$200,000 in Scholarships for Wildlife Conservation and Stewardship Research

VICTORIA, BC –(COMMUNITYWIRE)– The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF), in partnership with the First Nations-B.C. Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Forum and the British Columbia government, announces this year’s Together for Wildlife Scholarship recipients.

The 10 scholarship recipients are master’s degree and PhD candidates conducting applied research that will make positive impacts in the areas of stewardship, management, policy, or decision-making related to wildlife and wildlife habitats in B.C.:

Landon Birch – Master’s, University of British Columbia – Okanagan

Mitchell Brunet – Doctorate, University of British Columbia – Okanagan

Tristen Brush – Master’s, University of British Columbia

Alexia Constantinou – Doctorate, University of Victoria

Westin Creyke – Master’s, University of Northern British Columbia

Siobhan Darlington – Doctorate, University of British Columbia – Okanagan

Isabel Deutsch – Master’s, University of Victoria

Paige Monteiro – Master’s, Simon Fraser University

Larisa Murdoch – Master’s, Thompson Rivers University

Megan Roxby – Master’s, Simon Fraser University

The Together for Wildlife (T4W) strategy was initiated by the B.C. government in 2020 to improve wildlife and habitat stewardship throughout the province. The T4W Scholarship Program, administered by HCTF and now in its second year, supports the strategy’s goals by improving support for scientific research, building stronger partnerships within research communities, and sharing the results of that research with British Columbians. The scholarships also aim to support reconciliation and collaboration with First Nations, encourage a diversity of perspectives on wildlife stewardship, and build capacity among Indigenous communities and rural areas of B.C. to undertake wildlife stewardship work.

“We are proud to welcome these 10 students into the community of conservation through the Together for Wildlife Scholarship Program,” said Dan Buffett, CEO of HCTF. “It is exciting to see the diversity of projects, such as research on birds, ungulates, and carnivores, to better understand the relationships within our environment, along with using technologies to improve wildlife and habitat management. As future conservation leaders in B.C., we look forward to their work with communities and contributing their knowledge to wildlife stewardship.”

“Research on wildlife is crucial for expanding our knowledge of biodiversity, habitat stewardship, and the interrelated ecosystems that allow British Columbia’s unique and diverse species to thrive,” said Nathan Cullen, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. “The Together for Wildlife strategy, the Tripartite Framework Agreement on Nature Conservation, and the draft Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework support science-based stewardship that will allow future generations to enjoy and appreciate this province’s amazing range of wildlife.”

More information about the Together for Wildlife Scholarship Program:
https://hctf.ca/scholarship-program/ > Together for Wildlife Scholarships

More information about the Together for Wildlife strategy:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/plants-animals-ecosystems/wildlife/together-for-wildlife

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/plants-animals-and-ecosystems/wildlife-wildlife-habitat/together-for-wildlife/home-page/t4w_goals_and_actions.pdf

Contact

Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation
Shawn Thomson, Education and Outreach Officer
250.940.3012 | 1.800.387.9853 x 212
shawn.thomson@hctf.ca

About the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation
The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving the natural diversity of British Columbia’s wildlife habitats. HCTF works in partnership with governments, non-government organizations, and the public to ensure a sustainable future for B.C.’s wildlife and their habitats through funding conservation projects, as well as providing educational opportunities on B.C.’s freshwater fish, wildlife, and their habitats. Since 1981, HCTF has provided over $232 million in grants for over 3,800 conservation projects throughout B.C.

About Together for Wildlife
Together for Wildlife is a provincial strategy initiated by the British Columbia government in 2020 to improve wildlife and habitat stewardship throughout the province. The strategy incorporates project funding, the setting of proactive objectives, and improved data and knowledge to achieve the strategy’s vision: “Wildlife and their habitats thrive, are resilient, and support and enrich the lives of all British Columbians.”

About the First Nations-B.C. Wildlife Habitat Conservation Forum
The First Nations-B.C. Wildlife Habitat Conservation Forum provides advice and recommendations to the B.C. government to fulfill Goal 5 of the Together for Wildlife strategy: “Collaborative wildlife stewardship advances reconciliation with Indigenous governments.” The forum facilitates this goal through an ethical space process, where Indigenous and non-Indigenous governments collaboratively develop protocols framed by pre-existing treaties, other agreements, and inherent Indigenous rights.