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By Adam Hunt
COPA members now have the opportunity to do something positive for the
environment whenever they fly.
COPA has just commenced a program that will see COPA members given the
opportunity to fly in support of the conservation efforts of the Nature
Conservancy of Canada (NCC).
This arrangement is a natural one because the two associations have many
similarities. NCC is a conservation organization with a totally different
philosophy to most other environmental organizations. Many environmental groups
spend their energies lobbying governments for action; NCC was formed with a
completely different approach to environmental preservation in mind.
NCC identifies lands that are significant and important to preserve, and then
works with willing landowners to achieve the best possible protection for the
land through donations, conservation agreements or purchases. NCC then manages
the properties to keep them preserved permanently.
Like COPA, with its COPA Flights, NCC has local volunteers and partners that
take care of their properties. Many of the properties are in hard-to-reach
locations, which makes it challenging for NCC to ensure that there is no
poaching or trespassing on the lands. Obviously using aircraft to monitor the
properties is a natural match!
Ontario and Manitoba to Start
Under the current COPA/NCC agreement the program will start in Ontario and
Manitoba only. As more operational experience is gained it is hoped to add more
NCC sites in other provinces and give COPA members across the country the chance
to participate.
How It Works
COPA members participating will all be volunteers, working individually or
through local COPA Flights. COPA members will provide their time and aircraft.
There will be no payment of any kind for fuel or other costs. NCC members will
not fly on COPA member’s aircraft, instead pilots will visually monitor the
pre-briefed areas and also may be asked to take photographs on occasion. NCC
will pay for film and developing when photos are requested. In most cases COPA
members will simply make a report back directly to the local NCC manager on the
status of the property whenever it is observed.
It is anticipated that COPA members will not fly “dedicated” NCC flights but
will just check on NCC properties during the course of routine local and
cross-country flights. Because NCC members will not be flying with COPA members
there are no restrictions on the types of aircraft that can be flown on these
trips - certified airplanes, helicopters, gyrocopters, amateurbuilts,
ultralights and many other types will all work well for observation and
photography.
Individual COPA members and COPA Flights in Ontario and Manitoba that are
interested in participating in the COPA/NCC program should contact Adam Hunt at
COPA. Once the program is up and running, the flying patrols will be coordinated
through the NCC regional offices.
More Background on NCC
For more than 40 years, the Nature Conservancy of Canada has been working to
protect Canada’s most threatened natural habitats and the endangered species
that call them home.
NCC is Canada’s only national charity dedicated to preserving ecologically
significant areas through outright purchase, donations and conservation
easements.
Their plan of action is partnership building and creative deal-making with any
individual, corporation, community group, conservation group or government body
that shares our passion.
The results: Since 1962 they have secured a long-term future for more than 1,200
properties, comprising 1.73 million acres of magnificent woodlands and
seashores, internationally significant wetlands, threatened prairies, and a host
of other precious natural places. And in the process, they’ve won the confidence
of Canadians who want to protect their natural heritage for generations to come.
NCC Values
The Earth’s biological diversity is being lost at a rate that impoverishes our
quality of life and threatens our future. NCC’s work is guided by the belief
that our society will be judged by what it creates in the present and what it
conserves for the future. Wherever NCC works across Canada, it shares and
applies values that reflect this philosophy.
They are guided by the best available conservation science.
They work in a non-confrontational manner.
They manage lands and waters for their intrinsic, natural values.
They respect and promote nature’s own processes of growth, succession and
interaction.
They recognize the need to create avenues for people to sustain themselves and
live productively while conserving biological diversity.
Working in Your Backyard
NCC protects plants, animals and natural communities by safeguarding the land
and waters they need to survive. NCC’s first priority is to protect regions
where the human footprint is the heaviest - largely within 200 miles north of
the Canada-U.S. border.
Fostering Partnerships
Rather than resorting to protest and confrontation to achieve their goals, NCC
quietly collaborates with all key players to devise win-win solutions that
benefit the environment.
Using the Best Conservation Science
NCC works with a cross-country network of volunteer scientific advisors to
identify spaces and set priorities in order to secure the long-term survival of
viable natural species and ecosystems.
Keeping the Land Safe Forever
NCC’s job does not end when an endangered property is secured. They ensure the
sound, permanent stewardship of the land as a permanent nature preserve. NCC is
currently the largest private steward of lands conserving species at risk in
Canada.
For more information on the Nature Conservancy of Canada visit their Web site at
www.natureconservancy.ca.
To participate in the COPA/NCC program as a volunteer pilot contact Adam Hunt at
COPA, ahunt@copanational.org.