Loon Feeding Time

IBA Caretaker Network

In 2007, birders and naturalists from across BC initiated a province-wide Caretaker Network. Volunteer Caretakers are the eyes, ears, and hands on the ground at Important Bird & Biodiversity Areas. They monitor birds, assess habitats, and conduct outreach and conservation activities within IBAs.

» View a list of IBAs and their Caretakers in BC

IBA logoThe BC Caretaker Network was the first such network in Canada and was modeled after networks of volunteers and site support groups elsewhere in the world, from Denmark to Cambodia, and Tanzania to Mexico. With support from Nature Canada and Bird Studies Canada, all other provinces in Canada have now initiated caretaker networks of their own.

Get Involved!

Learn about the activities and roles of Caretakers by reading the Canadian IBA Caretaker Manual. You can get involved by helping an existing Caretaker, or by becoming a Caretaker for a site that still needs a Caretaker. For more information, contact the IBA Caretaker Coordinator at iba@bcnature.ca.

Join the BC IBA Caretaker Network and receive our regular eNews, use sign up form to the right.

Annual Reports

One of the responsibilities of an IBA Caretaker is to submit an annual report to the BC IBA Coordinator. This annual report should document key changes in the state of the IBA (bird use, habitat, land use) as well as changes in conservation threats and conservation action. Caretakers are encouraged to submit their observations by email to iba@bcnature.ca using the Annual Report Form (see below) by January 31st of the following year; however, reports in other formats or reports submitted after January 31st are also appreciated and accepted.

Resources

  • IBA Bird Data Spreadsheet (Excel)                     Instructions (PDF)
  • IBA Habitat Form (PDF) (Word)                           Instructions (PDF) (Word)
  • IBA Land Use Form (PDF) (Word)                        Instructions (PDF) (Word)
  • IBA Threats Form (PDF) (Word)                           Instructions (PDF) (Word)
  • IBA Conservation Activities (PDF) (Word)          Instructions (PDF(Word)
  • IBA Conservation Opportunities (PDF) (Word)      
    Instructions (PDF(Word)