Magazine Summer Edition Hot Off the Press!

We just published our summer issue of the magazine on June 10. This issue contains interesting and informative articles on earthworms in forests, pawpaw fruit and the decline of buzzing insects. Subscribe now if you’d like to receive a notification when we publish new issues online.

Member Group Advocates to Stop Gravel Pit

The Nith Valley EcoBoosters (NVEB) group has been involved in two advocacy campaigns recently that concerned land use in Wilmot Township. NVEB worked with other groups and individuals to oppose an application for a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) that proposed a large development on agricultural land. NVEB also supported Citizens for Safe Ground Water with their efforts to oppose a proposed aggregate operation that threatened water and natural areas. Members of the NVEB delegated to Wilmot Township for both issues.

NVEB wrote letters to Wilmot Council and staff outlining our concerns, and they encouraged our contacts to do the same. Both Waterloo Region Nature and Ontario Nature also wrote letters opposing the MZO application. Cachet Developments withdrew their application for a MZO on February 4. On April 11, Wilmot Council voted to turn down the application for a zoning change that would have allowed the proposed gravel pit to be developed. Community engagement paid off! 

Article submitted by Dorothy Wilson of the Nith Valley EcoBoosters 

Welcome, Thank You and Congratulations!

We held our 91st Annual General Meeting and Conservation Awards Ceremony on Saturday, June 11 virtually. Thank you to all of you who attended. We would like to welcome new board members Muhammad (Moe) Qureshi and Ayesha Shah. We appreciate the contributions of outgoing members Ron Corkum, Denice Wilkins, Joanne Brown and Lesley Lewis. See our board webpage for their profiles.

Congratulations to the winners of our Conservation Awards. The recipients were:

• Youth Leadership Award: Ally Zaheer and Devin Mathura
• Conservation Leadership Award: Dr. Jacqueline D. Litzgus
• Education Award: George Thomson and Elizabeth Churcher
• Public Service Award: Jane Fogal
• Natural History Award: Kurt Hennige
• Greenway Award: Richard (Dick) Tafel
• Corporate Award: Toronto Zoo
• Media and Conservation Award: Victor MacBournie

Thank you to all winners and nominees for the wonderful work you are doing for nature!

We Remain Committed to Nature

Thank you to all of you who stood up for nature this election – be it writing letters, signing Action Alerts, speaking to candidates and voting. Ultimately, environmental issues did not get their due as other issues took centre stage. And, sadly, this provincial election had one of the lowest voter turnouts in history, with less than half of all eligible voters participating.

Looking forward, we will continue to advocate for the protection of wild species and wild spaces, by speaking up when nature is being threatened and pushing for immediate action on the biodiversity and climate change crises. We will endeavor to work with the provincial government to improve outcomes for nature, looking for opportunities for collaboration on shared priorities. We are optimistic that we can advance environmental protection. To be an effective voice for nature, we need our members and supporters now more than ever.

Protect Species at Risk

You can help us take action to save vulnerable, threatened and endangered wildlife in your backyard and across our province. By making a gift, you will support:

• Ongoing advocacy and legal actions
• The protection and restoration of wetlands, which are vital to conserving biodiversity and adapting to the impacts of climate change
• Growing a community of people dedicated to increasing our collective knowledge of wildlife across the province

Together, we are a powerful collective voice for Ontario’s most vulnerable species. And right now, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to protect at-risk species and the places they call home.

Notes and Resources

• The 2022 Youth Summit for Mother Earth will be held September 23-25, 2022. Sponsorship packages will be sent to groups in June. Visit the summit webpage for details.
• Ganaraska Forest trails closed due to danger from falling trees following storm, please check the Forest Centre website for updates
• Three great opinion pieces on working with the government on the environment:
  • Globe and Mail, June 3: Climate policy assessment
  • CBC, June 7: Election promises
  • Toronto Star, June 6: Environmental platform

Events

See our events calendar for a complete listing of events organized by Ontario Nature and Nature Network groups.