The big
picture

Explore additional content for the summer 2023 issue of the Nature Conservancy of Canada Magazine

Letter

When nature thrives, we all thrive

Embracing new ideas and innovation to help accelerate the pace of conservation (page 3).

Coast to coast

Fragile beauty

The richness and diversity of some of Canada’s prairie plant species are at risk (page 4). Take a look at seven of the at-risk plant species that you are helping protect by conserving Canada’s Prairie grasslands. The plants thank you, and so do we.

Activity Corner

Big Backyard BioBlitz

Bioblitzes are community science efforts to document as many species as possible within a specific area and time period, using your smartphone or tablet (page7). The Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) Big Backyard BioBlitz is a five-day, go-at-your-own-pace event to document the creatures around us. To ensure your contributions are counted as part of this year’s Big Backyard BioBlitz, watch the video or follow the instructions below.

Feature story

At the forefront

Using bold thinking, innovative approaches and new technologies to accelerate conservation (page 8). Learn more about the Accelerator program.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) Nature + Climate Projects Accelerator (the Accelerator) is seizing an unprecedented opportunity to address the dual crises of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change. The Accelerator’s mission — to accelerate conservation outcomes by connecting the true value of nature to new sources of finance — is a powerful complement to traditional government and philanthropic funding for conservation. The Accelerator is NCC’s answer to narrowing the corporate gap in nature investment.

Nations are pledging net-zero carbon economies by 2050
As the private sector shifts toward net-zero and nature-positive commitments, the pool of private capital available for conservation is growing. When environmentally responsible companies invest in conservation, they are helping to solve the climate crisis by supporting nature-based solutions, like forests that store carbon. Investing in nature results in win-win environmental and economic outcomes for conservation and for the private sector.

 

The Accelerator is fast-tracking conservation
The Accelerator is developing ways for the private sector to help meet their climate and nature commitments when they invest in NCC’s conservation work. NCC’s focus on conservation outcomes means our projects centre on protecting areas that are prioritized for their conservation value using science-based planning. The Accelerator identifies potential conservation projects that meet specific eligibility criteria, such as being under threat of conversion from an intact landscape to commercial land use. For these projects, leveraging carbon offsets and other nature-based solutions is an opportunity to tap into new sources of revenue, allowing NCC to do more conservation, faster.

NCC’s Darkwoods Forest Carbon Project in British Columbia and the Boreal Wildlands Carbon Project in Ontario are examples of conservation projects where the Accelerator is leveraging carbon markets to accelerate private sector investment in nature.

 

Species profile

Sprague’s pipit

This native grassland specialist is an indicator of landscape-scale prairie health (page 12). Hear its song and see its range.

Close Encounters

Dancing in the dark

Esme Batten, NCC’s program director – midwestern Ontario, never imagined that she would have the privilege of seeing the northern lights at home on the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula in southern Ontario (page 18). Learn more about the beauty behind the shimmering aurora borealis.