David Cunnington

David is the ecological gifts program coordinator at Environment Canada’s Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS), Pacific and Yukon Region. He assists donors and recipients of ecologically sensitive land to access significant income tax benefits, and has been involved in approximately 60 donations of land and conservation covenants across British Columbia.

While most of these donations were straightforward, some have involved interesting situations such as life estates, beneficial trusts, split receipts and valuation challenges. Previously, he acted as the unit head for Protected Areas and Stewardship, and administered the Habitat Stewardship Program. He began work for CWS as an endangered species biologist, implementing the Species at Risk Act. He has also worked on species at risk recovery for the Parks Canada Agency and the B.C. Ministry of Environment. His background is in rare and endangered species such as bats, amphibians and reptiles, as well as the ecology of introduced species. He has worked and lived in the Bay of Fundy, Algonquin Park, the Canadian prairies, the South Okanagan, Vancouver, Vancouver Island and Guam.