Team WaterSmart

Join our friends at Watersheds Canada for a Waterwise Gardening webinar.

Join the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region and the Regional District of Nanaimo for a free drop-in Climate-Resilient Homes Information Session on Saturday, September 26.

Explore practical ideas, demonstrations and resources that can help make your home more comfortable, energy-efficient and affordable to operate, while also supporting a healthier natural environment.

Drop in to learn about:

• Home energy efficiency - explore ways to improve efficiency, learn about available rebates, and discover resources such as the RDN’s free Home Energy Navigator Program.
• Heat pumps - see heat pump technology up close and learn how it provides both heating and cooling, including what to consider before installing one.
• Thermal cameras - learn how thermal cameras can help identify heat loss and other areas of your home that may benefit from improvements.
• Indoor air quality and radon - try air-quality and radon testing equipment and learn practical ways to help protect your household from radon, wildfire smoke and other indoor air pollutants.
• Water conservation and landscaping - learn practical ways to save water and explore low-water-use landscaping with RDN Drinking Water & Watershed Protection.
• Climate-resilient properties - discover simple ways to make the space around your home more resilient, including rainwater management and native planting.

Bring your questions, explore the displays at your own pace, and chat with Regional District of Nanaimo staff about practical ideas and resources for your home.

Live Demonstrations - Two short demonstration sessions will be offered during the information session:

10:30–11:00 a.m.

12:30–1:00 p.m.

Each session will include:

Thermal camera use - see how thermal cameras can help identify heat loss in your home.

RDN Home Reno Kits - explore tools and resources that can help you better understand your home and identify opportunities for improvements.

Water-wise homes and landscapes - practical ideas for conserving water and creating more resilient outdoor spaces.

Saturday, September 26, 2026
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
MABR Education Centre
124 West 2nd Avenue, Qualicum Beach

Free • Drop-in • Everyone welcome

Building a more climate-resilient home doesn’t have to happen all at once. It can begin with understanding your home a little better, making one practical improvement, or finding the right resources to help.

This event is hosted by the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region, with support from the Regional District of Nanaimo and the Town of Qualicum Beach.

Everyone can be a river steward.

Join us at the arboretum in the Parksville Community Park on Sunday, September 27, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for this free, family-friendly event.

This event will feature interactive displays from stewardship and non-profit organizations within the Oceanside community and opportunities to connect and get involved with our streamkeeper organizations.

Whether your household receives water from a municipal or RDN water system or you have you own well, water is a shared resource. On the 'wet coast' of B.C., it is easy to take our water supply for granted. In dry summer months, water consumption triples, even though there is much less water available. As the region grows, more people will be using the same limited resource. The quantity and quality of our water are directly impacted by human activity including the amount we use on a daily basis. It is important that we all do our part to protect our water.

The RDN's WaterSaver contest aims to promote efficient water use practices this summer through our online contest!

Show off your water-saving landscaping, efficient irrigation, rainwater harvesting or other ways you are reducing outdoor water use on your property for a chance to win a rain barrel and native plants prize package!

Plus all entries get a lawn sign to proudly display that you are doing your best to be WaterSmart!

How to enter:

Either take a photo or write a description and:

1. Fill out the form on our contest page OR
2. Send us an email at watersmart@rdn.bc.ca

Contest runs all summer long and closes October 2, 2026.

Click here for your WaterSmart Yard Sign - weekly drop off or pick up times throughout the summer!

By submitting your photo, you are consenting to the contest rules and grant the RDN the following: a royalty-free, nonexclusive right, in perpetuity, to use the submitted photograph(s) in print and online; the right to scale, crop or alter the color of the submitted image(s) for publication purposes; and consent to use your name in connection with the contest.

June 19, 10am-3:30pm at Tigh-Na-Mara in Parksville

Please register in advance here: https://anc.ca.apm.activecommunities.com/rdnrecreation/activity/search/detail/18690?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true

Join us for a day of learning, discussion, and community connections at the annual Community Watershed Monitoring Network Results Session. This in person event will explore what our 2025 stream monitoring data is telling us.

Looking through emerging trends, we’ll discuss how these results measure up to previous years data and how current results will guide our work moving forward. Featuring guest speakers from the BC Conservation Foundation, the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, and Origin Environmental, we’ll cover updates on community flow monitoring and drought monitoring and share presentations on rain gardens, mapping, community monitoring and stream restoration. Come and share your ideas on how you would like to see freshwater data visualized and stewardship support evolve and grow in the region.

Whether you’re a longtime volunteer or simply interested in local water health, this session is an open opportunity to learn, ask questions, and help us shape how data is shared within our community moving forward. We look forward to spending a day learning, gathering your input, and strengthening our collective stewardship of local watersheds!

Doors open at 9:30 a.m., the event will begin at 10 a.m.

Morning refreshments and catered lunch will be provided.

Please register by June 14.

This trade show style event is designed to connect students with local non-profit organizations and community leaders working across the biosphere region. Students will have the chance to:

• Meet local nonprofit groups and government agency representatives

• Learn about community programs, services, and environmental initiatives

• Explore volunteer, training, and career opportunities

• Discover how these organizations are advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, creating a world where human well-being and nature thrive together, and everyone has the opportunity to meet their basic needs.

The BAD day will also spotlight climate and biodiversity science within the MABR, showing students how local actions contribute to global sustainability.

The public portion of this event is 3:15 - 4:15 pm while 12:30 - 3:00 pm is exclusively for the 800+ KSS students, staff and participating groups.

Hope to see you there!

The RDN is pleased to offer grants to support irrigation professionals within our region who are completing coursework with the Irrigation Industry Association of BC (IIABC). This program lowers financial barriers for irrigation professionals to access recognized IIABC certification and training, while strengthening regional expertise in efficient irrigation practices, water conservation and watershed protection.

Courses Eligible for Grant:

- $150 Grant: – Certified Irrigation Technician Level 1 (CIT-1) & Level 2 (CIT-2)

- $100 Grant: – Certified Irrigation Scheduler (CIS), Landscape Drip Design (LDD), Pump Course (PUMP) and Certified Irrigation Designer (CID) Landscape - Drip

Eligibility Criteria:

- Must reside or own an irrigation business within the RDN.

- Must be a member in good standing with IIABC.

- Each registrant may use one unique coupon code per term. Coupon codes will not work without active IIABC membership.

How to Apply

1. Apply for grant here here.

2. Approved applicants will receive a unique coupon code.

3. Register for your course here and enter the coupon code at checkout.

It's important to be Water Smart! Every drop counts.

Water Conservation Framework:

During the hot summer months, watering conservation regulations are imposed to protect and conserve our water supply. Records with Environment Canada indicate that, on average, our area receives only about 100 mm of precipitation during June, July and August combined!

To see which watering conservation stage your area is on, and to know which rules apply, click here.

Note: Vegetable gardens and fruit trees are exempt from conservation measures

What are the benefits of water conservation?

• Meet current water supply demands for drinking, fire protection, and irrigation.
• Avoid or postpone the costs of new infrastructure, including reservoirs, pumping stations and pipelines.
• Save money on water and energy bills.
• Reduce the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) which are produced when treating and moving water and wastewater to and from our homes.
• Apportion water resources for Ecosystem Services (these are benefits that humans obtain from ecosystems such as fish and wildlife, habitat, recreation).

Water Saving Tips & Resources:

Want to learn how to save more water around your property? Check out these informative links!

• Up to 65 percent of water used to irrigate is lost to inefficient watering practices. Learn our top 10 irrigation tips here and our irrigation scheduling recommendations here.
• Harvesting rainwater is a great and efficient way to water your garden. Click here to learn how to utilize rain barrels and here to learn about rain gardens. Want to build a rain barrel? Watch this video! The RDN also offers rebates to help you cover the costs of a large rainwater cistern. Click here to check them out!
• Water efficient yards can be beautiful and sustainable. Native plants look amazing and are more acclimated to the Island's climate. For more information, click here. Xeriscaping is another great option that aims to reduce or completely eliminate the need for watering in your yard. For more information, click here.

Check out these links for more great resources:

• Detailed Landscaping Guide to Water Efficiency: Click Here
• WaterSmart Healthy Lawn Care: Click Here
• Water Wise Gardening: Click Here
• How to check if your house has a leak: Click Here
• Water Saving FAQs: Click Here

Find even more helpful information in our "Document Library" located on the right side of the page or the Drinking Water and Watershed Protection program website here!

Summer Water Saver Contest:

You won't want to miss the RDN's WaterSaver contest that aims to promote efficient water use practices through an online contest! Residents can show off their outdoor water saving practices for a chance to win a rain barrel! More details to come.

Come learn about raingardens and see community raingardens in action during Water to Earth Month! Starting March 22, download the Raingarden Self—Guided Tour handout or pick up a hardcopy at the RDN Admin office (Hammond Bay Road) and get out to see some raingardens in action! After you have visited one or more raingardens in your community, go to the RDN’s Get Involved page and enter for your chance to win a rain barrel.

Download the Raingarden Self-Guided Tour guide here.

Did you visit a raingarden in your community? Enter Here to win a prize