1% for the Planet
Valhalla Mountain Touring is a proud member of 1% for the Planet
What does that actually mean?
Every year, VMT donates 1% of our annual revenue to environmental partners. This is a long-term commitment that we will continue to deliver on, regardless of how much profit we’ve made in that particular year. The 1% for the Planet organization facilitates and audits our financial commitment, but VMT gets to choose who we donate to.
The skiing, hiking and backcountry experiences we are able to offer are contingent on a healthy and thriving environment. We believe in the work of so many local and national non-profits in protecting, restoring and better understanding the natural world that we live and play in. We’re so proud to be able to support these organizations and see more of these incredibly important projects come to life.
Find out more about the organizations and projects we’ve supported below.
Living Lakes Canada
Living Lakes Canada is a national non-profit, headquartered in nearby Nelson, BC. They facilitate the collaboration of monitoring, restoration, and policy development initiatives for the long-term protection of Canada’s lakes, rivers, wetlands and watersheds impacted by climate risk.
Valhalla Mountain Touring is supporting LLC’s High Elevation Monitoring Program. High elevation ecosystems are more vulnerable than those at lower elevations and are expected to experience climate impacts more rapidly. Living Lakes Canada is beginning to collect data within these sensitive alpine environments, in order to develop long-term watershed management solutions.
Living Lakes Canada has a monitoring station set up just outside the VMT Lodge and will be regularly collecting data from within our tenure. We’re excited to be both part of, and a supporter of, this ambitious ecosystem-scale project.
Find out more about the High Elevation Monitoring Program here
Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y)
The Yellowstone to Yukon region represents the largest remaining intact mountain ecosystem on earth. It contains some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world and holds a wide variety of wildlife, habitats and human communities and cultures. This region provides the best remaining habitat for North America’s threatened or sensitive species including grizzly bears, wolves, wolverines, lynx and native fish populations.
Y2Y works with a number of local partners to protect core habitats across the region, with a vision of creating an interconnected system of wild lands and waters that stretch from Yellowstone to the Yukon, where both humans and nature can thrive.
The Valhalla Mountain Touring tenure lies within the Y2Y corridor and provides vital habitat for a number of amazing creatures. Some local Y2Y projects focus on Protecting the Upper Columbia, Keeping Wolverines Connected and Recovering Grizzly Populations.
Learn more about the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative here.
Protect Our Winters Canada
POW Canada is a passionate community of enthusiasts, professional athletes and industry brands uniting the outdoor community to advocate for policy solutions from government and corporations which meaningfully tackle climate change.
“As outdoor enthusiasts, we see the impacts of climate change first-hand, and need to be the force for change. If we don’t step up and use our voice to protect the places we love and experiences we value, who will?”
Read more and get involved with Protect Our Winters Canada here
WildSight
Wildsight works locally, regionally and globally to protect biodiversity and encourage sustainable communities in Canada’s Columbia and Rocky Mountain regions.
Operating since 1987 and with a focus on the Kootenay Region of BC, Wildsight is involved in a wide variety of conservation, education and sustainable community programs in many of the towns surrounding Valhalla Mountain Touring. We’re proud to support their ongoing work.
In addition
Outside of supporting environmental causes through 1% for the Planet, we support and donate to projects and campaigns within our local community. In 2022, we provided monetary and in-kind donations to:
Lucerne School Bouldering Wall
New Denver Youth Soccer
Please get in touch with us by emailing info@vmt.ca if you have a local or relevant project you think we could help to support.