The BC Conservation & Biodiversity Awards celebrate the 2025 Award recipients and their important conservation-based initiatives in British Columbia

Press Release

VANCOUVER, BC, May 26, 2025 – This year, a total of $300,000 was granted to twelve Award recipients. These recipients, all based in BC, are recognized for their exceptional efforts to enhance BC’s natural environment and safeguard its wilderness and biodiversity.

The 2025 Award recipients are:

• Birds Canada to drive action to increase the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of birds in Canada
• BC Conservation Foundation to implement voluntary stream flow monitoring on Vancouver Island
• FBCN (BC Nature) to further the BC Bee Atlas, documenting the diversity, distribution and floral partners of BC’s native bees
• Fraser River Sturgeon Society to remove Ghost Gear (i.e. nets) in the Lower Fraser to improve habitat, rebuild traditional Indigenous fishing territories and prevent mortality of White Sturgeon and other threatened species
• Habitat Acquisition Trust to connect community with sensitive ecosystems in the Victoria area through conservation, collaboration, stewardship, and education
• Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship Society to steward and enhance the natural areas within the Okanagan-K’nmalka Wildlife Corridor
• Raincoast Conservation Foundation to monitor the effectiveness of Killer Whale sanctuary zones in the South Gulf Islands
• Raincoast Conservation Foundation to support the Tsleil-Waututh and Katzie First Nations in developing long-term monitoring/research frameworks for ecologically/culturally important wildlife species within their respective territories
• Raincoast Conservation Foundation to support the Salish Sea Emerging Stewards youth environmental education program which is offered to Indigenous, racialized and underserved youth ages 14-25
• Rivershed Society of BC to connect, protect and restore the Fraser’s 34 riversheds
• Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary Society to advance the Garry Oak Meadow Project
• Watershed Watch Salmon Society to defend and rebuild B.C.’s wild salmon and their habitat through engagement, collaboration, science, advocacy and on-the-ground restoration

The BCCB Awards fill a notable gap in environmental funding. Since its inception in 2021, the Awards have disbursed over 50 grants—totalling $1,000,000—to organizations whose contributions have led to tangible improvements in BC’s natural environment.

Award Applications and Reporting

As the BC Conservation & Biodiversity Awards continue to grow in profile and impact, Canada Gives—which administers the Awards through its donor-advised fund structure—has led a digital transformation to support that momentum. In 2024, a new online application form replaced the previous PDF-based system, dramatically reducing administrative burden while improving the applicant experience. This intuitive format, powered by Typeform, ensures that submissions are concise, complete, and easy to review. Based in Spain, Typeform powers millions of forms each month for some of the world’s largest organizations.Each year, it hosts a global forum to highlight innovation across its platform. In an exciting milestone, Canada Gives was recognized globally with Typeform’s 2024 Changemaker of the Year award. This award celebrates outstanding use of digital tools to drive meaningful social impact. Canada Gives earned the honour for its innovative approach to streamlining the BCCB Awards application process—a change inspired by the Awards’ drive for a more user-friendly and responsive system.

In 2025, a matching online Reporting Form has been introduced for Award recipients. This new tool ensures consistency in reporting and supports long-term data collection as the Awards scale. These improvements mark a significant step forward in operational efficiency, preparing the Awards to accommodate a growing number of applicants and donors.

Applications for the 2026 Awards are now being accepted through to December 31, 2025. Open to conservation-based BC charities, applications can be submitted via the BCCBA website. Our Selection Committee, a panel of experts from leading academic institutions and environmental organizations, will choose the 2026 Award winners. Recipients will be announced on March 1, 2026.

Donate to the BCCB Awards

The BCCB Awards are making meaningful strides in conservation, proving that grassroots initiatives can drive measurable progress. To support conservation efforts in BC, individuals can visit the BCCB Awards website and make a direct impact by contributing to the BCCB Awards endowment.

The BCCB Awards Foundation is a donor-advised fund at Canada Gives, a registered charity and public foundation (Reg # 83306 2144 RR0001). Canada Gives manages the administration and reporting for the BCCB Awards Foundation and issues all grants (awards) once the selection committee has reviewed the applications and provided their recommendations. To donate and to support conservation efforts in BC, visit the BCCB Awards website.

For more information, please contact: Delaney Morris, Manager, IT & Communications, Canada Gives, Phone: 705-230-3461, Email: dmorris@canadagives.ca

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