The HCTF Board met last weekend to review and make funding decisions on over 170 enhancement proposals seeking funding for 2016-17.

HCTF has announced the winners of its 2015 Photo Contest. More… 

There’s less than one week to go until the application deadline for HCTF Education’s GO Grants. Last year, we awarded 81 GO Grants totaling over $85,000, getting 6881 students learning outdoors about BC’s fish, wildlife and habitats. Educators can apply for up to $600/class or $3500/school to pay for bus transportation, project materials, and leader/program fees for outdoor environmental learning experiences – full grant criteria and links to application forms are available here. Grants for this application cycle can be used to fund activities taking place from April 1^st to June 30^th. Questions? Contact HCTF Education at 250-940-9786 or gogrants@hctf.ca

HCTF understands that extenuating circumstances may occasionally prevent a project from being completed within its original timeline. That is why we give proponents the opportunity to apply for a contract extension if they won’t be able to complete their project by March 31^st. Today, emails went out to all HCTF proponents with active 2015-16 projects, providing detailed information about submitting a contract extension request. Here are some highlights:

· The deadline to request a contract extension is February 15^th, 2016.

· If you do not complete your project by March 31st, 2016, and you do not request a contract extension, unspent funds will be re-allocated towards other HCTF project priorities.

· Submitting a Contract Extension Request Form does not guarantee that an extension will be granted; only that it will be considered

HCTF assembles a special committee to review the requests, so it is important that they are submitted on time.

Season’s greetings from all of us at HCTF.

Our office will be closed from December 25th through Janury 3rd – we look forward to working with you again in 2016!

As a granting organization, HCTF relies very heavily on our science based technical review process to review grant applications and make recommendations to the Board regarding project funding. Since 2010, Lynne Bonner in her role as Manager, Evaluation has been the person who leads and manages this critical business function for HCTF. As many of you know, Lynne recently decided to retire effective March 31, 2016, and the Foundation subsequently ran a competition to find a replacement for Lynne – no simple task! The position garnered a lot of attention and we had 78 applicants from across North America. Following a thorough interview and screening process (of which Lynne was one of the panel members), we are happy to announce that Kathryn Martell was the successful candidate for the position. Kathryn has an M. Sc from the University of Alberta and brings experience working with both government and NGOs, including The Land Conservancy of BC and the Garry Oak Ecosystem Recovery Team. Kathryn starts with the Foundation in January of 2016, and there will be an overlap and transition period from that point until the end of March 2016. Thru that time, Lynne will mentor Kathryn in her new role, and will also be working on a few special projects for the Foundation. So, on behalf of the Board and staff at HCTF – a warm welcome to Kathryn in her new role, and a huge thank you to Lynne both for her contributions to HCTF and to conservation in BC.