Keystone: Developing and Field School

Location: Near Pemberton

GIS to determine appropriate location

Discuss with local groups/government the requirements to obtain pieces of land.

Preferably something on crown land

Why Pemberton??

Location less impacted than other parts of the region

Proximity to Squamish is quite ideal

There is a lot of biodiversity and different biogeoclimatic regions in a small space.

A lot of traditional ecological knowledge throughout the region

The area is likely to undergo a lot of expansion over the next few decades; this could be a great opportunity to understand how that expansion is impacted the ecological area nearby.

Area that can be monitored to assess our impacts.

Area that could potentially have infrastructure built in the future

Area that students can walk/hike to

Area that students have access to varying ecological regions such as: elevation variation, precipitation variation, aspect variation, dominant species variation, and varying ecosystem sensitivity.

Goals/Purpose

Provide Quest students with an additional space to do large projects, such as keystone projects.

To provide Quest University with a space off campus that they can monitor, assess, protect and feel a sense of connection too

To provide Quest students with access to the natural world in an area outside the Squamish region.

Part of this process will be creating an ethic around the space: Do's/Don't and expectations for groups [perhaps a sort of checklist] for when different members/groups/classes of Quest communities go and visit the field site.

Provide Quest students real experiences in nature doing field work which incorporates the experiences provided in outdoor education programs.

Development of: survival skills, camping skills, cooking skills, field skills, communication skills, etc.
Ie. Hard and Soft Skills

Background Research

Importance of Field Schools

Relevance of Field Schools

Benefits of Field Schools

Who uses field schools

Why need a field school

What kind of Field School

The progression of Field Station overtime

To be decided by the University under the ethics originally developed.

To be shared by various members of Quest. Academia - not only life sciences and physical sciences but preferably many groups.

Logistics

Apply for Summer Fellows to find, develop, and take base line data for the site during the summer

Do a GIS independent study to find the best locations based on information we already have to potentially place the site.

Develop an ethic and expectation for the site over the future.

Perhaps create a field course that could be taught at this location.

Summer Fellows Application: Needs to be passed by the risk assessment board. this will be the biggest hurdle for this project.

Impacted by outdoor rec and tourism