Marked on the map above are natural areas in Ontario that call out for protection. Click each point on the map to learn more about these special places. View the full sizeinteractive map.
Currently, less than 11 percent of Ontario’s land and inland waters are protected. We need to work together to protect safe havens for wildlife, increase our resilience to climate change, sustain Indigenous knowledge and value systems, and protect natural areas for the generations to come.
In 2010, Canada endorsed the United Nations target to protect at least 17 percent of the planet’s land and inland waters by 2020. This national commitment was then adopted in the Ontario Biodiversity Strategy (target 13), offering a new and welcome opportunity to protect the places we love in our province.
Ontario Nature launched the Protected Places Declaration to urge our elected officials to work together to protect at least 17 percent of our lands and inland waters, and 10 percent of our coastal and marine areas by 2020. We are collaborating with environmental organizations, businesses, educational institutions, and many other groups from across Ontario and Canada on this important campaign. You can help and take action by signing the declaration and deepening your understanding of what’s a stake in the following ON Nature magazine articles:
Canada has committed to protecting 17 percent of its land from development, but Ontario is lagging far behind. Here is how the goal can be met. By Conor Mihell
The south shore in Prince Edward County is a rare natural area amid southern Ontario’s rampant development. Why protecting the shore’s natural bounty presents a rare opportunity to preserve biodiversity. By Conor Mihell
The watershed of a pristine northern river is threatened by a proposed mine. Members of the local Indigenous community explain why protecting it is vital to their people, their culture and Canada’s natural heritage. By Brad Badelt
The towering ancient red pines around Sudbury’s Wolf Lake have long beckoned wilderness enthusiasts. Would the Government of Ontario really allow this unique ecosystem to be mined? By Conor Mihell
A diverse group of activists is fighting to keep the Farabout Peninsula, an unspoiled refuge for biodiversity, safe from loggers’ saws. By Conor Mihell
Noah Cole is Ontario Nature’s communications technician and a regular contributor to Ontario Nature's blog and ON Nature magazine. Noah is an accomplished naturalist with a passion for protecting the great outdoors and a nature photographer. Noah is the author of Ontario Wildlife Photography (canadianimages.net).
