Who Are We?
Habitat Acquisition Trust is a regional land trust that conserves nature on south Vancouver Island. We envision a future where the full array of natural habitats on south Vancouver Island and the southern Gulf Islands are healthy and conserved.
Our Vision and Mission
HAT’s vision is to ensure that natural areas are protected and healthy on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Our mission is to conserve natural areas on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands through protection, collaboration, stewardship and education.
For a more detail, review our strategic plan.
History
HAT was established in 1996 by the Victoria Natural History Society. The VNHS envisioned a local land trust that would directly conserve land by acquiring titles and covenants, and by working with residents to foster stewardship of natural ecosystems.
HAT was involved in promoting the effort to establish a Sea-to-Sea Greenbelt in the Sooke Hills and beyond. As a result of that effort, HAT worked with the Society to Protect Ayum Creek to conserve Ayum Estuary. That purchase became our first acquisition. Today, the Sea-to-Sea Greenbelt is over 95% protected, and HAT protects over 1600 hectares of natural habitats.
Territory Acknowledgement
HAT works and stewards ecosystems as visitors in the traditional and unceded territories of the W̱SÁNEĆ, SC’IȺNEW, and T'Sou-ke Nations, lək̓ʷəŋən peoples (Songhees and Xwsepsum Nations) and the many other Coast Salish peoples who have lived in relationship with and stewarded these lands since time immemorial and continue to live in relationship to the Land today.
HAT is working to align its organizational practices with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action. We acknowledge that Reconciliation takes time, and we are prioritizing relationship-building within First Nation communities. HAT supports Indigenous-led conservation by providing support and resources with guidance from elders, knowledge keepers and Indigenous consultants.
Where We Work
HAT works in a spectacular part of Canada, being in the southwest corner of British Columbia. Our mandate area centers around the Capital Regional District of British Columbia, and consists of southern Vancouver Island and the southern Gulf Islands. This is a special part of Canada where the warm, mild climate is home to species and habitats that cannot be found elsewhere in Canada. Some of these ecosystems and species are the most endangered in the country. A disproportionate number of BC's threatened and endangered species occur in our region.
Every year, more and more tourists and new residents come to our region to enjoy the mild climate and spectacular scenery. Development places ever-increasing pressure on our disappearing habitats.
If you are looking for more conservancies around the island please follow this to a list of Non-Profit Conservancies in BC.
Strategic Plan
HAT creates a new strategic plan every four years that guides the organization’s decisions, staff, and work to ensure we meet goals decided by our board, funders, and members.
Annual Reports and Financial Statements
Take a look at our Annual Reports and Financial Statements to learn more about what we have been up to, how we are spending your donations and our organizational health.
Policies
HAT has organizational policies approved by our Board of Directors that guide HAT activities.
For a look at all of HAT's policies, please see attached HAT Policy Manual.
Structure
HAT is a registered society (S-36193) with an elected, volunteer Board of Directors. We are also a registered charity (88962 6545 RR0001). As a registered society, HAT has a constitution and a set of by-laws to which we adhere.