Environmental Resources Technology

Program Delivery Location
Merritt

Department Head
Darrell Eustache BNRSc

Faculty
Darrell Eustache
Harry Jules
Lily Peters

Programs in this Department

The Environmental Resources Technician Certificate
The Environmental Resources Technologist Diploma

The new Environmental Resources Technology program ensures our graduates are well rounded in natural resource sectors including forestry, fishery enhancement, environmental assessment, mining and grassland ecology. This generalist approach gives students various career paths they can travel within the natural resources sector.

The first year of the program provides students with the skills set necessary for data collection work in the field.  Students will learn field skills such as tree and plant identification, navigation skills, mapping skills for use in the field and with geographic information systems, soils identification, resource measurements (distance, heights, slope, diameters, and elevation) and fire ecology.  Since many students will work within BC First Nations traditional territories, courses in Ethnoscience and Aboriginal case law are key to provide an understanding of the uniqueness and impact that First Nation people have on the land base.  Upon completion of the first year of the program, students are granted an Environmental Resources Technician Certificate.  This certificate qualifies students to carry out field data collection.

Year two of the program focuses on the various environmental disciplines.  Students will take what they learned from first year and apply that knowledge to solve environmental problems.  Forest Surveys and Environmental Assessment Surveys integrate year one measurement skills into applications that are important for assessing the land base.  Courses in Wildlife, Fisheries, Grasslands, Environmental Planning, Watershed Hydrology, and Timber Development give students the theoretical knowledge needed to design and carry out field studies.  Upon completion of year two of the program, students are granted an Environmental Resources Technologist Diploma.  This diploma qualifies students to work within a variety of environmental disciplines including carrying out forest surveys, monitoring environmental activities, environmental assessment data collection, and working with communities helping with environmental projects.

Program Admission Requirements

Grade 12 graduation or equivalent including a C grade minimum in:

• Foundations of Math 11 or MATH 050
• Technical and Professional Communications 12, or English 12 or English 12 First Peoples, or English 060
• Biology 11 or Biology 050

The Department Head may, in exceptional circumstances, admit applicants who are lacking certain program admission requirements, provided that the applicant can demonstrate s/he has a good chance of succeeding in the program.

NVIT is committed to ensuring education is accessible to all people. Students who do not meet program requirements should contact the Department Head or an NVIT Academic Planner regarding upgrading opportunities.

Career opportunities exist in:

Transferability

Individual course transfer information may be found at www.bctransferguide.ca
For more information, contact Darrell Eustache 250-378-3329 or daeustac@nvit.bc.ca