Fri, 20 Mar 2020

Adapting to COVID-19: Increased Flexibility for our Grant Recipients and Employees

*Updated March 31, 2020

It’s a challenging time for all of us in BC. The recent measures to stop the spread of coronavirus have impacted us all in different ways and keeping each other safe and healthy is top priority. With that in mind, HCTF staff are providing increased flexibility to reduce stress and support our grant recipients in completing their projects.

Here’s a summary of what we’re currently doing to help. We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves and adapt as needed.

For current Enhancement & Restoration, and CHRF grant recipients:

  • We’ve extended the deadline for applying for a current-year contract extension to April 30, 2020. If recent events mean you’re no longer able to complete your project prior to March 31st, 2020, please submit a contract extension request using the instructions here. Similarly, if you now need to change part of your currently approved project for 2019-20, please send us a project change request form by following the instructions here.
  • We’ve extended the deadline for submitting grant reports. We have automatically extended this year’s deadline for submitting grant reports to June 30th, 2020. You do not need to apply for this extension. Please note: if you’re able to submit your report prior to the usual April 15th deadline, we highly encourage you to do so! This will allow us to get you your final payment sooner, by cheque or electronic fund transfer (New! – contact us for more information)

For current Fisheries O & M and Quality Waters grant recipients:

  • We’ve extended the deadline for submitting grant reports. We have automatically extended this year’s deadline for submitting grant reports to June 30th, 2020. You do not need to apply for this extension. Please note: if you’re able to submit your report prior to the usual April 15th deadline, we highly encourage you to do so! This will allow us to get you your final payment sooner, by cheque or electronic fund transfer (New! – contact us for more information).

For recipients of recently approved (fiscal 20-21) Enhancement & Restoration, Stewardship, or CHRF grants:

  • We will accept contract extension requests now for recently approved enhancement & restoration, stewardship and CHRF projects if project leaders already know they will need to defer their project for a year due to impacts to the spring field season, etc. We recognize you have other priorities right now so there is no rush to submit these requests: HCTF will accept contract extension requests up until February 15, 2021. However, we recognize it may be helpful to have some certainty sooner given the other uncertainties you may be facing.
  • HCTF will accept project change requests throughout the year if you need to make modifications to your approved 2020-21 proposal.
  • Staff are available to review responses to funding conditions. Some recently approved projects have funding conditions that need to be fulfilled prior to entering into a conditional grant agreement with HCTF. Though we’ve adjusted our work arrangements to keep staff and others safe, we will continue to review your responses to project funding conditions so you can confirm your grant as soon as possible.
  • Grant recipients can electronically sign and return their grant agreement without leaving home. New for this year, HCTF will be sending out all Conditional Grant Agreements via email to e-sign and return electronically using DocuSign. If you would prefer to sign a paper copy of the agreement and return via post you can find the form below;

Electronic Funds Transfer Authorization Form

 

For recipients of HCTF Education Grants (GO Grants, Leap Grants):

  • 2019 GO Grant February and September reporting can be submitted up until April 15th.
  • 2020 GO Grant recipients have been sent an email outlining options for deferring your grant.
  • 2019 LEAP Grants reports can be submitted up until July 15th. For those whose projects were still in process please contact the HCTF Education office at educationgrants@hctf.ca to discuss.

*For organizations planning to apply for a Habitat Acquisition Grant:

  • Given the uncertainty that is expected to continue over the next few months, HCTF is taking a conservative approach and will delay funding decisions for our Habitat Acquisition Grant until our fall Board meeting scheduled for October 2-4, 2020. As a result, the deadline for submitting habitat acquisition grant applications has been extended to Friday, July 17th, 2020. If proponents have already prepared applications, they may be submitted early but please note that our review process won’t start until the summer. Proponents will be notified of funding decisions shortly after the fall Board meeting.

For individuals/organizations planning to apply for a Public Conservation Assistance Fund (PCAF) grant:

  • We’ve extended the application deadline to June 15th, 2020.

Contacting our Staff

HCTF staff continue to be available to process payments, answer application questions and assist with the administration of current grants. As most of our staff are now working remotely, we suggest contacting team members via email rather than telephone for a faster response (our staff directory is available here). We are currently receiving a high volume of enquiries and are prioritizing responses: rest assured we will get back to you as soon as possible. We will continue to monitor the situation and adapt as needed. Thank you for your patience during this challenging situation.

Best regards,

Dan Buffett

HCTF CEO

Mon, 16 Mar 2020

HCTF Office Closure

American Pika den - courtesy of iNaturalist

In support of efforts to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the HCTF office will be closed to the public until further notice. We will continue to monitor the situation and update you as soon as it is deemed safe to return to normal office operations.

During this time our employees will be working from home wherever possible but will still be available to respond to your inquiries. We recommend that you address any questions, comments or concerns via email. A full list of staff contact information is available here.

The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation team thanks you for your patience and understanding. The health and safety of our employees and the BC public is of greatest importance at this time and we encourage you to take the advice of medical experts and observe social distancing procedures.

Stay safe!

Fri, 10 Jan 2020

Meet HCTF’s New CEO

Dan Buffett

Please join us in welcoming to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF) our new Chief Executive Officer Dan Buffett, due to take up the post in February 2020.

From his humble days as a summer student to his role as manager of BC’s conservation program with Ducks Unlimited Canada, Dan brings to HCTF over 25 years of conservation experience. Along the way he completed his master’s degree in Resource and Environmental Management from Simon Fraser University. Dan’s background in hands-on habitat restoration and conservation planning will serve him well as he leads HCTF forward in our mission to improve conservation outcomes for BC’s fish, wildlife and habitat areas.

Dan is thrilled to be part of the HCTF team, with its solid reputation for managing a wide range of funding projects which enable important conservation initiatives throughout BC. He believes that working cooperatively with partners generates better conservation outcomes and has worked with governments, NGOs, agricultural producers, industry, and individual landowners to promote conservation efforts throughout the province. From all of us here at HCTF, welcome Dan!

Fri, 20 Dec 2019
Tags: Wildlife

Winterizing Wildlife

With the official start of winter kicking off on December 21st, British Columbians are busy preparing for shorter days, colder weather and tons of fresh snow. But while you are bundled up in your home BC’s wildlife species have their own strategies for surviving the season’s coldest temperatures.

Dress in Layers –

It’s time to pull your favorite sweater out of the closet and BC’s wildlife species are putting on the layers too. Some species sport winter wear designed to blend in with their surrounding like the rock ptarmigan’s snowy white winter plumage, while other animals like caribou grow thick layers of fur with hollow hairs to trap warm air close to the body. Mountain goats grow thick and wooly winter coats that keep their bodies well insulated from the cold winter chill as well as the biting wind of their high alpine homes. The Salish First Nations recognized the value of the mountain goat’s wool and have a tradition of collecting the wool after the spring molt for use in weaving blankets and other textile goods.

Mountain Goat (courtesy of iStock)

Stay Active, Stay Warm –

As the mercury begins to drop it can be tempting to hole up inside, but the cold and ice shouldn’t keep you from enjoying the great outdoors. Animals of all description are out in full force. Species like the Canada lynx are expertly adapted to life in the snow with wide snowshoe-like pads that distribute the cat’s weight across a larger surface area, allowing for graceful movement in even the deepest snow. Other animals revel in the opportunities that winter provides; ruffed grouse dig into snowbanks creating a shelter similar to a quinzhee or snow fort while great horned owls leave snow angel like tracks as they pluck their prey from below the snow layer.

Owl tracks in the snow (courtesy of Wiki Commons)

Stocking the Pantry –

Nothing warms you up on a cold winter day quite like a good meal. In the animal kingdom stores of fodder and fat are essential for many species’ survival in the lean months of winter. Bears and other larger mammal species bulk up during the autumn to ensure that they have enough fat to survive the winter. But the undisputed master of winter food preparation and planning is the Pika. These high alpine rabbit-relatives practice a behavior known as haying, in which they collect, dry and store a portion of the alpine meadow vegetation they feed on during the summer months for the winter. Pika will even collect otherwise toxic plants which stay fresh for longer, consuming these only after they have exhausted their supply of quicker spoiling vegetation. It just goes to show you that preparation and planning can make even the longest, coldest winters bearable.

American pika in its den (courtesy of iNaturalist)

Fly South for the Winter –

If you have prepared for the winter as best you can and the long nights and constant chill is still making you long for warm sandy beaches and the tropical sun, why not take a hint from the birds and fly south for the winter? British Columbia is home to the Pacific Flyway migratory corridor and sees millions of birds escaping to warmer climes during the winter months. Western Tanagers migrate from across the province south to winter grounds along Mexico’s western coast while Vancouver Island becomes a magnet for raptor species like Bald Eagles that travel to the coast to take advantage of the warmer microclimate around the Salish Sea. In an extreme case, the Sooty Shearwater undertakes one of the world’s longest migration from the waters off the BC coast traveling south to New Zealand and the South Pacific to give winter a miss entirely and enjoy summer in the southern hemisphere instead.

Bald eagle in flight (by Stuart Sanders)

Mon, 18 Nov 2019
Tags: Staff

Meet Our New Communications Officer

Craig Doucette joins the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation team in the role of communications officer and will be keeping you up to date on current events at HCTF and within the wider BC fish, wildlife and habitat conservation community.

Craig has a background in science communication, project engagement and ecosystem conservation. He completed his Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Guelph with a major in Wildlife Biology and Conservation before moving to study ecosystem management for his graduate diploma. Craig has a wealth of experience working with not-for-profit conservation organizations across Canada and brings to HCTF keen research skills and a passion for wildlife science. Welcome Craig!

Tue, 22 Oct 2019

Search for a Chief Executive Officer

With the current Chief Executive Officer retiring, the Board of Directors of the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF) is searching for an individual with a strong conservation background, who has demonstrated leadership skills, and who is innovative and passionate about conservation of fish and wildlife and their habitats and related environmental education. Full details are available on our Careers webpage.