Public Notice – AGM Postponement
The BC Conservation Foundation’s Annual General Meeting, originally scheduled for Wednesday, June 10 at 7:00 PM, has been postponed.
A new date and time will be announced soon.
Notice of Annual General Meeting
NOTICE is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the members of The British Columbia Conservation Foundation (the “Foundation”) is called and will be held virtually on the 10th day of June 2026, at 7:00 pm (PDT) on MS Teams for the following purposes:
1. To receive the audited financial statements of the Foundation for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026;
2. To elect Directors of the Foundation;
3. To appoint the Auditors of the Foundation for the ensuing year;
4. To transact such other business as may properly be brought before the meeting.
TO RSVP:
1. A person may apply to the Board for membership in the Foundation, and the person becomes a member on the Board’s acceptance of the application and membership dues.
2. Please RSVP and to apply for membership send to dclark884@gmail.com or jl56j1@telus.net with your name, address, email and telephone number if you plan to attend the AGM by the 9th day of June 2026 by 3:00 pm (PDT) prior to the commencement thereof
3. Membership is $1.00 and payment can be sent by mail to our office by Canada Post or via e-transfer
NOTE: Public Notice – AGM Postponement
The BC Conservation Foundation’s Annual General Meeting, originally scheduled for Wednesday, June 10 at 7:00 PM, has been postponed. A new date and time will be announced soon.
BC Conservation Foundation’s Community Conservation Fund Announces 2026 Successful Recipients
British Columbia Conservation Foundation’s Board of Directors announced three successful recipients for the Community Conservation Fund totaling $19,145.
A diverse range of applications were submitted from across the province, encompassing initiatives focused on community-based environmental education, collaboration, and habitat conservation. The Community Conservation Fund Committee evaluates proposals based on alignment with the BC Conservation Foundation’s mission to support community-based conservation efforts, addressing key needs or knowledge gaps, organizational capacity, and innovation. Collaboration with other groups, particularly with Indigenous communities, and the project's long-term impact are also important.
Successful proposals include the following:
1) Land, Life and Legacy – École Citadel Middle School
École Citadel Middle School is creating a Gathering Garden to engage students in land-based learning and conservation. Their Gathering Garden will serve as an outdoor classroom where students in grades 6-8 learn about native plants, pollinator habitats, and keystone species.
Through hands-on activities such as planting, seed harvesting, and seed sharing, students will deepen their understanding of biodiversity and ecological stewardship. The garden will also be accessible to community members, enhancing local green space and supporting wildlife corridors in this urban-wildlife interface.
The intended outcome is to foster a sense of environmental responsibility and connection to the land, empowering youth to recognize how small actions, like planting and sharing seeds, can contribute to long-term conservation efforts.
Award – $4,145
2) Native Plants for Native Pollinators, Community Restoration Support - Kootenay Native Plant Society
Native Plants for Native Pollinators provides regionally-appropriate native pollinator plants and guidance to community-led restoration projects across the West Kootenay region. Building on a successful 2024 pilot ("Milkweed and Monarchs"), this year's theme is "Pollination Partners: Specialist Bees & Western Bumblebee Edition."
The project draws on KNPS's five-year Pollination Pathway program, which documents plant-pollinator networks identifying high-value species unique to the West Kootenay and its diverse bee communities. Specialist bees are key ecological indicators whose survival depends on specific native plants, providing a powerful lens for targeted restoration.
By supplying no-cost, locally-sourced ecotype plant kits to supplement existing plantings, the project removes a major barrier to restoration: access to appropriate native plants. Participants will contribute observations to iNaturalist, helping fill regional monitoring gaps.
This project strengthens ecological literacy, increases stewardship capacity, enhances pollinator habitat, and builds a scalable, community-led model for native plant conservation grounded in local research and connectivity.
Award – $10,000
3) EduWild Biodiversity Monitoring Project – Telkwa Community Initiatives Society
Initiated in 2024 in the Bulkley Valley, the EduWild Project aims to involve local students and citizens in an educational wildlife monitoring project that will provide valuable data to assess the long-term health of our local ecosystems.
This initiative seeks to 1) engage local students and residents in hands-on, place-based learning about our local wildlife, 2) collect long-term wildlife monitoring data for the Bulkley Valley, and 3) provide this data in an open-access global database that can be used by scientists, regional planners, and forest management personnel, as well as by the students themselves!
Class projects and science fair projects are encouraged, as well as in-class use of data by teachers. The EduWild project/data is currently managed by Dr. Petra McDougall (PhD, Wildlife Biology).
Award – $5,000
Media Contact:
Deborah McNicol
Director of Finance
(604) 576-1433 ext. 314
dmcnicol@bccf.com
About us: The BC Conservation Foundation promotes thriving fish and wildlife populations through education, collaboration and habitat conservation. We do this by managing projects and initiatives on behalf of key stakeholders and running our own signature programs, such as the Community Conservation Fund. For more information, please visit www.bccf.com.
British Columbia Conservation Foundation Announces Executive Director Transition
As of March 3, 2026, the British Columbia Conservation Foundation (BCCF) announced a change in its leadership.
An organizational review is in place to strengthen operations and position itself strategically for the future of long-term success.
The British Columbia Conservation Foundation remains strong and continues to provide uninterrupted services. The Foundation’s conservation programs, partnerships, and ongoing projects will continue without interruption. Our staff, partners, and members can be assured that our work and commitments remain firmly in place.
Interim leaders are in place to ensure partnerships remain strong and directed. The Board of Directors are actively involved and guiding the transition, to ensure its commitment to our funders and stakeholders.
In the coming months, the organization will review its structure and begin the process of identifying the steps to guide BCCF’s future growth. The Board will provide further updates as appropriate.
For Inquiries,
Please contact
Deborah McNicol
(604) 576-1433 ext. 314 or
dmcnicol@bccf.com
Community Conservation Grants are Open November 1, 2025 to November 30, 2025
Our grant intake for this year’s Community Conservation Fund is now open November 1 to November 30, 2025 (End of Day).
Community conservation projects may receive up to $10,000 in funding. Please read the funding guidelines carefully as we have recently revamped the program.
Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Decisions on Community Conservation Fund grant applications are made over the winter each year and are announced on our website in March.
For more details and to apply, visit the Community Conservation Fund.
Thank you for taking interest in developing community-based approaches towards conservation in BC!
Highlights from the BC Wildlife Corridors and Crossings Forum
BC Conservation Foundation served on the steering committee and co-hosted the Southern Interior Wildlife Crossings and Corridors Forum, June 11–13, 2025 on Syilx Okanagan People's territory at UBC-Okanagan.
We partnered with the Government of British Columbia, Okanagan Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services (BRAES) at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Parks Canada, Thompson-Nicola Conservation Collaborative (TNCC), and Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program (OCCP) on this inaugural gathering that brought Indigenous leaders, researchers, government agencies, conservation organizations, industry representatives and other regional partners.
The Forum brought together more than 50 participants from First Nations, government agencies, academic institutions, NGOs, and community organizations to advance ecological connectivity and reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) in British Columbia’s Southern Interior.
The Corridors and Crossings Forum What We Heard Summary Report highlights mapping exercises, presentations and facilitated discussions that identified key themes regarding the importance of Indigenous participation, the need for improved data accessibility, and the urgency of coordinated action across jurisdictions to prioritize actions for wildlife corridors and crossing structures.
The Forum helps contribute knowledge, momentum and awareness for BC Conservation Foundation’s program on Wildlife Collision Prevention.
We are excited by the priority actions the Forum participants put forward. These actions include:
- To form a Southern Interior Connectivity Working Group to help maintain dialogue and share information across Nations, NGOs, governments, and academics. Develop a Regional Corridor Conservation Plan that could align with Indigenous land use plans, local conservation strategies, and BC’s 30×30 conservation targets.
- Pursue opportunities to collaborate with the Ministry of Transportation and Transit, such as piloting a roadkill reporting app, identifying priority crossing sites, and integrating ecological criteria into transportation planning.
- Identify options to improve data access and integration, including shared mapping platforms and transparent systems that respect Indigenous data sovereignty.
- Look for ways to engage funders and policymakers to secure more stable financing, review policy gaps, and connect corridor work to broader provincial and federal conservation goals.
A discussion paper written by Melissa Butynski & Robin Blott from UBC-O served as a foundational resource to frame and support regional efforts aimed at improving wildlife connectivity and reduce Wildlife Vehicle Collisions in BC’s Southern Interior.