The South Coast of British Columbia is a region of exceptional diversity — in its population, landscapes, and challenges — making it an important area for coordinated conservation efforts.
To effectively conserve biodiversity across the South Coast, the South Coast Conservation Program is a regional conservation partnership that operates as a hub for coordination and communication. A coordinated approach helps to prioritize, facilitate, and support actions that promote healthy ecosystems and species populations. For more information, view the SCCP's current Strategic Plan.
The SCCP was initiated by government and non-government agencies and organizations involved in conservation and species and ecosystems at risk recovery. Our efforts encompass BC’s Provincial South Coast Natural Resource Region, which includes the Chilliwack, Sea to Sky, and Sunshine Coast Natural Resource Districts.
Land-use decision makers, such as landowners, developers, qualified environmental professionals (QEPs), municipal and government agency staff, First Nations, environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs), conservation organizations, land trusts, and post-secondary institutions, are those that benefit from and contribute to the work of the SCCP.
Our Vision: The SCCP envisions healthy and resilient ecosystems supporting viable populations of species sustainably coexisting with humans across the South Coast Region of BC.
Our Mission: The SCCP’s Mission is to reverse the decline of species and ecosystems on BC’s South Coast by facilitating and coordinating conservation actions through connections and collaborations with conservation partners.
Team
Tamsin Baker, SCCP Coordinator
Tamsin Baker, MSc, is a nature stewardship specialist with over 25 years of land conservation experience on the South Coast. Her role with the SCCP was as co-Chair until she became an environmental consultant in 2012 to implement the SCCP's stewardship projects, and then to fill the role of Coordinator. Over the years, her work has involved stewardship and outreach program coordination, land conservation, species at risk recovery, and partnership building activities. As a long-time Lower Mainland resident, she can usually be found enjoying one of the many parks in the region on the weekends.
Olga Grunlund, Plants at Risk Program
Olga Grunlund has been in the environmental consulting field since graduating from the University of British Columbia with a bachelor’s degree with emphasis on Environment and Sustainability, in 2013. Her extensive background spans monitoring and surveying both aquatic and terrestrial wildlife and habitats, with a particular focus on species at risk. At present, Olga is implementing the Plants at Risk Program, concentrating on phantom orchid research and stewardship initiatives, as well as the preservation of Coastal Sand Ecosystems on the Sunshine Coast.
Partners
Governance is provided by a Steering Committee who offer skilled direction and guidance.
SCCP Steering Committee members:
Katie Calon, Administration, BC Conservation Foundation
Rachel Drennan, Fraser Valley Watersheds Coalition
Greg Ferguson, BC Nature
Olga Grunlund, Independent Environmental Consultant
Alana Higginson, BC Wildlife Federation
Briar Hunter, BC Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship
Rob Knight, Community Mapping Network
Todd Kohler, Department of National Defence
Kathy Ma Green, Fraser Valley Invasive Species Society
Aimee Mitchell, Coastal Partners in Conservation
Tasha Murray, Invasive Species Council of Metro Vancouver
Joanne Neilson, Fraser Valley Conservancy
Dr. John Richardson, University of British Columbia
Paul Simonin, A Rocha Canada
Andrea Tanaka, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Melissa Todd, BC Ministry of Forests
Kym Welstead, BC Parks
Funders
Thank you to our funders for their vital support.
