Officials at the Islands Trust Conservancy (ITC) have more than just the organization’s 35th anniversary to celebrate, after an announcement of a $1.15-million anonymous donation was released Tuesday evening, June 17.
The funding was provided through the ShorePeakGEN Fund, held at the Vancouver Foundation, according to ITC board chair Lisa Gauvreau, who said the conservancy was honoured to receive such generous support for its work on the islands.
“We cannot thank this donor enough for this remarkable anniversary gift,” said Gauvreau, “that supports continued protection of the most ecologically and culturally significant places in the Salish Sea region.”
The donor has allocated $1 million to ITC’s Opportunity Fund, according to the conservancy, meant to support hard-to-fundraise costs associated with land protection projects, or to provide matching funds to incentivize increased donations to land acquisition projects.
Since 2004, 35 Opportunity Fund grants have contributed to the protection of $69 million worth of ecologically and culturally important lands.
In addition, the donor allocated $157,300 to ITC’s Property Management Fund, which provides funding for the ongoing management of lands held by the conservancy. Officials said ITC is committed to caring for all donated lands through stewardship that includes activities such as removal of invasive species, restoration of ecosystems, and — for some properties — maintenance of low-impact trails.
Gauvreau said ITC is looking forward to continuing work with local conservancies, First Nations and other partners to protect special island places — and anyone inspired to give back to the islands they love is encouraged to visit the ITC’s website at islandstrust.bc.ca/conservancy to learn about donation opportunities.