Vancouver stream restoration practices: Piloting a community-based monitoring framework along Still Creek

The number of urban stream restoration projects implemented by local governments has expanded exponentially; however, these projects are rarely monitored to assess effectiveness. Community-based monitoring can overcome monitoring challenges, and build community capacity. Still Creek located in Vancouver, BC, provides a case study for creating a community-based monitoring framework and protocol to collect information relevant to local government. The indicator framework is composed of three indicators: (1) Benthic invertebrate diversity, (2) Visual habitat assessment, and (3) Riparian terrestrial biodiversity. Volunteers for data collection were recruited through Meetup.com. Community-based monitoring comes with practical concerns and limitations; however, the data collected can inform continued adaptive management of urban stream restoration projects. Recommendations for Still Creek include establishing a maintenance schedule, with associated roles and budget; further education and awareness initiatives within the community; continued community-engagement; and continued watershed-wide and reach-scale restoration efforts.