The Nature-Based Solutions Foundation

Founded by some of Western Canada's most experienced conservationists, the Nature-Based Solutions Foundation (NBSF) is on a mission to safeguard the country’s most endangered ecosystems. We do this primarily by working with and supporting land-embedded communities to co-create new protected areas. Watch this video or continue reading below to learn more!

Our Approach:

We use a proven “conservation financing” approach to help land-embedded communities, including First Nations, ranchers, Métis communities, and woodlot owners and licensees, transition to sustainable and resilient economies that thrive with nature (examples include eco-tourism, recreation, clean energy, sustainable seafood, and so much more). This approach lessens community dependencies on resource industries, making it possible for them to support and co-develop new protected areas. More information about how we use conservation financing to help land-embedded communities can be found here.

Our Pillars:

Protecting ecosystems: We use science and the best available research to identify the most endangered ecosystems for protection.

Fostering collaboration: We look for strategic opportunities to work with regional conservation partners, communities, land trusts, and governments to establish new protected areas.

Supporting communities: We provide land-embedded communities with funding and support to help them plan for new protected areas, build capacity, and develop sustainable economic alternatives linked to protected areas

Current Project:

Through our groundbreaking project, the Old Growth Solutions Initiative (OGSI), we are working with key communities to co-develop new protected areas (typically, Indigenous Protected & Conserved Areas) to safeguard what remains of the endangered old-growth forests of British Columbia in Western Canada, where trees can grow as tall as a skyscraper and as wide as your living room.

Currently, we are working on approximately half-a-dozen protected areas, which, when complete, will protect close to half-a-million acres of land, including some of the rarest old growth in BC and the grandest unprotected old-growth forests on Earth.