The BC Conservation & Biodiversity Awards celebrate the 2024 Award recipients and their important conservation-based initiatives in British Columbia

VANCOUVER, BC, May 30, 2024 /CNW/ - The BC Conservation & Biodiversity Awards are pleased to announce sixteen recipients of the 2024 Awards. This year, a total of $250,000 was granted. These recipients, all based in BC, are recognized for their exceptional efforts in enhancing BC's natural environment and safeguarding its wilderness and biodiversity through their charitable work.

The 2024 Award recipients are:

• BC Conservation Foundation for the recovery of the Vancouver Lamprey which will benefit many Salmonid species
• BC Lakes Stewardship Society to support the Engagement Initiative, the main beneficiaries being concerned citizens of BC and 1st Nations who have indicated strong interest in technical training
• MakeWay Charitable Society funding for engagement/facilitation with stakeholders to build support for a critical Skeena ESA to offer some protection from industry in the Northern Confluence. This is the second largest salmon producing watershed in BC
• Environmental Youth Alliance Society for EYA's Community-led Indigenous Food Land project and wetland biodiversity corridor expansion in Vancouver's Downton Eastside
• The Nature Trust of BC to reverse forest encroachment in the Hoodoos Conservation Area to preserve native grasslands to benefit the plants and animals within (especially SAR)
• Fraser River Sturgeon Society to remove Ghost Gear (i.e. nets) in the Lower Fraser to improve habitat, rebuild traditional Indigenous fishing territories and prevent mortality of White Sturgeon and other threatened species
• Galiano Conservancy Association to restore 4 ha of the Waterfall Creek watershed at the GCA's Millard Learning Centre and to restore wetland and red-legged frog habitat
• MakeWay Charitable Society to fund the 2024 Search for Pacific Herring "Slhawt" program in Howe Sound to collect and share data that will be useful and credible for informing decision-making in the region
• Raincoast Conservation Foundation to support the Katzie First Nation and the Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance (LFFA), to develop a Biodiversity Monitoring Program in the Upper Pitt River for wildlife studies focusing on recovery and species of concern
• Rivershed Society of BC to support a collaboration of Kwantlen First Nation and agricultural landholders to restore and connect a biodiverse food-lands corridor of habitat along the Salmon River in Langley
• Seymour Salmonid Society to engage a multi stakeholder group in planning and fundraising for future enhancement work in the Lower Seymour River and estuary
• Squamish Environment Society to support the Wildlife Connectivity Project and land managers in safeguarding and restoring vulnerable terrestrial habitat and wildlife
• MakeWay Charitable Society to create a 5-year trail network plan for the Hada region (Broughton Archipelago) with trail building programs and community planning events    
• Sunshine Coast Conservation Association to fund a Fisheries Sensitive Watershed Designation for McNab Creek Howe Sound, an ecological sanctuary for many species
• Thetis Island Nature Conservancy to support residents in stewarding and regenerating biodiversity through habitat restoration, protection, and preservation
• UBC to provide high resolution zooplankton biodiversity data by integrating eDNA, and the Zooscan imaging system to establish a biodiversity benchmark for the wider BC coast

The BCCB Awards fill a notable gap in environmental funding. Since its inception in 2021, the BCCB Awards have disbursed over 40 grants, totaling almost $700,000, to organizations whose contributions have led to tangible improvements in the natural environment of BC.

Past recipients' feedback underscores the vital role of these funds in launching and sustaining impactful projects. Amy Baxter of the Lake Windermere Ambassadors, a previous award recipient, shared, "The support we have received from the BC Conservation and Biodiversity Awards has been instrumental in starting our most recent environmental project. Year one of our three-year project takes a whole community approach to conserving and restoring the health of Lake Windermere. We will focus on water monitoring, ecosystem restoration and enhancement for climate resilience, and community stewardship. We greatly appreciate BCCBA's support on this project and the straightforward application process they use." This sentiment is echoed by many recipients, illustrating the Awards' critical contribution to the sector and the importance of continued support and investment in biodiversity and environmental stewardship.

Award Applications

As the BCCB Awards continue to gain recognition, the number of applications for funding has steadily increased each year. To cater to this growing interest and to simplify the application process, the Awards have introduced a new digital application system. Starting with the 2025 Awards, applicants will benefit from this entirely online process. 

Applications for the 2025 Awards are now being accepted through to December 31, 2024. Open to conservation-based BC charities, applications can be submitted via the BCCBA website. The 2025 Award winners will be chosen by our Selection Committee, a panel of experts from leading academic institutions and environmental organizations. Recipients will be announced on March 1, 2025.

Donate to the BCCB Awards­­

The BCCB Awards are making significant strides in conservation, where every effort adds up. By focusing on grassroots initiatives, we are proving that measurable progress is possible. To support conservation efforts in BC, individuals can visit the BCCB Awards website and make a direct impact by contributing to the BCCB Awards endowment.

The BCCB Awards Foundation is a donor advised fund at Canada Gives, a registered charity and public foundation (Reg # 83306 2144 RR0001). Canada Gives manages the administration and reporting for the BCCB Awards Foundation and issues all grants (awards) once the selection committee has reviewed the applications and provided their recommendations. To donate and to support conservation efforts in BC, visit the BCCB Awards website.

SOURCE BC Conservation and Biodiversity Awards

please contact: Delaney Morris, Manager, IT & Communications, Canada Gives, Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected]