Projects
Our projects have a common goal of advancing conservation outcomes through collaboration, improving conservation of priority species and spaces through western science and Indigenous Knowledge, and enhancing watershed management with a focus on biodiversity integration.
Ecological Connectivity
This project seeks to identify and conserve key wildlife movement corridors within the Thompson Watershed. Recognizing the unique strengths of both Indigenous and local Knowledge alongside Western science, this project will adopt a collaborative “walking-on-two-legs” approach. This approach will support wildlife movement, species recovery, habitat restoration, ecosystem connectivity, and long-term conservation planning in the context of climate change and human activity.
The Mission StatementWe put environment first.
What? The TNCC was started in March 2020 to explore options for greater support for, and collaboration among, groups doing conservation work in the Thompson-Nicola (T-N) region, including the possibility of a regional conservation partnership, similar to others in BC.
Who? It was initiated by the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNRORD), with start-up funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada – Canadian Wildlife Service (ECCC-CWS). In April 2021, the TNCC will be launched as a member-driven collaborative organization, independent of government.
Why? ECCC has identified 11 Priority Places for biodiversity conservation in Canada, including the BC Dry Interior. The T-N region comprises 45% of the Dry Interior and contains provincially, nationally and globally significant biodiversity values, including many species and ecosystems at risk. For example, the grassland ecosystem covers only 1% of the province but has over 30% of the species at risk.
When? In Phase 1, March 2020 to March 2021, consultants conducted background research, directed by an ad hoc Working Group, including 80 interviews with over 60 organizations. Results from the interviews show overwhelming support for the idea of a conservation partnership!
Conservation Action Plan
TNCC and conservation partners have worked together to develop a Conservation Action Plan (CAP) for the Thompson Watershed. This now acts as a framework to identify and co-invest in shared priority actions to help maintain healthy fish and wildlife populations, plants and habitats, and ecological functions in the Thompson Watershed for the next ten years.
Conservation Planning for Climate Change
Together with the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program (OCCP), TNCC worked on Conservation Planning for Climate Change in the Thompson Okanagan, a multi-year initiative to connect conservation planning, Indigenous knowledge and climate change modelling to support sustainable land use decision-making.