OnwardUP & 1% for the Planet Donations
OnwardUP takes immense pride in our commitment to being part of 1% for the Planet. Since 2011, we have steadfastly committed to contributing 1% of our annual revenue to non-profit organizations that are making a significant impact in our communities. As part of an ongoing series highlighting the environmental NGOs we support, we have already donated to fifteen organizations through the 1% for the Planet program. Looking ahead with enthusiasm, we plan to sustain these vital contributions each year.
Founded in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard and Craig Mathews, 1% for the Planet was established to raise funds for environmental organizations and address crucial environmental issues. Since its foundation, the organization has successfully certified more than $250 million in support to approved environmental non-profits. Presently, it boasts a membership of over 3,000 dedicated individuals fervently working to safeguard our planet.
This year, OnwardUP has proudly donated to the Raincoast Conservation Foundation. We are particularly excited about the opportunity to support a foundation that is local to our BC team and has profound impacts on protecting the area where we live and play.
If you are interested in learning more about 1% for the Planet, please visit their website.
Raincoast Conservation Foundation
“Raincoast is a team of scientists and conservationists empowered by our research to safeguard the land, waters, and wildlife of coastal British Columbia. We investigate to understand coastal species and processes. We inform by bringing science to decision-makers and communities. We inspire action to protect wildlife and wildlife habitats.”
Raincoast Conservation Foundation is a science-based registered charity that applies a unique model of informed advocacy to protect the lands, waters, and wildlife of coastal British Columbia. Led by a team of conservationists and scientists, their work is rooted in rigorous, peer-reviewed research and science, and informed by community engagement. They operate a research lab at the University of Victoria and run a 68-foot research/sailing vessel, making them unique in Canada.
Raincoast has a wide variety of programs and focuses. From youth environmental education to purchasing land for restoration, to studying water pollution, to restoring wild salmon habitat, to wolf and cetacean research, to purchasing commercial trophy hunting rights in order to protect wildlife, their on-the-ground presence has given them a deep-rooted understanding of the vast coastline of British Columbia. What links all of the initiatives is a deep respect and understanding of the ecological and cultural value of coastal BC.
One of Raincoast’s longest-running projects has been their Safeguarding Coastal Carnivores campaign, which seeks to stop commercial trophy hunting in the Great Bear Rainforest. Since 2005, they have purchased five hunting tenures, extinguishing guided trophy hunting within those regions in perpetuity. With the support of Coastal First Nations, they currently control the hunting rights in approximately 39,000 km2 of the Great Bear Rainforest.
They are currently raising funds to purchase one of their biggest tenures yet, the 18,239 km2 Southern Great Bear Rainforest tenure, and have until December 2023 to raise $1.92 million.
The Southern tenure is home to significant populations of grizzlies, cougars, black bears, wolves, and Roosevelt elk. It contains six major coastal inlets, over ten major river systems with critical estuaries, and countless smaller named and unnamed watersheds that support healthy ecosystems, from Smith Inlet to Toba Inlet. This purchase would support the new conservation economy, as there are more than 19 ecotourism companies that rely on respectful wildlife viewing.
Acquiring the Southern Great Bear Rainforest tenure will bring Raincoast one step closer to their goal of ending all commercial trophy hunting in the Great Bear Rainforest.
TAKE ACTION.
Visit the Raincoast Conservation Website to learn more!
Give them a like on their Facebook Page and follow them on Instagram.
