The green headings are links to organizations we know and trust.

That vessel is the Queen of Capilano, the car ferry that is Bowen Island's link to the mainland.

Marmot
Recovery
Foundation

The Marmot Recovery Foundation (MRF) is leading the efforts to save the Vancouver Island marmot from extinction. This is Canada's most endangered species. Please learn about the marmot, and support this cause. For over a year, during 1999 and 2000, Robert Ballantyne's assignment was Interim CEO of the MRF. Our team assembled the partners and funding to construct the breeding facility. In the fall of 2001 the high altitude facility was completed on Mt. Washington and the first five marmot arrived. They seemed to recognize this as home and began their hibernation within the first week. Many thanks to all of the supporters!

By the end of the summer of 2000 only 38 marmots were left in the wild according to the observations of the MRF Field Crew. There were 36 marmots in captivity. These 74 animals were all that remained of this species. The good news is that since that time, the population has been steadily increasing due to the efforts of the MRF and its partners. The job is far from complete. This is a made-in-Canada environmental situation. Please go to the MRF site and support this program.

Soma
Television

Soma TV is Deepak Sahasrabudhe and Susan Millar. With their team of talented filmmakers, they have produced a variety of award winning television series. At any one time, several of their series are appearing somewhere around the world. Their latest aventure is to bring the entire 65 episode series on how to care for your dog to the Internet at Good Dog Zone. Soma won an award for the program created for our Marmot Foundation. And we love Nature Walk.

Ian C.
McLennan

Currently, most of our work with themed attractions and planetariums is performed in association with Ian C. McLennan. A click on this link will take you to Ian's web site -- it is worth a visit. The scope and number of Ian's projects is impressive. Ian is a Past President of the Themed Attraction Association BC (link to TAA below).

BC Spaces
For Nature

BC Spaces for Nature is working to protect British Columbia's natural heritage. As Ric Careless says, "We are doing it for the children [future generations]" Robert Ballantyne is a current member of the board.

WildED

The Wilderness Education Program (WildED) is now a program of BC Spaces for Nature. It provides experiential, engaging, indoor-outdoor, school-based programs that take a unique hands-on approach to wilderness education to encourage the active exploration of BCÕs remarkable wilderness. WildED is a legacy program of BC's best-known explorer/wilderness educator, the late John Clarke (Order of Canada). Robert provided some volunteer services to ensure that this program would continue as we learned that we would loose John.

Nature
Canada

Robert Ballantyne served on the board of the Canadian Nature Federation from 1989 to 1998, and as president from 1993 to 1996. (Since that time, the name has been changed to Nature Canada.) Follow this link to explore their works. Please consider becoming a member and support the many worthy works of this great Canadian environmental organization.

Whitehorse
Mining
Initiative

The Whitehorse Mining Initiative (WMI) was a Federal/Provincial program, which involved the Canadian Mines Ministers, and representatives from: First Nations, mining executives, environmental groups, and unions. It concluded with an Accord. Robert Ballantyne negotiated and signed the Accord on behalf of the Canadian Nature Federation (now Nature Canada). Click the heading to the left for the Natural Resources Canada site for more information, including the Accord and PDF files of the WMI reports.

The Themed
Attraction
Association
of Canada

During Expo 86, many businesses in Vancouver developed skills related to themed attractions. These organization are now providing services around the world. They founded the The Themed Attraction Association of Canada which promotes this region as a centre of excellence and provides networking opportunities for its members. Robert Ballantyne served for two terms on the TAA Board. Here is information about and links to the web sites of the TAA members.

Carver
Governance
Design

In the summer of 1998 Robert Ballantyne visited Atlanta to study Policy Governance with the authors, John and Miriam Carver. Their site is Carver Governance Design. Ballantyne & Associates operates its own web site for our governance practice. Please click here for more information.

The Link
To the Local
Backcountry
is more than
a click away.

© 1998 Photo by Morgan Ballantyne. This is a view of the Squamish River, British Columbia, CANADA. It was taken from High Falls Creek hike on August 3, 1998.

The high ice and rock in the background is the ridge that runs North and East from Icecap Peak in the icefields between the Ashlu and Elaho Rivers. Those summits are just over 7,000 feet. The elevation of the Squamish River below is only 300 feet above sea level.

The Squamish valley is the beginning of a true fjord, called Howe Sound. The Sound begins at the nearby port town of Squamish. At the mouth of Howe Sound is my home, Bowen Island. We were just below 2000 feet when I took this picture.

And that is my dad, Robert. Click on his red hat to see him bigger.