ABOUT
Places for learning and inspiration
Across Canada, Indigenous Nations are leading a profound transformation in conservation through Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs). As this movement continues to grow, so too does the need for places where Nations, practitioners, researchers, educators, governments, and partners can come together to learn, strengthen relationships, share knowledge, and inspire new possibilities.
IPCA Innovation Centres are being established to support this vision, creating spaces where Indigenous-led conservation can continue to grow through collaboration, learning, and innovation.
Origin Story
We Rise Together
In 2018, the Indigenous Circle of Experts published We Rise Together, a landmark report that helped define Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) and articulated a new vision for conservation in Canada. Grounded in Indigenous rights, responsibilities, laws, and knowledge systems, the report called for a transformation in how conservation is understood and practiced, placing Indigenous leadership at its centre.
From Vision to Action
Inspired by the recommendations of We Rise Together, the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership (CRP) was established as an Indigenous-led collaboration bringing together Indigenous organizations, universities, governments, conservation organizations, and communities from across Canada. Between 2019 and 2025, the partnership explored how Indigenous-led conservation could be strengthened through research, relationship-building, and collaborative action.
Recognizing that lasting change requires more than research alone, the partnership identified several legacy initiatives that would carry this work forward beyond the life of the CRP.
A Lasting Legacy
Among these legacy initiatives were the IPCA Innovation Centres, a vision for a network of regional places dedicated to learning, collaboration, and inspiration in support of Indigenous-led conservation. Alongside the IPCA Knowledge Basket and a national IPCA network, the Innovation Centres were envisioned as places where relationships could deepen, ideas could take root, and new approaches to stewardship could emerge.
Today, the Pacific IPCA Innovation Centre is the first Innovation Centre established, bringing this vision to life through regional partnerships, educational programming, collaborative initiatives, and place-based learning. As additional centres emerge across Canada, each will reflect the unique priorities, cultures, and landscapes of the regions they serve while contributing to a growing national network.
Looking Ahead
Every region has its own cultures, landscapes, stewardship traditions, and vision for the future. As the Indigenous-led conservation movement continues to grow, new regional Innovation Centres have the opportunity to reflect these unique contexts while strengthening the broader network through shared learning and collaboration.
Interested in establishing an IPCA Innovation Centre in your region?
We'd welcome the opportunity to connect, share, and learn how an IPCA Innovation Centre may take shape in your community.
Photography by Jeremy Williams and Olam Films