This blog was originally published by Ontario Nature. Guest blog by Anne Bell, Director of Conservation and Education at Ontario Nature.

Ontario Nature reveals government failure: Ontario’s record on protecting species at risk is devastating for wildlife

The Auditor General of Ontario’s report, Protecting and Recovering Species at Risk, is not reading for the faint of heart. Released on November 22, 2021, the audit sets out in excruciating detail the Government of Ontario’s abject failure to exercise its duty to protect the province’s most vulnerable plants and animals.

URGENT ACTION NEEDED: This just in from Ontario Nature, we need to save wetlands in Pickering
 

Developers are looking to destroy a large Provincially Significant Wetland in Pickering to make room for a warehousing facility. This is unacceptable but if we act fast we may be able to save these wetlands. 

Two for Tuesday: I'm asking you to do these two things on Giving Tuesday to support local wildlife 

Giving won't be easy for some people this year. Many Ontario citizens have suffered financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. Non-profits, charities, and organizations that support nature and wildlife have also been greatly impacted by the pandemic. Today is Giving Tuesday, a day when people make donations to support charities that mean a lot to them. I want to go two for Tuesday. I present to you two ways you can support nature and wildlife right here in Ontario that I've donated to for Giving Tuesday. I'm asking my readers who are considering which initiative to support today to consider one (or both) of these Ontario campaigns that need your help.

Help from home: 5 ways you can help save Canada's wetlands, without getting wet

If you drank a glass of water today, washed dishes, flushed the toilet, boiled a pot, or filled up your dog's water dish, you probably benefited from a wetland. Wetlands are responsible for providing us with the clean water we drink and use every day. Ontario boasts 330,000 square kilometres of wetlands and currently accounts for about 25% of all the wetlands in Canada and 6% of global wetlands. Wetlands hold billions of litres of water that they help naturally filter and purify. They provide flood control, habitat and feeding ground for a variety of species, and act as carbon storage. I really enjoy hiking in the wetlands- they are wonderful recreational and educational ecosystems. 

 Help at home: It's a day of Global Climate Action, but what can we do in Ontario while sitting on our butts?

It's a day of Global Climate Action and I'm here to talk to you about butts... How many of you panic purchased toilet paper when the COVID-19 pandemic hit? I get it! Okay, I don't really get it that much- I didn't buy any extra toilet paper. I was thinking more about my respiratory system and less about my bottom. Next question. When you filled your Costco cart with stacks of bulk TP, extra soft, extra strong, how many of you thought about how toilet paper affects Ontario forests?