Cowichan Community Land Trust Society

The Cowichan Land Trust is a non-profit society located in Duncan, British Columbia. It is a registered charity in Canada and is entitled to hold conservation covenants in British Columbia. It was founded in 1995 by a group of concerned citizens who wished to help landowners find alternatives to the degradation of natural areas and wildlife habitat.

Purpose

The Cowichan Community Land Trust is committed to conserving, protecting, and enhancing the quality of the human and natural environment in and near the Cowichan Valley Regional District, British Columbia, Canada.

Mission

We help to take care of the land and water in the Cowichan Valley for the benefit of all life now and in the future. We do this by acquiring land, entering into conservation agreements, and by providing education and support to individuals and other groups who are caring for the land.

Board of Directors

Stephanie Cottell, Executive Director

MSc Education for Sustainability

Steph is a curious life-long learner passionate about ecological (including social and cultural) conservation and restoration, and exploring a holistic approach to living systems that benefits the wellbeing of Earth and all Earth’s inhabitants. She is a grateful tender of the land and waters.

Kelly Loch, Vice President ​

Kelly first joined the Land Trust in April 2019. Previously a Forester with BC Provincial Government, Kelly now works as the Projects Coordinator with the Stewardship Centre for BC. Kelly is motivated to be part of the Cowichan Land Trust because she wants to contribute to the protection of the environmental values that make the Cowichan so special.

Roger Wiles, Treasurer ​

Roger has an affinity for and fascination with forests. He has lived and worked in the forests of BC and New Zealand. A geographer by degree, his working career has spanned forest land inventory appraisal to the day-to-day management of a forested university research station. As a sawmill engineer, he witnessed wood utilization up close. Recreationally and spiritually he is a lifelong practitioner of "forest bathing."

As a community volunteer, Roger was a member of the CVRD’s Regional Parks and Trails Master Plan Advisory Committee, the CVRD’s Environment Commission, and now lends a hand with the restoration and maintenance of Nature Conservancy of Canada lands.  

Born on Vancouver Island, Roger has lived and worked in the Cowichan Valley for forty years. Native forest ecosystem recovery and sustainability focus his attention and heighten his appreciation for this place. "It is up to us to restore and revere our life support system. We are the stewards and trustees of this land."

Eve Savory, Director

I was born in Duncan, living with my parents on the property my widowed grandmother had bought in 1920 and turned into a seed farm. I grew up with a cornfield outside the door, salmon in the creek and eagles overhead. When I left the Island for a career in broadcasting, stories about agriculture and about nature followed. And they were often stories of peril, of climate change and drought and habitat loss and more. The Cowichan Valley still has precious space for nature and for sustainable agriculture, but the threat to both is present and growing. The Cowichan Community Land Trust’s mission is to help the whole community conserve land and water, so wilderness and local food can survive and thrive.

Bruce Coates, Secretary

Bruce Coates completed most of a liberal arts degree while working in the bush during the summers. Realizing his appreciation of the summer work, he then switched into the Sciences and completed B.Sc. in Geology in 1986. As working life wound down, Bruce and Adèle moved to the Cowichan Valley in 2016. Upon arrival, Bruce jumped into about 13 Clubs and Societies, volunteering in a variety of different roles, but especially with the Cowichan Valley Naturalists’ Society and Cowichan Community Land Trust (since 2020). Bruce continues to be inspired by the memory of John Scull who made so many contributions to conservation and the awareness of nature in the Valley over the past decades.

Pete Keber, President

Pete started his career with IBM debugging mainframe software. In 1989 when Pete moved to Vancouver Island from Oakville, Ontario he became one of the first long distance remote workers. He has always been interested in environmental issues. As a director with the BC Chamber of Commerce for 5 years he participated in policy proposals. He served for 7 years on the CVRD Environment Commission and 3 years on the CVRD Agricultural Advisory Commission. His work with BC Assessment familiarized him with the whole Cowichan region. Pete joined the board of Cowichan Community Land Trust in 2020.

What is a Land Trust?

Land Trusts (also called conservancies) are non-profit charitable societies that operate for the benefit of all living things, and are dedicated to the conservation, protection and management of our natural and cultural heritage. The conservation of privately owned land is done through public education programs, cooperative landowner contact and stewardship programs, holding conservation covenants, land purchases and donations.
Land Trusts rely on community support through volunteers, memberships, and donations. For more information about land trusts, visit www.landtrustalliance.bc.ca.

Governing Documents

Get In Touch
Donate
Scroll to Top