North Coast Review
[This story originally appeared on The North Coast Review, a blog based in Prince Rupert that contains “items of interest to those living on the North Coast of BC.”]
The North Coast Ecology Society (NCEC) has some big plans for 2021, with the local organization looking towards opening up an Ecology Centre in Prince Rupert that will highlight the natural wonders and culture that are found on the North Coast.
They are currently hosting a survey to hear from the public on themes of what they would like to see included in the creation of the centre, which will be a permanent education facility for the community.
The goal that they have for the centre is to create a place to learn to connect with the environment, provide for a new tourism destination and develop the means to activate and revitalize Prince Rupert’s waterfront.
The NCEC Mission statement outlines the focus they have for their work in the Prince Rupert area:
“Operating seasonally (May-Oct), the North Coast Ecology Centre aims to engage a broad audience with a sensory experience that will make a lasting connection between the local environment and conservation.
We hope to generate respect and amazement through interaction, as well as bring the city of Prince Rupert together through shared appreciation. Wherever possible, we will prioritize community engagement and recruitment to enhance local knowledge growth and integration.
Given that the wilderness around us is often difficult to access, we will create an active and inclusive space for local education, as well as the relevant hands-on-activity and experiences that are necessary for stewardship to occur.
The centre will provide the platform for understanding how to care for our many wonderful species and to ensure that we will have access to the ocean’s bounties for many more centuries.”
The plan ahead is to fund the centre through daily admissions, annual memberships, sustainably sourced gift shop sales, program sales, grants and donations.
You can participate in the short survey here.
The organization has created a website that explains their work and already features a wealth of resource material to review.
