The Grasslands Conservation Council of BC recently concluded its highly successful Students of the Grasslands Webinar Series, which attracted over 700 registrations and featured cutting-edge research from emerging leaders in grasslands conservation!
This achievement was made possible through collaboration with our valued partners and co-hosts at the
BC Chapter of the Pacific Northwest Section of the Society for Range Management,
and the Thompson-Nicola Conservation Collaborative, who generously supported these sessions!
Outstanding Student Contributions
Katherine Johnson is a master’s student in Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Alberta, specializing in Rangeland and Wildlife Research. As an environmental scientist and Agrologist in Training, she has extensive experience in grassland management and conservation. Katherine graduated from the University of Alberta in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental and Conservation Sciences, focusing on Wildlife and Rangeland Resource Management.
Her current research explores the response of invasive plants to prescribed fire and various herbicide treatments in southeastern British Columbia. This project, conducted in collaboration with Kikomun Creek Provincial Park and the Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it First Nation, aims to address the challenges of managing invasive species while respecting traditional land management practices.
Katherine’s expertise is further demonstrated by her achievements at the Society for Range Management Annual Meeting, where she placed first in both the Undergraduate Range Management Exam and the Combined Plant ID categories.
Thomas Alexander is a first-year Master of Environmental Science student at Thompson Rivers University. He is leveraging his Southern Alberta ranching background to further his academic pursuits. His research combines traditional ranching knowledge with cutting-edge technology, focusing on using drones and virtual fencing systems to improve the efficiency of rangeland management.
In his presentation, Thomas will explore the transformative potential of virtual fencing (VF) in modern rangeland management. While this innovative technology is still emerging, early research indicates promising results for both livestock containment and sustainable land use practices. He will discuss how VF technology works, its applications for enhancing rangeland health, and its potential to revolutionize traditional ranching operations by reducing labour and infrastructure costs.
Jef Vreys is a master’s student at UBC Okanagan, specializing in ecological restoration and monitoring. His research focuses on developing protocols to assess and estimate the ecological integrity of antelope brush habitats in the South Okanagan. Passionate about preserving these vital ecosystems, Jef’s work aims to support long-term conservation efforts and sustainable land management practices.
This presentation highlights original research focused on developing protocols to monitor and assess the ecological integrity of antelope brush habitats in the South Okanagan. These ecosystems, known for their ecological importance and vulnerability, face growing challenges due to human activity and environmental changes. The talk will provide an accessible introduction to the concept of ecological integrity, explain its significance in conservation, and share insights from Jef’s field research.
Maria Bayliff is a fourth-year Natural Resource Science student at Thompson Rivers University. She brings unique insights from her upbringing on a Chilcotin ranch and experience in forestry work in BC and cattle station management in Australia. Her research investigates wolf predation on livestock in BC’s Chilcotin region, addressing a complex conservation, social, and economic challenge.
Using a mixed-methods approach, her study combines government predation records with rancher interviews to examine wolf management effectiveness, predation patterns, and ranchers’ perspectives. Her findings reveal that wolves selectively target larger calves and employ diverse killing behaviours. The research also highlights a disconnect between current government management strategies and rancher experiences, emphasizing the need to integrate local knowledge with scientific research for more effective predator control solutions.
Carley Dolman is a fourth-year Natural Resources Sciences student at Thompson Rivers University, passionate about ecosystem conservation and enhancement. Her Honours research focuses on creating resilient ephemeral ponds in arid grassland environments, working to develop habitat enhancement strategies for the Great Basin Spadefoot (Spea intermontana) in response to climate change challenges.
With a background in Recreation, Fish, and Wildlife Technology from Selkirk College, she brings extensive field experience in invasive species management, ecosystem restoration, and species-at-risk surveys. This research was conducted on unceded Secwepemc territory in collaboration with financial supporter Skeetchestn Natural Resources.
Click here to see the webinar recordings on the GCC’s YouTube channel!
We hope these resources continue to serve as valuable educational tools for students, researchers, and conservation professionals!
Are you a student with research interests aligned with grassland conservation?
Contact us at info@bcgrasslands.org to learn about upcoming ways to share your knowledge and passion with us!
