BC Institute of Agrologists

10/21/2026

Have you read our Fall 2026 Issue of 'Get The Dirt' yet?

'Get The Dirt' is BCIA's official online publication which includes helpful information for both registrants and the public regarding the practice of Agrology.

Our Fall 2026 Issue includes articles on topics such as: The Inaugural BCIA Symposium, Where Professional Practice Intersects, CEO Reflections from the Field, and more.

📖 You can find this publication on our website under 'Resources & Publications', or at the link below! ⬇️

Happy reading! 📖 🌱

🪏 Dig into the full issue at: https://loom.ly/vg18Eb8

10/19/2026

We are excited to release the Fall 2026 Issue of Get The Dirt - the official publication of the BC Institute of Agrologists.

🪏 Dig into the full issue at: https://loom.ly/vg18Eb8

10/06/2026

In a recent Country Life in BC column, BCIA CEO and Registrar Jennifer Lawrence discusses the importance of “right-touch” regulation and how effective oversight is about managing risk, not simply enforcing rules.

The article highlights the need to balance public protection and professional accountability while supporting the practical sharing of knowledge and expertise across the agricultural, environmental, and natural resource sectors.

Read the full article: https://loom.ly/rjYzNcY

CLBC September 2026

10/05/2026

Ticket Prices Go Up October 11th! 🎟️

Join agrology professionals from across the province on Friday, October 30 for our 2026 Virtual Symposium, a full-day event exploring how our profession is evolving in a rapidly changing world.

This year’s theme, “Professional Practice in a Changing World,” focuses on the challenges and opportunities shaping modern agrology from Indigenous food sovereignty to climate pressures to the use of technology to shifting regulatory expectations and interdisciplinary work. This symposium is designed to spark thoughtful conversation, practical learning, and professional connection. Throughout the day, you’ll engage with topics such as land reclamation, climate action, ethical use of AI, and navigating interdisciplinary practice under the Professional Governance Act. Expect a mix of expert presentations, panel discussions, and real-world case studies that will help you better navigate your role and responsibilities as a professional agrologist today.

Regular pricing for the 2026 BCIA Symposium ends October 11th, after which late registration kicks in and tickets rise to $120. Be sure to lock in your spot now and save!

Register now at the regular rate: https://loom.ly/nJlqgyM

09/30/2026

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a powerful opportunity to honour the histories, resilience, and voices of Indigenous Peoples, especially Survivors and their communities, and to recognize the ongoing responsibility to advance meaningful reconciliation.

As the regulator of agrology in British Columbia, BCIA recognizes that our registrants work is closely connected to the land and communities across the province. With that comes a responsibility to learn, listen, build relationships, and consider how reconciliation is reflected in the way we regulate the profession in the public interest.

For BCIA, this is an ongoing journey. We are continuing to build our understanding and to apply this lens across our work — in our relationships, our decision-making, our programs and policies, and in how we continue to evolve as a regulator. Reconciliation must be more than a few initiatives or words in a strategic plan. It requires sustained attention, learning, and reflection, and a willingness to continue looking at how we can do our work differently and better.

Today, we remember the children who never returned home, honour Survivors and their families and communities, and reflect on our responsibilities on the path towards truth and reconciliation.

This day may include discussions of trauma that could be painful for some readers. If you or someone you know needs support, please reach out to the KUU-US Crisis Line Society.

📸 BCIA staff wearing orange shirts in recognition of Orange Shirt Day and the enduring truth that Every Child Matters. 🧡

KUU-US Crisis Line Society

09/14/2026

Meet the professionals shaping this year's BCIA Symposium conversation. 🌱

On October 30, agrologists from across BC will come together virtually for "Professional Practice in a Changing World," a full-day look at how our profession is evolving.

Here's who's on the agenda:
• Jared Qwustenuxun Williams — our keynote speaker, sharing his work on Indigenous food systems and land stewardship
• Michael Keefer, MSc, PAg — President, Keefer Ecological Services Ltd, unpacking agriculture land reclamation
• Sid Kwakkel, MSc — Associated Engineering, tackling "Should We?" vs. "Can We?": ethical AI and technology stewardship

Plus a cross-regulatory panel on navigating professional practice crossovers, featuring:
• Andrea Gunner, PAg — Deputy Registrar of Practice, BC Institute of Agrologists
• Lindsay Steele, P.Geo — Acting Director, Engineers and Geoscientists BC
• Samuel Pittman, MSc, RPBio — Director of Practice, College of Applied Biologists
• Tara Bergeson, MSc, RPF — Director of Practice, Forest Professionals BC

From land stewardship to interdisciplinary practice under the Professional Governance Act, this lineup covers a lot of ground.

Register here: https://loom.ly/malwEtw

08/26/2026

Meet the Dogs of BCIA! 🐾 In recognition of National Dog Day, we're celebrating some of our favourite unofficial team members - while none of them are currently eligible for registration, they take their responsibilities for public protection, professional oversight and appropriate treat distribution very seriously.

07/28/2026

We're inviting Indigenous registrants to help shape something new. 🌱

BCIA is forming an Indigenous Registrant Community of Practice — a space for Indigenous registrants to connect, build relationships, and help determine what this community could look like over time.

This is a beginning, grounded in humility, relationship, and a genuine commitment to listening. Registrants who join will help define the purpose and structure of the group from the ground up.

✅ Participation is fully voluntary
✅ No one will be asked to represent their Nation or community
✅ Participants will help shape the purpose and direction over time
✅ Sharing is welcome only to the extent you're comfortable

If you're an Indigenous registrant and you're interested in being part of this initial conversation, we invite you to reach out to [email protected] by August 31st, 2026.

We are grateful to those who may be willing to consider being part of this, and we approach this next step with respect, humility, and openness to where the conversation may lead.

07/21/2026

Thoughtful regulation begins with a clear understanding of professional practice, and the realities registrants encounter in their work where it happens. For BCIA’s CEO/Registrar, Jennifer Lawrence, effective regulatory leadership means getting out from behind the desk and putting boots on the ground—learning directly from registrants, seeing professional practice firsthand, and listening to the realities, challenges, and opportunities they experience in their work.

The Boots on the Ground tour initiative reflects a deliberate commitment to deepening the understanding of agrology practice directly from registrants—seeing where and how they work, asking questions, and listening to the realities, challenges, and opportunities shaping the profession across British Columbia.

During the Okanagan visit, Jennifer was joined by Deputy Registrar of Practice Andrea Gunner, PAg, and Provincial Professional Development Coordinator Jasmine Wong. Together, they spent two days with registrants working in ecological restoration, contaminated sites, range management, orchard production, and integrated pest management.

A heartfelt thank you to Matt Davidson, PAg, Kristen Cockburn, PAg, Skye Wolfe, PAg, Rob Dinwoodie, PAg, Trish Balcaen, Molly Thurston, PAg, Dave Dobernigg, and Missy Dobernigg for so generously sharing their time, expertise, and perspectives.

These visits provide insights that cannot be gained from policies, reports, or meetings alone. They deepen our understanding of the diversity and complexity of professional practice and help inform thoughtful, responsive, relational and risk-based regulation.

This was just the beginning, with future Boots on the Ground visits planned across additional practice areas and regions of British Columbia.

Watch for the next edition of Get the Dirt!, where Jennifer will share more of her reflections from the Okanagan tour and how those insights are informing the modernization of BCIA’s regulatory programs.

07/15/2026

Article Spotlight: "Bill M216: Update"

➡️ Now available to read online! https://loom.ly/rudCelI

"Get The Dirt" is our online publication which includes helpful information for both registrants and the public regarding the practice of Agrology.

📖 You can find this publication on our website under 'Resources & Publications', or at the link in the comments below! ⬇️

Our Spring Issue also includes articles on other topics, such as: The 2026 BCIA Symposium, Professional Spidey Sense, AGM Recap, and How BCIA Assesses Readiness For Practice.

Happy reading! 📖 🌱