The initial concept for establishing a unique central repository for all wildlife information in British Columbia was originally conceived by R. Wayne Campbell and Michael I. Preston in 1998. On 31 August 2004, after years of gathering information from the public domain, the Biodiversity Centre for Wildlife Studies was formally established. The formation of the Society was based on the recognition that no registered society or government agency in British Columbia was presently compiling and archiving historical and current information on all wildlife in the province. By recognizing the need for information to make informed decisions about wildlife conservation and management, the Society was formed to fulfill this need by way of a comprehensive collection of wildlife information. Essentially, one-stop shopping.



The primary function of the Biodiversity Centre for Wildlife Studies is to operate and maintain the Wildlife Data Centre, the location for gathering, compiling, archiving, and summarizing information on wildlife in British Columbia.