in 1966 and was the first conservation lab in western Canada, and one of the first facilities for artifact conservation in Canada. In the 1970s and 1980s, conservators and conservation scientists worked with the Haida people on the preservation of the poles at Ninstints. Since the discovery of the remains of Kwäday Dän Ts’inchi in 1999, conservators have been involved with the Champagne and Aishihik people in recovery, analysis, treatment and publication projects. Learning and education The Learning and Visitor Experience initiative at the Royal BC Museum runs public programs, workshops, lectures, guided tours, and special events—all geared toward educating and engaging visitors. Roughly fifty school, family, and adult programs are scheduled per year. There are also annual events, including Remembrance Day commemorations, the Heritage Fair, and a Carol Along with the Carillon and other Christmas activities at Helmcken House. Living landscapes By 2002 the RBCM had initiated a successful and innovative province-wide research and public education program that explored human and natural influences on regional environments combining cultural heritage with natural heritage. The museum maintained a Living Landscapes website. Living Landscapes was an award-winning, successful "regional outreach program involving intensive cooperation with other museums, First Nations, educators, naturalists, and other agencies." Its goal was "to encourage and facilitate the exploration and appreciation of the human and natural history of British Columbia from regional perspectives," and it focused on "particular regions of B.C. and integrating stories and research locally generated with both research knowledge and descriptive information from the collections and curatorial staff at the Royal British Columbia Museum." In 2000 the focus of Living Landscapes was on the Upper Fraser Basin, a "vast area extending across most of south-central British Columbia including the Fraser River valley upstream from Big Bar Creek, as well as it is tributary drainages such as the Chilcotin, Quesnel, and Nechako Rivers." During 2001-2002 RBCM hosted five Upper Fraser Basin communities including, Valemount, British Columbia, Burns Lake, Williams Lake, Quesnel and Prince George attended by approximately 4,500 people. Visitors met and interacted with local Living Landscapes researchers and Victoria-based RBCM curators. The events featured exhibits from the RBCM's permanent collections as well as "illustrated talks and demonstrations on a variety of topics by local and museum experts." Initially, Living Landscapes focused on "in-field programming has been the northern, central and southern interior of British Columbia." In March 2006, when they had successfully completed the Northwest