Welcoming Growth & Renewal!
April 17, 2024
With our sights set on achieving 25% protection by 2025 and counting down to the ambitious 30% by 2030 target, CPAWS-BC is embarking on a transformative journey to restructure and grow our organization. This strategic transformation makes us more agile, efficient, and impactful in safeguarding Nature in BC.
Over the last few months, we’ve seen a number of big and exciting announcements from the government to advance conservation in BC.
A $300 million Nature Conservation fund was announced, the over $1 billion Trilateral Framework Agreement for Nature Conservation set the stage for significant action on the biodiversity crisis and leadership in conservation and another $60 million was announced for Indigenous-led stewardship and sustainable development across the Great Bear Sea.
At a panel discussion during our fall art and conservation event, Precipice, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Nathan Cullen said that he feels confident that over the next 18 months, we will see the most profound era of conservation and a shift in the dynamic of authority and land governance in this province.
In recent weeks, we’ve seen further action to this effect with BC signing a landmark agreement recognizing Haida Nation title over Haida Gwaii as well as interim measures halting mineral claim registrations and mining activities in the territories of the Gitxaała and Ehattesaht First Nations.
It’s an incredibly exciting time in conservation and we’re proud of the supportive role we’ve been able to play in all of this so far.
As we join in this momentum to meet 30% protection by 2030, CPAWS-BC is embarking on a strategic realignment to restructure and grow our organization in support of these goals over the next 6 years. We strive to be a leader not only in BC conservation but in corporate and non-profit leadership, too.
We took our first step when we announced our journey to a 4 day work week in February. Now we’re excited to take another one as we restructure our departments and create new internal opportunities and positions to support our growth and impact!
Join us in congratulating our newly appointed Conservation Directors, Kate MacMillan (Ocean Program) and Tori Ball (Land and Fresh Water Program). Kate and Tori, who have both been with CPAWS for many years, have been pivotal in advancing conservation efforts throughout the province. Stepping into these new senior leadership roles, they will spearhead the identification of critical conservation opportunities, drive innovation, and lead the charge toward enhanced protection of BC’s interconnected marine, terrestrial, and freshwater ecosystems. We’re also thrilled to announce the appointment of Sarah McNeil as our Operations Director. Sarah will play a critical role in ensuring the seamless functioning of our organization as we expand and pursue our mission. The combined vision, experience, and expertise of this dedicated leadership team will play an important role in advancing conservation efforts in BC.
But that’s not all! We’re celebrating the promotion of Carlo Acuña and Jacob Chila to key roles within our team. Carlo, now the Senior Campaigner (Ocean Program) and Jacob, now the GIS Specialist (Ocean Program), will continue to drive our mission forward with their passion and expertise.
Thank you, Carlo, Jacob, Kate, Sarah, and Tori for the energy, innovation and passion you bring to the CPAWS-BC team. We’re so grateful to work with you and look forward to seeing you thrive in your new roles!
We also extend special thanks to our supporters and donors who have been an important part of this journey. It is with your continued support of our campaigns and commitment to our mission that we are able to take these important steps to advance conservation in BC.
