Community Science

Initiatives
Initiatives
- Parks Bank
  Supporting the purchase of private lands important to communities, wildlife, and climate mitigation.
- Healthy by Nature
  Boosting Canadians’ health and learning in conjunction with doctors, health care professionals, and educators across Canada.
- Discover Parks
  Adding outdoor recreational experiences and facilities so that everyone can enjoy parks safely and responsibly.
- Community Science
  Empowering British Columbians and visitors with accessible tools to contribute to a living picture of the animals, plants and other elements that sustain life.
- Spark Grants
  Supporting volunteers, youth, entrepreneurs and new Canadians to maintain, improve and experience parks.
- 30x30
  Working with First Nations, local communities, and people like you to protect what matters most.
Explore all of our initiatives and join us in areas most meaningful to you.
View all initiatives
Participate
Participate
- Donate
  Keep parks thriving.
- Shop
  Wear your love for parks.
- Subscribe and Follow
  Stay connected to parks.
- Become a Partner
  Create lasting impact.
- Volunteer
  Give back in nature.
- Join Us
  Help shape the future of parks.
There are many ways to help, each offering a unique opportunity to contribute and make a difference.
Start Overview
Partners
Updates
About
About

Overview

Put your curiosity to work for nature

Every bird you spot, every track you notice, every plant you record can help shape the future of BC’s parks and protected places.

Community science makes conservation accessible to everyone. By sharing the observations you’re already making—whether through a photo, a field note, or a camera trap—you’re contributing real data that supports species protection, habitat restoration, and informed decision-making.

BC Parks Foundation’s Community Science programs invite people across the province to join in, using simple tools and everyday curiosity to build a living picture of BC’s biodiversity. Each observation adds to long-term stewardship of the places we all care about.

Goals & Objectives

Community Science focuses on four key goals that guide our efforts to monitor, understand, and protect BC’s biodiversity while building a culture of shared stewardship.

Build a living inventory of BC’s biodiversity

Engage community scientists, First Nations, and practitioners to gather observations that create a long-term knowledge base for improved conservation decisions.

Identify and protect areas of high ecological value

Use community science data to highlight critical habitats and biodiversity hotspots, helping guide land protection and stewardship priorities across the province.

Integrate diverse knowledge systems

Promote “Two-Eyed Seeing” by weaving together Indigenous knowledge, community observation, and western science as the foundation of conservation action.

Empower communities to steward nature

Provide training, tools, and partnerships that enable First Nations, local groups, and individuals to monitor, analyze, and care for protected areas—building capacity and inspiring a collective responsibility for BC’s natural heritage.

Initiative Highlights

1M+

iNaturalist observations in provincial parks.

A family of bears perched on a rock look towards the camera

A bear pokes his snout right into the lens of the camera

A closeup shot of bright pink and red flora

A shot from the ground, looking up towards large old growth trees

Want to Get Involved?

Whether it’s a bird on your balcony or a wildflower on the trail, uploading your sightings to iNaturalist can turn your everyday observations into data for biodiversity research.

Identify Species

Protect Now

Read Tori's Story

“I was thrilled when I found out it was likely new to science. It's like discovering a hidden treasure, but even more valuable—because it’s alive, and part of our natural world.”

When Tori Miller uploaded a photo of an unusual arthropod from the South Okanagan Grasslands, she didn’t expect it to be flagged as potentially new to science. Her discovery is just one of over one million observations recorded in BC’s parks through iNaturalist, a milestone reached thanks to more than 13,000 contributors.

These records have revealed new populations of endangered species, first sightings for BC and Canada, and even species previously unknown to science. Each photo, note, and observation adds to a growing body of knowledge, helping scientists, Indigenous partners, and communities better understand and protect BC’s biodiversity.