Nature Canada’s community engagement inspires people to interact with nature in their backyards.MICHAEL LENAOUR
Canadians place a high value on nature, and the rise of recent extreme weather events is driving home the severity of the dual – and interconnected – threats of climate change and biodiversity loss.
Nature Canada, the country’s longest-standing nature conservation charity, works to inspire hope through a number of tried-and-true approaches, such as providing toolkits for action and advocating for a whole-of-government strategy on protecting biodiversity.
“The value of nature really came to the forefront during the pandemic, when people turned to outside spaces to boost their well-being. If you care deeply for something, you want to protect it,” says Emily McMillan, executive director of Nature Canada. “While there is a lot of anxiety around climate change, and a corresponding risk that people will lose hope, we know that the best way to combat this anxiety is to take action.”
One way to combine engaging with nature with taking climate action is implementing nature-based climate solutions, she explains. “Through research and polling, we found that there is wide support among the public for nature-based solutions. So we created a website showcasing projects across Canada.”
Beyond demonstrating the impact of community-driven projects, Nature Canada also created a toolkit that can, as Ms. McMillan says, “help people find out how to start.” Additional support is available through regular webinars, where people can connect, share stories and challenges, and get practical advice related to their specific situation.
“It can be empowering to take action in the community, but sometimes a bigger shift is needed – and that’s when we need to reach decision-makers,” she says, adding that Nature Canada has extensive connections at both the community and government levels.
“For our annual Nature on the Hill event, we bring diverse groups from across the country to Ottawa and set up meetings with members of parliament [MPs], so people have their voices heard,” Ms. McMillan says. “The upcoming gathering is scheduled for April 29 to May 2, 2024. For groups who want to participate but can’t travel to Ottawa, we support them by securing meetings with their MP in their own riding.”
This year, one goal is to advocate for “a national biodiversity strategy and associated accountability legislation,” she says. “This needs to be a whole-of-government strategy that touches every portfolio and every department, so that everyone can play a role in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss. We also need legislation to ensure there are consequences if the milestones laid out in the strategy are not met.”
Through these and other efforts, Nature Canada “creates a community of people who work for common values, and this can be really powerful,” Ms. McMillan adds.
Advertising feature produced by Randall Anthony Communications with Canada’s Clean50. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.