Pacific IPCA Innovation Centre
A place of learning and collaboration for Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) in the Pacific region
The Pacific IPCA Innovation Centre supports Indigenous leadership in the establishment, governance, and management of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) along the Pacific coast of North, Central, and South America. We help people learn about IPCAs, support Indigenous Nations who have the power to create IPCAs, and design ways to collaborate for the long-term success of IPCAs. We are a collective, a movement, and a network of organizations, Nations, and individuals that are committed to creating Ethical Spaces in support of Indigenous-led conservation. Learn more about our initiatives below.
About Us
IPCA Innovation Centres were identified by the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership (CRP) as critical mechanisms for supporting Indigenous-led conservation. Recognizing the bio-cultural diversity of Turtle Island, it was agreed that the centres should be regionally located and led. The Pacific IPCA Innovation Centre is the first to be established and was launched in 2021.
Partners of the Pacific IPCA Innovation Centre have shared mandates to support Indigenous-led conservation in a variety of ways. We work together to identify and fill knowledge gaps to better support IPCA establishment, governance, and management in the Pacific region. We are an interdisciplinary collective with collaborators from academia, Indigenous Nations and NGOs, civil society, all levels of government, and the private sector.
We are committed to modeling the principle of Ethical Space, which is to equally recognize and value Indigenous and western knowledge systems.
Since 2021, partners of the Pacific IPCA Innovation Centre have:
Developed a Knowledge Hub with support from the Canadian Mountain Network (learn more under the ‘Collaborate’ section above);
Established the Clayoquot Campus, a unique 10-acre educational space with indoor and outdoor classrooms in the coastal rainforests of Tla-o-qui-aht Territory, and;
Designed and launched the first post-secondary program dedicated to IPCAs—the IPCA Advanced Planning Certificate at Vancouver Island University.
Learn more about our work here.
Westcoast IPCA Support Program (WISP)
WISP is a program of the Pacific IPCA Innovation Centre, focusing regionally on the west coast of BC. WISP is dedicated to sharing knowledge and building capacity for Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs). We aim to uplift Indigenous leadership in the conservation of biological and cultural diversity through several initiatives.
Want to learn more about how WISP can support conservation initiatives in your Nation?
Subscribe to our newsletter by emailing wisp@ipca.innovation.ca
Photography by Jeremy Williams and Olam Films
