Rainwater Management

BRING SCIENCE INTO LOCAL GOVERNMENT: “Over the years, we worked on a whole range of things which were innovative. Without the participation by someone like Richard Boase, I doubt we could have done it,” stated Dr. Hans Schreier, Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Land and Water Systems at the University of British Columbia

Note to Reader:

Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNews celebrates 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.

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.

DOWNLOAD A COPY: https://waterbucket.ca/wcp/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/04/PWSBC_Living-Water-Smart_Richard-Boase_bring-science-into-local-govt_2024.pdf