Grant: Engage Grants Program

The mining industry in Canada is expanding; creating jobs and revenue for the country and providing necessary resources for society. A critical aspect of mining is ecosystem restoration following mine closure. Ecological restoration is a developing field of science that is ideally positioned to provide the knowledge tools for successful recovery of disturbed lands due to the extraction of metals in the mining process. My proposal tests current theory on ecological assembly rules and priority effects to maximize successful recovery of native grassland on the New Afton Mine site, a property of New Gold near Kamloops, British Columbia. I will measure success by monitoring plant species composition, diversity, biomass and soil properties. My proposal also focuses on the removal of non-native invasive plants and the encouragement of plants of cultural value to First Nations. This research is critical because it will be done at a stage early in the development of the mine - extraction of gold and copper will commence in the next few months. By studying restoration now we have the best chance of successful reclamation upon future mine closure.