We were founded in Nanaimo, BC, in 1990 by a group of passionate citizens united by a concern for the Salish Sea, the wildlife it sustains, and the coastal communities we call home. Our vision is a Salish Sea teeming with life, where thriving and just communities live in balance with the environment.
Rooted in environmental justice and community action, we continue to uphold that legacy through bold, effective initiatives that address the diverse challenges facing the Salish Sea.
Our mission is to mobilize and support collective action to protect the Salish Sea region.
We do this through advocacy, outreach and education, legal action, policy change, and—most importantly—being active on the ground in communities to mobilize around our most pressing environmental and community needs.
Our Approach
In using a variety of mechanisms to fight for critically endangered species, more robust legal precedents and protections, stronger policies and governance mechanisms, and Indigenous-led conservation, we champion people-powered advocacy; deep community engagement; strategic interventions in media, policy, and the courts; and, above all else, building alliances toward justice and liberation.
We know that just and equitable solutions to biodiversity loss, climate change, and nature-based solutions must also require just and equitable solutions to colonialism, inequality, and social injustice. Building resilient communities in the face of rising tides, food insecurity, unabated resource extraction, and increasingly inhospitable habitats is essential to the work we do at Georgia Strait Alliance.
We help connect the good work being done every day by people and organizations around the Salish Sea to advance community-led, collaborative solutions to the region’s biggest challenges.
Our work is informed by three pillars:
- Community Power: Build and activate community power through relationship and capacity building
- Systems transformation: Foster systems transformation by advocating for community-led initiatives
- People and Place: Connecting people with the Salish Sea ecosystem through engagement and awareness
Our team
The impact we have as an organization relies on the talents, passion, creativity, lived experiences and commitment of our staff and volunteers.
Our commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Georgia Strait Alliance is committed to embedding its work in principles of justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism and decolonization, and ensuring that how we meet our mission is inclusive of all communities and people who live in this region.
