The Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley (BIBV) empowers community leadership to address environmental challenges, focusing on two pillars: biodiversity and climate. To do this, they leverage their collaborative relationships with First Nations and with sustainability and community development staff in Banff, Canmore and Exshaw.

Their capacity-building model had three concentric rings:

Jan to March 2023: They increased organizational capacity by dedicating staff time to take relevant courses. One staff member took several courses, then - supported by a local Nature-based Solutions (NbS) consultant - lead staff and the Board in a series of learning workshops to understand NbS concepts and how they might apply to the Bow Valley.

April to June: Increased the professional capacity of municipal staff as they workshoped how NbS applies in three Bow Valley municipalities.

September to November: They increased community capacity through a workshop with selected Indigenous and thought leaders, developers and land managers.

NbS are included in Biosphere’s 2024 work plan. The workshop with Municipal staff created connections between the Towns of Banff and Canmore, as well as between planning, engineering and sustainability departments. A significant outcome has been the enhanced understanding of a classic NBS: the Bow Valley’s wildfire risk, and how fuel load reduction – accompanied by some thoughtful work to pair fuel load reduction with wildlife habitat enhancement – could both lower this significant risk and enhance the habitat and biodiversity of the region.

Their work included a workshop with key municipal staff from the Towns of Banff and Canmore, and those staff informed them that it helped them to understand the full potential of NBS in their ongoing work into 2024 and beyond.

Learning about NbS has provided BIBV with a platform for studying and implementing strategies that promote harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife. By understanding the complex dynamics of human-wildlife interactions in the Bow Valley, they can develop and implement effective conservation measures that benefit both the local ecosystem and the community. For example, they are currently having discussions with their partners and stakeholders at the Human-Wildlife Coexistence Technical Working Group meetings about how FireSmarting the Bow Valley can improve biodiversity through the enhancement of wildlife habitat for species such as elk and grizzly bears, drawing those animals out of developed areas, as well as benefit the community by improving public safety and reducing the risk of property damage as a result of wildfire mitigation strategies.