What’s new | Raincoast Conservation Foundation

Notes from the Great Bear

Published on 2020 01 22 | by Ross Dixon, Communications & Development Director | in Notes from the Field

A tiny bird rests in the rigging of the vessel, Achiever.

Umbrella species like the grizzly bear and apex predators such as the killer whale are a focus of Raincoast’s conservation efforts precisely because they are reliant on a broader range of species and processes, and a more complex system to which they contribute to and depend on.

Connecting the invisible to the visible

Published on 2020 01 21 | by Lauren Henson, Raincoast Research Fellow | in Notes from the Field

A black bear forages in the estuary with the tide out.

As modern scientists, we frequently deal in abstraction. We are separated from the species and ecosystems we study often by hundreds of miles, bureaucratic bubbles, cloistered campuses, and the machinations of innumerable statistical analyses whirring silently away in the electric flatness…

Supporting resurgent Indigenous-led governance: A nascent mechanism for just and effective conservation

Published on 2020 01 06 | by Raincoast | in Scientific Literature

Three maps of human populations especially Indigenous communities, overlaid on a photo of mountains and waters of the Great Bear Rainforest.

A new publication discusses how conservation actions to halt biodiversity declines will increasingly be impossible to implement without Indigenous consent and leadership. It also finds that in many cases a resurgence in Indigenous governance can increase both the scale and effectiveness of biodiversity protections. In addition to the imperative of recognizing Indigenous rights, title, and […]

Raising the bar: Recovery ambition for species at risk in Canada and the US

Published on 2019 12 19 | by Raincoast | in Scientific Literature

Southern Resident kill whale, J50, swims off, with the research figures in the top right.

An estimated one million species are at risk of extinction globally. In Canada and the United states, there is legislation that is intended to protect species at risk. However, the majority of species are not recovering in either country.

When evidence informs advocacy

Published on 2019 12 17 | by Chris Darimont, Raincoast Director of Science | in Tracking Raincoast

Chris Darimont crouching in tall grass wearing a plaid button up.

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 […]

Problem humans and the ecology of bear-human conflict

Published on 2019 12 13 | by Kyle Artelle, PhD | in Inform

A black bear turns their head a little while sitting down comfortably.

Last month, in Penticton, BC a group of five black bears – three males and two younger females – had been spotted feasting on residents’ garbage. Conservation authorities were called in, and the five bears were shot dead. This came just a week after six bears were shot in over a three day period near […]

Tracking Raincoast, past, present, and future

Published on 2019 12 12 | by Chris Genovali, Executive Director | in Tracking Raincoast

Chris Genovali looks out over the water and land with binoculors.

As this decade closes, it’s timely to celebrate what we have collectively achieved for BC’s coast. Raincoast’s past in the Kitlope takes us back three decades to 1990, when Brian Falconer first visited at the invitation of the Haisla and Xenaksiala. The Nations were working to save the Kitlope from clearcut logging, which they ultimately […]

A gift to end commercial trophy hunting of coastal carnivores

Published on 2019 12 03 | by Chris Genovali, Executive Director | in For the coast

A wolf trots across the eel grass in the estuary.

#GivingTuesday is a global movement of generosity that has a huge impact on smaller charitable organizations like Raincoast. Raincoast is funded by donations from people like you and those donations allow us to continue our work of protecting the wildlife of BC’s coast, the Salish Sea, Great Bear Rainforest and beyond. 100% of your donations […]

Stories from the Magic Canoe – An Update on the Kitlope Tenure

Published on 2019 11 27 | by Alex Harris, Communications Associate | in For the coast

Bob McDonald sits on stage with Briony Penn, Brian Falconer, and

Last Thursday, Raincoast hosted a sold out event in Victoria about the legacy of the Kitlope and Xenaxiala elder, Cecil Paul. Cecil was the last person born in the Kitlope and led the efforts to protect the Kitlope from extractive industries. Although Cecil could not join us, we were privileged to be joined by three […]