Where We Work

Shared Territory

Coast Salish Peoples have lived on and cared for the land now known as Galiano Island for millennia. We acknowledge that we live and work within the shared, asserted, unceded and traditional territories of the Hul’qumi’num-speaking First Nations Peoples and those who hold traditional rights, responsibilities, and Indigenous rights and title in and around what is now known as Galiano Island.

Click the image to watch a short video we helped to produce with the Access to Media Education Society that acknowledges our shared territory.

What Drives Us

Our Mission

To protect, steward and restore Galiano Island ecosystems by creating a network of natural areas where a healthy environment, learning and a love of nature flourish.

Why We’re Here

Our Purposes

  1. Protect and restore the integrity and resilience of Galiano’s terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems for the benefit of this and future generations.
  2. Own, and hold covenants on, a network of sustainably-managed protected areas.
  3. Provide nature-based learning experiences to improve ecological awareness and foster environmental leadership.
  4. Promote land and water stewardship.
  5. Research and demonstrate effective methods in ecological restoration and stewardship.
  6. Demonstrate approaches to sustainable living that reduce our ecological footprint, including mitigating and adapting to climate change.
What We Believe

Our Values

Natural Environment

We believe in ensuring that the natural environment is left in the same or better state than we found it for future generations.

Healthy Communities

We believe that a healthy community should have a diversity of land uses including protected areas.

Healthy Ecosystems

We believe that exposure to healthy ecosystems leads to healthy people and communities.

Ecosystem Resilience

We believe that a widespread stewardship ethic, combined with practical skills, is necessary to achieve ecosystem resilience.

Wilderness Therapy

We believe in the power of unplugged, quiet contemplation in nature to inspire a stewardship ethic.

Participation

We believe in learning by doing and the power of participation.

Reconciliation

We believe in seeking reconciliation and collaboration opportunities with the Indigenous Peoples of the Salish Sea.

Inclusiveness & Compassion

We believe in inclusiveness, respect, compassion and cooperation in our organization and community.

Honouring Legacies

We believe in honouring the ecological and cultural legacies of the island and the community to which we belong.

How We Got Here

Our History

Ken Millard, a key figure in the land trust movement in BC and Canada, co-founded the Galiano Conservancy Association (GCA) in 1989 with a group of like-minded islanders who were concerned about clear-cut logging and sought to preserve Galiano’s sensitive forest ecosystems, watersheds and coastline.

When he passed away unexpectedly in 2015, he had helped to create a legacy of more than 500 acres of Galiano land protected forever and a strong organization dedicated to conservation and learning. This includes the 188-acre property known today as the Millard Learning Centre – the headquarters for GCA operations, programs, and demonstration projects.

Since 2000, the GCA has provided nature-based learning programs to thousands of people of all ages. Under Ken’s leadership, the GCA fostered partnerships with government, businesses and land trusts. He mentored hundreds of volunteers and created a strong community committed to conservation, along with a committed staff dedicated to continue the work he and the other founding directors started.

Ken Millard
What We Do

Our Work

The Galiano Conservancy is actively engaged in land & wildlife conservation, ecological restoration, sustainable food production, climate action, reconciliation, and the promotion of environmental learning.

Who We Are

Our Team

The Galiano Conservancy Association is led by a dedicated volunteer Board of Directors, operated by a small group of year-round staff, and supported by a passionate team of interns and seasonal staff.

Who We Work With

Our Partners and Funders

We are grateful to the many organizations whose generous contributions enable our work.