Our Work
For All of Us
Our Projects & Partnerships
Youth On Water
At the heart of the SWCC Youth on Water (YOW) program is our recognition of the immense value of the Skeena watershed and the Sacred Headwaters.
peace & unity
The fight to ensure our actions reduce rather than fuel the climate crisis; the fight to end police brutality; the fight to underscore Indigenous sovereignty—these fights belong to all of us. And, amidst this time of great upheaval, there is hope.
Community Economic Development / skeena energy solutions
Community-led and community-generated solutions that support the local culture, economy and ecosystems of the Upper Skeena.
decolonizing
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Sacred Headwaters Initiative
Northern BC’s Sacred Headwaters is a rare and special place. Here in a vast alpine basin, three of the Northwest’s greatest salmon rivers are born: the Skeena, the Nass and the Stikine. Stone sheep, caribou, grizzly bears and wolves call the Headwaters home, and the area is critically important to the Tahltan First Nation.
lNG & pipelines
The Skeena estuary contains an abundance of life. It is among the most productive ecosystems in the world and home to a variety of unique plant and animal communities including wild salmon and steelhead. The Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) industry could be coming to the Skeena Watershed for the first time.
forestry
In this section: Talkin’ Loggin, Forests & Carbon, Kispiox Forest Timber Supply Review
Upper Skeena
As one of Canada’s largest wilderness areas, the upper Skeena contains spawning and rearing habitats and water quality that helps drive the entire ecosystem from the Skeena estuary to the headwaters. We continue to focus on being on the land with projects that support the long-term conservation of natural ecosystems.
Skeena awareness project -completed
A discovery expedition of the Upper Skeena lead by Director, Jim Allen. After completing a Swiftwater Rescue Technician course, the 10 person field crew completed 2 consecutive 10 day Upper Skeena River rafting expeditions in hopes of finding and reviving ancient heritage trails for archaeological documentation and development of eco-tourism.
Skeena elder stories project – completed
SWCC volunteer, Gretel Miles, collected the stories of the lives of the elders & oldtimers of the Upper Skeena with the idea of preserving rich, shared heritage for future generations, as well as our own. Gretel compiled the interviews into a book.
Skeena swim 2009 – completed
The summer of 2009 saw Ali Howard become the first person on the planet to ever swim the entire 610km Skeena River. After 26 days of whitewater, boulder gardens, crazy currents and community celebrations, she had done it!
Featured Initiatives
Interview: Food Solutions During the Pandemic
In the fall of 2020, Shannon and Kesia participated in Salmon Nation's Festival of What Works, speaking about SWCC's experiences through our first season of chicken farming in a rural, remote, and Indigenous community, in an extra-challenging year, and in a difficult...
Repost – Protein for the People: Regenerative Poultry Project Grows Food Sovereignty
Our story on YoungAgrarians.org The Power of Feeding Ourselves Concerns over food security in the Gitxsan Nation started well before the pandemic. During the Festival of What Works (full video below), Shannon McPhail of the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition...
Our Biggest Environmental Issue
Early in 2021, high school students reached out to SWCC as part of a school assignment and asked, "In your personal opinion what do you find to be our biggest environmental issue?" Here is the response: Thanks for messaging me and asking such a great question. I will...
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