Our vision

Our vision is to support social-ecological sustainability that considers not only nature but also the people who rely on it. 

With a focus on working actively with Indigenous governments, we will contribute high-quality data from applied scientific research to inform decision-making.

The Raincoast Applied Conservation Science Lab (RACSL) will be an active participant in empowering evidence-based decision-making for environmental policy by all governments.  

Central to these outcomes is training and supporting the next generation of applied conservation scientists.

Our mission

To develop applied conservation scholars and practitioners whose research informs and empowers environmental managers to make informed decisions based on evidence.

Details and operating principles

Decision-makers, including members of the public, require relevant, reliable, timely and understandable information to address environmental problems and opportunities.

Strong evidence is derived from scientific research, which must survive the rigour of peer-review.

Applied scholars can not only produce scholarship but also communicate information to support environmental management decisions.

Seeking, generating, and receiving evidence cannot be separated from the value systems of those involved.

Therefore, in all our work we strive to:

1. Acknowledge and apply our core values as applied to our lab (honesty, team-orientation, equity and diversity, hard work) and beyond (conservation, social justice, Indigenous rights, animal welfare, and informed advocacy).
2. Work with diverse partners & knowledge systems in a decolonizing framework, especially via collaboration with Indigenous Nations and their members.
3. Develop and implement creative, targeted, and collaborative research connections.
4. Maintain and nurture long-term relationships with partners via open dialogue, and mutually-beneficial, productive collaborations.
5. Ensure the rigour of our research (and the authority of applied information) by exposing our work to peer-review.
6. Communicate new knowledge clearly, compellingly, and broadly, beyond the world of academia.

Mandate

Although our scholarly work makes global impact, our applied research will continue to focus on coastal British Columbia.  We will extend our productive and authentic research relationships with Indigenous governments and other decision-makers.  Our programs will extend and expand over a long period to ensure foundational data integrity, and be applied across a variety of wildlife, fish and forest resources that have high cultural and economic importance. We will continue to address not only conservation problems but also opportunities, so that nature and people can thrive together.