I recently began work with The Land Conservancy of BC as a community outreach officer. The Land conservancy or “TLC” was established in 1997 and since its beginning days, over 120,000 acres have been placed under one form of protection or another either through direct purchase, a conservation covenant where an agreement is legally set between two or more parties to conserve an area of land and finally through land bequests or donation. The major focus of the member based conservancy revolves around ecological, historical, recreational, and agricultural land preservation. The depth of lands TLC finds important has allowed the conservation of numerous “Special Places” and the unique ability to tackle difficult projects, most recently saving Madrona Farm just outside Victoria. This effort will keep this 27 acre innovative model for sustainable agriculture around for many years to come while providing educational programs and training for apprentices. This is one such example of the efforts of TLC.
Our current efforts beyond three ecologically valued land acquisitions are centered around creating a larger member base from our estimated 8,000 members to over 25,000. The effort is doable but requires the help of many individuals working day in and day out alongside with volunteers. Why do this? TLC, a registered charity and like so many other charities is largely dependent on federal funding, grants, and large personal donations. By creating a larger member base, TLC gains financial independence allowing the charity to act on more projects and mobilize conservation efforts quickly when presented with sudden unsustainable land developments. It also allows for the representation of a greater percentage of the interested population, thereby giving TLC a stronger voice and outreach capability.
This effort will most certainly present itself as an interesting challenge, but if we believe in sustainability solutions as the only way forward for our generation and future generations, I find myself excited to join the team and welcome the challenge.
