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“The changes wrought by COVID 19 have allowed NALT and the Partnership for Water Sustainability to dare to be bold in integrating technology platforms and co-host what we anticipate will be a compelling virtual symposium. We are integrating Zoom and YouTube to create a viewing experience that captures the passion, knowledge and wisdom of our team members in conversation. The vision for the Video Trilogy Series is that it will take on a life of its own as a legacy resource that informs, educate and creates understanding,” states David Mackenzie. He is the technical director for production of the series.

“In the age of COVID 19, it is necessary to adapt and evolve in response to the new reality imposed by physical distancing. How could we avoid going down the same pathway as others, which would be to subject viewers to a day of staring at their computer screens? And so the plan took shape for a unique and interactive experience via YouTube in combination with Zoom. We are bringing our three teams together in a safe space for a series of in-person, facilitated conversations. Immediately after watching each video on YouTube, our virtual audience will be able to chat in real-time with the presentation team,” stated Kim Stephens.

“We looked to TED Talks for inspiration. The videos are much more than talking heads. In re-imagining the 2020 Symposium as the Video Trilogy Series, our vision is that the audience experience ‘in the moment’ will be better than having a front-row seat at a live event. In a virtual sense, our audience will be up close and personal with our team members. All that will be missing from the experience will be the conversations that happen spontaneously during networking breaks, when delegates share their immediate reactions to what they just heard,” stated Kim Stephens.

“We could not have done what we did if we didn’t change gears and refocus our staging. Fixed platforms are not a good idea in a COVID world. When we are doing these events, we have to be as fluid as possible. We know now what that set looks like. By working with COVID standards, and with a film crew, we have been able to determine that for us to host an event with six participants requires a 50×50 room. But more importantly, it doesn’t just meet COVID standards. We have exceeded them. And we have enhanced them. We aimed to do better. And we pulled it off,” stated David Mackenzie.

Comox Valley 2020 is the third in a series on water stewardship in a changing climate. The Symposia Series is a building blocks process. Each builds on the last and points the way to the next. “Designed to paint a picture of the 2-day Comox Valley 2020 Symposium, a series of articles published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability during the period November 2019 through April 2020 delves into the details of the cascading program. The series is designed to inform and educate the reader about what to expect in individual program modules,” stated Kim Stephens.

“The rhythms of water are changing in British Columbia. What happens on the land in the creekshed matters to streams – thus, the time has come to reconnect hydrology and ecology! Join delegates from the east coast of Vancouver Island and beyond, and attend Comox Valley 2020,” urges John Finnie, Past-Chair, Vancouver Island Symposia Series on Water Stewardship in a Changing Climate. “The series is a building blocks process: Nanaimo in 2018; Parksville in 2019; and next, the Comox Valley in 2020. Each event builds on the last and points the way to the next.”

“In October 2020, the third in the series will further open eyes and minds as to ‘what can be’ – because the Comox Valley has emerged as an incubator region for provincially significant precedents. Collaboration, across sectors and among rightsholders and stakeholders, is essential in order for communities to: mobilize and respond effectively to the present climate emergency; reconnect hydrology and ecology; and demonstrate that restorative land development is attainable,” states Kim Stephens.