Where do we need protected natural spaces? Simply put, where people are.

In the heavily populated regions of southern Canada, natural spaces protect wildlife while also serving as buffers against climate impacts like floods and droughts. A wetland, for example, not only shelters birds, amphibians and reptiles, but also provides flood and erosion control, slowing and absorbing water.

The more greenspace a municipality has, the easier it breathes. (Shutterstock – Darko HD Photography)

Yet only a small part of the landscape in southern Canada is permanently protected.

Nature Canada’s “Weaving a Tapestry of Nature” initiative addresses this urgent need by establishing protected areas, wildlife corridors, and ecological passageways in urban and near-urban areas. Such “green quilts” will help maintain the essential services provided by ecosystems, such as water purification, flood control, and pollination of crops. These services, provided by nature for free, can contribute to reducing insurance claims and associated costs.

And, by protecting and restoring natural spaces, municipalities can contribute to a national goal to protect 30 percent of Canada’s lands and waters by 2030 (the “30×30” pledge).

“Weaving a Tapestry of Nature” is part of Nature Canada’s Municipal Protected Areas Program, which brings together five partners — the Alliance of Canadian Land Trusts, BC Nature, Ontario Nature, Wildlands League, and Nature Canada —  to encourage municipalities to create protected areas within their boundaries.

Since Nature Canada began its Municipal Protected Areas Program in 2022, the role of municipalities in contributing to Canada’s 30×30 target has been growing:

• In Southern Ontario, over 12,000 hectares of protected areas were accepted into the Canada Protected and Conserved Areas Database, thanks to the efforts of Dufferin County, the cities of Brampton and Guelph, and the Quinte Conservation Authority.
• Working with the Whistler Naturalists, the Municipality of Whistler contributed 126 ecologically rich and interconnected hectares to the database.
• Windsor is well on its way to hosting Canada’s second National Urban Park.  When completed, the area of the park (360 hectares and possibly more) will be added to the database.
• Local groups in Guelph and London are pursuing more protection through National Urban Parks with the support of Wildlands League.
• The municipalities of Hamilton, Delta, Sudbury, Metro Vancouver and Richmond Hill will soon contribute over 10,000 hectares to the federal database.
• In Pickering, the Wildlands League has been working with stakeholders to expand Rouge National Urban Park land into Transport Canada Lands.

Nature Canada already has a strong working relationship with municipalities through our work on protected areas and also on our national campaigns such as Bird Friendly Cities, Naturehood, and Nature-Based Climate Solutions. We’ve seen how many cities and towns, once given the tools, are highly motivated to take action on protecting nature. Protected areas within municipalities may not necessarily take in huge swaths of wilderness, as national parks do, but small parcels can add up quickly. The “Tapestry of Nature” Initiative will continue to engage municipalities in Southern Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta and the interior of British Columbia. We anticipate being able to engage up to 20 municipalities, with an impact of up to 20,000 hectares assessed and protected.

We couldn’t do this valuable work without the help of our supporters, particularly Scotiabank and its community investment to Nature Canada to support the “Weaving a Tapestry of Nature” initiative. This is part of the Bank’s efforts to support climate-related systems change and sector decarbonization.

For more information about Weaving a Tapestry of Nature, please see Nature Canada’s page on Municipal Protected Areas.