Photo: Wilson 5 Foundation
Vancouver billionaire Chip Wilson and his wife Summer have committed $100 million to the B.C. Parks Foundation. It is the largest gift in Canadian conservation history, says CEO Andy Day. The foundation has put the donated funds to work protecting more than three square kilometers of land in three locations - Falling Creek Sanctuary near Chetwynd, Teit’s Sanctuary at Spences Bridge and Bourguiba Springs outside Osoyoos. The donation also helped the B.C. Parks Foundation kick-off its 25 x 25 campaign, to work with Indigenous people in the protection of 25 wild places by 2025. The UN Convention on Biodiversity calls on signatory nations to protect 25% of natural landscapes by 2025 and 30% by 2030 as the minimum necessary to preserve the planet's biodiversity.“We’re right now about 18% of British Columbia protected, about 13 1/2 % of Canada,” Day said. “To get to 25% by 2025 is a massive goal. It’s seven million hectares.”
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