A variety of non-profit organizations are working to protect fresh water, lands, forests and oceans on Vancouver Island and British Columbia as a whole. The following includes a selection of our partner stewardship organizations with links to their websites.
The goal of the Comox Valley Land Trust is to protect ecologically significant land in the Comox Valley. They are partners in protecting the Morrison Headwaters Nature Preserve and 27 acres of the Father Charles Brandt Hermitage on the Oyster River among other sites. They publish the conservation calendar each year highlighting the work of local stewardship organizations.
The Comox Valley Conservation Partnership is one of three programs operated by the Comox Valley Land Trust. It was founded in 2008 and brings together local community-based groups and interested parties from City of Courtenay, Town of Comox, Village of Cumberland, Comox Valley Regional District and the K’omoks First Nation. Beaufort Watershed Stewards is one of 15 Steering Committee members.
The goal of the K’ómoks Guardian Watchmen is to protect and preserve the environment within their Traditional Territory. They are the eyes and ears of the land and sea, thriving to protect everything from the tops of the mountains to the bottom of the oceans, and everything in between.
Their team of environmental stewards works on a number of initiatives to ensure the ecological protection of our habitat. They do regular patrols of our reserve lands, looking for anything that could be damaging the area, such as invasive plants, illegal dumping, or other harmful activities.
Code Blue BC ‘s goal is to secure and sustain BC’s fresh water sources–forever. The plan has three components:
- Get tough on water wasters and polluters.
- Make big industrial users pay to clean up the damage they’ve done and restore our watersheds.
- Give local people the power and resources to restore and manage their local water sources.
The Pacific Streamkeepers Federation was developed in response to the concerns of the many volunteers working on stream enhancement projects. In spite of volunteer efforts and government regulations, development pressures from our expanding population continue to threaten aquatic habitats. Everyone, from residents to land developers, foresters, and farmers, needs to become aware of how important good watershed practices are to the long term protection of our environment. A streamkeeper is someone who has taken an active interest in preserving and enhancing their local waterways. They are willing to learn more about their streams, and partner with other groups that have a similar focus, as well as all levels of government.
The Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC originated as an inter-governmental partnership. On their website you can find calculators for water conservation in various settings including residential and agricultural. There are also links to data on evapotransiration data from sites throughout BC. Other foci include: green infrastructure, water-centric planning, rainwater management, water use and conservation.
In the Comox Valley Regional District, Project Watershed may best be known for the Kus-kus-sum ‘Unpave Paradise’ project. They also have projects aimed at coastal restoration of kelp forests, salt marshes and the offer educational programing. The organization’s goal is the protection and restoration of local watershed and associated sensitive habitats.
West Coast Environmental Law is a non-profit group of environmental lawyers and strategists dedicated to safeguarding the environment through law. Since 1974, we have successfully worked with communities, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and all levels of government, including First Nations governments, to develop proactive legal solutions to protect and sustain the environment.
Watershed Watch Salmon Society is a science-based charity working to defend and rebuild B.C.’s wild salmon. Their work is grounded in sound science, and tackles the complex issues facing wild salmon through collaboration with other organizations and community groups.