Ontario Nature Blog

As of March 2026, an additional 588 hectares of locally protected lands in Ontario officially count towards Canada’s target to protect and conserve 30% of land and water by 2030, a goal established under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and commonly known as the 30×30 target. The 30×30 target is premised upon halting and reversing ...

Read More

Since 2018, Ontario’s nature protections have been repeatedly weakened. While a few stories such as the ongoing changes to Conservation Authorities or the Greenbelt scandal made headlines, dozens of major changes have flown under the radar, buried deep inside massive government bills. It has been a lot to track, even for us. Today, Ontario Nature ...

Read More

Over 12,000 hectares of protected areas in southern Ontario – about the size of Bruce Peninsula National Park – have been officially accepted into the Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD). Spearheaded by three municipalities and one conservation authority, the inclusion of these lands marks an important step towards achieving Canada’s commitment to protect ...

Read More

Bogs play a vital ecosystem role. Acting like a sink, they absorb rainwater, store it underground and then slowly release it into nearby streams. Bogs are also key to flood management and prevention since they absorb runoff and help to prevent soil erosion, hence the need to preserve and restore these important greenspaces. World Bog ...

Read More

In southern Ontario, municipalities and Conservation Authorities (CAs) play an essential role in conserving natural areas and greenspace, vital in conserving biodiversity and enhancing climate change resilience. Largely unrecognized, however, is how their efforts are contributing to Canada’s ambitious Target 1 plan to protect 25 per cent of our lands and waters by 2025, and ...

Read More