| 1. What is The Nature Trust of British Columbia?
The Nature Trust of British Columbia is a charitable non-profit land conservation organization.
A leader in protecting BC’s natural diversity of plants and animals, The Nature Trust along with its many partners acquires and conserves land which our scientists determine has significant biodiversity value and a high risk of being lost. The Nature Trust has invested more than $68 million to secure more than 61,000 hectares (150,000 acres) of critical habitat throughout British Columbia. We are committed to conserving BC for future generations. 2. When did The Nature Trust start?
The Nature Trust of BC was established in 1971 when Bert Hoffmeister, a former Second World War hero, retired Chairman of MacMillan Bloedel and noted conservationist, was given a $4.5 million grant by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to finance a unique conservation project in BC. This grant formed the foundation of the National Second Century Fund of Canada which later (March 12, 1984) was renamed The Nature Trust of British Columbia. 3. Why do we need to conserve BC?
British Columbia is our home and one of the most spectacular places on earth. The natural environment of this province is the number one reason given for people living here (IMPACS BC Environmental Survey in 2001).
Critical Facts:
• BC is the most biologically diverse province in Canada. Over 70% of all Canada’s plants and animals live in the province of BC. Over 1300 animal and plant species in BC are identified as endangered (red) or threatened (blue).
• Over 13% of the province is protected under legislation as a park and protected area. Many of these areas were selected for their recreational use and aesthetic values rather than biodiversity.
• BC commonly uses the Biogeoclimatic Ecosytem Classification (BEC) system to describe the ecological units in the province. There are 14 BEC zones in BC. One criterion used to assess the conservation of biodiversity is representation. There is a disproportionate representation of the various BEC zones in the current designated protected areas in BC. Higher elevation sites tend to have greater representation in protected areas (e.g. 20% of the Alpine Tundra BEC zone) compared to lower elevation, valley bottom areas that also have greater proportions of private land (e.g. 4% of the Coastal Douglas Fir, 4.5% of the Interior Douglas Fir, and 2.5% of the Ponderosa Pine are represented in protected areas).
• There is also a marked lack of coincidence between the current protected areas and the occurrence of rare species. As such, the lands currently designated as protected do not provide adequate protection for the very rich and rare biodiversity in BC.
• Only 6% of BC is privately owned. Human disturbance on this land, which tends to be low elevation valley bottom lands, has caused widespread conversion of species habitats.
• This private land is also in BEC zones that are seriously underrepresented in parks and protected areas, are in areas with high numbers of rare species and are at greatest risk to human disturbance (e.g. 79.6 % of the Coastal Douglas Fir zone, 20.1% of the Interior Douglas Fir zone, 41.5% of the Ponderosa Pine zone is private land)
4. How does The Nature Trust differ from other conservation organizations in BC?
The Nature Trust of British Columbia focuses on land conservation in BC. We work in partnership with many other conservation organizations and various levels of government to accomplish our goals under the guidance of a 15 member volunteer Board of Directors. We are based in BC, and all our funding stays in BC.
The Nature Trust of BC does not receive operational funding from any level of Government. Administration costs are funded from the interest generated from our endowment account. We look to a variety of sources for funding which supports the acquisition and maintenance of our properties. These include Foundations, Corporations, Governments, Non Governmental Organizations and individual donors. 5. What do you do with the land once you have it?
The hard work begins when an acquisition is completed. A management plan is prepared and then it is executed with our partners. Land management takes resources, most significantly labour and money. We rely on our partnerships with organizations as well as our conservation youth crew program to meet the labour needs. 6. How can I help?
Individuals or groups are welcome to make tax deductible donations to The Nature Trust of BC. If you would like more information about donating, future gifts or eco gifts you are welcome to contact our office at 604-924-9771 or visit the How to Help section.
Donations can be made to:
The Nature Trust of BC
#260-1000 Roosevelt Crescent
North Vancouver, BC V7P 3R4
Phone: 604-924-9771
Toll free: 1-866-288-7878
Fax: 604-924-9772
Charitable corporation: #10808 9863 RR0001
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