Canada invests $9 million for nature conservation across southern Ontario

Ontario: As the world faces the twin threats of climate change and rapid biodiversity loss, protecting more natural spaces across Canada supports iconic biodiversity, while helping to fight climate change by storing carbon and making our communities more resilient to its impacts.

Today, the Honourable Deb Schulte, Minister of Seniors, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced $9 million in funding for Conservation Ontario to better conserve lands across southern Ontario.

Through approximately sixty-three projects, Conservation Ontario and regional conservation authorities will implement a variety of conservation activities on grasslands and wetlands, including protecting more land, restoring wetlands, and enhancing agricultural management.

This initiative, Bringing Strong Collaboration, Networks and Expertise for Integrated Nature Smart Climate Solutions, will help fight climate change by capturing and storing carbon and making our communities more resilient. It will also support biodiversity, including species at risk and migratory birds.

This initiative is among fourteen projects to receive funding from the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund in 2021–2022. Collectively, they are projected to conserve up to 30,000 hectares; restore up to 6,000 hectares; and contribute to the enhanced management of up to 18,000 hectares of wetlands, grasslands, and riparian areas across Canada.

Today’s announcement supports Canada’s goals to protect 25 percent of lands and 25 percent of oceans by 2025 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 45 percent of 2005 levels by 2030.