(Crowsnest Pass - photo by Brent Calver)

By rdnewsNOW Staff

Matching Funds Available

Nature Conservancy of Canada encouraging help for nature conservation this 10th annual Giving Tuesday

Nov 29, 2022 | 1:46 PM

With the UN Summit on Biodiversity (COP15) set to begin next month in Canada, a national land conservation group says we need to act with urgency to conserve nature here at home.

To save some of Alberta’s most important forests, wetlands and grasslands, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is asking people to support them on November 29, which is the 10th annual Giving Tuesday.

On this day, all gifts to NCC will be matched, meaning people can double their donations and make a major impact by protecting some of Canada’s most significant landscapes and the incredible species they contain.

NCC celebrated its 60th birthday on November 28. Over the past six decades, the organization has been confronting threats to nature by conserving and restoring habitat, supporting research and building partnerships. But more needs to be achieved, to the benefit of both nature and people, say NCC officials.

“Accelerating the rate of conservation is important not only for Alberta’s plants and animals, but also for all Albertans, so they will always have a healthy and resilient ecosystem in which to live. And as a charitable land trust, we can’t do it without the support of people, businesses and foundations,” said Tom Lynch-Staunton, regional vice-president with NCC. “This Giving Tuesday, people can double their impact for nature.”

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Officials note every dollar donated to NCC on Giving Tuesday will be matched in each region of Canada. The match partner in Alberta is Rocky Mountain Soap Company, which has committed to matching up to $25,000 for donations made within the province.

NCC protects the natural areas that not only provide habitat for species, but also offers recreational opportunities for people to get outdoors and connect with nature, officials point out. These sites also clean Alberta’s water and air, absorb and store carbon, and support healthy and prosperous communities. According to NCC officials, more nature means more resiliency, as these natural areas can also reduce the intensity of flooding and buffer extreme weather events.

“There is no solution to either biodiversity loss or climate change without nature conservation,” said Aerin Jacob, director of science and research with NCC. ”It takes everyone to support nature in a whole-of-society approach, and urgency is needed to get from less than 13 per cent protected lands and waters today to meet Canada’s conservation targets of protecting 25 per cent by 2025 and 30 per cent by 2030. The looming threats of accelerating climate change and nature loss demand that we protect and restore nature, faster, at a much larger scale.”

Since 2012, Giving Tuesday has been viewed as the opening day of the holiday giving season and is said to have engaged millions of Canadians in supporting charities and causes they believe in. Falling on the first Tuesday after the American Thanksgiving, it is a day to highlight the importance of groups making a difference.

Donations to the Nature Conservancy of Canada can be made at natureconservancy.ca/donate.

Facts

• • In addition to its mandate to protect nature, NCC provides Canadians with access to nature so that they may enjoy its health and wellness benefits. Ninety-four per cent of Canadians live within 100 kilometres of an NCC-protected site.
• • There are over 600 at risk species in Canada. Species at risk are plants and animals in danger of disappearing. NCC currently protects and stewards habitat for 240 species at risk.