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:
Ocean Life
Community Within Coastal Science
If you’ve been down the Miners Bay pier this past summer, you might have noticed an unusual piece of equipment tied to the near end of the long dock: a white bucket, bobbing in the ferry wake, with a large water jug visible below the surface of the waves. Maybe Read more…
Mayne Wildlife
Nereocystis – You Rock
Never underestimate bull kelp. At this point in the year, you may see bull kelp in the intertidal zone looking more like organic sludge than the epic growing algae of the Pacific. What is witnessed in the winter washed up on beaches, its stalk wound round itself in lifeless knots, Read more…
Eelgrass Monitoring
Eelgrass Monitoring Update 2023
Being underwater during our annual eelgrass monitoring surveys is one of my favorite parts of my job as a biologist with the Mayne Island Conservancy. The nearshore marine environment is rich in energy and nutrients, so everywhere you look is teeming with life, nowhere more so than amongst the waving Read more…
Mayne Wildlife
Ocean’s Day Intertidal Exploration a Success!
Did you know the Ocean’s Day Intertidal Exploration has been running since 1995? Begun by Michael Dunn and the Mayne Island Naturalists, this annual event has seen a variety of different incarnations, at a variety of different beaches around the island. Held on, or close to, Ocean’s Day or World Read more…
Beach Cleanup
Annual Beach Cleanup Results for 2023
Thank You to All Cleanup Volunteers! A hearty thank you to all beach captains, cleanup teams, recycling depot volunteers, and supporting businesses who helped make the 2023 beach cleanup a success. Even mother nature helped out, giving us a break from the rain just in time for the cleanup start Read more…
Beach Cleanup
Community Beach Cleanups Given a New Lease on Life
These days it seems like you can’t visit the beach or take a walk along the shoreline without spotting refuse of some kind: plastic bags, old shoes, rope, an increasing amount of single-use face masks, and Styrofoam, Styrofoam, Styrofoam everywhere! Cleaning up beach plastics can sometimes feel like a hopeless Read more…
Birds
Good Birding had by All
2022 Christmas Bird Count There are many factors (weather, temperature, visibility, number of counters, food supply, suitable habitats, etc.) that influence the outcomes of the annual Christmas Bird Counts (CBC). Either singly or in combination, they can cause great variations within count areas, between adjacent count areas and the whole Read more…
Eelgrass Monitoring
Mayne Eelgrass Declines by 41 Percent
2022 marked the 13th year of eelgrass monitoring by the Mayne Island Conservancy. One year ago, in December of 2021, we reported a shocking decrease of 26% in the area covered by eelgrass since 2009. Through the spring and summer of 2022 our staff selected nine eelgrass beds to monitor, Read more…
Kelp Bed Monitoring
Bull Kelp Monitoring 2022: A Collaborative Effort
The water is like a dark flat mirror, and I can almost feel the first rays of the sun waiting to dash over the horizon. For now, the bright light of day has yet to disturb the quiet of the pre-dawn. My kayak lies before me, straddling the ocean’s edge Read more…
Caring for the Land
Edith Point Preserved Forever!
The Mayne Island Conservancy is pleased to have participated in the purchase of Edith Point, and in ensuring that it is protected forever! The Graves family, who owned the point for almost three decades, consulted with Michael Dunn, Executive Director of the Conservancy, over a number of years, discussing options Read more…