March Event

Hello NWPS Volunteers,

I cannot believe today is March 1st for two reasons, one because it is snowing outside our office in downtown Vancouver right now and secondly because it seems like January 1 was just last week. February went by too quickly.

We have a busy month ahead of us and are looking forward to the many events we are hosting this month and throughout the spring. Below I have written about a number of volunteer opportunities and I have also included a job posting, special event reminder and some information on the "Wild Gift" Grant for youth. Please feel free to contact me if you require further information about anything listed below.

Cheers,
Becky

NWPS Events

1) Salmon Nature Walk & Workshop
When: March 6, 8:30am to 2:30pm
Where: Capilano River
Volunteers needed to help with activities and supervision

2)Owls Nature Walk & Workshop
When: March 9, 8:30am to 3pm
Where: Burnaby Lake
Volunteers needed to help with activities and supervision

3) Salmon Nature Walk & Workshop
When: March 15, 8:30am to 3:00pm
Where: Capilano River
Volunteers needed to help with activities and supervision

4) Nature Walk & Workshop
When: March 29, 8:00am to 3:00pm
Where: TBA
Volunteers needed to help with activities and supervision

5) Green Ribbon Campaign
We are looking for volunteers to help out with our Earth Day awareness campaign which runs during the month of April.
During March 27 and 28, volunteers are welcome to come by the NWPS offices to assist with preparations for the campaign. Please let me know if you will be stopping by.

We are also looking for individuals who are willing to deliver our coin donation boxes to locations within the Lower Mainland. Boxes can be delivered on your own time on March 30, 31 and April 1. Please let me know if you are interested in helping out with this and I can choose locations that will be most convenient for you to deliver to.

6) Office Administration
We are looking to have an individual who in able to come down to the office once a week or once every other week for a few hours to help us with mail-outs and writing tax receipts for our donars. March is a busy month for us and we would welcome some assistance in the office.


Other stuff

7) APPLY FOR A WILD GIFT GRANT

$15,000 Grant for Environmental Advocates, aged 21 to 30 worldwide
http://www.wildgift.org

Applications are now open for the Wild Gift, a program
that grants up to $15,000 to youth-led year-long projects
that benefit people and nature.

The Wild Gift provides grants ranging from $10,000 to
$15,000 to leaders who wish to embark on a self-designed
year long project to protect nature or promote sustainability.
The program is open to young leaders aged 21 to 30
worldwide and is provided at no cost to the recipient.

"Do you want to serve your fellow human beings and
protect the earth? Do you have a great idea you wish to
realize? And are you ready to make that dream a reality
today? If so, then Wild Gift wants to honor your
commitment to make a difference," said Wild Gift founder,
Bob Jonas.

Past leader-designed projects that the Wild Gift has
supported include a documentary film on community
farms, a nature writing program for urban youth in southern
California, and the founding of a solar construction
company that provides green technology to development
projects in Ladakh, India.

The Wild Gift program consists of four parts: mentoring to
help refine leader-designed projects, a 20-day wilderness
trek, a year's support to ensure the project's success, and a
seven-day trek after one year to share project results and
strategize for continued achievement.

Please visit Wild Gift on the web at
http://www.wildgift.org for more information and to
download an application. Applications are due on
April 1, 2007.

Wild Gift is a five-year-old nonprofit organization based
out of Sun Valley, Idaho.

8)Executive Director Position at BEST

Brief backgrounder:

BEST (Better Environmentally Sound Transportation) is the leading voice for sustainable transportation in Western Canada and is seeking a visionary to lead this non-profit organization to the next level of success. Founded in 1991, BEST has become the Greater Vancouver voice on sustainable transportation. Our vision to create healthy, liveable communities built around cycling, walking and public transit.

The preferred candidate will have a postgraduate degree in a related field or equivalent combination of experience and be a team player who can build consensus. The candidate should also have a proven track record of attracting funding, creating tactical positions on political issues and networking with stakeholders. The ideal person will be dynamic, innovative, media savvy and committed to the environment and sustainable transportation.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will be responsible for:

- Building relationships across a broad stakeholders including Board, staff, donors, media, government and collaborating organizations.
- Effectively managing the finances and administration of the organization;
- Being the public face and spokesperson for BEST
- Reviewing all communication materials significant to the organization including press releases, position papers and fundraising materials;
- Providing leadership and mentorship to a core of dedicated staff.

While experience in transportation issues and planning would be an asset, experience in forwarding and raising support for non-profit initiatives is more essential.

This is a full time position based in Vancouver, BC. Compensation will be at competitive NGO rate, commensurate with experience. Attractive benefits package. Please forward your application by e-mail to: edhiring@best.bc.ca, and additional information on BEST can be viewed at www.best.bc.ca . No phone calls please.

We thank all applicants for their interest, but only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Deadline for application is March 19, 2007.
9) Seal Hunt Protest - MEDIA EVENT
Date: Thursday, March 15
Location: Vancouver Art Gallery (Robson & Hornby)
Time: 11:45 am

Please get the day off work/school!! As Canadians it is very important that we stand up against our own government for subsidizing the world's biggest wildlife slaughter. The entire world is shaking its head at us because of this extremely shameful ritual.


Activists must dress in all black for this protest. We will meet at 11:45a.m. right outside the Art Gallery (on the Robson St side). We will depart the Art Gallery in a funeral procession. Activists will each pick up a coffin and walk in single file. We will cross much of downtown during lunch hour so it is important that we have a lot of people to make a long procession. We will eventually end up in front of the DFO (department of fisheries and oceans) and deliver the coffins to their door. If you have children who will not be at school that day, please bring them along too. We need children dressed in black to lay flowers on the coffins in front of the DFO. It will draw a lot of media attention if we can get the children. Please let me know if you are able to attend.


For more info about the seal hunt, please visit www.protectseals.org


Becky Phillips
Education & Communications Coordinator
Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society
e: bphillips@northwestwildlife.com
p: 604-713-6686