To achieve Canada’s 2030 goal of protecting 30 per cent of nationwide land, water, and marine areas, conservation must happen at every level.
Climate change and biodiversity loss are two of the most significant environmental threats that the planet is dealing with in real-time. Now more than ever, there’s a great need for conservation to tackle these issues.
It can be difficult to digest the enormity of these threats without feeling overwhelmed. One approach is to scale down these big problems into digestible, nature-based climate solutions (NBCS), which tap into the power of nature to address climate change. These solutions include protecting and restoring natural areas like grasslands, wetlands, and forests. Not only do these efforts capture carbon and protect against climate change impacts, but they also counter biodiversity loss. NBCS allows nature lovers to help conserve and connect with their surrounding environment.
The 30×30 target
Since 2021, Nature Canada has provided NBCS organizations with toolkits, grants, a community of practice, and training for municipalities and groups. The charity knows that community engagement makes conservation organizations stronger. Working with other nature groups, the organization is advocating for the inclusion of measures to protect both marine and terrestrial areas in the National Biodiversity Strategy.
This strategy is the federal government’s way of supporting Canada’s ambitious conservation goal, known as the 30×30 target. It’s a commitment to protecting 30 per cent of the country’s lands and waters by 2030. Along with the national strategy and its accompanying legislation, there’s a need for innovative conservation at every level – from Parliament Hill to one’s own backyard.
Creating protected areas across the country is like weaving a community patchwork quilt. Everybody can contribute, and even small scraps of fabric count.
One of Canada’s longest-standing conservation charities, Nature Canada has been working for 85 years to support conservation efforts in neighbourhoods, municipalities, and provinces. The organization also works with its partners and supporters to advocate for international agreements, such as the recent treaty to protect high seas biodiversity.
Uplifting local projects
It’s important to protect natural spaces everywhere, including urban areas. In fact, municipalities are home to some of the country’s most biodiverse regions, though only a select few are actively contributing to the 30×30 target. To change this, Nature Canada is campaigning with The Alliance of Canadian Land Trusts, BC Nature, Ontario Nature, and Wildlands League to encourage municipalities to create local protected areas.
Municipalities play a key role in conservation efforts because they bring these broader concepts straight to their community members who want to protect the spaces they know and love. Individuals can help the country achieve its 30×30 target by raising awareness, writing letters to the government to uphold its promises, or getting involved in local work.
Along with protecting ecosystems, conservation is also about maintaining cultural connections to the land. That’s why Indigenous leadership is critical to protecting and restoring nature.
Write to the government
Canada needs a National Biodiversity Strategy that is informed by science and also Indigenous conservation. Nature Canada acknowledges the inherent rights of Indigenous Peoples to the land and is working with numerous Indigenous partners, from the Cree Nations of James Bay to the Six Nations of the Grand River, and beyond.
“Creating protected areas across the country is like weaving a community patchwork quilt,” says Emily McMillan, Executive Director of Nature Canada. “Everybody can contribute, and even small scraps of fabric count.”
Send a letter to reverse nature loss by 2030 at naturecanada.ca.
