For efforts in restoring natural land from Cawston to Grand Forks, and for preserving and protecting land across the region, the Southern Interior Land Trust (SILT) has been nationally recognized.
SILT has been awarded the Conservation Excellence Certification from the national Centre for Land Conservation on March 21, and is one of only five Canadian organizations to receive such recognition and the only one that is west of Ontario.
"For our small volunteer land trust, achieving this certificate demonstrates that excellence in conservation isn't about size 鈥� it's about commitment to best practices and measurable results," said Judie Steeves, SILT's president. "This recognition will help us build stronger partnerships and secure more habitat for wildlife."
SILT was formed in 1988 to purchase land for wildlife in the southern interior of B.C. Its most recent acquisition saw a combination of land purchases and donations of grassland hillside east of Osoyoos in 2022 and 2023, which includes the Bourguiba Spring.
"This certification represents a watershed moment for land conservation in Canada," said Lara Ellis, executive director of the Centre for Land Conservation. "These six organizations have demonstrated exceptional commitment to conservation excellence. Their certification signals to donors, partners, and communities that they operate at the highest levels of professional practice and conservation impact."
Since 2019, restoration efforts have been made on Ginty's Pond near Cawston, which is on land protected by SILT. The pond was formerly an oxbow and once connected to the nearby Similkameen River, but was cut off decades prior.
The Conservation Excellence Certification Program, supported by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), philanthropic foundations, and individual donors, promotes conservation excellence through third-party evaluation of conservation impact, governance, and organizational sustainability against nationally adopted standards and practices.
Additional land trusts are currently undergoing assessment, and the program aims to enroll up to 40 land trusts across Canada by March 2026.
