CUMULATIVE EFFECTS, BEYOND ZERO SUM
Build Capacity
Multiply Opportunity
RavenWater Learning Circle® - move beyond tradeoffs to capture synergy
Register Online For RavenWater Level 1 APRIL 2027Next Level 1 Opportunity- April 2027
Dates: Tuesday April 6 to Friday April 9, 2027
Hours: 9:00am to 4:30pm daily. Friday finishes by 3:30pm
Venue: TBD in Salmon Arm, BC. Field learning takes place in South Thompson Watershed. We provide transport to field sites.
Seats: 20 seats. Offered once per year. Full tuition secures spot.
Price: $3500 CAD per person
Included: Field bag lunches daily. Transport to the land.
Tuition does not cover travel expenses, lodging or incidentals – these costs are the responsibility of students.
See CurriculumInterested in the RavenWater Learning Circle®? Have questions or prefer to register through invoice, Contact us
CEA BEST PRACTICES ARE THE "WHAT"
The RavenWater Learning Circle® was established to build capacity for CFx which is people putting it into action
Being In Wise Relationship With the Environment and the Economies we Create
The Environment nourishes people and people create economies. This is a dependent relationship. It is our choice whether our economies regenerate or deplete the environment.
THE RAVEN'S VIEW
"Fly with me. See what I see. And you'll know why I'm wildly optimistic about the future."
- Barry Wilson, founder of the RavenWater Learning Circle™
SUCCESS SPEAKS FOR ITSELF
The RavenWater Learning Circle curriculum and learning format are tested and proven. Nearly 100 people have successfully completed the Guardian / Practitioner Level 1 course and are applying this knowledge on the land.
6 more students have gone on to Level 2, and 50% are now employed as cumulative effects practitioners.
Peter Koning
Former Senior Director of Sustainable Development at ConocoPhillips Canada
"I've worked with Barry Wilson on and off for 20 years. When it comes to land management consulting, I have found Barry’s rich expertise unique. He will help draw in aspects you may overlook, help you think more deeply about the opportunities, and produce analyses that yield fresh, actionable insights."
Sophie Collins
Cumulative Effects Specialist, Province of British Columbia
"I was able to learn the complex ideas and concepts of CFX through the well-laid out program. The small group sizes allow for the lessons to be conversations and learners to become engaged with the content."
Francis Skeard, BScF, RFP
Glenwood Ward Councillor with Qalipu First Nation
"Thank you for a very stimulating few days. I came to this event with an open mind to learn and I was not disappointed. Your knowledge of and ability to present the information to a very diverse group of passionate learners has been one of the highlights of my career."
WHY IT WORKS
The RavenWater Learning Circle is squarely focused on building and nurturing self-sustaining capacity in organizations to apply a holistic, 2-eyed seeing approach to cumulative effects assessment, planning, monitoring and decision-making in their lands, waters and communities.
WE ARE DIFFERENT
We answer the why
Cumulative Effects is complex and dynamic. The secret to unleashing your creativity to find better solutions others can’t or haven’t seen is to align your personal priorities and purpose with your work. We help you do that.
We bushwack
We go off the beaten trail together to find innovative, creative, and better answers to the complex challenges of cumulative effects.
We use 2-eyed seeing
We help you use Indigenous Knowledge and western contemporary science
We know you are the best at applying your cultural knowledge
We go on the land and listen
We have respect for ‘all our relations’ and understand our responsibilities as caretakers
We don’t just tick boxes
We are focused on long-term legacy and partnership, not short-term project approvals
We like circles more than A to B
We understand that the environment nourishes people and people create economies, and that this is a dependent relationship. We explore systems dynamics and seek to develop regenerating economies, not depleting ones.
CAPACITY MATTERS
We Prioritize Increasing Capacity
Our top priority is increasing capacity for cumulative effects assessment, planning, monitoring and decision-making
We don’t suffer from shifting baseline syndrome. We use estimates of conditions in the pre-European Contact era as the baseline because that is when the dominant systems were resilient and stable for thousands of years. Other time markers are useful reference points.
We want you to do the assessments
We are invested in you as a long-term partner and are intentional about helping you build self-sustaining capacity.
We fly like Raven
High above the mountains to see the big picture and down low at treetop where we can see through the forest.
When you see this way, you will be wildly optimistic about our future.
RavenWater Learning Circle™ Cumulative Effects Training
The vision is humanity in a wise relationship with the environment and the economies people create
Every day we are expanding the skills and self-sustaining capacity of organizations to apply a 2-eyed seeing, holistic approach to cumulative effects assessment, planning, monitoring and decision-making for lands, waters, and communities today and for future generations.
RavenWater Learning Circle® Curriculum
Guardian / Practitioner Level 1
Course Timing: Spring
Format: 4-day intensive, in-person workshop
- Instruction/learning with Barry Wilson (Systems Ecologist)
- Small group format daily on the land
- Lots of one-on-one learning opportunity and group engagement
- Graduating Certificate
Prerequisites
- 18 years old or older
Highly beneficial to have:
- Working or want to work in natural resource management
- Have highschool or higher education
Key Curriculum Topics Covered
- Cumulative Effects and System Dynamics
- Regional strategic and local tactical planning
- Indigenous, Federal, Provincial and International Cumulative Effects Law
- Cumulative Effects Project Management Best Practices
- Scenario Planning design documentation and process
- Modelling environmental, social and economic values
- 2 eyed-seeing - Indigenous Knowledge & western contemporary science
- Selecting Assessment Performance Indicators (Values)
- Determining Meaningful Time & Space
- Terrestrial landscapes and hydrology
- Linking Field observations and models
- Integrating different software platforms
- Structured decision-making
- Monitoring & model validation
- Case Study Review
- On-the-land learning
The Faculty
Barry Wilson, RPF
- Role - RavenWater Lead Instructor
- Responsibilities: Project Manager, Course Design and Delivery, Content
Barry has focused his career on the developing discipline of cumulative effects for the past 22 years. Drawing upon over 3 decades of professional practice in the Indigenous, industrial, government, and the consulting sectors,
Barry works closely with many Indigenous communities and has led several precedent-setting Indigenous-led holistic cumulative effects assessments for major infrastructure projects in Canada.
Barry is currently serving his 5th year on the national Indigenous Center for Cumulative Effects Technical Advisory Committee.
Karen Wilson, Personal Story Mentor
- Role – website, registration, student care, venue, travel planning, workshop support and video
Karen is a highly experienced expert in developing and delivering workshops and courses live in-person and online with the Kajabi education platform.
Karen’s experience with cumulative effects and natural resource management programs and events is deep including coordination and delivery of the annual CFX Conference and numerous customized online portals for CE Analytic clients and initiatives.