As Canadians, we are fortunate to still have vast tracts of land and water that have so far evaded development. We have this bounty of natural wealth and share our home with magnificent animals and should keep it that way.

However as our population grows, and more of us live in big cities, Canadians are losing their connection to the natural world.

We must work hard to protect our natural heritage — we must engage Canadians from coast to coast — or the generations that follow us will not know the haunting cry of a loon, see the snow-capped mountain tops, or hike through a forest of trees hearing the wind whisper through the branches.