Ontario Nature Blog

Snip, snip, snip. That’s how my supervisor, Anne Bell, described the recent tangle of legislation and policy proposals dumped on Ontarians in October and November of 2022. It was my second day at my new job as Ontario Nature’s Conservation Policy and Planning Manager. What’s being snipped is the thoughtfully interwoven web of protections for ...

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Despite repeated promises that there would be no removal of lands from the Greenbelt, the Government of Ontario is planning to carve 7,400 acres out of the Greenbelt anyway. The proposal has shocked and outraged Ontarians of all stripes, and for good reason. Broken promises are of course offensive in their own right. And so is a ...

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On October 25, 2022, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) posted a proposal to overhaul the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System (OWES). The deadline for public comment is November 24, 2022. OWES assessments are necessary to designate Provincially Significant Wetlands (PSWs). Such designation results in a high level of protection for wetlands under provincial ...

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In a society where many people draw significant value from consumerism and the never-ending need to buy and own more things, perhaps the most radical decision we can make is to give back to the causes that matter the most to us. This is the premise behind Giving Tuesday, a global movement representing a day ...

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Protecting wetlands is essential in the fight against the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. Nearly 75% of southern Ontario’s wetlands have been destroyed, and remaining wetlands continue to be threatened by development, invasive species, pollution, and climate change. One 89-acre property in the headwaters of Ancaster Creek, known as the Garner Marsh, ...

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