conservation science | Raincoast Conservation Foundation

Join us for a webinar on conservation in action

Published on 2021 04 06 | by Maureen Vo, Education and Development Coordinator | in Events

Young woman wearing a mask looking out at the ocean while standing on a sail boat.

Join us Wednesday April 7 at 1pm Pacific for Coastal Insights as we look at key conservation issues facing wildlife and their habitat along BC’s coast. The lesson will also discuss how we can take action to protect and sustain the Salish Sea.

Carbon stewardship workshop focusing on Gulf Islands forests and coasts

Published on 2021 03 04 | by Shauna Doll & Briony Penn | in Events

Three women standing 6 feet apart talking to each other in a Coastal Douglas-fir forest

Later this month, Raincoast, along with partners, will be hosting a workshop exploring the feasibility of implementing carbon stewardship projects on the Gulf Islands and across the Coastal Douglas-fir (CDF) zone in the Salish Sea. This workshop aims to establish a civic and Indigenous community of learners. Our goal is to collaboratively develop a nature-based climate project financed from conservation, restoration and improved ecosystem management.

Year two of grizzly bear behaviour monitoring in the Atnarko Corridor, Nuxalk Territory

Published on 2020 10 19 | by Kate Field | in Notes from the Field

Patience, attention to detail, and the ability to adapt are a few human qualities that many strive to attain. Grizzly bear field research here on the Atnarko River, Nuxalk Territory, affords our crew the opportunity to develop those traits and put them to the test…

Nature conservation should be central to Canada’s recovery from COVID-19

Published on 2020 08 06 | by Raincoast | in Backgrounders

Cover of the open letter to the PMO standing beside a large elk.

The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, PC, MPPrime Minister of CanadaOffice of the Prime Minister and Privy Council Parliament BuildingsOttawa, Ontario K1A 1A6 July 10, 2020 Dear Prime Minister Trudeau: As organizations with a strong commitment to defending nature in Canada, we want to acknowledge the efforts that the Government of Canada has made to protect […]

In memory of Dr. Michael Soulé

Published on 2020 07 02 | by Raincoast | in Raincoast updates

Paul Paquet and Michael Soule out on the land.

Michael Soulé’s work has been central to the growth of conservation science. He has been called the grandfather of conservation biology. Soulé has been an important source of knowledge, counsel, and insight to many of the scientists at Raincoast Conservation Foundation. May 28, 1936 – June 17, 2020 Thoughtful counsel and generosity My last conversations […]

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 finds that in many cases a resurgence in Indigenous governance can increase both the scale and effectiveness of biodiversity protections…

Finding communities in salmon conservation

Published on 2019 10 07 | by Kristen Walters, Lower Fraser River Salmon Conservation Program Coordinator | in Conservation update

A salmon splashes in a shallow stream, surrounding by the vibrant colours of autumn.

As I crouch on the riverbank taking measurements of the salmon carcass, the ever-telling sensation of being watched creeps up my neck. I look up to see a mother black bear and her two cubs across the river, staring right at me. Our eyes meet, and time slows. In this moment of connected eyes and […]

Research: Differentiating between regulation and hunting as conservation interventions

Published on 2019 02 11 | by Raincoast | in Scientific Literature

A giant pile of bison bones loom over a person standing beside it.

Wildlife conservation literature and public discourse, too often gloss over the important difference between hunting and the regulation of hunting. This is so common that there is a persistent, misinformed idea that extinctions have been avoided through the act of hunting. Historically, the regulation of hunting, not hunting itself, has averted extinction…

B.C.’s approach to wildlife management needs major ethical reform

Published on 2018 08 31 | by Kyle Artelle, Paul Paquet, Faisal Moola, Chris Genovali, & Chris Darimont | in For the coast

A bighorn sheep close up on face and eye.

British Columbia has begun an ambitious effort to review the province’s approach to managing wildlife, with $14 million committed so far. The Province’s interest in reform is encouraging. As explained in a letter we recently published in the journal Science…

Confronting the elephant (head) in the room – researchers challenge the conservation community on the ethics of trophy hunting

Published on 2018 05 16 | by Chris Darimont, Raincoast Director of Science | in Inform

A grizzly bear meanders in the Great Bear rainforest.

Writing in the scientific journal, Conservation Letters, an international team of conservation scientists is challenging the conservation community to fully consider the ethics of trophy hunting and think critically about endorsing the practice as a key funding mechanism for wildlife protection. Read our new paper, “The elephant (head) in the room: A critical look at trophy […]

Conservation Letters: The elephant (head) in the room: A critical look at trophy hunting

Published on | by Raincoast | in Scientific Literature

A lion head is attached as a trophy to a post overlooking a large expanse of desert, and several University logos on the right hand side.

Writing in the scientific journal, Conservation Letters, an international team of conservation scientists argue that trophy hunting – hunting that involves the collection of animal body parts, or “trophies,” – is morally wrong. Led by Chelsea Batavia from the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society at Oregon State University, the authors identify trophy hunting as […]

On the hunt for science in ‘science-based’ hunts

Published on 2018 05 14 | by Kyle Artelle, PhD | in Inform

A bear stands in the distant grass and fog to get a better look or maybe smell.

For years, British Columbia’s wildlife management practices, especially its wolf cull and grizzly bear hunt, have been controversial. In 2015, then-Premier Christy Clark defended the province’s wildlife policies, stating they were grounded in sound science. That, at least, was the claim. And not one unique to British Columbia. In fact, hunting in Canada and the […]