Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society - British Columbia (CPAWS-BC)

What were our top conservation moments this year? 🏆 A major highlight was the $335 million agreement to establish a Marine Protected Area Network for the Great Bear Sea - an area spanning two-thirds of the coast of BC! Known as the 'Great Bear Sea Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) initiative', this agreement will support the long-term funding of 👇 📝 Indigenous-led projects 💪 Capacity-building 💼 New economic opportunities for coastal communities Learn more at ourgreatbearsea.ca!

What were our top conservation moments this year? 🏆 Our Youth Engagement Coordinator Eden brought back the Young Leaders in Conservation Program! With a cohort of 25 participants from across BC, they made some huge strides in 2024👇 🤝 Hosted 6 sold-out Nature & Climate Candidate Debates for the 2024 BC Election 🤝 Developed a series of policy asks for new BC Ministers 🤝 Learned about campaign development and media relations at our Whistler Summit 🤝 Organized a lobby day with BC's Legislative Assembly to speak about conservation Interested in joining the program in 2025? Stay tuned because we're dropping all the details AND opening applications in January...👏

What were our top conservation moments this year? 🏆 Senior Conservation Campaigner Carlo is sharing the story of glass sponge reefs - a unique ecosystem found only in BC! He created and placed resource guides (translated into several languages) at marinas around the Howe Sound area to help fishermen protect these delicate reefs while continuing their work 🎣 Why are glass sponge reefs important to protect? 👇 🪸 They provide shelter for marine life like rockfish and shrimp 🪸 They store carbon on the ocean floor 🪸 They filter bacteria out of the water and fertilize the ocean 🪸 They support culture and livelihoods for coastal communities Thanks Carlo for your leadership with this important project! #CPAWSBC #BC #Conservation #Ocean #GlassSpongeReef #Marina #MPA #Fishing #FalseCreek

What were our top conservation moments this year?🏆 Research and Policy Coordinator Meg took a closer look at Old Growth Management Areas (OGMAs) - places listed as 'protected' - and uncovered that they don't actually do a good job of protecting old growth... 🪵They contained over 27,000 hectares of 'cutblocks' (where trees are currently or have been cut) 🪵By area, less than 30% were made up of old growth forest across BC 🪵37% of individual OGMAS didn't have ANY old growth Meg wrote a report with her findings called 'Felling Short', urging for stronger protections for old growth forests to conserve endangered ecosystems and help BC accurately get to our target of protecting 30% of land and water by 2030 (known as '30x30'). 💭 Learn more: https://ow.ly/we3n50Uq9Ok 🌲Read 'Felling Short': https://ow.ly/K7uW50Uq9Oi #OldGrowth #OldGrowthForest #BC #30x30 #OGMA #Conservation

Soup & Marine Conservation? An unlikely but great pair 🥣 🤝 🌊 Our Ocean Conservation Team joined 'Soup's On' with Thetis Island residents to give a presentation about marine protected areas and the incredible Southern Strait of Georgia! Safeguarding these waters will protect the coastal communities and habitats of over 3,000 ocean animals including 👇 🐟 schools of herring and salmon 🐦 millions of coastal birds 🐙 the world's largest octopus called the Pacific giant octopus 🐳 the southern resident killer whale that is the most endangered marine mammal in Canada Learn about the Southern Strait of Georgia: https://lnkd.in/g-b7bett

Meet the new BC Cabinet Ministers that will lead work related to natural resources, reconciliation with First Nations and protected areas across BC 🌲 Not sure what these positions actually mean or how they impact nature conservation? Let’s break it down 👇 🧑🏫 Ministers are members of the provincial government that are responsible for specific areas - they oversee departments, implement policies, and ensure their portfolios align with provincial goals. 🗄️ Together Ministers form the Cabinet - a group that collectively decide on government actions and priorities that are appointed by the Premier. 🤝 These positions are important because they oversee key projects like BC’s goal to protect 30% of lands and waters by 2030, known as ‘30x30.’ What priorities do you hope to see action on from this group of Ministers? #BC #cpawsbc #bcgovernment #ndp #minister #cabinet #premier #environment #nature #30x30 #government #bc #protectedareas #bcministers #bccabinet

An inspiring week in Ottawa for our Acting Executive Director Sarah and Ocean Conservation Director Kate! 💭 CPAWS · SNAP Canada chapter leaders gathered this past week to discuss strategies, meet with elected officials, and create action plans to reach the goal of protecting 30% of lands and waters by 2030. As 2025 nears, it is crucial that we act now - we only have 5 years left to achieve this critical target⏰ Now let's get to work and make these action plans a reality in BC! #cpawsbc #cpaws #nature #conservation #bc #ocean #30x30 #ottawa #national #canada

Pacific herring are the backbone of the Salish Sea ecosystem, supporting wildlife like chinook salmon and orcas, as well as coastal communities 🐟 But - herring populations are teetering on the edge of extinction due to overfishing, pollution, and climate change. In a historic event, hereditary chiefs from four Saanich Peninsula First Nations united this week to call for the closure of a planned commercial herring fishery in Qualicum, which could harvest over 7,000 tons. With the fishery set to open in just 4 days, their declaration highlights the importance of sustainable fisheries and that we need to allow herring populations time to recover. This is a critical moment for biodiversity in the Salish Sea and Indigenous leadership 🌊💙 Let us know what you think about their call to action! 👇 #KeystoneSpecies #HerringCrisis #IndigenousLeadership #SustainableFisheries #SalishSea #cpawsbc #cpaws #bc #herring

It's clear - British Columbians care deeply about nature and are spreading the word 📣🪴 Through letters to local newspaper editors, community members are urging the new provincial government to commit to protecting land, water & wildlife ✍️ Let’s work together to ensure nature is prioritized in the upcoming government mandate letters 💚 #cpawsbc #cpaws #bc #bcgovernment #mandate #wildlife #LTE #lettertoeditor #newspaper #oakbaynews #eknow #eastkootenaysnewsonlineweekly #nature #ndp #eby

CPAWS-BC is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP)🌲 We invite prospective companies, consultants and contractors to submit a proposal to develop a comprehensive analysis of BC and neighbouring jurisdictions’ land, water and natural resource planning processes. This project will draw on best practices and models from BC, Alberta and Yukon to deliver valuable insights into the current landscape and opportunities for meaningful engagement for comprehensive land-use planning in BC. The submission deadline is Nov 24, 2024. For more information and submission details ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gRTmG-T8