LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “Look at all the really important science that we were able to produce. There is a lot to be proud of in terms of all that material that we produced for the region, the network and the country,” stated Richard Boase, career environmental champion within local government in 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.
💧 Balancing Act: H2O and Healthy Streams
“In the April 16th edition of Waterbucket eNews, we featured the Partnership’s current collaboration with Vancouver Island University. Thanks to Richard Boase and his longstanding connection to Hans Schreier, the Partnership has an even longer relationship with the University of British Columbia,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.
“Collaboration with academia is an essential ingredient in what we in the Partnership frame as our intergenerational baton strategy. Our goal is to identify, invest in, and mentor those in the next generation who want to accept the baton because they see the benefits of building on experience.”
How we turn ideas into action
“At a critical moment, members of the Partnership team would have an idea around a research theme that supported our hypotheses,” recalled Richard Boase. “And as often happened, I was the arm that had the energy and willingness to take on the research, apply new science in North Vancouver, and get the work done.”
“One project that everyone involved in is especially proud of,” continued Kim Stephens, “is the North Shore Tree Canopy Rainfall Interception Project. Richard Boase and Hans Schreier ran with the idea, expanded the partnership to include the Canada Water Network, involved community volunteers, and implemented a network of 60 tree canopy climate stations across three municipalities.”
“The research quantified the proportion of rainfall intercepted by the tree canopy in an urban forest. This demonstrates the benefits of maintaining a tree canopy in the urban environment,” explained Richard Boase.
An inter-municipal coordinating team developed tree and site selection criteria and, with the assistance of UBC’s Dr. Markus Weiler (above), implemented an innovative system for capturing rain that makes it through the tree canopy.
Pursuit of knowledge in a quest to improve the urban fabric
“In my moments of reflection, I am proud of my pursuit of knowledge. It was shortly after the Hans Schreier workshop in the mid-1990s that I embarked on applied research that has defined my career with the District,” stated Richard Boase.
“Hans inspired me. Because of that relationship, the District used grad students to carry out vital research.”
“This research was in pursuit of making changes to the fabric of our urbanized areas. I was so encapsulated by what I saw around me, and the need for change, that my mind was always racing. And I needed to find ways to do research into what we were talking about.”
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