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Q&A with Dr. Jane Goodall
How has climate change affected Canada's environment and biodiversity?
Everything in nature is interconnected.
Human activity has caused climate change, leading to biodiversity loss, which, in turn, affects human livelihoods and quality of life.
I’m not Canadian, but the wonderful Jane Goodall Institute staff keep me informed. The climate in Canada is warming twice as fast as the global average, causing devastating wildfires in British Columbia, melting icebergs in the North and rising sea levels along the coasts. The country’s boreal forest is one of the world’s four largest carbon sinks and it's under threat. It's becoming increasingly urgent to find ways to slow down climate change. But it isn’t only in Canada that these efforts must be made — it's a global problem
and we all need to take action now before it's too late. We need to think about the choices we make each day — like what we buy. Did it’s production harm the environment? Was it cruel to animals? Is it cheap because of unfair wages in the country where it came from? Millions of ethical choices will start making a huge difference.
I know that Canada has made commitments to safeguard 30 per cent of marine and land areas by 2030, a significant step towards preserving the Earth’s biodiversity. However, organizations like the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada are needed to ensure that these committments are honoured, and to encourage all citizens from coast to coast to play their part.
Why is it important for us to care about conservation?
We humans are part of the natural world and we depend on it for our survival — for air, water, food — and so much more. We rely on healthy ecosystems, and an ecosystem is made up of a complex and interconnected mix of plant and animal species, each with
role to play. It’s like a glorious living tapestry of interwoven threads. Every time a species vanishes from that ecosystem it's like a thread is pulled out until, in the end, the tapestry hangs in tatters and the ecosystem collapses. Thanks to our shortsightedness, the crazy idea that there can be unlimited economic development on a planet of finite natural resources and a growing populations of humans and livestock, ecosystems are collapsing around the globe.
The biggest difference between us and other animals is the explosive development of the human intellect — you’ve only got to look up at the full moon and think, with awe, that we enabled men to walk up there, to realize the power of our brains. Unfortunately, though we may be clever we’re so often not wise, putting short term gain over protecting the environment for future generations. Fortunately, scientists are beginning to use their brains to find ways to heal some of the harm we’ve inflicted on the planet. And more people are thinking how they can do their bit to help. It’s up to each and every one of us to take responsibility for our actions and work towards a more sustainable future for ourselves and future generations.
The Importance of Protecting Canada’s Biodiversity
For those interested in ensuring a bright future for wildlife, there’s a word you should know that speaks to the heart of the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s conservation efforts: biodiversity.
Like “climate change” and “global warming,” the word biodiversity comes packed with various implications related to wildlife conservation in Canada. Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth, including the variety available within species (genetic diversity), the variety between species, and the variety of ecosystems.
In 2022, Canada joined the nations of the world to adopt global goals and targets to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. The reasons why are clear — biodiversity is important for sustaining life as we know it, and the present rate of loss of biological diversity is perhaps the greatest global environmental threat facing humanity.
Biodiversity is a key part of our future —
think about the involuntary systems within your body keeping you alive — your heart, your brain, your lung, and so on. Similar systems can be found in nature. There are plants using carbon dioxide to produce the oxygen we breathe. There’s an ongoing process of natural water filtration. There’s pollination of plants to produce food and ocean life that helps regulate climate. Biodiversity is critical to the survival of the human species, and right now, we humans aren’t doing the greatest job of protecting it.
Supporting biodiversity
The good news is, there are a lot of ways Canadians can help. Most importantly, you can help stop biodiversity loss by acting locally, supporting organizations that conserve wildlife and reduce threats, and supporting governments and businesses that are taking action and improving their practices. Together, we need to increase the area and connectivity of natural ecosystems,
restore degraded habitats, and ensure that industries like forestry, agriculture, and urban development are environmentally sustainable.
You can also make a truly impactful contribution to tracking Canadian biodiversity through the use of the iNaturalist Canada platform during the City Nature Challenge from April 28 through to May 7. iNaturalist Canada allows you to upload pictures or record sounds of all the nature you can find. The platform includes recognition software that helps you discover what species you may have found. All that information becomes part of an active database of biodiversity that scientists across Canada and around the world are now using to track species. Over nine million observations of nature have already been tracked in Canada via iNaturalist. With your help, we can reach 10 million in 2023!
The Biggest Threat to Biodiversity Is on Our Plates
By changing our eating habits — and centering our diets more around plant-based foods — we have the power to benefit the world’s biodiversity.
David Steele
The situation is dire. Research shows that our impact on the planetary biosphere is enormously damaging — and it’s mostly due to what we put on our plates. The good news is that we have the power to change that.
While we obtain, globally, only about 18 per cent of our calories from animal products, 78 per cent of the world’s agricultural land is used to raise and feed farmed animals. That’s half of the habitable land on the planet used to provide only a small sliver of the food we eat — the impact on biodiversity is huge.
A recent article published by the World Economic Forum summarizes it well: “As agriculture is threatening wildlife, it’s replacing it with livestock.”
A shocking bottom line
An enormous fraction of this planet’s resources has been appropriated by us at extreme cost to the rest of the life on this planet. And, tragically, it’s getting worse. A seminal study published in 2018 powerfully showed the extent to which we’ve reshaped the biosphere already. According to the study, 96 per cent of the mammalian biomass on Earth is now composed of humans and farmed animals, while 70 per cent of avian biomass is farmed birds. An earlier analysis by the University of Manitoba’s Vaclav Smil showed essentially the same thing.
According to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the biodiversity equivalent of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), we’re clearing land at an accelerating rate — mainly to feed livestock.
As Oxford climate expert Marco Springmann has shown, it’s mathematically impossible to meet our global carbon budget if current trends in meat and dairy consumption continue.
What can we do about it?
The IPCC, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the IPBES have all asserted that we must move rapidly toward diets centered much more on plant-based foods. And, if we do so, the benefits will be enormous. Because eating plants directly requires far less land than eating animals, we could return vast tracts of land to the wild while dramatically increasing our ability to feed the world.
The benefits for biodiversity would be extraordinary. As a 2020 study published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature quantifies, re-wilding just 15 per cent of the land currently used for agriculture could prevent 60 per cent of the extinctions over the next several decades. Were we to restore 30 per cent of the land to the wild, fully 70 per cent of at-risk species could be saved.
And, as a very important bonus, we’d also
be creating the conditions to sequester some 30 per cent of the carbon dioxide accumulated in the atmosphere since the start of the industrial revolution.
96 per cent of the mammalian biomass on Earth is now composed of humans and farmed animals.
There’s hope
There’s real reason for optimism. We can get off the destructive track we’ve been on by collectively changing the way we eat.
Why not check out the multitude of plant-based recipes available online? And make sure to let your political representatives know of the need to quickly address this issue. Cultural traditions are strong, especially when it comes to food, but history has repeatedly shown that human societies are capable of stepping up to new challenges and changing long-lasting practices for the common good. We can and must make a difference.
A Lasting Impact: Land Donations Can Help Protect Canada's Ecosystems
Land donations and ecological gifts may hold the key to preserving Canada’s vulnerable ecosystems and maintaining natural heritage lands for years to come.
FSonya Friesen
orests, marshlands, and valleys — while easily overlooked, these natural backgrounds play host to beloved memories and important ecosystems. As society develops, however, these areas of undisturbed wildlife are becoming few and far between. With increasing populations comes increased pressure to adapt these spaces, making way for urban development.
Growing reliance on farming and the rising need for housing are leading to the loss of critically important natural heritage land. Many Canadians don’t fully understand the impact this loss h as on the environment and future generations.
South Nation Conservation (SNC), one of Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities, has made it its mission to ensure the preservation and restoration of ecosystems across Eastern Ontario. Like its conservation counterparts, SNC works alongside local municipalities, from the City of Ottawa through 15 rural municipalities near the South Nation, St. Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers, to support safe and sustainable development, finding ways to balance the demands of society with nature and ecology. The organization focuses on building strong, resilient landscapes that can withstand the impact of climate change while conserving ecologically significant land — creating what can only be described as a living legacy for future generations.
The power of partnership
For over 60 years, SNC’s Land Securement Program has played an important role in giving landowners peace of mind when it comes to the future of their properties.
Land securement by conservation-focused organizations is an effective way to preserve and enhance natural heritage for public benefit. As a result of declining forest cover, biodiversity, and natural habitat, SNC's 16 member municipalities have also
contributed annual funding since 2014 to help secure land through partial purchases, contributing to the 13,000 acres of land now owned by SNC.
From forests to wetlands, each ecosystem plays an important role in the natural world, and Land Securement Programs help ensure that these spaces remain untouched. Conservation authorities are recognized partners of choice for public land management, equipped with the resources and expertise to help manage, conserve, and restore them.
Your land, your legacy
SNC can’t do it alone. The organization relies on the generosity of like-minded landowners. Otherwise known as ecological gifts, land donations can allow landowners to retain ownership and access tax incentives while giving conservation authorities the power to work their magic, keeping potentially ecologically vital areas free of urban development. Most importantly, they offer property owners confidence in maintaining the integrity and environmental security of their land for future generations.
After noticing an intensification of farming in the surrounding area, property owners George and Hennie Velema turned to the SNC to preserve their own reforestation work across their 97 acre property, nestled between the South Nation and Raisin Rivers. For the Velemas, donating their land to SNC through the Ecological Gifts Program gave them the comfort of knowing that the property they had nurtured for years would remain a space dedicated to nature long after their retirement.
Conservation authorities like SNC and their local municipalities have worked tirelessly for decades to ensure this beautiful country remains just that. We all have a responsibility to the diverse ecosystems that make up the Canadian landscape — not for ourselves, but so future generations can enjoy the same natural backgrounds so
for granted.
David Steele President, Earthsave Canada
Renaud Gignac Administrative Coordinator, Coalition for a Sustainable Food
This article was sponsored by Earthsave Canada
TWhere Adventure Meets Conservation: The Bruce Trail is Calling
he Bruce Trail is one of Canada’s extraordinary hikes, stretching 900 kilometres along the unparalleled natural beauty of the Niagara Escarpment. In a day’s stroll or a month’s trek, one can experience one of the most ecologically diverse areas in Canada, nestled within Ontario’s most densely populated region. The Bruce Trail is in equal measures a call to explore and a call to conserve nature.
The Bruce Trail Conservancy is the non-profit organization responsible for caring for this remarkable footpath. But as its name suggests, there’s more to its work than that. Actively protecting and stewarding Niagara Escarpment land is central to its mission: preserving a ribbon of wilderness, for everyone, forever.
Conserving a natural masterpiece
The Niagara Escarpment itself is a global treasure, a UNESCO World Biosphere, and part of Ontario’s Greenbelt. The unique geology of the escarpment creates a variety of irreplaceable habitats that support a wide array of species. This biodiversity, greater here than in any biosphere in Canada, has drawn people to this area for millennia. Yet we've become increasingly disconnected from nature and the impact of our actions — locally and globally — threaten the very ecosystems upon which we depend.
“In the 1960s, our founders saw that the Niagara Escarpment was being developed at an unsustainable pace. They dreamed of a public footpath to showcase the beauty and
biodiversity of the escarpment, so that people would be inspired to protect it,” says Bruce Trail Conservancy CEO, Michael McDonald. “Today, pressures on our natural world are greater than ever and our work — as one of Ontario’s largest land trusts and stewards of Canada’s longest public footpath — has never been more important.”
The Bruce Trail Conservancy is connecting people to the Niagara Escarpment not only through the Bruce Trail, but also through a growing network of protected natural areas. Every year the Bruce Trail Conservancy brings more Niagara Escarpment land into conservation in its efforts to protect and connect vital ecosystems, and to create a permanent home for the Bruce Trail.
A ribbon of wilderness, for everyone
While it may seem that the density of contemporary Southern Ontario is at odds with the splendour of the escarpment's natural biodiversity, this coexistence is critical to future of the trail. The rare species of orchids and ferns that grow on the escarpment, the raptors that soar along its cliff edges, the threatened salamanders that breed in its ephemeral pools — all of them can be protected if we act swiftly and work together.
“When we talk about protecting nature, we're not protecting it from people, we're protecting it for people,” says McDonald. “People thrive when nature thrives. Our mission involves people because we ourselves are part of this biodiversity.”
People are inextricably intertwined with the ecosystems the Bruce Trail Con-
servancy is working to preserve, restore, and protect. And people are also the most potent resource for that conservation. The Bruce Trail Conservancy is a volunteer and member-based organization that is primarily funded by donations from individuals. Today, over 1,400 volunteers contribute their time and talents to protect the natural environment of the Bruce Trail and the Niagara Escarpment. It's clear that people not only want to explore the Niagara Escarpment, they want to take action to preserve its diverse spaces and species and make it available for future generations.
For those looking to get involved, a hike along the trail is an easy and rewarding first step into the world of this incredible conservation project. But the trail is just the beginning.
Michael McDonald CEO, Bruce Trail Conservancy
This article was sponsored by Bruce Trail Conservancy
A Holistic Plan For Animal Wellbeing: What We Learn Today Can Support Species Recovery Tomorrow
The devastating physiological effects of an infectious disease that emerged in what appeared to be out-of-the-blue has transitioned to potentially longerlasting psychological challenges as workplace, economic, and societal stressors increase. As humans find ways to cope with the “new normal”, there’s been a conscious trend towards balanced lifestyles and overall self-care.
In a similar theme, wild animal and plant species have been facing dramatic pressures for many decades. With Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) looming on the horizon as the seasonally driven infectious cases in commercial and wild birds begin appearing, we’re reminded of the delicate balance between living organisms and their environments. World Wildlife Fund’s Living Planet Report 2022 identifies a “global double emergency” as inseparable biodiversity and climate crisis. In simple terms, as humans continue to alter the natural landscape, living things continue to respond to the ever-changing environments — not always with positive outcomes. The recent WWF report highlights a dramatic decline of almost 70 per cent of monitored wildlife populations around the world within the past 50 years. We should take note that it isn’t just wild animals and plants that are facing continuous threats; humans are subjected to a similar onslaught as our urbanized and plasticized world is having an impact on our own wellbeing.
As humans struggle to define and find their own happiness and wellness in today’s
world, wildlife biologists and veterinarians are working to understand the impact of anthropogenic pressures on wildlife. In this respect, zoo-housed animals present an important opportunity to gather information that isn’t always easily accessible in the wild. Zoo professionals have access to a wealth of knowledge at the individual and species level, and from newborn to geriatric adult through the challenging reproductive years. This information has proven to be valuable in supporting wildlife monitoring and recovery plans.
In recent decades, one of the critical factors being recognized in wildlife as with humans is that our understanding of wellbeing continues to grow, particularly the interconnectivity of physical and psychological health. Toronto Zoo’s Wildlife Science team is embarking on a holistic approach to animal wellbeing that takes into account the health and wellness of our animals throughout the different stages of their complex lives. Under the four pillars of Wildlife Health, Nutrition, Welfare, and Care, our teams work together to build an interdisciplinary platform for assessing, mitigating, and enhancing animal lives at our zoo. Plans for preventive health, naturalized nutrition, behavioural enrichment and training, and specialized care ensure that the diverse species and individuals will get the necessary support to live long, enriching lives.
As a Canadian zoo, there’s an acute awareness that northern species, such as polar bears, may face more serious threats
In simple terms, as humans continue to alter the natural landscape, living things continue to respond to the ever-changing environments — not always with positive outcomes.
in the coming decades than other regions of the globe as their environment responds more dramatically to the climate crisis. Emerging infectious diseases are always a significant concern but with the predicted increase in ambient temperatures, this is layered with the additional stressors of habitat alterations, nutritional resource depletion, and more. Zoo professionals can play an important role in supporting these animals while learning about their innate biology and ability to cope with the environmental challenges that they face.
In this post-COVID period, we’re seeing evidence of the impact of a significant global event on human health and wellness.
Dr. Gabriela Mastromonaco
Q&A WITH
Toronto Zoo Experts Share Insights on the Four Pillars of Animal Wellbeing
Dr. Nic Masters
Director of Wildlife Health, Toronto Zoo
What do we mean by ‘health’, regardless of the species of animal?
As veterinarians we think of ‘health’ as an absence of illness or injury or any disease process. Traditionally, it has strong physical connotations, although we’re thinking about the mental state of animals too, when we assess their health. We really need to approach wellbeing in a holistic manner — as we do for people — because welfare states are an amalgamation of multiple components. Our goal is to optimize the health of the animals in our care in zoos, physically and mentally, and continue to learn new and improved ways of so doing.
Do we see health issues in polar bears in zoos and in the wild? Yes, we do. It would be nice to think that we were able to prevent
Q&A WITH
Maria Franke
Manager of Welfare Science, Toronto Zoo
Can you tell us what animal welfare is and why it’s important?
Has this always been prevalent in managed settings?
Historically at the Toronto Zoo, animal welfare has always been top priority. We now have a more standardized program to give more formal welfare assessments, ensuring we have a science-based approach to the wellbeing of our animals. Instead of saying, “I think that animal is doing well,” let's do some research, and assessments and we can be certain animals are doing well in specific areas, and not as well in others. Overall, the wellbeing program is about allowing our animals to thrive and allows the zoological community to evolve and improve best practices.
The overall welfare of an animal is on a continuum of good to poor and it’s always moving, affected by various internal and external factors. Our polar bears are a good example because they have more stressors during the
Q&A WITH
all illness in the animals under our care, but this is not realistic — animals get sick just like people do. The more we imitate the conditions under which they have evolved to thrive in the wild the better. Our efforts to understand and promote optimal health of polar bears in zoos can help us better understand, and mitigate, the risks to their health in the wild.
breeding season which is normal and natural. We see breeding behaviours, anticipa tory behaviours, the males getting upset because they can’t be with the females — but knowing this empowers us to act as needed for the welfare and wellbeing of the animals.
Zoos are conservation, education, and research organizations. It’s all about assessing the welfare and wellbeing of our animals based on the five domains: good nutrition, good environment, good healthcare, allowing the animals to have species specific behaviours, and the mental domain are key. Toronto Zoo started a formal monitoring and assessment plan to have benchmarks for individuals and species as a whole; initiating an individual-based research study to understand behaviours in one animal in the hopes of developing specialized enrichment plans.
Sarra Gourlie
Manager of Nutrition Science, Toronto Zoo
What do polar bears eat and does their diet change throughout the year?
The Toronto Zoo provides polar bears with a seasonal diet to mimic the ebbs and flows of their wild diet. Polar bears are lipivores, seeking out fat, and the macronutrient content of their diet changes seasonally, in line with the formation and retraction of sea ice. The bears are allowed to gain body weight during certain times of the year, which is then decreased to mimic the seasonal flux. Polar bears in the wild gorge on fatty portions of seals during the sea ice formation, but they experience decreased caloric intake when the sea ice retracts. The Toronto Zoo provides the bears with fish, meat diet, kibble with high fat content, alternative fat sources, and fruits and vegetables as enrichment.
Q&A WITH
Lindsay Paats
Wildlife Care, Toronto Zoo
What are some of the challenges that come with working with such seasonal animals in a managed care setting?
Polar bears, because they live in a harsh environment, take a lot of their cues from nature. In the wild, they gorge feed on seals when there’s sea ice — when there isn’t sea ice, they spend their time eating whatever they can. These feast or famine cycles lead to drastic ups and downs in weight that are normal. This is particularly evident in polar bear moms who can undergo eight months of fasting while also feeding their young. That’s how they're built, but this flexibility is dependent on a fatty diet.
In addition to the effects of the breeding season, where the challenges of having intact male and female polar bears in the same vicinity become evident, our climate at the Toronto Zoo is very different to what it would be in the wild. For example, if there’s a warm spring, they may appear hungrier, so we alter their feeding plan to increase their weight faster. Thanks to the welfare team, we’ve become experienced at observing the bears to best manage their needs.
Disease is also a major challenge — as the climate warms,
Why is it important to mimic the natural ebbs and flows of their diet in the wild?
It’s essential to mimic the natural diet of polar bears in the wild as it impacts their overall health and reproductive success. By studying bears on a seasonal program, institutions can gain a deeper understanding of their physiology, particularly the hormones that regulate feast and famine periods. Researchers can collect data from voluntary blood draws, which helps to monitor the bears’ health and identify potential health problems. Polar bears require body fat for survival, particularly females who need a minimum of 20 per cent body fat to reproduce successfully. If the bears don’t have enough body fat, they could starve, and females may not be able to maintain the pregnancy. The formation and retraction of sea ice is becoming shorter, which means polar bears in the wild have less time to accumulate the body fat they need to survive and reproduce. By providing polar bears with a seasonal diet, institutions can monitor their caloric intake, understand their physiology, and ensure their overall health and reproductive success.
diseases are becoming more prevalent in the wild — something we’re monitor ing at the Toronto Zoo to best care for our endangered animals, especially the Tundra spe cies like polar bears. This was seen by research ers in Churchill, Manitoba — noting the wild polar bears exhibited an abundance of disease not previously seen in the species. There’s no doubt this is related to climate change.
THelping Endangered Butterfly Populations Take Off in the Wild
Through local and national partnerships and recovery programs, the Greater Vancouver Zoo is helping endangered species re-populate in the wild.
he Greater Vancouver Zoo is wellknown for housing an array of rescued, donated, and orphaned animals. What may be lesser known are the Zoo’s contributions to wildlife conservation.
“Part of our mission is to educate people on the challenges these animals face in the wild, the conservation work we’re doing in conjunction with our partners helps to ensure their future survival,” says Menita Prasad, Deputy General Manager & Director of Animal Care at the Greater Vancouver Zoo.
For many endangered species future survival depends on how well their populations recover in the wild. The Greater Vancouver Zoo has three main programs dedicated to species recovery.
One is the captive breeding program, which enables researchers and scientists to monitor animal behaviour and habits around the clock. “The information we get from this has really helped with our success in breeding larger numbers of animals to augment wild populations,” says Prasad.
Another is the head-starting program, in which animals are reared in a safe, predator-free environment during their most vulnerable stage of life until they are deemed mature enough to be released. “By
Anne Papmehl
literally giving them a ‘head start’ this way, we’re giving them a much better chance of surviving in the wild,” says Prasad.
Finally, the habit restoration and maintenance program aims to address habitat loss from urban development and invasive species by planting native plants that are helpful to the endangered species the Zoo is working with.
Believed to have disappeared from Canada, this butterfly is making a comeback
One beneficiary of Zoo’s captive breeding and head-starting programs is the Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly. This diminutive butterfly species, noted for its black and orange wings dotted with bands of white cells, was believed to be extirpated in Canada until recently, when a few were spotted around a BC coastal island. Today, they can be found on Denman Island, Hornby Island and near Campbell River, BC.
The Greater Vancouver Zoo — along with Wildlife Preservation Canada (WPC) and other local and national partners — has played a major role in helping the Taylor Checkerspot populations recover in the wild and is the only organization involved in the captive breeding
Capturing Climate
and rearing of the species.
“The program has been a great success,” says Prasad. “We released 800 larvae back into the wild in 2020, nearly 1,500 in 2021 and then in 2022 we had a record-breaking year with about 5,000 larvae released into the wild. These caterpillars metamorphized into fully flighted butterflies, marking the first time in 20 years that these butterflies have flown in these areas,” says Prasad. About 1,300 more larvae will be released at the end of March.
Other species being helped by the Zoo’s recovery programs include the Oregon spotted frog, Canada’s most endangered amphibian, and the western painted turtle, the only remaining freshwater turtle in BC.
Get involved in preserving wild spaces and wild faces
As an organization that seeks to connect people to wild spaces, the Greater Vancouver Zoo invites the community to learn more about its initiatives to help endangered wildlife and get involved in conservation activities themselves.
Change: Wildlife Photographer Daisy Gilardini Shares the Urgent Need for Conservation Efforts
Through stunning imagery and firsthand experience, Daisy Gilardini highlights the devastating effects of climate change on our planet’s wildlife and importance of preserving our planet’s delicate ecosystems.
What inspired you to be a wildlife photographer?
I started photography pushed by the desire to spend time in the wilderness capturing the aesthetic beauty of wild animals. I soon realized that these animals and their ecosystems face unprecedented challenges and need help.
Photography isn’t just an art form, it’s one of the most powerful and important mediums of communication we have. It’s a universal language, and is understood by everyone, regardless of colour, creed, nationality, and culture.
What impact are you hoping to achieve through your photography?
I’ve always felt that my goal is to encourage people to reconnect with Mother Nature through photography. By using striking images, I’m trying to engage their emotions and feelings of empathy in a way that may eventually encourage them to change their day-to-day behaviour and how they look at the world. The more engaged we are, the more likely we are to be prompted to action.
How has climate change affected the Antarctic landscape and wildlife?
When people ask me what I do, I tell them I photograph penguins and bears.
My philosophy in life is live your dreams
and follow your heart. Specializing, focusing on a particular subject, is not a choice. It’s a question of doing what you’re most passionate about.
I’ve been blessed to visit the polar regions several times during the last 25 years and document the changes that are happening there.
The two poles are opposites in many ways. They’re similar and yet are drastically different, too. The Arctic is an ocean surrounded by land. Antarctica is a continent surrounded by sea.
In Antarctica the changes observed over the past 25 years include:
• More precipitation in the form of snow, due to more evaporation. This translates into delays in the reproduction cycle of the penguins, as they need pebbles to build their nests
• Decreasing penguin species (chinstraps and Adélies), while some species are thriving (gentoos)
• Higher temperatures and more rainy days during the summer months
• New plant species
Meanwhile, in the Arctic, the entire region is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world.
• Sea-ice cover reached its annual summer minimum on September 15th last year, the, second-smallest cover recorded.
• Arctic sea ice is shrinking not only in area but in thickness as well.
• This affects not only the ecosystem (polar bears, whales, krill, etc.) but also indigenous communities.
Why is conservation so important?
What can Canadians do to help our wildlife thrive?
In 2019, scientists announced the shocking news that one spe cies in eight is in danger of extinction. When we talk about conservation, we’re no longer just acting on behalf of other species. We are affecting our planet at a point that it is becoming inhospitable even for humans.
Beside the obvious actions to protect species and their habitat by polluting less and saving energy (reduce, reuse, and recycle), support politician and organization sensitive to these problems, educate yourself, raise your voice.
Daisy Gilardini Wildlife Photographer
out more about the Taylor Checkerspot Butterfly and other wildlife conservation initiatives at the GVZ by visiting gvzoo.com/ conservation
Menita Prasad Deputy General Manager & Director of Animal Care, Greater Vancouver Zoo
TRestoring GTA Roadsides with Meadow Habitat for Monarchs and Pollinators
407 ETR and the Canadian Wildlife Federation are working together to restore the feeding and breeding habitats of monarch butterflies.
he monarch was officially listed as an endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in 2022.
Pollinators are essential for food, flowers and trees, yet the loss of meadow habitat has contributed to a significant decline in monarch butterfly populations and other pollinating insect species across North America. When conditions are suitable, the land area surrounding roadways can provide important habitat to help bend the curve on biodiversity loss in Canada.
407 ETR is teaming up with the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) to help restore 12 hectares of monarch feeding and breeding habitat through a multi-year partnership. The funding is being directed to roadside projects surrounding the Highway 407 ETR corridor in Southwestern Ontario, along the monarch migration route.
Javier Tamargo
Through this work, rights-of-way managers and municipalities across the Greater Toronto Area will receive technical education and learn about best practices in roadside vegetation management. This will help support the recovery of monarchs and also benefit thousands of other pollinator species.
Driving change: A commitment to biodiversity
With the growing urgency of the climate crisis, 407 ETR is putting a greater emphasis on biodiversity, and supporting organizations focused on enhancing and protecting Ontario’s green spaces.
“Biodiversity is critical for healthy ecosystems and we want to be part of the solution,” says Javier Tamargo, President and CEO at 407 ETR. “That’s why, in addition to the work we’re doing to reduce 407 ETR’s environmental footprint, we’re investing
more than $500,000 in 2023 with organizations truly making an impact to protect and improve Ontario’s natural spaces.”
With an abundance of wildlife surrounding Highway 407 ETR, the company is evaluating risks and opportunities along the roadway with the goal of introducing a long-term biodiversity vision and action plan. 407 ETR continues to work towards its target of reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent by 2030 relative to the 2018 baseline.
Protecting our lands, waters, and biodiversity is good for nature and people. Through a corporate partnership with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), 407 ETR is helping to protect and care for nature in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
The NCC is a non-profit organization that has protected more than 243,000 hectares in Ontario, including 300 hectares in the GTA at Happy Valley Forest, King Township. In the last 60 years, the NCC has helped conserve more than 15 million hectares from coast to coast.
Happy Valley Forest is the largest intact block of deciduous forest on the Oak Ridges Moraine. It provides habitat for countless animals and plants, including at least 30 species at risk. The forest helps to clean our air, and filter our water and provides opportunities for people to connect with nature.
The Happy Valley Forest is an old-growth forest in
the making. Old-growth forests contain a mix of trees at all stages of life, including saplings and mature trees, as well as dead and rotting trees, which provide important habitats for many species.
407 ETR has been working with the NCC since 2022. To date, the company has donated over $270,000 to the organization to help protect natural areas in the GTA.
Collaborations like this are helping the NCC continue to care for this unique forest so that it can achieve old-growth status in the next 50 to 100 years. Nowhere else in the GTA is an old-growth forest of this scale achievable.
Connecting people with conservation
There’s increasing scientific evidence that being in nature has many health benefits, from boosting mood and memory to promoting cognitive development in children. Time in nature also increases awareness about the
need to protect and care for it.
In the summer of 2022, 407 ETR encouraged its drivers to show their support for the environment by asking them to convert to paperless billing. 407 ETR donated $2 to the NCC for each customer who converted to paperless billing. The company also participated in NCC’s Giving Tuesday campaign in November 2022, by matching donations up to a total of $100,000 in Ontario.
“On behalf of the NCC, I want to thank 407 ETR for its ongoing financial support,” says Mike Hendren, NCC’s Regional Vice-President in Ontario. “The NCC is working to protect and care for our most important natural areas and the plants and animals they sustain. In the face of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change, nature is our ally. There’s no solution to either without nature conservation. When nature thrives, we all thrive.”
Javier Tamargo President & CEO, 407 ETR
Mike Hendren
PHOTO CREDIT: CAROLINE KATONA, NCC