Pacific WildLife Foundation - About Us

Values, Mission and Objectives - Directors

The Pacific WildLife Foundation is a not-for-profit coastal and marine research and education society with charitable status registered in Canada, based in Vancouver. Activities of the Foundation are directed by the following six values.

The Foundation believes that:

• marine and coastal ecosystems are worthy of protection;

• the public wants to sustain marine and coastal ecosystems;

• conservation of marine and coastal ecosystems requires reliable information upon which to base decisions;

• the best source of information for making decisions is derived from objective scientific inquiry;

• scientific information can be presented in such a way as to inspire appreciation and conservation of coastal and marine ecosystems;

• first hand experience is an effective way to educate.

These values are expressed in the mission statement:

To inspire conservation of coastal and marine ecosystems through scientific inquiry and education.

Objectives

To achieve this mission, the Foundation:

• conducts original scientific research on the biology of coastal and marine ecosystems;

• presents information that will inspire conservation and appreciation of coastal and marine ecosystems;

Pacific WildLife Foundation Directors

Funding

Pacific WildLife receives funding from private donations, granting agencies, companies and foundations. Funds are administered through our financial office. Finances are audited by an independent, licensed accountant and are available upon request. Donors to the Pacific WildLife Foundation will receive a tax receipt for Canadian income tax purposes.

West Coast Whale Research Foundation was founded in 1980 by Jim Darling and other whale researchers to administer, support and conduct whale research and education programs. At that time, there were few similar research organizations in the world and none in British Columbia whose priority was the study of living whale populations. With generous public support, West Coast Whale contributed significantly to the first scientific descriptions of gray, humpback and killer whales in British Columbia and the North Pacific, and to  education of the public through popular articles, books, television appearances and the the 1992 Gemini award winning documentary ‘Island of Whales’ narrated by Gregory Peck. In 2002, Rob Butler and Tom Middleton began to envision an organization that would harness the talents of scientists, film makers, educators and photographers with a passion for conservation of the ocean. The following year, Rob approached Jim for his advice on establishing an organization. As it turned out, the constitution of the West Coast Whale Foundation was a near perfect fit for what Rob and Tom had in mind. In 2003, with guidance from Jim and former directors Kate Keogh and Ian Semple, the West Coast Whale Foundation evolved into the Pacific WildLife Foundation.