When evidence informs advocacy
When evidence informs advocacy, a potent approach to conservation becomes available. This philosophy underpins everything we do at Raincoast. One of the primary vehicles to support our unique delivery of what we call informed advocacy is the Raincoast Applied Conservation Science Lab at the University of Victoria. Partnered with a science-based non-profit and dedicated to applied research, it is the first university lab of its kind.
How we do our research matters to us. We are guided by a set of core values, among them social and ecological justice, Indigenous rights, and animal welfare. Tweet This!
Operating in a university environment provides extraordinary value and influence, and allows us to harness tremendous intellectual and infrastructure resources. We also provide outstanding educational opportunities to the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees who are passionate to partake in work that will make a difference in the real world. Finally, the scholarly environment demands that we submit our research to peer-review; an important process to maintain the rigour of our work and the resulting authority it is granted.
Although the benefits of the university model are legion, we enthusiastically endeavor to escape from the ivory tower. Whereas we investigate problems and opportunities with research, we also strive to inform and inspire. Raincoast provides opportunities for our team to interact directly with policy processes. Doing so helps us not only design applied work, but also inform policy makers in a timely fashion with new knowledge we provide.
Knowing that policy makers often need a nudge from the public, outreach and communication about our research inspires the public to ask governments to respond with the intensity and urgency often required.
How we do our research matters to us. We are guided by a set of core values, among them social and ecological justice, Indigenous rights, and animal welfare. Guided by these values, we work respectfully with diverse partners and knowledge systems, especially via collaboration with Indigenous Nations.
Each year the scope and urgency of our efforts increases and, as our team grows, so does our need for support. Monthly donors provide a more stable funding environment. This type of investment also bolsters the independent scientific research Raincoast conducts, as well as education for the next generation of applied conservationists and wildlife advocates.
You can help
Raincoast’s in-house scientists, collaborating graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and professors make us unique among conservation groups. We work with First Nations, academic institutions, government, and other NGOs to build support and inform decisions that protect aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and the wildlife that depend on them. We conduct ethically applied, process-oriented, and hypothesis-driven research that has immediate and relevant utility for conservation deliberations and the collective body of scientific knowledge.
We investigate to understand coastal species and processes. We inform by bringing science to decision-makers and communities. We inspire action to protect wildlife and wildlife habitats.
