The Nature Trust of BC was very pleased to receive $3,000 from the Barnet Rifle Club to help support our Conservation Youth Crews. The crews provide an opportunity for young people to learn about conservation while restoring habitat, monitoring wildlife, removing invasive plants and educating the community.
In addition to this gift, the Barnet Rifle Club donated $5,000 to acquire land along the Salmon River on Vancouver Island and $7,000 to support land management of the Little-Levin Lake property north of Fort St. John.
The Barnet Rifle Club ran a target range in Burnaby for over 50 years. Many people learned how to safely operate and shoot a rifle or handgun at this range; at its peak the club had over 1,000 members. The club is a member of BC Wildlife Federation whose members are strong conservationists. In 1998, the City of Burnaby did not renew the club’s lease so the range was shut down. The remaining club members are now winding up their financial affairs with special legacy gifts.
“Barnet Rifle Club members are proud to contribute to The Nature Trust of BC. Being hunters, we have long recognized the importance of conserving habitat for wildlife. In little more than a century, the human population of BC has swollen from under 5,000 to over 4 million. Despite this impressive growth, numerous wildlife species have thrived thanks largely to the efforts of BC hunters and conservationists,” said Gary Mauser, President of the Barnet Rifle Club.
“The Nature Trust of BC is honoured to receive these donations from the Barnet Rifle Club,” said CEO Jasper Lament. “The members are providing a legacy for the future by supporting a new conservation property, helping with land management on another, and inspiring the next generation.”