About Us

BC Parks Foundation

The Foundation is an independent public foundation which began operations in 2018. We are the official charitable partner to BC’s parks and protected areas. Our mission is to create the greatest system of parks and indigenous protected areas on earth.

Barbara Brink

C.M. and O.B.C. Former CEO Science World, former Chair, UBC and VGH Hospital Foundations.

Cynthia Callison

Vice-Chair. Indigenous lawyer, member of Tahltan Nation. 

Dan Johnson

Lawyer and conflict resolution specialist. Great Bear Rainforest. 

Gillian Winkler

Chartered Accountant. Chair, Pan American Silver Corp.

Ivan Thompson

Environmental leader, formerly with Moore Foundation and Makeway.

Jessica Hopkins

Environmental consultant. Member of St’at’imc Nation. 

Jim Standen

Assistant Deputy Minister of the Environment.

Ross Beaty

C.M. Chair. BC business entrepreneur and environmental leader.

Rudy Kerklaan

Former President, Connor Clark & Lunn. 

Tamara Little

Communications and public relations leader.

Terry Teegee

Chief of the BC Assembly of First Nations. Member of Takla Nation.

Warren Beach

Chartered Accountant. Former CFO Aritzia, Timberwest.

BC Conservation Fund Committee

The Fund is overseen within the Foundation through recommendations from a committee of experts.

Cynthia Callison (Chair)

Dr. Tara Atleo

Dr. Jody Holmes

Dr. Danielle Ignace

Garry Merkel

Greg Malpass

Kory Wilson

Roy Millen

Guiding Principles

Our Mission

Conserve priority areas in BC that are ecologically and bioculturally diverse through sustained, reliable, long-term financing.

Our Vision

BC’s ecosystems are home to a diversity of healthy and productive species, communities, and businesses for the long run.

Our Drivers

We are passionate and dedicated to conserving and restoring our original lands, waters and wildlife so that all British Columbians can continue to enjoy a healthy and secure future.
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We recognize that:

  • Biodiversity loss and climate change are an immediate and significant threat to people, the economy, and other species.
  • Healthy ecosystems and food chains provide stable services needed for the survival and health of all living things, including humans, and for a predictable and reliable economy.
  • Biodiversity, climate resilience, and the services people receive from nature all flow from ecological integrity.
  • Indigenous Peoples have an inherent and human right to self-determination recognized and respected internationally, nationally and provincially.
  • All British Columbians and visitors enjoy our lands, water and wildlife and have a role to play in keeping it beautiful, clean and flourishing for now and forever.

Values

  • Thinking about future generations and being respectful of the web of life.
  • Experimenting, learning, and building knowledge and innovation.
  • Integrating diverse knowledge and ways of knowing.
  • Practice reciprocity in relationships.
  • Feeling inspired and joyful about making a big impact and seeing results.
  • Making pragmatic and economically responsible decisions.

Approach

  • Promote innovation and entrepreneurship.
  • Allocate energy and resources to things that will have a big impact on our mission.
  • Leverage our resources.
  • Always have a focus and be willing to say ‘no.’
  • Work with inspired partners aligned with our vision and mission.
  • Practice disciplined governance and management.
  • Share and celebrate success.
  • Provide superior performance and relentless problem-solving.

Goals & Objectives

1. Preserve and Restore Ecological Integrity
  • a. Identify and prioritize ecologically important and biodiverse areas with representation throughout BC.
  • b. Identify and reduce threats and pressures to biodiversity.
  • c. Conserve and steward priority areas with special consideration for primary forests including old growth.
2. Support First Nation Leadership in Conservation
  • a. Support community visioning, readiness, and internal mandates for conserving areas.
  • b. Connect First Nations to resources and external partnerships.
  • c. Foster shared stewardship between First Nations and their communities, members and organizations.
3. Promote Working Together
  • a. Foster understanding through objective information, knowledge sharing, and resources.
  • b. Promote constructive dialogue and collaboration among people who can advance conservation.
  • c. Build relationships and trust through work together on projects and solutions.
  • d. Coordinate and align investments and activities to achieve the Fund mission.
  • e. Encourage opportunities for traditional and local ecological knowledge to be shared and used.
  • f. Develop and promote efficient, well-informed processes and systems for working together and achieving results, including government-to-government agreements.
  • g. Showcase thought leadership and celebrate and promote successes.
4. Catalyze Sources of Long-term Stable Conservation Financing
  • a. Leverage the Fund with matching contributions.
  • b. Use the Fund to seed and grow long-term stable financing.
  • c. Diversify financing sources for conservation.
  • d. Engage all British Columbians and visitors in supporting conservation.
  • e. Utilize a Project Finance for Permanence model to incentivize conservation and provide sustained long-term financing for stewardship of newly conserved areas.
5. Grow Public Support and Participation
  • a. Foster public awareness and connections.
  • b. Support and advance learning about ecological integrity and conservation.
  • c. Inspire action and participation.
  • d. Promote a collective culture of conservation in all segments of BC society.
6. Advance a Sustainable Economy
  • a. Foster and promote stable jobs and economies through synergies between conservation, communities, and businesses.
  • b. Advance capacity related to conservation through education and experience.
  • c. Advance innovative technologies and systems for conservation.
  • d. Foster an entrepreneurial mindset related to conservation challenges and opportunities.
BY BC Parks Foundation
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