Earth Hour 2021 will take place on March 27, 2021 – 8:30 p.m. your local time.

A message from WWF International:

The road to Earth Hour 2021 has begun, and we’re incredibly excited to have you on this journey!

To our Earth Hour fam joining us from last year, welcome back and virtual hugs! And for those joining us for the first time this year, we’re here to empower you to speak up for nature, wherever you are in the world. 🌍

We know what you’re thinking – “Why are we talking nature loss, climate change, and our planet’s issues when there’s a pandemic to be worried about?” Just like everyone else, we’d like nothing more than to emerge from the shadow of COVID-19. But there’s never been a better time to talk about the state of our planet than right now.  Our health is directly linked to the health of our planet, and we must fix our broken relationship with the nature if we are to minimize the risk of future pandemics and ensure our long-term health and quality of life.

After all, Earth Hour has always been about two things – people and planet – and with your support we can remind the world just how important this relationship is. 💪

New Year, Same Goal

Things are a little different this year, but there’s never been a better opportunity to make an impact. Discover what’s new this year?

New to Earth Hour? Discover what we’re about!

We feel you – whether it’s at school or at work, being the new kid on the block can be scary. But not when it comes to Earth Hour! As long as you understand why we’re doing what we’re doing and want to play a part, you’re part of the team! Learn more.

What We’re Up Against

Whether you’re team Marvel or team DC, team Mac or team Windows, or team pineapples-on-pizza or team no-pineapples-on-pizza – one thing’s for certain: when it comes to the issues our planet faces, we’re all in this together.

Be a MVP for team Earth by learning more about nature loss and climate change – the biggest challenges of our time. Find out more.

New to the CEPA Webinar Series  – Friday January 22, 2021 at 1:00 pm ET 

Are Canada’s Environmental Laws up to the Challenge?  Protecting Communities, their Rights and the Environment from the Threats of Biotechnology

Announcing a fourth webinar in the series on the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA).  The Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) is collaborating with Nature Canada on this webinar.

Please join us.

Registration Required:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvfu6sqDgqHtFzXbT-twfSd4WL47GDJpTr. 

Date: Friday January 22, 2021

Time: 1:00 p.m. ET (Time zones: 2:00 p.m. AT, 12 noon CT, 11 am MT, 10 am PT)

Length: 1 hr. 15 mins

For over 20 years, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) has been used to evaluate and manage genetically engineered animals and other products of biotechnology. In this webinar, we will explore how CEPA has performed, and whether it is protecting nature and communities exposed to products of biotechnology, particularly Indigenous people and their rights. With recent advances in genetic engineering, such as CRISPR, as well as more products of biotechnology entering the Canadian marketplace, an assessment of CEPA’s effectiveness is long overdue. In the September 2020 Throne Speech, the federal government made a commitment to “modernize” CEPA.  This webinar will highlight the recent example of AquAdvantage Salmon and the changes needed to better regulate future proposals to manufacture or import new GE animals.

We will have presentations by experts on biotechnology issues and CEPA, including:

·  Lucy Sharratt, Coordinator, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network

·  Charles Greg Sark, Professor, University of Prince Edward Island   

·  Hugh Benevides,  Advisor (CEPA Reform), Nature Canada

·  Elaine MacDonald, Senior Scientist, Ecojustice

Who should participate: Concerned citizens, Indigenous peoples, health and environmental NGOs, labour organizations, students and academics, scientists.

To register for Webinar #4: Visit CEPA Webinar series at the following: Webpage link – https://cela.ca/changes_to_cepa/

Registration link – https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvfu6sqDgqHtFzXbT-twfSd4WL47GDJpTr.

Note that your registration will be immediate and you should receive a confirmation from CELA<no-reply@zoom.us>  

For more information, contact: Fe de Leon, MPH, Researcher and Paralegal, Canadian Environmental Law Association, deleonf@cela.ca (email); 416-960-2284 ext 7223 (office)

Background References:

Government of Canada.  Canadian Environmental Protection Act review https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/canadian-environmental-protection-act-registry/review.html.

Nature Canada. July 2020. Protecting the environment from GE organisms: Proposed Amendments to Part 6, Canadian Environmental Protection Act

English: https://aaf1a18515da0e792f78-c27fdabe952dfc357fe25ebf5c8897ee.ssl.cf5.rackcdn.com/1909/CEPA+Amendments+Report+EN.pdf?v=1597840951000

French: https://aaf1a18515da0e792f78-c27fdabe952dfc357fe25ebf5c8897ee.ssl.cf5.rackcdn.com/1909/CEPA+Amendments+Report+FR.pdf?v=1597840953000

Canadian Environmental Law Association.  October 2018.  Proposed Amendments to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act https://cela.ca/proposed-amendments-to-the-canadian-environmental-protection-act/

CEPA Webinar Series. November 2020. https://cela.ca/changes_to_cepa/

Thanks are extended to the nine club members who participated in this year’s annual Christmas Bird Count, held on December 28, 2020. Sightings of 19 species from the two and a half-hour walk are noted below along with count numbers from December 2017, 2018 and 2019, for comparison.  There was little activity in the Reserve – perhaps due to strong winds overnight and early morning, with cold rain.

Bird Friendly City is a national campaign, led by Nature Canada, which aims to create safer conditions in cities and towns across Canada for our bird populations by focusing on three main aspects: addressing and mitigating threats, restoring and protecting natural habitat, and conducting outreach, education and public mobilization.

We have developed a list of actions that aim to address all the threats birds face in our urban environments, as well as a certification standard to assess the bird friendliness of a city! 

To ensure that we are working towards improving conditions for birds, and by extension nature, we are partnering with local nature groups and developing coalitions (bird teams) to turn our cities into Bird Friendly Cities. 

We are aiming to certify at least 30 eligible cities as Bird Friendly Cities by World Migratory Bird Day 2022! 

Interested in working with us and making your city safer for birds? We would love to hear from you! Reach out to Aly Hyder Ali, Urban Nature Organizer at ahyderali@naturecanada.ca.

NatureHood is a Nature Canada initiative that works through our network of partners to connect young people in nature in their neighbourhood and nearby Migratory Bird Sanctuaries and National Wildlife Areas through nature-based programming opportunities. 

The program’s growth focuses on engaging racialized communities through new partnerships in an effort to break down barriers that exist to accessing the benefits of nature. As we grow with focus, we have been thrilled to welcome four new partnerships this year: Green Ummah, Trails Youth Initiatives, Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre, and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s Beyond the Park program. Learn more about the work our NatureHood partners are doing here. 

Interested in being a part of the movement towards more equitable nature-based programming? Reach out to Camille Koon the NatureHood Organizer at ckoon@naturecanada.ca! 

Webinar Alert from Nature Canada: 2 billion trees – Hope for nature and the climate? Canada continues to record high rates of forest loss resulting in dramatic declines in biodiversity and worsening impacts of climate change. The federal government’s commitment to plant 2 billion trees (2BT) by 2030 has tremendous potential to help restore degraded forest ecosystems in rural and urban areas, helping to achieve Canada’s important biodiversity and climate goals. Join us for a free webinar hosted by the Sustainability Network on December 15, 2020 from 1 – 2 p.m. EST to learn more about the federal government’s 2BT initiative, challenges, and opportunities. Register at https://sustainabilitynetwork.ca/nature-canada-2-billion-trees/

For the fourth year in a row, the Ingersoll District Nature Club enthusiastically sponsored two Ontario youth to participate in the Youth Summit for Mother Earth, organized by Ontario Nature.  The 2020 Summit was held virtually from August 22-September 19, 2020.

The Youth Summit allows for outreach and connection to peers with similar interests – to forge new friendships with like-minded souls, to glean valuable knowledge, and to express their own creativity.  It also provides opportunity for those young people living in urban areas to experience nature first-hand. 

Overall, 92 youth, aged 14-20, and 11 youth mentors, aged 21-27, from over 50 communities from across Ontario took part in the Summit.

All had the pleasure of learning from experts and knowledge keepers in numerous workshops:

• Treaties and Indigenous politics
• Environmental policy
• Navigating activism and eco-anxiety
• Grant writing
• Learning from industry professionals
• Biocultural diversity
• Power to affect change
• Manoomin (wild rice) and Indigenous food sovereignty
• Biodiversity and the intersection of Indigenous and western sciences
• Traditional medicine
• Importance of water and interconnectedness

Those youth and mentors in attendance participated in virtual discussions and youth-led sessions on baaga’adowewin (the sport of lacrosse and its importance to Indigenous peoples), culture humility, learning Inuktitut, youth advocacy, nature dance class, and story sharing. They also participated in challenges that gave them the chance to get out into nature and connect with peers through art installations and medicine pouch creation. There was also an opportunity to work with peers and learn from one another in developing leadership and event planning skills. The keynote speaker, Chief Dana Tizya-Tramm, shared his story of activism and taught the importance of youth becoming involved in their passions.

Ontario Nature hopes 2021 will be the largest summit yet, to be held September 10-12, 2021 at YMCA Geneva Park. While the hope is to host an in-person gathering next year, the situation with COVID-19 will be closely monitored and the guidance of health officials will be followed to determine the format of next year’s event.

Ontario Nature is to be applauded for their work in ensuring the next generation of nature enthusiasts and environmentalists are educated in the importance of preserving our natural world.

Thanks to the 10 volunteers who came out to clear trails following late November’s wind storm. Many trees came down and there was significant work to do. There are 2-3 trees left to remove this week (currently roped off). Anyone using the trails should do so with caution for now. Special thanks to our mystery volunteer who cleared the trails mid week to ensure public safety.

More boardwalk has also been removed. Watch for exposed tree roots when walking.