Announcing Spring 2022 Neighbourhood Small Grants !

We are excited to share 20 grass-roots community projects that will be receiving Neighbourhood Small Grants this cycle. 

As usual, the West Coast Community Resources Society, our community partner for creating the cheques for community members. NSG makes empowering, accessible opportunities for residents from all demographics to rise up and make their communities more inclusive, vibrant places to live. Check out the projects below and reach out to colin@clayoquotbiosphere.org if you want to connect to a project leader and participate. 

Spring 2022 Neighbourhood Small Grants

Fruit preservation for Hotsprings Residents – Heather Charleson, Hot Springs Cove
Food security project where Heather will pick up bulk quantities of fruit from the mainland when it is in season this summer, bring it back to Hot Springs, then have community preservation workshops and gifting to community members to enjoy through the winter.

Family taking care of family – Pat Charleson Sr, Hot Springs Cove
An intergenerational relationship-building initiative that focuses on helping Hesquiaht elder Pat Charleson Sr connect with community members, share knowledge, and stories, and receive care.

Hot Springs Cove Baking Giveaway – Rakaylyn Charleson, Hot Springs Cove
Baking care packages for Hesquiaht elders and community members to brighten their day!

Cedar preparation – Maria Desnoyer, Hot Springs Cove
The goal of this project is to prep the Cedar harvested with my Mom Dolores to host a community weaving workshop in the fall.  If community members were interested in learning the prep they could come help mom and I get the cedar ready- we would have food and snacks available.

Cedar Harvest and workshop – Dolores Bayne, Hot Springs Cove
I plan to hire a boat and harvest Cedar in Hesquiaht Traditional Territory. To gather enough material to run a weaving workshop in the fall in the remote community of Hot Springs- I will invite any interested community member to come and learn how to harvest. It will take at least 6-8 hours. During the weaving workshops, I like to share stories about our ways as an opportunity to revive our way of living.

Elders Lunch – Ruth  Charleson, Hot Springs Cove
The goal of the project is to help us reunite as a community and improve our community's Mental Health. Hot Springs has been very isolated as a result of the pandemic and Elders have felt this the most. With less than 50 members currently in our community and the majority are elders things have been dark and we want to start reuniting over food. The idea is to host a series of Elders lunches in rotating locations.

Learn to garden for Extended Family – Jean Thomas, Ahousaht
I will teach my family and any interested community members the basic of gardening and starts with food familiar with community members. It is best on our community that more families start growing and sharing food as we are so remote and food costs in Tofino are very high.

Cultural/ Traditional Family dances and learning family roots  – Lisa Sabbas, Ahousaht
I would like to take the time to teach my extended family( Very large in both Hot Spring and Ahousaht): Shawl Making, Beads, Sequins, Thread, Teach family dances. I want to teach youth and adults alike how to sustainably harvest cedar to make headdresses for our family dances. These activities all work to rebuild our culture which inherently cares for the land- the grant makes it possible to open these events up to new people who are unfamiliar with our traditional ways.

Sharing Traditional Knowledge – Neil  Keitlah, Ahousaht
My goal is to work with Youth from the Maaqtusiis Highschool and teach them the whole process of our traditional ways of hunting and gathering. I want to give the youth the pride that comes with giving food back to the community and help create less reliance's on box store food. We will have an evening to learn safety from a certified instructor- work on building a team of youth that support one another. To entice the youth to come we would like food and honarium for trainers to come to the evening events. This grant will focus on training and prep and we will seek additional funding for the actual hunt. We plan to host a community feast after the event as well.

Ahousaht Skate Park Clean Up – Aaron Keitlah, Ahousaht
I have cleaned the skate park weekly for the last three years. I would like to build a sense of community and care for the skate park which will hopefully ripple out to the community. But showing youth the commitment to maintain and keep garbage out of the ocean I am hoping to grow the community of skateboards/scooter and bikers in the community and build a sense of pride around caring for the environment. I will host weekly cleans and continue to invite community members.

Community Beach Day – Candice Steven c/o Tofino Youth, Tofino
A group of youth are organizing a community-focused beach day including a beach clean up, art projects made with found debris, guest Nuu-chah-nulth storyteller, and community feast. Participants will be invited to bring their own plates and cups.

Year-end park / neighborhood clean-up – Kelsey  Rix, Tofino
As covid restrictions have lightened up, use this opportunity to get all of the neighbours in Ocean Park together again.

Family Garden – Corissa Campbell, Ahousaht
We want to get a garden going for my family, extended family, relatives, and neighbours- the goal is to create food security in our home community- I had an injury last year and the garden needs work. In our culture traditionally we harvest and grow foods together as families and then trade- I want my family to learn how to grow in a greenhouse and with funding for supplies and gathering I believe we can work towards more food security in Ahousaht.

Trees for Kids – Nora O'Malley, Ucluelet
"My idea is to gift baby cedar trees to all the Grade 2 and Grade 3 students on the Coast. They could take them home with a little note of instructions on where / how to plant it. If they don’t have room to plant in their backyard, they can plant it in a pot and banzai it! On the day of delivery, I would like to organize having a person from REDD Fish Restoration Society or Raincoast Education Society come in and talk a bit about trees and how wonderful they are for the planet. I would also like to buy a few copies of the book 'Worth More Growing' edited by Christine Lowther as prize draws for each class. The book features poems about trees written by youth."

Senior's Hair Makeover – Lisa Morgan, Toquaht
There is an ongoing challenge in the local towns of Tofino and Ucluelet of finding a reasonable-priced haircut, not to mention if an individual lives at Macoah (40 minutes outside of Ucluelet). The population at Macoah is growing in numbers including the growing number of elders with a total of 15. Within the last year, I have had elders approach me to ask, "where can they get a haircut in town". A majority of elders are on a fixed income, do not get out of the house much, do not have a vehicle, and do not feel comfortable making their own appointment. I am hoping to gift my community elder's with a one-day 'Sexy Senior Hair Makeover'!

Lone Cone Library – Marnie Recker, Tofino
I would like to have a Free Library built for the corner of Lone Cone Road and Vincente Place. There is the perfect spot in front of the bushes and trees that border my property. It would be called the "Lone Cone Library" and people in the community will be encouraged to exchange books. I think with a $500 grant, we can build a really nice one that could also have small items, seeds, and plants to share. I know I have a lot of books and items to get it started.

Introduction to Jewellery Making – Lisa Fletcher, Tofino
The goal of our Grant is to host a one-day workshop for youth on how to make jewelry. Exposing youth to arts and culture at any age is important in fostering positive mental health and well-being, as well as shaping their future in learning new skills and exploring alternative professions. Engaging in a creative process can often alleviate anxiety, stress, and depression, while also building confidence.

Pride event – Kira Cameron, Ucluelet (youth-led project)

I plan to buy flags, signs, stickers, etc. and organize a pride walk and small event to celebrate pride in our community. I think Wise Tea may be able to sponsor the event. All ages are welcome and I would try and purchase baking supplies so that snacks can be provided. I learned about this grant opportunity through the UCC youth room. 

Music video - Lothar Myck, Ucluelet (youth-led project)

I plan to gather a group of community members to create a video for an original song of mine. Throughout the making of this video, I will be learning and demonstrating my leadership and teamwork skills as I collaborate with other members of my community. We will be finding young members of our community that are interested in different areas of media arts (this will include make-up, costume, acting, etc.) to help us with the video. This is meant to be a fun project to help bring like-minded individuals of our community together, foster healthy relationships, and inspire more collaborations and projects in the arts in the future.

Hollywood Gardens – Natalie Mitchell, Ucluelet
Inclusive community gathering with food and good energy in the park between Holly Crescent and Bay Street in Ucluelet. 

Vital Grants - Looking Back & Looking Forward

January 18, 2023
Five years ago, CBT launched Vital Grants: a stream of partnership funding to address regional priorities and complex challenges that influence sustainability in the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Region. Vital Grants were launched in response to grantee feedback that small grants (e.g. $5000) and short timelines make it difficult to address larger issues

Join our team as Director of Partnerships for Conservation

January 9, 2023
Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director of Partnerships for Conservation will build out a new role collaborating with partners on conservation projects, as well as leading research, planning, and engagement activities linked to the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere designation and Canada Target 1. The individual participates in relevant networks and committees aligned with key projects and contributes to the objectives of the Canada Fund Agreement, the MAB Statutory Framework and the MAB Lima Action Plan.

The 2022 Holiday Giving Catalogue is here

December 2, 2022
'Tis the season for giving and standing tall as a region. We're honoured to bring back the Giving Catalogue—an annual collaborative holiday initiative.

Living Building Challenge

October 5, 2022
CBT has committed to achieving the Living Building Challenge! LBC provides a sustainable framework for the design and construction of buildings and cultivates a symbiotic relationship between people, communities, and nature. Living Buildings are regenerative and inspire innovative methods of construction throughout the building!

2022 Discretionary Grants

September 6, 2022
Each year, the CBT provides funding up to $5,000 for small projects that promote the health of individuals, communities and ecosystems throughout the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Region. Each granting stream is overseen by an advisory committee of local volunteers who have an interest and expertise related to the grant.

Biosphere Centre: moving forward on the land in a good way

June 13, 2022
On June 2nd, the CBT board, staff, and partners gathered at the future site of the Clayoquot Biosphere Centre for a small ceremony led by Tla-o-qui-aht cultural workers Chris and Hayden Seitcher. The intentions were simple yet profound: to reflect with gratitude on the work done to bring the Biosphere Centre initiative where it is today and to envision the next phase of the project.

CBT Granting Update and Equity Pathway

February 22, 2022
We continue to reflect on key learnings from our UNESCO periodic review, our Vital Signs research, and the pandemic. We’ve committed to work with volunteers, First Nations, communities, and partners on making CBT a more equity-driven organization: in our granting program, in our organizational culture, and beyond.

The Coastal Family Resource Coalition is hiring

February 22, 2022
The Coastal Family Resource Coalition (CFRC) is looking to hire a qualified proponent to provide leadership capacity and coordination services for the CFRC, a regional network coordinated and administered by the CBT and guided by the CFRC Executive Committee. 

We're looking for a new team member

February 15, 2022
We're hiring a Program Coordinator to work 30 hours/week. As part of our goal to be representative of and responsive to the communities we work with, the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT) is seeking a Nuu-chah-nulth person to join our staff team.

Seeking a contractor to support research and communication for the Indigenous-led Westcoast Stewardship Corridor

February 4, 2022
The CBT is supporting the establishment of an Indigenous-led Stewardship Corridor. We are looking for a contractor (individual or firm) to create an inventory of existing Indigenous-led stewardship and resource management activities and collaborations on the west coast of Vancouver Island (VI) (from T’Sou-ke Nation to the Clayoquot Biosphere Region) and the vision forward for a collaborative stewardship corridor.

Audit Services Invitation to Tender

October 25, 2021
The Clayoquot Biosphere Trust Society (CBT) is requesting tenders from qualified firms of public accountants to audit the financial statements of the CBT for the year ending December 31, 2021, and if a contract is assigned for each fiscal year ending during that period.

Join our team as an At-Large Director

September 24, 2021
The CBT is seeking expressions of interest in a 4-year volunteer term as Alternate At-Large Director. The CBT exists to support research, education and programs that advance conservation, the understanding of natural processes in the marine and terrestrial ecosystems and that promote the health of individuals and communities in the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Region. The CBT relies on the vision and strategic direction of a committed Board of Directors representing a diversity of experience, skills and interests supportive of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere designation.

2021 Discretionary Grants

August 6, 2021
Every year, the CBT provides small project funding (up to $5,000) in the following four areas: Research and Environment, Community Development, Arts and Culture, and Youth and Education. Each granting stream is built upon different funding priorities and overseen by its own Advisory Committee comprised of 12-15 local volunteers with interest and expertise relevant to the specific grant.

2021 Youth Action Grants

July 21, 2021
Our Youth Action Grants are one of the ways we fulfil our priority of Empowering Youth in the region. This is our 7th year offering youth-led grants and we are always inspired by the creative projects and their beneficial ripple effects in the community.

New Nelly Heyduck Art Collaboration

July 2, 2021
Nelly Heyduck has created a beautiful new print depicting our biosphere region in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere designation.

Announcing the 2021 Vital Grant Awards

June 24, 2021
Our Vital Grant program began in 2018 with the goal to address regional priorities and complex challenges influencing sustainability in the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Region. These $15,000-20,000 grants support meaningful collaboration between organizations, communities and cultures and must include a minimum of two project partners. This year, the CBT also reviewed Vital Grant applications with an equity lens by considering whether projects addressed regional social and health inequities.