July 7, 2022 - Islands Trust Conservancy gives $6,000 funding boost to support overwhelming interest in nature stewardship on Gabriola Island

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Protecting Islands in the Salish Sea  
 
 
 
 
News Release  
200-1627 Fort Street, Victoria, B.C., V8R 1H8 
Telephone: 250-405-5186;  
itcmail@islandstrust.bc.ca     islandstrust.bc.ca/conservancy 
July 7th, 2022   
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
 
Islands Trust Conservancy gives $6,000 funding boost to support overwhelming interest in nature stewardship on 
Gabriola Island 
 
Lək
̓
 ʷəŋən, METULIYE/Victoria, B.C.   Gabriola Land and Trails Trust (GaLTT) has received a $6,000 Opportunity Fund 
grant from Islands Trust Conservancy to help them meet an overwhelming demand from islanders wishing to take 
action to care for nature on Gabriola Island. 
 
The Opportunity Fund grant will support GaLTT’s booming Nature Stewards Program. Since launching the program in 
2021 GaLTT has received a hugely positive response from Gabriola residents. Almost 100 acres have been conserved by 
dozens of private landholders through voluntary pledges to keep the trees and protect habitat on at least 30 percent of 
their properties. "Home of a Wildlife Friendly Garden" signs and signs about habitat conservation are popping up 
around the island.  With the ongoing support of the Islands Trust Conservancy and partners, GaLTT hopes to secure 
350 acres of habitat pledges by the end of 2023. 
 
“Supporting voluntary actions and programs like Nature Stewards on the islands is critical to the success of 
conservation in the Salish Sea,” says Kate-Louise Stamford, Chair of the Islands Trust Conservancy Board. “We are 
happy to be able to support the Gabriola Land and Trails Trust and hope this support contributes to their continued 
success on Gabriola.” 
 
“Many landholders are already champions of nature conservation on their land, from larger acreages to less than half-
acre parcels,” says Ken Gurr of GaLTT. “We want to acknowledge everyone for their efforts, and ask all islanders to 
conserve as much of their properties in a nature friendly state as possible. We all know this decade is pivotal for so 
many global issues, and our local efforts will feed into the huge international movement to protect 30 percent of the 
planet by 2030.” 
 
Residents and property holders on Gabriola who are interested in learning more about this program are encouraged to 
visit www.galtt-naturestewards.com or fill out the contact form for a site visit at www.galtt-naturestewards.com/join-
us.html  
 
About the Islands Trust Conservancy Opportunity Fund Grant 
 
The purpose of Islands Trust Conservancy’s Opportunity Fund is to support timely opportunities to protect biodiversity 
in the Islands Trust Area. The Opportunity Fund provides support for ‘hard to fundraise’ costs associated with land 
protection. It can also be used to leverage increased donations to land acquisition projects. Since 2005 more than 200 
donors have contributed $200,000+ to the Opportunity Fund, enabling Islands Trust Conservancy to distribute 28 
grants that have helped protect more than 530 hectares of land across the 

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