NCC works to provide plants and animals the room they need to
Transcription
NCC works to provide plants and animals the room they need to
Like so many of the trees that grow in forests we have helped to protect, the roots of the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) are deep, and our reach is wide. We too grew from a simple seed. That seed was planted in 1962 by a small group of visionaries who recognized the need to protect land that was rapidly being lost to development. At that time, the science of ecology was still emerging, but the lessons of this new science became the foundation of NCC’s work. Since then, the young science has matured, and we have grown with it. NCC works to provide plants and animals the room they need to survive and thrive. We have published more than a dozen Conservation Blueprints that map the places in southern Canada where the diversity of nature is the greatest, where the threats are most immediate and where we are able to achieve tangible results. Simply setting aside land isn’t enough to protect the natural places we love. They may yet vanish if we fail to address threats to our land and water. It is our responsibility to give nature a helping hand, by maintaining the natural values for which the land has been protected. But we cannot do it alone. Our partners include communities, landowners, foundations, corporations and individuals. Partnership is at the heart of every success NCC has achieved and together our efforts have a powerful impact. Despite having protected more than 2.8 million acres (1.1 million hectares) to date, the rate of development still outpaces the rate of conservation. The need to act has never been more urgent, and our challenge has never been greater. Canada's natural areas are part of our national identity and their conservation is a real and lasting expression of our commitment to ensuring a legacy our children and grandchildren will inherit. Sincerely, John Lounds President & CEO Nature Conservancy of Canada The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is Canada’s leading national land conservation organization, working to protect our valuable natural areas and the plants and animals they sustain. We are a private, non-profit group that partners with individuals, corporations, foundations, communities and governments to achieve the direct protection of our most important natural treasures through property securement and long-term stewardship of our portfolio of lands. Since 1962, NCC and its partners have helped to protect more than 2.8 million acres (1.1 million hectares), coast to coast. By investing in conservation we are ensuring our natural spaces remain a home for wildlife, a haven for recreation and a vital resource that filters the air we breathe and the water we drink. Our mission gives us hope that the landscapes we love today will be here for others to enjoy tomorrow. The Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) vision is to protect areas of biological diversity for their intrinsic value and for the benefit of future generations. We work with individual landowners, community stakeholders, other conservation organizations and partners to secure ecologically significant areas through purchase, land donations and conservation easements. NCC conservation projects span every region in Canada, from globally important wetlands on the Atlantic coast and centuries-old forests in central Canada, to endangered prairies and prime mountain wildlife habitats in the west. Our Mission In order to protect Canada’s most ecologically significant natural habitats, NCC will lead, innovate and use creativity in the conservation of Canada’s natural heritage. Our Scope Regional and National: With more than 30 regional and community offices across Canada, NCC is highly effective at developing local partnerships, raising funds and implementing long-term conservation projects within the context of overall national direction. Leading by example: more than 100 volunteers (respected scientists, community leaders, business executives and other professionals) from coast to coast serve on NCC's boards and committees to assist with setting priorities and raising funds. Our Work NCC commits to the long-term care of natural areas under its care by ensuring a high standard of conservation stewardship. 1. Identifying priorities: NCC has developed scientific methods and expertise to ensure the long-term survival of Canada’s plants, animals and ecosystems. 2. Acquiring land: NCC works with private landowners to secure ecologically significant land that our conservation staff has identified as priorities for the conservation of Canada’s biodiversity. 3. Caring for the future: Making sure that secured properties are well managed and their values are protected is equally important to NCC. Our Progress We have helped to conserve more than 2.8 million acres (1.1 million hectares) of ecologically significant habitat across Canada since 1962. In 2013, NCC ended our five-year Force for Nature campaign, which proved to be our largest and most successful campaign ever. It raised more than $500 million and protected more than 752,000 acres (304,000 hectares) of at-risk natural habitat across Canada, home to more than 145 species at risk. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has been achieving results you can walk on for more than 50 years, having helped secure more than 2.8 million acres (1.1 million hectares) of ecologically significant habitat across the country. NCC works where the need is the greatest – in southern Canada, where most of our population lives, sharing habitat with more than 85 percent of our terrestrial and freshwater species at risk. Our stewardship and science endowments now stand at $96.6 million, up from $83 million the previous year. It is vital that we ensure that we have sufficient resources to guarantee the conservation values of our lands are protected in perpetuity. In our most recent fiscal year, 2,650 volunteers made a commitment to nature through NCC’s Conservation Volunteers program, contributing to more than 253 conservation projects. For the sixth year in a row, MoneySense magazine ranked us as Canada’s top environmental charity for our fiscal responsibility, giving us a grade of A. Where Your Donations Go: 5-YEAR AVERAGE Land & Programs (81%) Philanthropy & Marketing (7%) Communications, Education & Awareness (2%) Administration (10%) 715 Number of species declared at risk in Canada by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) 201 Number of species at risk for which NCC has protected habitat. 23 Number of extirpated species (no longer found in the wild) in Canada (Source: COSEWIC) 15 Number of extinct species (no longer found) in Canada (Source: COSEWIC) 25 Percentage of the world’s wetlands found in Canada (Source: Environment Canada) 7 Percentage of the world’s renewable freshwater resources found in Canada (Source: Environment Canada) 9 Percentage of the world’s forests found in Canada (Source: Natural Resources Canada) Land Securement Summary 2014-2015 Province Total Number of Properties Acres Land Value British Columbia 5 1,849 $5,172,000 Alberta 2 4,685 $9,924,000 Saskatchewan 4 3,186 $1,645,469 Manitoba 6 3,841 $2,062,000 Ontario 18 4,800 $7,752,059 Quebec 12 1,766 $2,991,900 New Brunswick 11 216 $469,600 Prince Edward Island 4 195 $700,000 Nova Scotia 6 406 $801,085 Newfoundland & Labrador 1 158 $560,000 Total 79 21,102 $32,078,113 An investment in the work of NCC is an investment in Canada’s natural beauty and in future generations. You can support NCC’s work in a variety of ways: OUTRIGHT GIFTS Cash Publicly traded securities and mutual funds PLANNED GIFTS Bequests Named Endowment Fund Life Insurance Charitable Gift Annuity Gift of RRSP and RRIF Charitable Remainder Trust GIFTS OF LAND Owners of ecologically significant properties in NCC’s Priority Natural Areas can make an outright gift of their land and ensure its protection. CONSERVATION AGREEMENTS This is a legal contract that entrusts NCC with the permanent protection of the environmental integrity of the land, while enabling you to keep it in the family, sell it to a conservation buyer or donate it whenever you choose. ECOLOGICAL GIFTS PROGRAM Gifts of land and conservation agreements made under the Ecological Gifts Program receive tax treatment superior to most other charitable gifts. CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS Be part of our conservation team! Join the Nature Conservancy of Canada for a meaningful, handson day outside with Conservation Volunteers. Come explore unique habitat, see rare species and learn about nature from the experts. Conservation Volunteers events connect Canadians of all ages to nature, and get you involved the protection of our country’s species and natural areas. Visit www.natureconservancy.ca for more information. “I feel fortunate that my desire to preserve the integrity of my family’s property has been fulfilled. Generations of Chisholms have spent part of their childhood on this farm and working with NCC has allowed us to keep it intact when so much of the landscape around us is changing.” - Nancy Chisholm & Bill Roff Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Atlantic Region “Sometimes when your family decides not to stay on the farm, you think more seriously about what’s actually going to happen to this land. We liked NCC’s approach to conservation and they were by far the most logical candidate to donate our easements to.” - Gary and Michele Howland Donors of the Wascana Creek Conservation Easement, Saskatchewan Region “Although we both have long had an appreciation for the outdoors, watching our children discover their own love of nature brought to bear on us the importance of contributing to the permanent conservation of special places.” - Amy & Patrick Bowman, NCC supporters in the Manitoba Region “It’s important to pay attention to the little things. They’re the base of a lot of ecosystems. We are all here for different reasons, but it comes down to the same purpose. It’s really neat to know you’re having an effect on your own community.” - Amanda Dietrich, Conservation Volunteer, Ontario Region The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is governed by a National Board with support from seven Regional Boards. In total, more than 100 representatives of the scientific and business communities across the country are involved in ensuring the effective governance and management of NCC. Bill Caulfeild-Browne - Chair Tobermory, Ontario Bruce MacLellan Toronto, Ontario Harold (Hal) Kvisle - Past Chair Calgary, Alberta Eliza L. Mitchell Tatlayoko Lake, British Columbia Nathalie Pratte - Past Chair Montreal, Quebec Kenneth Mould Winnipeg, Manitoba James Bowland Toronto, Ontario Robert Rabinovitch Montreal, Quebec Ted Ecclestone Oakville, Ontario Robert Redgate West Kelowna, British Columbia Donald Floyd Lower Queensway, New Brunswick Ann Rooney Calgary, Alberta Mike Going Calgary, Alberta Fraser Stark Toronto, Ontario Stephen Lloyd Montreal, Quebec Cameron Taylor Regina, Saskatchewan Charitable Registration No: 11924 6544 RR0001