The mission of the Mayne Island Conservancy is to work with the community to conserve the ecology of Mayne Island and its surrounding waters for future generations. In order to achieve this we engage in a variety of community and ecologically oriented initiatives, made possible through the support of volunteers and donors like yourself as well as grants from foundations and government agencies.
Our critical Shoreline Care programme is celebrating its 10th year. This program began with a generous grant from VanCity and has become an important and ongoing project. However, as an ongoing project, it is very difficult to access further funding.
Won't you help us conserve Mayne Island's shorelines forever?
Here's what your donation can help us achieve.
Popular Education Programs
Help fund exciting public programming of guest speakers, films, workshops on topics such as ethical harvesting of nearshore edibles; marine ecosystems of the Salish Sea; the effects of beach detritus on marine life; interpretive shoreline walks; shorebird identification and behaviours
Anchor Out Program
Help us expand our existing “Anchor Out” program to educate boaters about the destructive effects of anchoring in sensitive eelgrass beds that are so important for Mayne Island's marine health
Critical Mapping and Monitoring
Donate to help us continue the annual mapping and monitoring of eelgrass and kelp beds around Mayne Island providing important baseline data for detecting change in these economically and ecologically important habitats
Reaching School Children
Your donation will help us develop a program that provides opportunities for Mayne Island and off-island school groups and others to experience and learn about the care and conservation of shoreline ecosystems
State of Mayne Island
With your help, we can develop and make available cutting-edge public reports, such as the “State of Mayne Island – Marine Ecosystem Health,” for use by other marine communities, graduate students and all levels of government
Shoreline Cleanup
Support us as we expand our annual shoreline cleanup to include a post-summer cleanup, highlighting a marine plastics awareness program for residents and visitors.
Learn More About Our Shores
Articles and features on our shoreline programs:
Beach Cleanup
2022 Beach Cleanup Results
Despite very wet, cool weather, 90 dedicated volunteers participated in the annual Mayne Island Beach cleanup, held on Sunday, May 15th. A big thank you to all the beach cleaners, captains, and depot crew that came out on Sunday, and also thanks to those of you who have picked up Read more…
Mayne Wildlife
Surprise Octopus at Piggott Bay
From the scuttle of shore crabs to the spray of clams, the intertidal zone is always teeming with new and exciting life! We visited Piggott Bay with the Mayne Island School at low tide to see what we could discover, and the beach did not disappoint. After navigating rocky crevices Read more…
Our Shorelines
Let the Surveys Begin! Dungeness Crab Monitoring
New Addition to Miners Bay If you’ve been to the Miners Bay dock in the past couple of weeks, you might have noticed something new in the water. Our light trap has been deployed and will stay floating beside the dock until this September. Not to be confused with a Read more…
Caring for the Land
Shifting Baselines – A Problem of Perception
When confronted with slow-moving, large-scale problems, humans generally have a track record of failing to take reasonable and timely action. This is partly an issue of perception, a failure to recognize the negative changes that have happened or are happening around us. The slower these changes happen, the harder it Read more…
Our Shorelines
New Research Project: Dungeness Light Traps
What has eight legs, two light-tipped claws, and huge cultural, commercial and ecological value on the west coast? Dungeness are a widely loved large crab, known for their sweet, mild taste. In the Hul’qumi’num dictionary, this culturally significant species is noted as the most commonly eaten type of crab for Read more…
Herring Spawn Recovery
Pacific Herring Fisheries
Pacific herring are a small silver forage fish near the base of the food chain that eat plankton, and in turn are eaten by everything from Chinook and Coho salmon to larger fish, birds, whales, and bears. An essential link in the marine food web, they are a critically important Read more…
Beach Cleanup
Derelict Docks
This article provides a description of the ongoing problem of derelict docks, and a record of docks the community has been left to deal with in past years. Derelict docks have been a growing problem in the last few years, and we expect more docks will wash up on our Read more…
Mayne Wildlife
Southern Gulf Islands Whale Sighting Network
Mayne Islanders interested in watching, monitoring, and protecting whales are invited to participate in a citizen-science project. The Southern Gulf Islands Whale Sighting Network is a land-based, volunteer-led organization for monitoring and gathering field data on whale movements and boating infractions around Saturna, Pender and Mayne Islands. Whale sightings are Read more…
Eelgrass Monitoring
Mayne Eelgrass Declines by 26 Percent
Mayne Island eelgrass declined 26% between 2009 and 2021 My most memorable marine experience this past year was snorkeling in the middle of a big ball of herring, a real National Geographic moment. I found if I avoided sudden movements, I could ease myself into the middle of the herring Read more…
Mayne Wildlife
Pinnipeds and Pups
If you can find a rocky place beside the sea, you might spy one of our fin-footed neighbours soaking up the sun. Known collectively as pinnipeds, seals and sea lions are important players in maintaining a diverse and healthy west coast. Local Pinnipeds Globally, there are 33 species of pinnipeds, Read more…