OUR INITIATIVES
The Pacific IPCA Innovation Centre brings the vision of IPCA Innovation Centres to life through a growing ecosystem of programs, partnerships, learning opportunities, and collaborative initiatives. Together, these initiatives strengthen Indigenous leadership, foster collaboration, build capacity, and support Indigenous Nations in advancing stewardship grounded in their own laws, knowledge systems, and priorities.
Learn more about the Pacific IPCA Innovation Centre by exploring our three interconnected areas of work:
“Cultural and linguistic revitalization are central to the founding and core vision of IPCAs.”
— Eli Enns, Co-Founder, IISAAK OLAM Foundation
Convening & Collaboration
Meaningful collaboration begins with strong relationships. Through regional gatherings, collaborative initiatives, and ongoing partnerships, the Pacific IPCA Innovation Centre strengthens connections, fosters shared learning, and supports collective action that extends well beyond individual events.
Westcoast IPCA Support Program (WISP)
The Westcoast IPCA Support Program (WISP) supports Indigenous Nations across Vancouver Island and the surrounding region as they advance Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) and other Indigenous-led stewardship initiatives.
Through relationship-building, regional collaboration, technical support, peer learning, and strategic partnerships, WISP helps strengthen long-term capacity while creating opportunities for Nations to learn from one another and advance shared priorities.
Estuary to Old Growth
Estuary to Old Growth creates spaces where Indigenous Nations can come together to strengthen relationships, share knowledge, and shape the future of Indigenous-led stewardship from estuaries to the last remaining old-growth forests.
Through gatherings, regional circles, and collaborative initiatives, it supports a growing community of leaders committed to learning from one another, advancing shared priorities, and building the relationships that make long-term collaboration possible.
Learning & Knowledge Sharing
Building lasting capacity is essential to advancing Indigenous-led conservation. The Pacific IPCA Innovation Centre creates opportunities to learn, share knowledge, and strengthen leadership through educational programs and accessible resources that support Indigenous Nations, practitioners, students, and partners. Together, these initiatives help cultivate the knowledge, skills, and relationships needed to support IPCAs for generations to come.
IPCA Planning Certificate
The IPCA Planning Certificate, offered in partnership with Vancouver Island University and the IISAAK OLAM Foundation, is the first post-secondary program in Canada dedicated to planning for IPCAs. It equips current and emerging practitioners with the knowledge, skills, and relationships needed to support Indigenous-led conservation.
Grounded in Ethical Space and interdisciplinary learning, the certificate brings together Indigenous knowledge, western planning approaches, and practical experience to help build long-term capacity for the establishment, governance, and stewardship of IPCAs across Canada.
IPCA Knowledge Basket
The IPCA Knowledge Basket is a digital commons that honours, celebrates, and catalyzes Indigenous-led conservation by bringing together stories, research, practical resources, artwork, videos, and teachings from across Canada. It is designed to weave together multiple knowledge systems while making resources more accessible to Nations, practitioners, researchers, and communities.
More than a resource library, the IPCA Knowledge Basket is a living, collaborative space where people can discover, contribute, and learn from one another, helping to strengthen the growing movement for IPCAs.
Some of the most meaningful learning happens through direct experience. The Pacific IPCA Innovation Centre creates opportunities to connect people with place, fostering learning that is grounded in relationships with lands, waters, and the communities who steward them.
Place-Based Learning
Clayoquot Campus
Located in the Ha’houlthee of the Tla-o-qui-aht Ha’wiih (Tofino, B.C.), the Clayoquot Campus is the first satellite campus of the Pacific IPCA Innovation Centre. It serves as a place for immersive learning, dialogue, and relationship-building in one of Canada's most ecologically and culturally significant landscapes.
While closely connected to the Pacific IPCA Innovation Centre, the campus has its own unique programs, events, and visitor experiences.
Photography by Jeremy Williams and Olam Films