The Community Bat Programs of British Columbia carry out their work across the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the many First Nations and Indigenous Peoples of what is now called British Columbia. We are grateful to live, work, and care for bats on these lands and waters, which Indigenous Peoples have stewarded since time immemorial.
Bats do not recognize the borders we draw. The caves, forests, wetlands, and night skies they depend on have been known, named, and protected by Indigenous communities for countless generations. The health of bats is bound up with the health of these lands — and with the knowledge and relationships that have kept them thriving.
We recognize the enduring connection of Indigenous Peoples to their territories, and the ongoing impacts of colonialism on those relationships. Our regional programs operate on distinct territories across the province, and we are committed to learning the names and histories of the lands where we work, and to acknowledging them with specificity and respect.
Much of our conservation work is carried out in partnership with Indigenous governments and First Nations. We are committed to respectful collaboration, to listening, and to supporting Indigenous leadership in the care of the lands, waters, and wildlife we share. We offer this acknowledgement not as a conclusion, but as part of an ongoing commitment to reconciliation and to being good relations on this land.
We encourage everyone who reads this to learn whose territory they live on. A helpful starting point is Native Land Digital — and we welcome you to connect with the Nations in your region directly.