Wetlands: Health and Restoration

Wetlands are being built in communities across British Columbia to control flooding, clean runoff, and provide habitat for fish and wildlife. These wetlands are beautiful to look at and provide visitors with outstanding destinations to see wildlife. You’ll learn how community leaders are working in partnership with the BC Wildlife Federation to design and build wetlands at a low cost that will require little, if any maintenance.

A bit about Tom:

Tom Biebighauser has restored over 2,600 wetlands and streams across Canada, in 26-States, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, and Taiwan since 1979. Having built over 1,400-dams, he has since decommissioned over 300-dams. He retired in 2013 after working 34-years for the US Forest Service as a Wildlife Biologist, where he initiated wetland and stream restoration programs across the United States. Tom has served as an instructor for the British Columbia Wildlife Federation Wetlands Institute for 17-years, restoring over 250-wetlands and streams across Alberta and British Columbia since 2003. He instructs a Graduate-level class on Wetland Design for Engineers at the University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering, along with classes for the British Columbia Institute Technology. Tom has developed highly effective and low-cost techniques for building wetlands and streams for rare species across North America. The habitats he builds require little, if any maintenance, and do not involve the use of diversions, dams, dikes, pipes, or pumps. Tom has written 4-books about wetland restoration, and has received 44-awards for his outstanding contributions.