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Canada is entering a critical moment. Nature loss and climate risk are reshaping economic opportunity, supply chains, and investment decisions across every sector. Yet investors, funders, governments, Indigenous Nations, and project developers often lack a shared language, pathways, and capabilities to mobilize capital at the speed and scale this moment demands.
The Nature Finance Bootcamp bridges this gap.
Designed to intentionally grow the talent needed to generate financial solutions to tackle the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, the Bootcamp equips participants with the strategic, relational, and technical competencies needed to build a trustworthy and investable nature finance market in Canada. Along this learning journey, investors and funders gain direct insight into the realities of on-the-ground conservation and stewardship, while practitioners understand what it takes to build the business case to capitalize their work.
Our Bootcamp is designed to cultivate leaders who can work confidently across three scales of impact – from self, to organization, to the systems that shape our economy and relationship with nature. Together, these three layers equip participants to catalyze meaningful change within their work, communities, and the broader nature finance ecosystem.
In the weeks leading up to the in-person Bootcamp, the cohort will participate in three facilitated virtual sessions. Together, participants will get to know one another and co-create a community learning agreement, build a shared understanding of nature finance instruments, and explore working in Ethical Space to support respectful collaboration, relationship-building, and learning throughout the Bootcamp.
We will be meeting at the University of British Columbia Vancouver-Point Grey campus, located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nation. Below is a high-level overview of the learning journey, followed by the full program with session details.
We are curating a roster of facilitators and guest speakers who bring both lived experience and technical expertise across the areas highlighted. Please check back as this roster continues to take shape. Final details may shift slightly as facilitators help shape the curriculum and as sessions are tailored to the unique mix of experiences within the cohort.
Day 1 invites the cohort to slow down, arrive fully, and root the learning journey in place, purpose, and relationship. Through a territorial welcome, opening circle, and shared agreements, participants begin building the trust, clarity, and connection needed for consecutive days of deep, relational, and technical learning. The day closes with a communal dinner.
Day 2 builds a shared understanding of the nature finance landscape in Canada and beyond. Concurrent breakout sessions on nature project fundamentals and finance foundations deepen technical confidence while strengthening the cohort’s shared baseline knowledge. The day closes with reflective weaving and an evening dinner.
Day 3 dives deeper into the tools, architectures, and enabling conditions that shape nature finance in Canada. Through concurrent sessions, participants examine market drivers and disclosure requirements, legal and policy frameworks, impact storytelling, governance arrangements, and what it takes to build compelling business cases. The day culminates in case-based learning that spans multiple asset classes and sectors.
On the final day, the cohort shifts from learning to doing, applying learning from previous days to real-world scenarios in a collaborative Applied Learning Lab. The Bootcamp concludes by weaving together what has been learned, clarifying next steps for the cohort, and gathering for a closing that honours the relationships, insights, and commitments formed over the 3.5 days. An optional land-based learning experience is available for participants who are able to stay, offering an opportunity to reconnect technical learning with place, people, and purpose.
Stewards: You are leading conservation, stewardship, or restoration efforts in your Nation, community, or organization. You are exploring ways to strengthen or scale your work by better understanding the finance world – and by learning how to tell your story in ways that open doors to new funding or investment pathways, on your own terms.
Builders: You are designing or advising on financial products for nature that deliver real outcomes for people and the planet. You want to understand what it takes to ensure these solutions are designed and deployed in equitable and grounded ways.
Funders: You are providing grant funding that can sit within a capital stack to support nature projects. You are looking to understand how your capital can be catalytic and enable durable, community-aligned outcomes.
Investors: You are managing or advising on capital and seeking credible, investable opportunities that deliver impact for climate, nature, and communities. You are ready to learn how nature fits into your portfolio and to meet those creating investable solutions.
Enablers / Connectors: You are shaping the enabling environment through policy, research, collaboration, or market infrastructure. You want to help close the gap between ideas, funding, and implementation, and strengthen the conditions for capital to flow in good ways.
We are now accepting applications through our online portal. The deadline for submission is January 30, 2026 [5:00pm Pacific].
The 2026 cohort will include 25-30 participants selected to reflect diverse geographies, sectors, lived experiences, and perspectives within Canada’s nature finance ecosystem. All applicants will be notified of their application decision by February 16, 2026.
Includes: all programming, materials, daily lunches and refreshments, two cohort dinners, and participation in a land-based learning activity.
*Applicants will be invited to indicate whether they require financial support as part of the application process.
Apply NowWe have compiled answers to the most common questions about the Bootcamp – from eligibility and selection criteria to logistics, cost, and what to expect during the program. We strongly encourage you to review the FAQ, as it contains important information to support your application and participation. You can download the full FAQ document here.
We are excited to be working in collaboration with the Centre for Business and Climate Solutions at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business and the Academy for Sustainable Innovation.
The Centre for Climate and Business Solutions‘ vision is to become a dynamic hub for climate-focused business education and problem-driven research. Grounded in robust research and a commitment to innovation and partnerships, the Centre empowers the business community to define and advance its role in building a climate-positive future. To achieve this, the Centre partners with businesses to develop climate-ready talent, advance problem-driven research, and catalyze industry shifts through actionable dialogue.
The Academy for Sustainable Innovation (ASI) is a Canadian charity that helps people and organizations lead on climate action through education and engagement. ASI’s Transition Leadership programs empower Canadians to see themselves as climate leaders – regardless of industry, job title, or prior experience. They support Canadians in thinking differently about how we show up as leaders, so that together, we can transition to a world where sustainability is at the heart of all decision-making.
We are grateful for the generous support of our headline sponsor, the Metcalf Foundation.
