About WBT

The Wild Bird Trust of British Columbia (WBT) is a non-profit society that manages the Conservation Area at Maplewood Flats in North Vancouver. This land is situated within the traditional and unceded territory of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation.

Our mission is to provide wild birds with sanctuary through ecological protection and restoration, and support communities with education, culture, and reconciliation programs.

Pacific Great Blue Heron flight across pond. Photo by Rob Alexander

Redress

Maplewood Flats Conservation Area is situated within the traditional and unceded territory of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN). Adjacent to Maplewood Flats is the TWN community and village site, as well as resource harvesting sites located on the mudflats such as an ancient fish weir. The mudflats provided food security for the TWN and were managed for fish, shellfish, waterfowl, and other resources.

This richness of historic and current TWN presence and cultural practices is little known in the broader community. The WBT is working to reflect and acknowledge TWN culture and to collaboratively develop opportunities for TWN members to participate in the stewardship of Maplewood Flats.

Osprey by Jordan Gallie (Tsleil-Waututh)

Since Maplewood Flats was designated as a Conservation Area in 1993, the site has been managed by the Wild Bird Trust (WBT), a non-profit charitable organization.The establishment of the Conservation Area protected the land from development and preserving it for bird and wildlife use, but may have furthered the exclusion of the Tsleil-Waututh community. In 2017, the WBT Board of Directors determined the need for the development of a long term management plan to address reconciliation with the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and to focus on emerging ecological issues at the site. This will be reflected in the Habitat and Cultural Use Plan for the site, which we are in the process of developing.

Wild Bird Trust Statement on Reconciliation
Motion adopted by the WBT Board of Directors

Board of Directors

Irwin Oostindie

President

president@wildbirdtrust.org

Jude Grass

vice president

Paul Hundal

Secretary

policy@wildbirdtrust.org

Gayle Robinson

Treasurer

finance@wildbirdtrust.org

Donna Clark

director-at-large (programs)

programs@wildbirdtrust.org

Tamiko Suzuki

director-at-large (Volunteers)

volunteer@wildbirdtrust.org

Dan Straker

director-at-large

Kevin M. Bell

director-at-large

Carleen Thomas

director-at-large (Liaison with Tsleil-waututh)

Staff

Ernie Kennedy

Conservation Area Manager

sitemanager@wildbirdtrust.org

Elsie Webb

Administrator

admin@wildbirdtrust.org

Lianne Payne

Executive Director

ed@wildbirdtrust.org

Other Contacts

Membership Inquiries

membership@wildbirdtrust.org

Habitat & Cultural Use Plan

Chloe Hartley

Habitat Committee Chair

habitat@wildbirdtrust.org

Rentals

rentals@wildbirdtrust.org
Venue Booking Information