Something significant has been quietly growing along with the trees on the slopes of Hwmetʼutsum (Mt. Maxwell) for the past four years — and it just took a big step forward. The Climate Adaptation Research Lab, known to most people on Salt Spring simply as CARL, has officially registered as an independent Society.
The CARL team is greatly appreciative for the support and collaboration from Transition Salt Spring and North Salt Spring Water Works, two organizations which helped catalyze this growth of CARL.
Starting in 2021, the Maxwell Creek Watershed Project (not yet known as CARL) stemmed from a pressing question arising from the community: what is the true condition of the forests above Maxwell Lake, and how vulnerable are they to fire? These questions are important for those who rely on the water from Maxwell Lake, which is nearly half of the residents on Salt Spring. It is also a question on the minds of communities across our region.
Leading the science is Dr. Ruth Waldick, an ecologist with more than 25 years of experience studying the impacts of climate change on ecosystems and communities and how to restore some of the resilience that has been lost. Her goal is to study this watershed as a microcosm of concerns about forest health and fire risk. CARL’s regional work stems from Ruth’s gift for bringing people together to work through shared problems, a quality that runs through everything CARL does.
Today we are pleased to introduce our small CARL team, which includes several long-standing, dedicated members: Vice President Karlis Hawkins, Secretary Dr. Pierre Mineau, and co-Treasurers Keegan Thomas and Grace Fields, along with young professional ecologists: Eero Gaffney (Research Associate and Advisor), Emily Brown (Wildfire Risk and Ecological Research Analyst), and Mathew Appelbaum (Stewardship Coordinator).
Current Projects
Understanding fire: We are one year into a collaboration with UBC’s Dr. Lori Daniels to understand fire behaviour in our coastal forests. Dr. Daniels is a wildfire specialist and globally recognized expert in forest ecology. In 2026, we are pleased to announce a collaboration with another university researcher, Dr. Sophie Wilkinson at SFU. Ruth will be meeting with the graduate research team in the field in June. We look forward to working with their teams and sharing emerging insights!
Image 2. Jessie Driver, a member of Dr. Lori Daniel’s Lab, presenting preliminary results from her undergraduate thesis on fire behaviour on Galiano Island at CARL’s fire symposium knowledge sharing event. Photo credit: CARL staff.
CARL team member Emily Brown has recently published a practical fire risk guide for residents of the Southern Gulf Islands. The purpose of this research-backed guide is to explain and illustrate how to reduce wildfire risk in forested areas of your property. If you are interested in reading the full report, click here.
Education & Youth Environmental Programs: Our team is thrilled to work with local school programs, with a new one expected in winter 2026. Among the longest running collaborations is with Ms. Sara Peerless’ Environmental Science class at the Gulf Islands Secondary School (GISS). We are 5 semesters and counting! This partnership has seen year 11 and 12 environmental science students out in the field, designing and running their own scientific studies in the Maxwell Creek watershed.
Each year the students help contribute to our understanding of the watershed by spearheading studies of soils, terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates, plants and mosses, and overall forest health. We want to thank Sara and the 11/12 GISS students for the new insights and questions they have added to our work!
Ecological Monitoring & Analysis: With the emergence of spring, and the end of the creek flow, we are shifting from creek and water monitoring to plant monitoring and restoration work (thanks SSI Garden Club!). This year we will be adding new plant, insect, and wildlife monitoring in partnership with Nature Salt Spring. Team members Emily and Mathew will also be leading some new programs which we look forward to sharing with the community soon!
How to Get Involved
If you’ve ever wanted to spend a morning planting native shrubs and talking about pollinators in the middle of a forest landscape, counting birds for science (outside the Christmas bird count), or learning about weather, water and ecology, this is your invitation to join us. Volunteers are welcome at all experience levels, for field days, ecological monitoring, educational programs, and community outreach. Get in touch at: info@carlsociety.org
For staying up to date on our local and regional projects or check out our website; http://www.carlsociety.org.
Donations are welcome, and can be made by e-transfer to: donations@carlsociety.org or online here: https://www.carlsociety.org/donate.
From all of us at CARL, we look forward to continuing our work with the wonderful Salt Spring Island community.
Written by: Mathew Appelbaum, Ruth Waldick and Emily Brown
