A joint program between the Nature Conservancy of Canada, or NCC, and the Federal Government will help save habitats at risk.
The program will see funding of 100 million dollars from the federal government, and has a goal of conserving 17% of the country's land and freshwater, and 10% of marine areas, by the end of next year.
Communications and Engagement Manager for the BC Region of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Lesley Neilson, says part of the program is having to raise a 2 to 1 match between donations and federal money.
"Every $2 that is donated unlocks $1 of this federal funding. So we're really challenged to raise even more money so we can achieve $300-million worth of conservation, which will translate into conserving about 200,000 hectares across the country."
She says to put that in perspective, 200,000 hectares is about the size of the entire CRD.
The NCC will use the funding to obtain land for conservation from private owners.
"We partner with land owners who have property that has, say, an important and beautiful stretch of forest on it, and they want to see that land conserved rather than developed, and they'll partner with us. They may donate the land to us, sometimes they sell it to us. Depending on the situation, we work it out to meet the needs of the land owner."
Neilson adds that they also work with the local community partners and funding groups to get the community involved in protecting these places.
The NCC has acquired and conserved a lot of habitats in the past, including some in our own backyard. The Matson Lands on Victoria's Inner Harbour, Kindwood forest by Thetis Lake in the Highlands, and the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve in Duncan are all projects that the Nature Conservancy of Canada had a hand in preserving.
Donations to the NCC can be made online, and people can also get involved by going up to the Garry Oak Preserve on Saturday, April 27, for the annual "In Bloom" community festival.