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“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 a ‘watershed moment’ in Parksville,” stated John Finnie, Chair, Parksville 2019 Symposium Organizing Committee.

Join delegates from the east coast of Vancouver Island and beyond, and attend a ‘watershed moment’ in the City of Parksville for a field day followed by the 2-day symposium. “Delegates will learn how communities can apply science-based understanding to increase their restorative footprint and at the same time decrease their destructive footprint. Delegates will also learn about local government initiatives that are ‘getting it right’ and are moving along pathways that lead to restorative land development,” states Peter Law.

“Parksville 2019 is a milestone event on a multi-year ‘convening for action’ journey,” stated Kim Stephens. “The process is incremental. Each milestone builds on the last and points the way to the next. We do, we learn, we adapt. The ripple effects of the educational approach play out over time. Hence, the importance of ongoing reinforcement and reiteration of core concepts so that everyone understands the context, the goal, and what is necessary to achieve desired outcomes. Inform, educate and inspire those who are in a position to make a difference.”

“We organized each day as four modules in order to proceed at a relaxed pace by allowing ample time for each module. Each had an educational objective. Because memories are short, each morning and afternoon session kicked off with a 15-minute context presentation. These set the scene for what was to come, while at the same reminding delegates of the big picture,” stated Kim Stephens. “The educational objectives helped to inform and establish expectations. It was a matter of providing context and then being clear and succinct about the desired takeaways.”

“Now is the time to get it right. Restoring water balance is crucial for our human and natural habitats. The 2018 Symposium brought us together and gave us energy for change, the 2019 Parksville Symposium will show us real world examples of planning for the water we want and need,” states Paul Chapman. “Some of the challenges to stewardship, the barriers, are upstream, literally and figuratively. Outdated development decisions and practices continue to disrupt the water balance and undermine the health of watersheds. Some of the challenges require a step past the comfortable – political action.”