About
The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) is Canada’s only charity dedicated to the protection of public land, freshwater and ocean with a strong national and regional presence across the country. Working in a way that respects the sovereignty and leadership of Indigenous nations, we are focused on conserving nature to respond to the dual crises of accelerated biodiversity loss and climate change.
Conservation across Canada
- CPAWS is comprised of 13 community-based offices from Yukon to Newfoundland, and a national office located in Ottawa.
Protecting our public land and water
- CPAWS works exclusively on public land and ocean, which makes up 90% of our terrestrial territory and 100% of our ocean.
Safeguarding the integrity of our parks
- We help establish new parks and protected areas, and act as a watchdog to ensure existing ones are managed to protect the nature within them.
Working together for a healthier tomorrow
- We work collaboratively with all levels of government, Indigenous communities, industry, and other environmental groups to develop innovative conservation solutions.
Improving the management of our lands and water
- We work to advance conservation actions to protect species at risk and their habitat across Canada, and promote the use of nature-based climate solutions that benefit biodiversity and reduce climate change impacts.
50+ years of wilderness protection
- Founded in 1963, CPAWS has been helping to create new parks and protected areas on land and in the ocean for almost 60 years.
Our Impact
CPAWS advocates for the effective, long-term protection of ecologically- and culturally-significant land, freshwater and ocean areas in Canada. Working in a way that respects the sovereignty and leadership of Indigenous nations, we achieve our mission through knowledge-based advocacy, and public education and engagement, underpinned by collaboration and partnership.
Our vision is to permanently protect at least half of land, freshwater, and ocean in Canada to sustain nature and people for current and future generations. With almost 60 years of success, we are Canada’s leader in conservation and have played a lead role in protecting over half a million square kilometres – an area bigger than the entire Yukon Territory!
Annual Impact Report
Financial Statements
CPAWS works hard to maximize the proportion of revenue spent on our wilderness work. Our goal is a sustainable financial foundation for our conservation efforts, and sustained protection of Canada’s wilderness.
Each year, our 13 chapters and the national office devote over 70 per cent of its budget to conservation and education, spending less than 15 per cent on fundraising costs.
