation in 2000 calls for an even more focused strategy of research and educational development. Research and education are intended to be a major focus of the Biosphere Reserve. The Biosphere Reserve network provides support and encouragement for this type of activity. The Canadian Biosphere Reserves Student Network, for example, was formed in 1999 to build linkages between students and Biosphere Reserves[2]. Spending from the $12 million Clayoquot endowment fund received from Government of Canada is intended for use in these kinds of activities. A planned approach to research and education in the region would assist in the effective allocation of these dollars.

Resources and energies are currently available through the Clayoquot Alliance for Research, Education and Training (CLARET), a multi-year federally funded partnership with the University of Victoria to assist with developing a coordinated research and education program in the region. CLARET is a partnership of Clayoquot Biosphere Trust and the University of Victoria funded since 2001 by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council. To date CLARET has supported and initiated a number of research projects, developed protocols for interactions between external researchers and local communities, held workshops and initiated a database of existing data and literature in the region.

"The Clayoquot Alliance for Research, Education and Training is a unique partnership, founded with the goals of forging creative links between the University and the communities of Clayoquot Sound, providing a forum in which community interests and needs become academic concerns, and making the education and training resources of the University more accessible in the region. An ultimate goal is to establish a resource centre, or "science shop", for ongoing community-university connections designed to foster collaborative research, education and training initiatives".

Research
A number of research-related organizations and initiatives are ongoing in the region. Examples of recent and current projects include[3]:

• Friends of Clayoquot Sound, with Ecotrust Canada and Ahousaht First Nation: Clayoquot Green Economic Opportunities research
• Living Oceans Society: Eelgrass and kelp maps superimposed over aquaculture lease locations
• Nuu-chah-nulth/WCVI Aquatic Management Society: Ucluelet Harbour Project (biological inventories), also Gooseneck Barnacle project
• Strawberry Island Research Society: research and monitoring of marine ecosystems and species in Clayoquot Sound (orca, seal lions, cetacean mortality, eelgrass etc.)
• Iisaak: monitoring, carbon sequestration
• Interfor: knowledge management plan
• Pacific Rim National Park Reserve: current status of eelgrass beds in Clayoquot Sound and relation to fish biodiversity, Seagrass and Ghost Shrimp as Indicators of Ecosystem Integrity in Grice Bay (with students from Uvic and UBC)
• Fisheries and Oceans[4]:Geoduck Density Biomass Growth and Recruitment Estimates in Clayoquot Sound, Pacific herring population dynamics, Abundance and behaviour of killer whales in Clayoquot Sound, Identification and Monitoring of Clayoquot Sockeye
• Malaspina University College Centre for Shellfish Research, water quality monitoring
• Dr. Jim Darling, West Coast Whale Research Foundation: Distribution Abundance and Behaviour of Basking Sharks in Clayoquot Sound
• Dr. Hammish Kimmins, UBC Forestry, forest ecosystem study with Dr. Stephen Mitchell and Robyn Scott (windthrow hazards)
• Dr. David Duffus and students, Uvic Geography: whale lab on Vargas and Flores Islands for over 10 years studying grey whale distribution and abundance
• Dr. Rod Dobell, UVic/CLARET: public policy, social capital and institutional innovation

An inventory and library of past and current research is critical to avoid duplication and local frustration and to make effective use of limited research dollars. LBMF and CBT began this process and through CLARET efforts are continuing to build the database. While the full extent of research activity in the region will not be known until a comprehensive research inventory and tracking system is established it appears that more than fifteen individual projects are currently underway. Employment figures associated with this work are not available at this time but almost certainly exceed 30 researchers and staff (part-time and full-time). The Iisaak field research program (Sustainable Forestry Project) alone will be hiring five researchers in the summer of 2003.

The key to the sustainability of these research efforts is the achievement of mutual benefits. Local communities are no longer willing to accept an extractive research model where researchers come into an area and leave nothing behind. Collaboration should involve a mix of responding to locally identified research needs, maximizing use of local facilities and services, respecting local research protocols, involving traditional knowledge whenever possible and agreed upon by First Nations, and addressing local education and training needs. Opportunities for research employment should also be provided.

...we are not prepared to accept knowledge gained over a few hundred years of presence for (knowledge) that has been developed over thousands and thousands and thousands of years for good reason." Clifford Atleo, Ahousaht Clayoquot Sound Scientific Panel

Without these steps research will become increasingly intrusive and socially unsustainable, particularly in an area where residents already feel they have been "studied to death" with few positive results. This attitude is a barrier to the success of research projects, a situation that will continue to get worse without a conscious and determined effort to model best practices in community-based research within the Sound. At the same time community members and organizations must be aware of the needs of students, faculties and university institutions and barriers they face. While academia is growing to accept the need for applied research and the value of community partnerships, change in these large institutions is slow.

Photo: B. Kopach

Dr. David Duffus' whale research appears to provide an excellent example of community-appropriate research in the region. Students and supervisors work with the community of Ahousaht, living in facilities provided by a community

member (Chief Earl George). Ahousaht young people are trained and employed as research assistants and an effort is made to contribute educational resources to the community based on research findings. In 2002 a grey whale ecology workbook was created for high school students. School field trips are also conducted, along with speaking engagements at the Raincoast Interpretive Centre. Pre-season talks for whale watching operators have also been suggested. Some desire has been expressed for Ahousaht people to become involved in the full research process rather than only in data collection (e.g. in analysis, writing, and research design).

The Community University Connections Protocols Project has developed a set of protocols/guidelines for community-based research in the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve region. The protocols/guidelines were developed under the guidance of a working group that is comprised of members of the local community and the central region Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations. They build on previous efforts of the Traditional Ecological Knowledge Group of LBMF, which developed Protocols for Researchers in 1996. The Protocols will guide Clayoquot Alliance-sponsored research and provide a basis for research agreements and letters of consent. A 1995 ecological information needs assessment identifies a number of research needs for the region related to forest ecosystems1. In an effort to coordinate all of these various research-related activities and build a locally driven research agenda a Senior Research Associate is currently being hired by Clayoquot Biosphere Trust and CLARET.

Local research should include not only ecological but also applied social, cultural and economic studies. Another excellent example of community-relevant social science research is the Nuu-chah-nulth Central Region Language project, initiated by CLARET in response to First Nations' concerns over language loss. Researchers were commissioned by the Alliance to consult the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations in Clayoquot Sound on the feasibility of conducting language and traditional knowledge projects. Since that time the project has held several language group meetings, created a CD-ROM and hosted a language conference. It would appear that little research has been conducted to date, however, specifically linked to economic development opportunities for the region and related education and training needs. Several research needs linked to CED opportunities are identified throughout this report.

Education
Education and research go hand-in-hand. Community dissemination of results and provision of education programs are important aspects of protocols for responsible community-based research. Thus, growth in local research should be accompanied by growth in education programs. A 1997 report by Ecotrust Canada declared education "Clayoquot Sound's new growth industry." To date this projected boon has not materialized. A number of project are, however, being discussed. Existing initiatives such as Hooksum Outdoor School run by members of the Hesquiaht First Nation in Hesquiaht Harbour, The Temperate Rainforest Field Study Centre and Bamfield Marine Station remain in place, as a foundation for further development. North Island College also operates in the region.

Bamfield Marine Station

Education opportunities in the arts are discussed in the Arts and Culture Sector Analysis. Opportunities also exist in Tourism, Community Development, Ecological and International Studies. Such initiatives will attract students to the area while also providing educational opportunities for local people.

Cooperation and integration with the existing programs and facilities in Bamfield will be critical to avoid competition, duplication and confusion outside of the region.

Another existing initiative that can be built upon is the Clayoquot Sound Summer Field Program of the Green River Community College. Students prepare for one week of study in Clayoquot Sound surveying either the waters or forests of the biosphere region. The course also discusses the historical and current issues affecting the Nuu-Chah-Nulth.

Green River Forest Ecology Class 1997

The Temperate Rainforest Field Study Centre at Hesquiaht Harbour also hosts university students studying the natural and cultural history of Clayoquot Sound each year. Three-day Natural History Seminars, with topics presented by expert naturalists, are offered. The Centre has six cabins, a dining hall and meeting centre. San Francisco State University's Wildlands Studies Program has visited for the past three summers. The Clayoquot Biosphere Project, while no longer operating, also leaves a legacy of field stations appropriate for research and education use.

Both general education and specific job training are needed in the region.

Examples from Elsewhere
Proponents of a Clayoquot Centre for Coastal Ecosystem Studies point to the successes of initiatives such as the Organization for Tropical Studies and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts to demonstrate what can be accomplished. Canadian examples also exist of smaller, community-based research and education centres (e.g. Inner Coast Natural Resource Centre, Bay of Fundy Marine Resource Centre).

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Staff and Students Scientists: 135 Technical staff: 155 Students: 130 Marine personnel: 60 Other support staff: 290 Funding $90 million budget supported by a mix of grants from federal agencies including the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, private contributions and endowment income.

In Woods Hole a small fishing and tourism town has become a centre for education in oceanography, climatology and fisheries. In recognition that problems of sustainability are not just problems of science the Woods Hole Research Centre established a Program on Science in Public Affairs. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute also has a social science division - the Marine Policy Centre. The Institute was founded in 1930. Additional examples are provided K. Peachey[5]: The North Cascades Institute based in Sedro-Woolley, Washington State is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness and stewardship of Pacific Northwest environments. NCI programs are based on the belief that "to be effective stewards people need to know the natural and cultural history of the place they call home".

A 17-member Board of Directors, 15-member Advisory Council, Campaign Team, and permanent staff of 15 who direct the organization. More than 50 contract instructors provide a wide range of courses that run from January to December. NCI relies on 35 different inns, lodges, conference centres, farms, campgrounds, state parks, and private lands and homes for accommodating field students

The annual budget for NCI is currently approximately US $1 million. Approximately US $400,000 of this comes from funds raised specifically for child and youth education programs. In general, adult programs are revenue generators for NCI. However, adult field courses are very dependent on weather (poor weather years see lower registration) and demand is less predictable than for school programs. It has been important for the North Cascades Institute to vary its courses and introduce new courses all the time to capture and maintain the interest of new and returning field students. A sampling of field courses for adults by category is offered below.

The newest development of NCI, is the scheduled 2002 opening of the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center. This new Center will be a small campus on the shores of Diablo Lake in North Cascades National Park. The Center will include aquatic and terrestrial classrooms, a library, an amphitheater, and secluded outdoor learning areas. A lakeside dining hall will serve up to 75 people, while overnight accommodations will house 40 participants and 12 staff. The Center will also provide a field residency locale for a new graduate program offered through Huxley College of Environmental Studies at Western Washington University and NCI.

Closer to home, Hollyhock is an organization that immediately springs to mind when thinking about creating a Centre that provides highly experiential learning opportunities that transform and educate. It is a learning centre offering a curriculum of wellness and wisdom practices, arts and culture, business, and leadership development. It is also a place for "holidays that heal" and a "space that exists to inspire, empower, enlighten, nourish, and heal people who are striving to make the world a better place."

• Workshops: scheduled courses on well-being, wisdom practices, arts & culture, and business & leadership
• Hollyhock School: training and support for those working for environmental and social change
• Work/Study: A 6-wk residential program where participants spend half the day on study, instruction, and practice and half the day in volunteer service work.
• Power of Hope: a program for teens to tap into a deeper sense of purpose and expand their creative potential
• Retreats and conferences: Hollyhock provides a unique alternative location for meetings, retreats, and conferences
• Bodywork and yoga: a bodywork studio staffed by skilled practitioners
• Kayak adventures: learn to kayak or simply tour the area with Coast Mountain Expeditions booked through Hollyhock
• Vacation stays: Hollyhock can serve as a vacation base where visitors design their own activities and itineraries.

Hollyhock reports increasing interest in and demand for personally enriching holidays. However, Greg Osoba, marketing manager for Hollyhock, warns that the workshop business is "extremely fickle" and there is no "secret formula" for success. Each year Hollyhock programming staff struggle to come up with a hot mix of presenters and topics that will draw people up to Cortes Island.

Long-time interest in creating a research centre in the Clayoquot region and the current availability of resources to undertake the task show real promise. Again, efforts to ensure local control and benefits are critical, particularly for First Nations whose traditional knowledge is central to studies of sustainability.

Assessment of the sector by SCED Criteria

Environmental criteria: Researchers tend to be sensitive to environmental impact, as will students of ecosystem studies. As always, however, best practices must be followed (e.g. no-trace camping, hiking, and boating). Research can help answer significant ecological questions, help monitor ecological impacts and assist with the search for doable sustainable development solutions.

Economic criteria: Financial viability of a new research centre in an era of government fiscal restraint is a concern requiring careful attention. In recognition of the need to diversify the focus should be on students and researchers rather than the tourism market. However, international and private research markets (including tourists) can help to subsidize costs. It has become common practice in Canadian post-secondary institutions and elsewhere to seek international students who will pay higher fees and provide income for cash-strapped institutions. The result is that research and education institutions must be aggressive in promoting their programs internationally through avenues such as global newspaper advertisements and education fairs[6]. Without such revenue-generating strategies the economic viability of a research centre concept is questionable given financial constraints of universities and the existence of similar initiatives. Nonetheless Clayoquot is unique and opportunities for government and university support should be pursued. Service and location fees can also be charged. CBT may wish to consider whether the Trust Fund is willing to subsidize/cost share such an initiative on an ongoing basis? If so this will be a selling point.

In the absence of significant financial resources to create a new centre a more deliberate and coordinated research program can still be pursued in Clayoquot utilizing existing organizations and partnerships. To achieve the goal of increased local employment in research and monitoring, training and education will be essential. Education can create more qualified local researchers but also meet community needs to enhance human resources by providing training relevant to emerging opportunities. To maximize social and economic benefits applied community development research must be included in a locally established agenda of research priorities.

Social criteria: Social benefits and costs of research are linked to the practices employed and governance structures established. A research centre initiative must have broad-based community support and be in large part (although not exclusively) community controlled and operated. Such an initiative will be intrusive if not done properly. Linkages to the community are key, in part through active information dissemination and by providing an open door for comments, concerns and suggestions, but also by providing visible, practical benefits such as employment or answers to locally identified questions. Mutual respect is also key. Such an initiative should provide relevant local skills and educational opportunities, as well as empowerment and involvement of existing local organizations and initiatives. The role and validity of local and traditional knowledge must also be recognized by researchers and educators new to the area, along with some appreciation for the history, culture and values of the region.

Opportunity for First Nations: As previously discussed future research is likely to involve traditional knowledge. Full involvement of First Nations in further research and protocol discussions is critical. There is a need to have First Nations participating as full partners in establishing a locally relevant research and education program. Opportunities for local education are a significant benefit, particularly post-secondary education delivered in or nearby Nuu-chah-nulth communities (distance is often a barrier to higher education). Seek opportunities, where deemed appropriate by individual First Nations, to locate education and research activities in or within easy access to First Nations communities to maximize access. Past experiences are instructive and appear generally positive as First Nations have been actively involved in the research activities of LBMF, CLARET and other projects and organizations.

____________________________

[1] BC Stats, 2003
[2] Unesco, 2002
[3] Thanks to CLARET for this information. Collection of information on research projects in the region is ongoing.
[4] From Interfor database, listed as "ongoing' without proponent listing. Assumed to be Fisheries and Oceans.
[5] Peachey, K. 2000. Unpublished.
[6] BC Business Summit Archives, Goldberg report

• Bamfield Marine Station, Bamfield, B.C.
• Clayoquot Alliance for Research, Education and Training
  Rod Dobell, Principal Investigator
  www.clayoquotalliance.uvic.ca
• Strawberry Island Research Society
  Rod Palm
  www.island.net/~sisle/
• West Coast Whale Research Foundation
  www.westcoastgraywhale.org
• Green River Community College Clayoquot Sound Summer Field Program
  Dr. Bruce Haulman
  http://www.ivygreen.ctc.edu/haulman
• Boat Basin Foundation/Temperate Rainforest Field Study Centre
• The Woods Hole Research Center
  http://www.whrc.org/pubaffair/pubaffair.htm
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
  http://www.whoi.edu/
• Malasapina University College Centre for Shellfish Research
  Don Tillapagh
• Hooksum Outdoor School
  Steve and Karen Charleson, Hesquiaht Harbour
• North Island College

Publications:

• Chan-McLeod, A. and F. Bunnell. 1995. Needs Assessment of Ecological Information Relevant to Sustainable Forestry within the Long Beach Model Forest. Prepared for the Long Beach Model Forest Society.
• Ecotrust Canada. 1997. Seeing the Ocean through the Trees.
• Palm, R. 2002. Strawberry Isle Research Society. 2002 Year-end report.

Clayoquot Sound  |  About FOCS |  Campaigns |  Newsroom
Photo Gallery  |  Get Involved  |  Become a Member |  Links

Phone: (250) 725-4218 Fax: (250) 725-2527 E-Mail: info@focs.ca
Box 489, Tofino, British Columbia, Canada, V0R 2Z0

Site by Brad Hornick Communications