Town of Qualicum Beach Joins Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region Roundtable

The Town of Qualicum Beach signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Vancouver Island University (VIU) recently to collaboratively meet the mandate of the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region.

“This is another step in the right direction for the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region, which has been evolving with positive momentum since VIU and the City of Parksville signed an identical agreement just over a year ago,” said Monica Shore, Communications Coordinator.

Accomplishments in the past year include the creation of a research institute at VIU’s Nanaimo campus dedicated to studying the biosphere region (MABRRI), the launch of a community course about UNESCO biosphere reserves, an exciting Adventure Blog posted on their website (mabr.ca), presentations in the community and abroad (Estonia last May and Peru next spring), and much more.

“With the Town of Qualicum Beach on board, the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region is rounding out its regional roundtable, the governance backbone that guides the biosphere’s actions and ongoing development,” added Shore.

Together with VIU, the City of Parksville, the Town of Qualicum Beach, First Nations, and other regional stakeholders, the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region aims to be an international model, demonstrating how humans can live, work and play without unfairly compromising the biodiversity and ecological health of the planet.

Designated in 2000 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region is part of an international network of 651 UNESCO biosphere reserves worldwide. The biosphere stretches from Nanoose Bay to Qualicum and extends from Mount Arrowsmith into the Salish Sea.

For more information about the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region, visit mabr.ca

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Media Contact

Monica Shore, Communications Coordinator, Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region

250.802.7193

NT5