Pacific Wildlife Research Centre

The Pacific Wildlife Research Centre is located on the Alaksen National Wildlife Area (NWA). It is near the shore of the Fraser River, just south of the city of Richmond. The Alaksen NWA provides sanctuary for wintering waterfowl, including lesser snow geese, and for migratory songbirds.

The Alaksen NWA forms part of a network of locally recognized, protected conservation areas that include the British Columbia Wildlife Management Areas, Important Bird Areas, and a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site. These special conservation areas were designed to protect and manage the Fraser River Estuary - a unique, threatened landscape on Canada’s rugged west coast. The Estuary is a valued ecological feature of the Fraser River delta, and has a Ramsar site designation as a Wetland of International Importance.

The staff of the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) and Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate (WLSD) are housed in the Pacific Wildlife Research Centre. This facility is located on Westham Island, where a number of private farms operate. Both CWS and WLSD assist in managing this working farm landscape for the benefit of wintering wildlife.