Galiano Conservancy Association

Conserving Biological Diversity Through Community-based Ecological Restoration The GCA was founded in 1989 as one of BC’s first community based conservation land trusts with a focus on land protection, on forest restoration and on building sustainable relationship between the islands human and natural environment. The centerpiece of the project is the restoration of a 62 hectare Douglas Fir plantation. Landscape level mapping and planning has identified the plantation as critical to the health of one of the largest and most intact mature forest ecosystem on the island. Ecological restoration will improve the capacity of the target site to support diversity. Over the past 4 years the Ecologically Conscious Neighbours program has resulted in stewardship agreements for 27 properties totaling approximately 110 hectares in size. The agreements promote a property management approach that considers ecological health and wildlife habitat at the root of every decision. With the program now established on the Island, the Conservancy intends to work with existing participants and will recruit new landowners into the program. It is intended to expand the program into neighbouring Mayne Island through a new partnership with their local Conservancy society. The project aims to provide holistic, long-term benefit to the local environment through habitat protection, ecological restoration and the development of respectful relationships between humans and the land.