DESIGN WITH NATURE TO CREATE LIVEABLE COMMUNITIES AND PROTECT STREAM HEALTH: “In the mid-1990s, I embarked on applied research that has defined my career with the District of North Vancouver. UBC’s Hans Schreier inspired me,” stated Richard Boase, career environmental champion within local government in the Metro Vancouver region
Note to Reader:
Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. The edition published on April 23, 2024 featured North Vancouver’s Richard Boase, an environmental champion in word and deed. His 30-year career history in local government is defined by the partnerships he forged with academia through collaboration with UBC’s Hans Schreier. This form of collaboration is an essential ingredient in the intergenerational baton strategy.
💧 Balancing Act: H2O and Healthy Streams
“Hans Schreier of UBC ignited my passion in the mid-1990s when he presented what his grad students had learned from sediment cores taken from Burnaby Lake. It was an aha moment for me,” recalls Richard Boase.
The research quest began with performance effectiveness of oil and grit separators
“When I look back at our history of collaboration, I think wow, how did we do so much. It started with the performance assessment of oil and grit interceptors in the 1990s. And it continued over the next two decades.”
“Once I saw the need to focus on erosion and sediment control, Hans and I found grad students to do research for us. Their work was crucial. The findings clearly showed that the interceptors were not the silver bullet that the District had hung our hats on.”
“We were installing them left and right all over the place. But they were just not doing the job. We showed that you must properly look after them. Otherwise, the unintended consequence is that you create another problem for yourself.”
“That relationship with Hans Schreier led to tree canopy and green infrastructure research. It was the same with the Hastings Creek Watershed Blueprint. We had a need and Hans had grad students who were interested in doing the research. Win-win.”
We must do a better job of protecting streams
“It was about 1997 when the vision began to crystallize for me about the connection between green infrastructure and stream health. The next huge moment for me occurred a couple of years later at an inter-municipal regional meeting held at Metro Vancouver. You (Kim Stephens) were dissecting the misapplication of hydrology in terms of urban design.”
Simple is profound
“This was around the time when you developed the Water Balance Methodology. You looked at rainfall differently. The thing that I will always remember is how a light went on when you showed a rainfall event distribution and compared Metro Vancouver to Kelowna.”
“It was the idea of a universal relationship that transcended geography. It was one of those moments when you realize that simple is profound.”
“In that moment, it was clear to me why rainfall capture is achievable, and that green infrastructure is the solution, but you must understand the role of soil in the hydrologic cycle.”
Richard Boase as “Bill Nye The Science Guy”
“In 2002, following release of Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia, the District of North Vancouver was a founding member of the inter-governmental partnership which developed the Water Balance as an extension of the Guidebook. I quickly volunteered to serve on the leadership team.”
Rain boxes and marble racing
Richard Boase is known far and wide for his creativity in developing simple tools for explaining and demonstrating core concepts.
For years, the rain boxes and marble racers were mainstays of the Water Balance Model outreach and continuing education program (OCEP). The three rain boxes demonstrated how soil type and depth determine the rate at which water infiltrates into the ground.
The marble racers demonstrated how friction (simulated with nails) slows runoff
Collaboration with Hans Schreier brought science into local government through applied research designed to make a difference
“After retiring from UBC in 2007, I volunteered my time and continued to teach courses until two years ago. So, all through those years, I still had access to students,” states Hans Schreier, Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Land and Water Systems at the University of British Columbia.
“Students are always looking for projects where they can make a difference. We have a problem in academia; we are not very good communicators of science. The idea was how can we bring more science into development to make a difference.”
“And so, connecting with Richard Boase in the 1990s was really fundamental because he is on the inside. And he is an excellent and persuasive communicator. Richard identified projects where the students could benefit directly and make a difference. To me, that was the opportunity.”
Right people, right place, right time
“Often, you meet people and things work out more or less, but the chemistry was right with Richard Boase. He had the right persuasion, the right personality, and he knew how to find those who were willing to do innovative things.”
“And then, we have all these young, keen students. All I did was link them up with Richard. He would say, we have a problem and what can we do.”
“Municipalities have limited access to science and they do not have time to do the science. So, why not use the students? Not only is it a benefit to community leaders, the students benefit because they are doing something that makes a difference,” concludes Hans Schreier.
To Learn More:
To read the complete story, download a copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Balancing Act – H2O and Healthy Streams. The downloadable version includes a bonus feature in an appendix which is the complete interview with Richard Boase. The preview is extracted from the Chronicle of the Metro Vancouver region’s Green Infrastructure Journey (1997-2023) which will be published later in 2024.
