Centre for Ecological Restoration & Climate Adaptation (CERCA)

A centre for 21st-Century learning and scientific incubation, CERCA will build new capabilities and capacities for applied research with tangible impact on our land and marine environments.

The centre will assemble state-of-the-art programs, learning spaces, rooftop greenhouses and industry-leading research facilities into a unique ecosystem of learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and knowledge exchange.

The future of environmental science education

CERCA will catalyze collaboration between government, Indigenous communities, industry, students, and researchers all working towards new ecological restoration and climate adaptation solutions. Leveraging the school’s position as a pioneer in ecological restoration with the BCIT Rivers Institute, and the joint BCIT-SFU Master’s degree in Ecological Restoration, CERCA will help to amplify impact, convening the best research minds and hands-on solutioneers to solve complex, real-world problems.

A collaborative ecosystem of learning and applied research

This unique ecosystem of learning will put BCIT at the forefront of ecological restoration and climate adaptation, locally and internationally. Students and researchers from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds will be brought together — from those in part-time studies to those working on their Master’s theses — in a global hub of environmental restoration and climate adaptation knowledge and practice.

With this new technologically-enhanced, intentionally designed space, CERCA will nearly double research capacity at BCIT, increasing understanding of emerging issues such as:

• Marine ecosystem restoration;
• Ecosystem carbon sequestration and storage;
• Oil, gas and LNG project restoration and pipeline construction restoration;
• Mine-site reclamation and restoration; and
• Aquatic and large river floodplain ecosystem restoration.