$114 000 funded to five local organizations!

The Clayoquot Biosphere Trust is proud to have worked with community foundations across Canada as part of the Community Services Recovery Fund.

This fund is a collaboration between the Canadian Red Cross, Community Foundations of Canada, and United Way Centraide Canada to provide funding to Community Service Organizations, including non-profit organizations, Indigenous Governing Bodies or Registered Charities located in Canada. The Community Services Recovery Fund responds to what Community Service Organizations need right now and supports organizations as they adapt to the long-term impacts of the pandemic.

The Community Services Recovery Fund is a one-time investment from the Government of Canada of $400 million to help community service organizations (charities, non-profits, Indigenous governing bodies) adapt, modernize and be better equipped to improve the efficacy, accessibility and sustainability of the community services that they provide through the pandemic recovery and beyond.

The following projects were supported by the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Region:

  • $10,000 was invested to fund the Cedar Coast Field Station to fund contract positions to oversee the development of a fundraising strategy, report, and grant writing and administration of the organization. 
  • $35,000 was invested to fund Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society to determine the processes and lay the foundation for ways to secure the longevity of the programs and services that they provide to the region.
  • $17,141 was invested to fund Tofino Ucluelet Culinary Guild to create a new platform to integrate online community store, inventory, fulfillment, customer, supplier, and partner relationships, order management, and expand to encompass community food hub activities. Improve efficiencies among systems, reduce staff and volunteer capacity needs, open use to other local organizations as a hub, and reduce overall operations costs to help keep prices low on food.
  • $14,040 was invested to fund The Tofino Community Food Initiative to strengthen their community partnerships to support local food security (e.g., innovative community garden spaces; seed saving; gardening, harvesting, and preservation skills, etc.) and includes preparing a business plan for a social enterprise.
  • $38,000 was invested to fund Clayoquot Action to implement a redesigned strategy to improve the systems and processes of the Youth Warrior Leadership Development program across 9 Nuu-chah-nulth Nations. An amalgamation of Warrior fundraising and administration into a dedicated Nuu-chah-nulth Warrior Family (NWF) not-for-profit organization will reduce the workload of participating communities while increasing the overall resilience and resources available for multi-Nation Warrior projects, courses, and gatherings.

Announcing the 2025 Vital Grants

September 5, 2025
We’re pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Vital Grants. This year, the CBT awarded $60,000 in funding to four inspiring projects in the region. These grants focus on addressing regional priorities and complex challenges that influence sustainability in the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Region. They also aim to support meaningful, longer-term collaboration between organizations, communities, and cultures. Read more!

Announcing the 2025 Research & Environment Grants

September 4, 2025
We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Research & Environment grants. This year, the CBT awarded $20K in funding to four projects in the region. These projects address threats to key species and ecosystems and uplift nuučaan̓uł (Nuu-chah-nulth) ways of knowing. Efforts also focus on habitat conservation, restoration, and protection for ecologically and culturally important species and ecosystems. Read more!

Announcing the 2025 Community Development Grants

September 4, 2025
We’re excited to announce the recipients of the 2025 Community Development grants. This year, eight inspiring projects in the region have been awarded over $36K in funding. These grants are dedicated to fostering accessible, inclusive, healthy, supportive, equitable, and sustainable communities, helping build a stronger and more united region. Read more!

Announcing the 2025 Biosphere Research Awards

August 26, 2025
We’re excited to announce the recipients of the 2025 Biosphere Research Awards! This year, the CBT has granted $38K to support three amazing projects. This funding stream supports initiatives that address key species or ecosystem threats, focus on reversing degradation trends, and promote conservation actions with broad application. Each program aligns with First Nations priorities and protocols, upholds the spirit of the UNESCO Biosphere designation, and shares research findings publicly. Read more!

CBT's Youth Summer Intern Reflects on his Experience Volunteering with Surfrider

August 26, 2025
This summer, CBT's Youth Intern, Braedon, has been supporting us in a wide range of projects across the organization and has also participated in initiatives hosted by other local non-profits. One of our goals was to offer him the opportunity to experience diverse types of work as well as acquire skills and knowledge in many different fields. Discover Braedon’s experience joining Surfrider Pacific Rim and Tourism Tofino for their “Washed Up Wednesday” beach clean. Read on for his reflections.

An Inspiring Journey: Education Award Recipient Shares Her Story

August 8, 2025
Pani Ayoubizadeh from Ucluelet received the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Education Award in 2022 and is currently studying science at the University of British Columbia, working toward her dream of becoming a cardiac surgeon. She has earned straight A’s every year so far, a testament to her incredible dedication and drive. Recently, Pani reached out to share an update on her academic journey and the personal growth she has experienced since receiving the award. Read more about her story!

Join our Team as an Alternate At-Large Director

August 7, 2025
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.

Reflections from Illuminate 2025: A Gathering of Shared Purpose and Bold Ideas

July 3, 2025
This past May, members of our staff and board had the privilege of attending Illuminate 2025, the national biennial conference hosted by Community Foundations of Canada, which was held in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), Nova Scotia, on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people. More than just a conference, it was a powerful gathering of community foundations from across the country, a space for meaningful connection, shared learning, and lasting inspiration.

Janessa Dornstauder reflects on her community leadership journey

June 19, 2025
Janessa Dornstauder is a settler who is grateful to call Ucluelet her home. Through her work with the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT), Janessa builds partnerships between the diverse groups and communities in the region to achieve common biodiversity conservation goals. She recently graduated from the Leadership Vancouver Island West Coast program, and she reflects on her journey in this blog post. Read more!

Announcing the Spring 2025 Green/Youth Neighbourhood Small Grants

June 19, 2025
We’re excited to share this list of grassroots community projects that received a Green/Youth Neighbourhood Small Grants (NSG) this past spring cycle. A total of 19 projects were funded in the region! NSG makes empowering, accessible opportunities for residents from all demographics to make their communities more inclusive and vibrant places to live. Check out the blog below to learn more about the projects from the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Region NSG program.

Deepening Connections: Reflections on the 2025 BC Biosphere Gathering

June 16, 2025
This past May, the CBT hosted the 4th annual BC Biosphere Gathering in our home region. Each year, this gathering brings together partners from British Columbia’s three UNESCO-designated biosphere regions, Clayoquot Sound, Mount Arrowsmith, and Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound, for a multi-day opportunity to connect, collaborate, and grow stronger together as a network.

Art as Reconciliation: The Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Centre’s Art Program

May 23, 2025
Nestled in the heart of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region, a transformative initiative from the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT) is redefining the role of public art in cultural renewal, place-making, and reconciliation. The Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Centre (CSBC), currently under development in Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations territory, is envisioned as a knowledge hub for education, research, and reconciliation. At the core of this vision is a groundbreaking Arts Program, one that doesn’t just decorate a space but infuses the region with meaning. 

Province of British Columbia Invests $1 Million in Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Centre to Advance Rural Economic Development

May 22, 2025
he Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT) is proud to announce a $1 million contribution from the Province of British Columbia through the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP). This major investment signals provincial confidence in the transformative potential of the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Centre, a $17 million facility now in the construction documentation phase in Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation territory, envisioned as a regional hub for learning, innovation, and sustainable development. 

More Than a Designation: Honouring nuučaan̓uł (Nuu-chah-nulth) Stewardship

May 14, 2025
We’re celebrating the 25th anniversary of the UNESCO biosphere designation, when the efforts of West Coast residents towards a sustainable future were recognized as being globally significant. However, the vitality of this place and the power of its people long predate the UNESCO designation. This place is exceptional thanks to the enduring nuučaan̓uł advocacy for interconnected rights, title, and environmental stewardship.

Clayoquot Biosphere Trust Receives Transformational $1.2M Gift from the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation

February 3, 2025
The Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT) is honored to announce a generous $1.2 million philanthropic investment from the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation, marking a significant milestone in bringing the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Centre (CSBC) to life. This remarkable gift highlights our shared commitment to strengthening communities, advancing reconciliation, and fostering environmental stewardship.

Celebrating Community: Our Most Successful Holiday Giving Campaign Yet!

January 14, 2025
This past December, the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT) collaborated with 23 local charities to promote our shared giving platform, with the goal of standing together to strengthen local communities and ecosystems. Throughout the month, participating charitable organizations helped amplify the initiative by sharing it through their communication channels. Meanwhile, donors explored causes they cared about and supported the region's diverse needs through the Holiday Giving Catalogue.