This vast and varied region encompasses Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, BC’s central coast, and Haida Gwaii. It runs from the edge of the sea, with deep fjords, long inlets, and ecologically rich estuaries, to the peaks, glaciers, and alpine meadows of the Coast Mountains.
The West Coast is home to animals found nowhere else, such as the Kermode (spirit) bear and Vancouver Island marmot. Haida Gwaii, sometimes known as Canada’s Galapagos, is renowned for its distinct animal species that have evolved over thousands of years in isolation.
In the rivers, lakes, and off the shores of this region, the waters host an abundance of life – salmon, herring, whales, and dolphins all rely on this land to support their aquatic habitats. Along the coast runs part of the Pacific Flyway, which millions of migratory birds travel each year from as far away as South America on their way to northern BC, Alaska, and the Arctic. Seabirds breed on the region’s rugged islands and cliffs.
At the southern end of the region, the dry rain-shadow areas of southeastern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands host Garry-oak ecosystems, among the most endangered habitats in Canada. These ecosystems offer more than an array of spring wildflowers — they are home to crucial food and medicine plants used by Indigenous people. These essential plants survive in fragmented patches, where they are threatened by invasive species. Half of all the land they once occupied has been converted to human use.
Our focus in this region has been protecting and restoring coastal lowlands such as estuaries, wetlands, and riparian areas and the highly endangered oak and coastal bluff ecosystems in the southern gulf islands. We’ve protected over 130 conservation areas here, a total of nearly 10,000 acres.
At the Bull River Grassland Corridor, we’re restoring a landscape that wildlife has relied on for generations. By opening up dense forests and bringing back the natural grassland–forest mosaic, we’re improving habitat, supporting wildlife movement, and reducing the risk of severe wildfires. This work, happening across nearly 500 protected acres, is helping bighorn sheep and other species thrive once again.
The Hoodoos spans over 10,000 acres in the East Kootenays, protecting abundant wildlife habitat including significant wetlands, grasslands, and winter range for deer, elk, and moose. This area provides habitat for at-risk species like the American badger, rubber boa, great blue heron, Lewis’s woodpecker, and white-throated swifts.
Tom has been the Program Manager for the West Coast Conservation Land Management Program since 2006. This program is an innovative partnership among nonprofits, government agencies, and First Nations focused on conservation, stewardship, and management of sensitive ecosystems along the BC coast. Tom has led this program for nearly two decades, managing more than 110 conservation areas and overseeing several large restoration projects. He has led the implementation of the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund’s Enhancing Estuary Resilience project focused on monitoring and restoring more than 20 BC estuaries in partnership with First Nations.
Tom holds a diploma in Fish, Wildlife, and Recreation from the BC Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Geography from Simon Fraser University.
Big conservation news ‼️📣 You can help NTBC purchase and protect 354 acres of critical habitat in the Kootenay River Floodplain.
Located on the traditional and unceded territories of the Ktunaxa and Secwépemc Peoples, the Kootenay River Floodplain is an ecologically rich area that features a rare, largely intact stretch of riparian ecosystems.
Why is this land so important? Read on 👇
🦌 Lower Wolf Creek is connected to other protected areas, making the land more viable, resilient, and providing corridors for species to move more freely.
🌲 It supports ecosystems that are underrepresented in exciting conservation lands.
🌾 It contains rich wetlands and riparian areas of high ecological value that shelter waterfowl and shorebird species.
🦫 It’s home to at-risk wildlife species and migratory birds, like the American badger, Lewis’s woodpecker, barn hawk, Western painted turtle, and many more.
We must raise $300,000 to protect this special habitat forever. Learn more and donate today with the link in our bio 🌱
#conservation #ntbc #bc #explorepage✨ #fundraiser
Our NTBC crews can now add beaver dam building to their résumés 🦫
At the end of September, our Thompson-Okanagan Land Management crew partnered with the @bcwildlifefederation to build 22 beaver dam analogues (BDAs) at White Lake.
Activities such as drainage, road construction, logging, and land use can disrupt natural water flow. Streams may move faster and become disconnected from their floodplains, leaving less water to support local biodiversity.
BDAs mimic natural beaver dams by slowing water flow and helping reconnect streams with their floodplains. They are also built entirely out of natural materials like trees and mud.
By storing water and reducing erosion, BDAs support resilient wetlands and help rewild BC’s waterways! 🌾🦫
#ntbc #explore #wildlife #conservation #bc
Let`s leave covering everything in webs to the spiders this Halloween 🕷
Fake spiderwebs are a hidden danger to wildlife! Many of these decorations are made of plastic, which doesn’t break down and can trap small animals like birds, bats, squirrels, and even insects. Once tangled, they often can’t escape, leading to injury or death.
You can still have a spooktacular Halloween while protecting nature! 🎃🌿
Eco-friendly alternatives:
🕸️ A projector that projects spiderweb designs onto your home
🕸️ Natural fibre webs (like jute or cotton)
🕸️ DIY creations from recycled materials
🕸️ Cutting paper into spiderweb designs for your windows
Happy October, BC!
📸 Spider photos taken by Dominique Bowden
#NTBC #Halloween #ecofriendly #plasticpollution #naturelovers
Bring on the birds! 🪶🦉
The fall migration has arrived in BC, and NTBC crew members are sharing their expert birding tips and tricks, as well as some locations that give you your best chance to view some of BC’s migrating visitors.
Where will you go birding this season? Grab your binoculars and check out the best spots for birding this fall!
Read the full guide to get prepared! Link in bio 🌱
#NTBC #birding #birds #conservation #BC
🧡 September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day. Today, we stand in solidarity to honour Survivors of Canada’s residential school system, the children who were lost, and the families and communities that continue to feel the immense and intergenerational impact of the residential schools.
At NTBC, we’re committed to practicing reconciliation in everything we do. Reconciliation is a lifelong journey, and we’re dedicated to walking it alongside Indigenous partners. Indigenous peoples have cared for these lands since time beyond memory, and we’re privileged to collaborate with First Nations to protect and restore the lands and waters of BC.
We’re deeply thankful for the wisdom and guidance of Indigenous leaders, organizations, guardians, and communities as we work together to steward these diverse lands and waters. Strong relationships with our First Nations partners and a deeper connection to the land are essential to safeguarding ecosystems for wildlife and people alike.
If you’d like to contribute to initiatives like community-building, education, resilience, and cultural preservation, please consider supporting these incredible organizations:
Orange Shirt Society (@orangeshirtsociety)
Victoria Native Friendship Centre (@victorianativefriendshipcentre)
Residential School Survivors Society (@irsssbc)
Kamloops Aboriginal Friendship Society (@kamloopsfriendshipcentre)
Prince George Native Friendship Centre (@pgnativefc)
We love meeting our animal coworkers during field season 🐟🐻
BC is home to more than 50,000 species, many of which depend on at-risk, ecologically critical ecosystems. Guided by science, NTBC field crews steward and restore these lands so they can recover and thrive.
What memorable animals have you encountered this summer?
#ntbc #explore #wildlife #conservation #reel
🌾🐟Happy World Rivers Day!🐟🌾
This World Rivers Day, let’s celebrate the rivers that sustain us and commit to keeping them clean, free, and flowing for generations to come.
Check out how NTBC is restoring vital river and estuary ecosystems - Link in bio 🌱
📸: Photos by Graham Osborne and NTBC land management crews
#WorldRiversDay #RiverConservation #WaterIsLife #NatureConnects #Sustainability
Giving some love to the nonanadromous salmon - the Kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka)!
Our NTBC Kootenay land management team got the amazing chance to see some of the Kokanee running in the Columbia River last week - with really great numbers!
ℹ️ Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC - https://www.gofishbc.com/learn/stocked-strains/kokanee/
📸 Jonathan Moore (Slide 3) & NTBC land management crews
#NTBC #salmonrun #salmon #explore #conservation @pacificsalmonfoundation @fisheriesoceanscan
We gratefully acknowledge that our Vancouver office is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, who have been stewarding this land since time immemorial. Our work and conservation areas encompass many lands throughout the province, and we humbly acknowledge the First Nations communities who live on and steward these lands.
Stay connected to the landscapes you help protect. Receive updates from the field, stories of conservation in action, and opportunities to support and experience BC’s natural places.
