From Big Pharma to Big Oil, hundreds of lobbyists gather on Parliament Hill every year to advocate for industry and business. It’s time Big Nature started getting more airtime.

On April 9, for the first time, the cross-Canada Nature Network is coming together. As a community, we’ll show parliamentarians that Canadians from coast to coast want long term and effective protections for nature.

From naturalists to river keepers to friends of parks, hundreds of nature groups across the country are doing beautiful and important work in local communities. All of these groups are experts in what they do.

What if we were all to come together with a unified voice, to demand from our federal representatives what we know is not only necessary, but also possible: lasting protection for the lands, waters and species we know and love? Imagine what we could accomplish together.

That’s why we are gathering on Parliament Hill for Nature Day.

During over 50 individual meetings with political actors, we are asking that they become #MPsForNature to ensure the federal government delivers on its commitments to:

1. Double protected areas in Canada by 2020, ensuring protections for at least 17% of land and inland waters and 10% of marine and coastal areas.
2. Work with Indigenous governments and communities to create Indigenous Protected Areas, recognizing that this is critical for nature and for reconciliation.

We know there is a growing scientific consensus that we need to protect and restore at least half of nature, as a foundation for sustainability managing the whole planet. We will need endurance and passion to keep the fight alive. So let’s begin by honing our skills, and feeling the strength and power of our collective action.

Nature Day is a first. Moving forward, we hope it becomes but one of many ways we work together to expand protected areas in Canada.

On Tuesday, follow along on social media and join in with the hashtags #MPsForNature and #DéputésPourLaNature. Together, we are a voice for nature!