We study climate change and biodiversity on the coastal margin, focusing on long-term observation and multidisciplinary research. Our Hakai Quadra location is in the perfect spot for this kind of work.
Hakai Quadra is located where three powerful marine systems come together:
Salish Sea
Turbulent north Vancouver Island deep water channels
Bute Inlet/Fjord
At the point of convergence of three marine systems.
The Salish Sea, which extends south to the Fraser River, Southern Vancouver Island and Puget Sound.
The turbulent channels connecting to the north end of Vancouver Island.
Bute Inlet, a deep fjord that cuts deep in to the coastal mountains and glaciers .
Rich biodiversity and nearshore resources.
The reader should understand just how pivotal and important our location is--so natural for what we do.
We may want to note on this map a few points of reference.
Campbell River/Comox/Powell River
Johnstone Strait (research site)
Bute Inlet/Orford River (research/FN site)
QU39 reference node (research site)
Illustrated with a few photos to add magic.
We need a good aerial (drone?) view of the Quadra site that identifies all labs, meeting places, and other elements. I believe we already have something that is mostly suitable, used for maps onsite, etc.
We may find that what we have is close to what we need, but has to be tweaked. We want to highlight our labs and other resources, and not pay so much attention to which residence is where, which is a priority for our on-site maps.
Illustrated as needed.
I want to get away from sweeping site videos, etc., because they get out of date and can't be updated incrementally.
As always, I want to steer away from personalities, and concentrate on process.
For now I want to focus around our declared five science axes. The grouping is somewhat artificial, but easy to explain to the uninitiated. You can decide what works best for flexible presentation. I like radial presentations rather than trees. I see other people using them, particularly within the Ocean Decade. But I don't want to create a format that is hard to present.
• Our inspiration is at the core of what we do. This is the WHY. We need a paragraph expanding on what we have in that red zone. That is what I call our "scientific creed"--what we believe in, what we stand for.
• It flows out to WHAT we do--our scientific programs. Each of the five areas will deserve a page summarizing what we do specifically around the Quadra site.
• And most important, our shared services platform is the secret to HOW we get so much done with so much efficiency. I don't like the way this is illustrated on our current websites--i.e. a whole bunch of labels of all the different services. We need better. Perhaps concentrate on services that support Quadra site, without feeling that everyone in the organization needs a shout-out.
We need to develop and detail all the work we do that falls under the umbrella of TRAINING. So far I have broken this down as:
Training highly qualified personnel, mainly in partership with the universities.
Training local organizations, particularly First Nations professionals.
Training of the wider public, e.g. via citizen science initiatives such as Sentinels.
More general public education via Hakai Magazine, other media capabilities.
Make note that the Quadra Centre is an integral part of the Quadra station.
Talk about meetings, outreach through our Collaborative Center.
Talk about BioBlitz as a case study. So much material here that we can build most of the argument around it.