With apologies to Max, the central character in Maurice Sendak’s 1963 classic Where The Wild Things Are, and his arduous journey “in and out of weeks and through a day and into the night of his very own room”, Alice the Moose puts his to shame. Alice left her home park in the Adirondacks in upstate New York, swam across the St. Lawrence river, somehow made it across the four-lane 401 highway and finally completed her 570 km-long journey by arriving in Ontario’s Algonquin Park. Talk about a wild trip!

Alice was just doing what comes naturally – migrating with the seasons, in search of safer grounds and more plentiful sources of nourishment. And not just Alice. Lots of other animals. Thousands of different species of animals in every glorious manifestation have been migrating through what’s now known as the ‘Algonquin to Adirondacks’  region (A2A) for thousands if not millions of years. We humans joined the pilgrimage for our own survival, dodging the worst of winter’s wrath and following our meal-tickets as they embarked on their own migrations.

Turns out, there’s an interconnected network of trails and wildways stretching up the east cost of North America. You – or an Alice – could travel from Everglades National Park through Georgia’s Smoky Mountains, up the Appalachians, through the Adirondacks, across the Frontenac Arch and the St. Lawrence river and on into Algonquin Park. And there’s an organization that has charted these wildways, the species (and their movements) and the threats to biodiversity, particularly the numerous species-at-risk.

In October 2019, Wildlands Network released an interactive map of the Eastern Wildway, representing a major step forward in realizing a vision of connectivity for this region:

In their own words:

The Eastern Wildway contains some of North America’s most beloved national parks, preserves, scenic rivers, and other wild places, from the wilderness of Quebec, the Adirondacks, and the Shenandoah Valley, to the Great Smoky Mountains and Everglades National Park. Protecting and expanding these and other key core areas is crucial to rewilding the East.

I like the idea of rewilding. Of our spaces and our souls. Allowing our footfalls to provide the syncopation as we walk away our worries, lost-to-be-found in nature. And allowing nature to reclaim, to repossess, what we humans have taken from them, the birds, the bees, the flowers and the trees.

I was thinking about Alice recently when I came across a tragic story about a deer. This deer had managed to swim to Prince Edward Island – akin to Marilyn Bell swimming across Lake Ontario – only to be hit and killed by a transport truck not long after its arrival on the island. Alice had somehow survived an ordeal similar to our dearly-departed deer friend in PEI. And in Alice’s case, she was crossing one of the busiest highways in North America, the 401/TransCanada. At the point where Alice dodged death, the 401 is four lanes wide and busy almost 24 hours a day. This was Alice’s reality and the reality faced by every other ground-based species that migrates through the A2A region. The animals are simply following deep programming, genetic memories of migrations from hundreds of generations. The pathways are ancient. Highways are the interlopers, the recent development that benefits one species to the detriment of all others.

There are solutions. They go by a variety off names – wildlife overpasses, animal bridges, wildlife crossings – but I like to think of them as a modern iteration on an ancient tale. In the biblical story of Noah and his Ark, human wickedness required global cleansing, as the Almighty prepared to wash the sins of humans away through the medium of an unprecedented flood. But recognizing that the animals did not cause the wickedness and therefore should be saved, Noah was instructed by the Big Boss to construct a gigantic ark, a boat, that could hold a pair of each species. This would allow the animals to repopulate the world after the forty days of ‘cleansing’.

In our modern times, humanity constructs transportation monuments that seem built to demand animal sacrifice. But when we build a bridge – a Noah’s Arch – that allows wildlife to cross our highway infrastructures, we fulfill an obligation to right a wrong.

The A2A Collaborative’s Road Ecology project is aiming “to help reduce wildlife road mortality across the entire Algonquin to Adirondacks region by making recommendations on the best possible locations for wildlife crossings.” There are strong financial reasons to support these public works projects that buttress the moral reasons. In Alberta’s Bow Valley, a study found that “from 1998 and 2010 (there) was…an average of 62 WVCs (wildlife-vehicle collisions) per year. This amounts to an average cost-to-society of $640,922 per year due to motorist crashes with large wildlife, primarily ungulates.”

An “analysis of a wildlife underpass with fencing at a 3 km section… within the project area near Dead Man’s Flats showed that total WVCs dropped from an annual average of 11.8 per-construction to an annual average of 2.5 WVCs post-mitigation construction. The wildlife crossings and fencing reduced the annual average cost by over 90%, from an average of $128,337 per year to a resulting $17,564 average per year.”

The judicious construction of wildlife crossings saves lives and saves money. And it makes our wildways that much more alive with wildlife. It’s time for us humans to do our part and prioritize wildlife crossings on our major highways and roadways.

Alice would thank you.

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Since our current food system gives us the freedom to go to the grocery store and buy any type of food packaged up on a shelf, the connection between the consumer and where food comes from is often lost and taken for granted. But all of our nourishment comes from the earth and that connection needs to be rekindled. We need to connect ourselves to our food to appreciate how important the Earth is to human existence, just like all other life, and to remember that we are a part of nature. Growing food in our own backyards is one way to foster this connection. People have been gardening for thousands of years, so through growing our own food from the land, we can learn skills that our ancestors have passed down to our generations and connect with history as well.

Cherry tomatoes from my best friend’s garden // Source: Siobhan Mullally

Growing our own food has so many benefits. The health benefits alone are plenty: gardening provides fresh produce, an opportunity to get fresh air and physical activity, and for many individuals, a way to de-stress. Many people have expressed their stress relief through gardening since the act of growing something in the soil takes you to the present moment where you can focus on your own hands planting seeds, weeding, and watering. In our current world, we can get so caught up in our work, our to-do lists, our future worries. With long hours on our computers and our phones always by our sides, it feels like there is no rest from the notifications and all the thoughts that come associated with them. I just finished my undergraduate degree and on my first day of “freedom”, I sat in my room and didn’t know what to do. I had to make a list of “things to do when you don’t know what to do” because my brain was so untrained to accept rest and free time. This is a product of the fast-paced, capitalist world we live in. But last summer, I visited my best friend’s house and helped her garden. When we were digging in the soil, spreading mulch, and watering flowers, there was no space to worry about other things. It was just me and the earth and the present moment. I think gardening can help us reduce our eco-anxiety and whatever other anxieties we feel by giving us this sense of peace.

In addition to growing food, planting native wildflowers is another way to garden that can improve native biodiversity, support pollinator and wildlife communities, and create beautiful, low-maintenance spaces of your yard to enjoy. Planting native vegetation is key to helping create and restore ecosystems for native wildlife.

“By planting vegetables or flowers, we can take those small steps towards sustainability in our own little corner of the world.”

Throughout history, people have planted non-native plants from different areas of the world usually for aesthetic reasons. Many of those non-native plants have since spread, dominated ecosystems, outcompeted important native species, and changed natural areas for the worse. Native plants are so important to support biodiversity and restore natural habitats for other wildlife. In the first article I wrote for A\J, I talked about ecological restoration and how individuals can help restore nature in their own backyard spaces. We all have an impact and we can all make those impacts positive. By planting vegetables or flowers, we can take those small steps towards sustainability in our own little corner of the world.

A mulberry from my mom’s backyard // Source: Siobhan Mullally

Gardening is such a wonderful way to connect to the earth, but it becomes a problem for those of us who do not have any space to do so. If you’re like me and you don’t have your own land to create a garden, there are other ways to plant and create mobile gardens. You can plant vegetables, herbs, or flowers in small pots in your house or apartment, on a balcony or porch, or in window boxes. You can also seek out local community gardens in your neighbourhood and look into renting or sharing a garden space there. There are options to be sustainable for nearly everyone and there continue to be more inclusive options as our communities move in the right direction.

If gardening just isn’t your thing or you can’t make it work for you, that’s okay. We’re all connected to nature and you can feel that just by going outside and appreciating what is around you. It starts with mindfulness. If you go outside, whether you are in your backyard, on a city street, or in a park, you can be intentional about what you focus on. Mindfulness teaches us to be present and aware of our surroundings. Being mindful in nature is paying attention to all the little details of nature around us. A mosaic of pinecones and leaves on your lawn, a fuzzy caterpillar crossing the sidewalk, birds singing to each other, the soft sound of wind blowing through trees, the feel of grass beneath your shoe soles. These details can ground you in nature and allow you to zoom in closer and feel like you are a part of it, not separate from it. It really comes down to establishing and fostering a relationship with nature whether you are planting a wildflower garden, growing tomatoes on your balcony, or taking a walk around your block and paying attention to the world around you.

Observing pollinators on my walk home from school // Source: Siobhan Mullally

“By stepping outside, not only are you getting a good dose of fresh oxygen, serotonin, vitamin D, and maybe a pretty sunset out of it – you’re reconnecting with the earth. The ground you’re walking on. The plants and animals that you coexist with. The little delights that live and thrive and breathe and walk and live all around you. And if we keep connecting with these things, I hope we will feel a little bit more grounded in our own backyards, realizing that we’re part of nature and we can take care of it in the footsteps of people who have done so for many generations. We can get to know the names of the species around us, the bird calls, the texture of the grass outside, the smell of the soil in our gardens. These details are important – they are vital to upholding the connection we have to the Earth. And we will be able to fight for this planet and remedy our eco-anxiety if we keep tending to the relationship we have with nature.” -Siobhan Mullally, “A Being in Nature: How the Mourning Dove’s Call of Inspiration Quieted My Busy Mind”

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The Nature Force is of extreme importance as according to the Insurance Institute of Canada’s (IIC) 2020 report, the average cost of claims associated with extreme weather is expected to rise by 138% annually, growing up to $5 billion. As you can see, this is an issue that must be addressed now, and that’s what The Nature Force intends to do. As mentioned, this will be done through increasing natural infrastructure through the conservation and restoration of the wetlands that help attenuate flood risk.

Source: The Nature Force

I was provided the opportunity to speak to Mark Gloutney, national director of science for Ducks Unlimited Canada about this project and had a great conversation about it. When asked how this initiative was started, Mark said that this industry-first initiative came about as a result of Ducks Unlimited Canada realising the opportunities that a partnership between themselves and insurance companies would bring. They recognised that there should be a linkage between the insurance industry and the work they do due to the flood attenuating impacts of Ducks Unlimited and because the risk of flood loss and damage is only going to increase in the years to come. This resulted in conversations between Ducks Unlimited Canada, and Tina Osen, President of HUB Canada. Mark stated that Tina was extremely instrumental in the success of planning and organising this project. Tina realised that this project could be catalytic in its nature, and set out on gathering other insurance industry players. They realised that this is a way to do something that would help demonstrate how natural solutions and infrastructure can be part of the solution to climate change, and as a result, 15 insurance companies are now partnered with The Nature Force. Mark said that what’s especially great about this is that Ducks Unlimited Canada will be forming an advisory, or oversight committee with key representatives from HUB to ensure that the vision of The Nature Force stays on track and that there’s good dialogue, traction, messaging and vision between the insurance sector and Ducks Unlimited Canada.

Moving on, I had a few questions for Mark surrounding the planning and execution of this project. Mark went on to elaborate that they would be setting up three pilot projects. One in Ontario, one in Quebec, and one in the Fraser Delta in British Columbia. These projects will demonstrate that natural infrastructure is part of the solution, and allow them to build models which will help understand what features in a particular watershed will have the most consequence for flood attenuation and climate resilience. The plan is that once these are identified, Ducks Unlimited Canada will come in and complete restoration work on these sites. Once completed, they can take the results to the government, policymakers, and municipal planners so that this knowledge can be integrated into future land use planning decisions. This information can then also be shared with other conservation authorities to demonstrate how natural infrastructure can be integrated. Importantly he noted, once this is done it won’t be solely on the insurance industry to pay for the investment, but society as a whole, as all levels of society will recognise this as a solution, over time increasing investments and increasing climate resiliency across the Canadian landscape.

Now that I understood how the project would work, I was curious about any case studies, or examples that were worked on while preparing. Mark explained that Ducks Unlimited Canada had done a lot of modeling in Ontario that looked at the capacity of wetlands in terms of their ability to store water and function on the landscape like a sponge. He then goes on to outline that they had done quite a bit of work with Dr. Blair Feltmate, Head of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation. With Dr. Feltmate’s, help they modeled the Credit river in Toronto, observing what would happen in two different storm events with differing instances of wetland environments, and seeing how the flood level changed with these variables. Dr. Feltmate and the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation have access to economic consequence information, and with their help, it was possible to show the economic consequences of these differing flood events. This was formative in their research because it was clear that as you modelled the loss of the wetlands on that watershed you saw property value loss increasing dramatically for both storm events. This was completed about three years ago and the team in Ontario has been working with these results to create The Nature Force. 

The Nature Force begins its planning stage this April 2022, as such, I asked Mark if there are any timelines in place for this project. He stated that the initial stages starting in April will be a period of planning where watersheds to be modelled will be chosen, conservation and planning partners will be assembled, and then a model will be built that states the four or five restoration solutions that will have the biggest impact in reducing the floods. This will take a little while and it is expected that they will be doing restoration in Ontario and Quebec by around next spring. He goes on to say that the Fraser Delta may take a little longer due to the complexity of the landscape it is situated on. This complexity is due both to land interest, as well as the topography of the land and proximity to the ocean of the delta, which results in differing conditions to those found in Ontario or Quebec. 

Understanding how the project was planned to take place, I was curious about any challenges that The Nature Force has faced, or anticipate in the future, and how they planned on dealing with these. Mark outlined that one of the main issues anticipated is surrounding land ownership. In an ideal scenario, you can find a watershed with the right assembly of partners to make conservation easy, however, this is often not the case. Instances of conservation efforts on agricultural land require models to show what is gained and lost for society through this conservation. Private land ownership is always tricky as well as this is of course, on private property – in these cases the landowners are negotiated with to try to suit the needs of the landowner, as well as the needs of society by attenuating flood risk. Another challenge is associated with the regulatory environment which is always rather uncertain, and there are always elements that cannot be anticipated. Another challenge that was of interest was whether or not species at risk are situated in these areas. Due to the regulatory environment, these species are protected on an individual basis, rather than looking at the population. This means that while a project may be beneficial to the species in the long term if an individual, or individuals in the area are impacted by the project, it may need to be adjusted to suit this regulatory environment. 

As evidenced through the resources provided on The Nature Force website, as well as the conversation with Mark Gloutney, it is clear that this project is of extreme importance, and also being set up well for success. Hopefully, this project will indeed be catalytic in its nature and spark more conversations and projects around climate change mitigation and adaptation, especially through the use of natural infrastructure and wetland conservation. With the planning stage under-way as of this April, I look forward to seeing the projects begin next spring and share the same excitement as Mark and The Nature Force in seeing the results from these projects turned into positive, climate change mitigating action over the coming years.

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What changed 

Everything about our world has changed since the 1970s. First off, the world’s population has basically doubled from 3.7 billion in 1970 to well over 7 billion today. More people are consuming resources, but more resources are also being consumed per person. On average, wealthier, developed countries in the Global North are each burning more fossil fuels than we were in 1970, eating more meat, and traveling more than ever before. All that consumption adds up to a 90% increase in CO2 emissions since 1970, which after being trapped in the atmosphere, has contributed to ocean waters warming 0.6 °C and sea levels rising more than 5-6 inches. And if that’s not enough, average global temperatures have risen more quickly since the late 1970s (0.29 to 0.46°F per decade since 1979).

What now 

“Earth Day today is about more than just saving our planet – it’s about saving humanity.”

Throughout the decades, Earth Day has been about saving species, ecosystems, and natural habitats from threats like air and water pollution. While these aspects are still focused on, Earth Day today is about more than just saving our planet – it’s about saving humanity. This generation of climate activists has grown up thinking of themselves as truly global citizens. We are more aware of the immediate threat that is facing us, and we’ve made it clear that there is no planet B. The first Earth Day may have started as protest, but it sparked a global movement that is now the vehicle for taking urgent and immediate climate action. 

Earth Day 1970 March // Source: Earth Institute, Columbia University 

With the COVID-19 pandemic causing public health lockdowns around the world, Earth Day 2020 went entirely digital for the first time in its history. Billions of people took part, allowing technology to connect us from all corners of the planet. While the coronavirus forced us to keep our distance, it couldn’t quiet our voices. Over the 24 hours, the 50th anniversary of Earth Day filled the digital landscape with global conversations, calls to action, performances, video teach-ins and webinars, workshops and more. This year, Earth Day remains largely digital. No matter where you are, you can still make a difference. 

Earth Day 2020 Flyer // Source: EarthShare

April 22nd, 2021

The theme of 2021’s Earth Day Canada celebration is Take Care of the Planet. Earth Day Canada is looking to raise awareness among Canadians about the urgency of taking action for the environment and to encourage us to continue taking concrete actions to take care of the planet on a daily basis.

The Media Campaign 

This year’s campaign plays on the irony that animals have to clean up their polluted environments themselves. That may sound funny, but looking at these animals should spark a thought in each and every one of us. They shouldn’t be dealing with this, we should. There are many simple things you can do every day to take care of the planet. It can be as small as picking up one piece of trash every day or as large as participating or organizing a beach cleanup (health measures permitted). 

The Earth Day Canada 2021 campaign invites Canadians to share the actions they are completing to take care of the planet through video testimonials on social networks. You can post to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and more, using the hashtags #TakeCareOfThePlanet #EarthDay2021. 

Since Earth Day 2021 will be virtual for most parts of the world, Earth Day Canada has developed an amazing list of suggestions for what you can do at home and in your community. At home, there are ideas on food, energy, waste, sustainable mobility, and nature. In your community, there are ideas for whether you are acting on behalf of a school, municipality, organization or just yourself. Earth Day Canada has an online calendar where you can register your activities and find out about virtual or local events. 

For the second year in a row, Earth Day Canada is calling on municipalities to play a role in the ecological transition. Cities and towns across Canada are mobilizing to take action towards creating healthier environments, using April 22nd in particular to make a positive impact. These municipalities are also contributing to the ecological transition by organizing and supporting actions in celebration of Earth Day in an effort to encourage everyone in their communities to join the movement. 

Download Earth Day Canada’s 2021 Media Campaign and get started, because the world won’t wait for you – it can’t. 

Source: Earth Day Canada

This article is part of a 3-part editorial series, in collaboration with Earth Day Canada, titled ‘The Past, Present, and Future of Earth Day’. Check out the full series here!

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The CBC article and podcast features Kevin Parkinson, a wildfire operations officer based out of Slave Lake, Alberta, who is one of the few trained experts within the province with an intimate knowledge of utilizing prescribed burns for combating large wildfires. 

As a highlight on the podcast series, this CBC article touches on a lesser-known side of wildfires, that is, that wildfires are not necessarily inherently bad. In fact, they can even be beneficial. Wildfires themselves are natural and the complete prevention of them is not always the “best solution”, even from a human-centric point of view. Massive, destructive wildfires can be devastating, as we’ve all seen in the media in recent years, with fires including the 2016 Fort McMurray fire in Alberta or the 2020 El Dorado fire in California. These large, out-of-control massive fires differ significantly from the prescribed burns described by Snowdon’s article.

Wildfires themselves are natural and the complete prevention of them is not always the “best solution”…

Prescribed burns, also commonly known as controlled burns, are fires set intentionally by experts for land or fire management. As mentioned by the article, these types of burns are done across Alberta each year, however, it is important to note that they are used across Canada and other parts of the world for the benefits they provide. Interestingly, they can be used for fire management, reducing the risks associated with subsequent fires on the landscape. They can also aid in greenhouse gas abatement, promoting regeneration and regrowth of forested areas, and the restoration or maintenance of habitats.

Re-growth on the forest floor after the 2017 Horse Prairie Fire in southern Oregon // Credit: Chelsea Uggenti

You may ask yourself: “How does starting fires lead to less fires?” Although it may seem counter-intuitive, prescribed burn fires can help reduce the risk of later, and often more severe and thus dangerous, fires. Over time, combustible materials such as dried leaves and branches can build up on the forest floor. This accumulation can make the forest more susceptible to a severe fire. Attempting to suppress and prevent fires indefinitely actually often helps enable excess combustible material to accumulate, thus increasing the risk of a severe fire later. Prescribed burns are used to clear this material away before the risk becomes too great. 

Cleaning up the forest floor litter after a prescribed burn in 2018 near Bend, Oregon // Credit: Chelsea Uggenti

Cleaning up the forest floor litter after a prescribed burn in 2017 in the Ochoco National Forest // Credit: Chelsea Uggenti

From an ecological point of view, fires can be important to maintaining certain habitats, and some ecological communities are even regarded as “fire dependent”. Without relatively frequent fires, these areas will not support the same species they otherwise would. Prolonged fire suppression efforts by humans have altered these landscapes, but we are realizing that fires can be important. Through prescribed burns, some of these ecosystems have been at least partially restored.

A few ways that prescribed burns can begin were also highlighted in the CBC article. One such method included dropping fireballs (ping-pong like balls filled with glycol that chemically react) from helicopters to ignite slow burning forest fires. However, sometimes a more intense fire is warranted during a prescribed burn. For these more intense fires, another aerial technique that is employed is called a heli-torch, a helicopter with a 45-gallon drum with gel that is ignited as it is dumped over the forest. Other tamer methods include using a drip torch – a canister that pours flaming fuel onto the ground, done manually while walking in the forest – which are a bit less intense but just as important for wildfire suppression. These are just a few of the hazard reduction technologies and techniques Parkinson uses to protect from larger wildfires, however, there is a lot more strategy involved than simply playing with pyrotechnics. As the article highlights, smaller strategic fires can be set to redirect wildfires in safer directions towards natural fire breaks and often, these fires are carefully planned and executed in detail.

A scorched tree after a wildfire in Umpqua National Forest, Oregon // Credit: Chelsea Uggenti

These burns must be done responsibly, with careful consideration and planning of the present environment. Short and long-term weather conditions, the combustible material present, the types of ecosystems, and nearby infrastructure are all factored in when agencies create a “burn plan”. Parkinson mentioned the carefully planned and executed prescribed burn in Rocky Mountain House that took 10 years to occur while they waited for the right conditions. Although some people believe these burns are bad since they can create or increase smoke plumes in populated areas which can lead to uncomfortable breathing conditions or increased smoke-related illnesses, it is important to realize that the smoke generated by these burns is usually less intrusive and dangerous than the smoke generated by a raging wildfire.

What does this mean to us, exactly? We feel that articles like this give us hope. Although wildfires can be very dangerous and scary, there are some amazing preventative measures, like prescribed burns, in place that help to reduce their risks. It is inspiring to read about Kevin Parkinson’s flaming ping-pong balls technique and the other methods employed by fire fighters and crews. Moving forward, we hope to see better communication (I mean, we’re living in the digital age, right?!) between fire management agencies, fire fighters, and the public that continues to share and strengthen the knowledge that prescribed burns are necessary and effective. We hear the common “short-term pains for long-term gains” phrase ringing in our minds.

This article is part of our March 2021 Western Student Editorial Series – a series that showcases the works of students in the Collaborative Specialization in Environment and Sustainability program. Read more articles from this series here!

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Tree planting initiatives are becoming more and more popular, especially as carbon offsets or “carbon credits”. Several tree planting initiatives are on the go in North America, like the Nature Conservancy’s Plant A Billion Trees campaign and Forests Ontario’s 50 Million Tree Program, and there are similar programs all over the globe. Corporations, brands, and companies are jumping on the bandwagon as well, investing in tree planting projects as a way to work towards being carbon neutral. In Canada, the government recently announced that they are committing to a project of planting 2 billion trees by 2050 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Now, that’s a lot of trees! And what’s that famous quote again? “With a great amount of trees, comes great responsibility.”

Planting trees is not a simple environmental fix and has great potential to put our ecosystems and people in danger if it is not done properly. It’s time we started understanding all sides of this story, so we know what type of tree planting and other restoration projects to support going forward.

The Role of Trees in Climate Change

Climate change is being driven by greenhouse gas emissions – CO2 being a significant one – and the planet is warming, ice is melting, sea levels are rising, and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe. Trees are known to be a solution against climate change because they take in CO2 and release oxygen during photosynthesis, which typically produces a net cooling effect for the climate. This means trees are a carbon sink – they hold onto carbon and prevent it from being released (until they are chopped down or die by other means). And tree lifespans are very long, naturally speaking; they can live for several decades and even centuries for some species. Given they aren’t cut down, trees can be fairly safe places for carbon to stay. This is why it seems so obvious to plant more trees to suck up more CO2 and cut down less to reduce CO2 emissions. 

Source: Know Your Meme

Nothing is ever as simple as it seems though, especially in nature. Forests do not always produce a net cooling effect because of a little thing called albedo. Albedo is the measure of how much solar radiation (heat and light from the sun) can be reflected off of a surface. Darker colours absorb more radiation and lighter colours reflect more. That is why my old black car with leather seats and dysfunctional air conditioning was killer to drive on a hot, summer day. Since it had a black surface, it absorbed a lot more heat and was essentially a sauna on wheels. Similarly, darker coloured land surfaces, like forests, absorb more solar radiation than lighter ones, like grasslands or snow. So, forest cover can actually warm the climate in some regions of the world. There is a complex and delicate balance between the warming and cooling effects of forests, and the net effect can vary depending on where the trees are.

An accredited study from 2007 suggested that the best region to plant trees is the tropics because trees grow fastest closer to the equator and, in those regions, they have the ability to take in the most amount of CO2. Planting trees closer to the poles, in colder environments where it’s snowy, is likely to cause a net warming effect. And in the in-between space? Well, planting trees in temperate regions, like Canada or the UK, might produce a neutral effect as the cooling and warming is likely to cancel out in many cases.

Dr. Christopher Williams, geography professor and researcher from Clark University, is working on some of the latest research on reforestation, and he said the following: “If we fail to consider both the carbon and the albedo effects, large-scale tree-planting initiatives, such as Canada’s 2Billion Trees Initiative and The Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Trees campaign, could end up placing trees in locations that are counterproductive for cooling the climate system … It is all about putting the right trees in the right place.”

Problems with Plantations

“You can’t plant a forest; you can only plant a plantation,” said journalist Ted Williams, in an article on the harms of reforesting, and I think this statement says it all. Forests are entire ecosystems – trees are only one part of the whole complex system. It would take a lot more time and effort to create a full, natural forest from the ground up than it does to plant a tree plantation, which is what some, if not many, tree-planting initiatives probably turn out to be. 

A lot of trees being planted are monocultures, which means they consist of many trees of the same species, and these species are usually fast-growing commercial species, like acacia or eucalyptus. In terms of biodiversity benefits, tree plantations do diddly-squat. Rich, natural forests are the way to go to boost and support biodiversity.

Eucalyptus Plantation in Thailand // Source: Yale E360

Some tree plantations can also pose threats to water sources because trees are pretty thirsty organisms. According to a study on the impact of tree plantations, planting trees can dry up streams and change the soil quality in some areas. In fact, 13% of the forests studied caused streams to dry up for at least one year. And on average, plantations reduced stream flow in those ecosystems by 50%. Due to the water demands of tree plantations, natural wetland systems and aquatic habitats could be seriously disrupted. But these issues associated with the water and nutrient needs of trees also impact humans because obviously, we need water too! Tree plantations can limit the water available for drinking and irrigation. For example, in arid regions of China, planting trees is causing water scarcity. 

So, next time you see a corporation committing to plant 2 million trees to account for their carbon emissions, ask yourself the following:

• Where are these large scale tree-planting initiatives happening? 
• What purpose will they serve long-term i.e. are they planting a tree farm or a true forest? 
• Are they paying attention to what species they are planting i.e. native species? 
• Are they simply planting monocultures of tree species that are not diverse, which would be vulnerable to diseases and pests?

Clearly, there are a lot of local factors to consider when initiating a tree planting project. It is important to look at the big picture – whether the project will actually cause net cooling or warming – but then it’s equally important to scale it right down to the local level and make sure no harm is being done to the existing ecosystems and nearby communities.

Important Treeless Ecosystems

There are so many different types of ecosystems that thrive without trees and still combat climate change. Pleistocene Park in Siberia is an example of a region that thrives without trees. It is an Arctic, tundra ecosystem populated by musk-ox, wild horses, and bison. Nikita Zimov runs this park and his goal is to protect the frozen ground from thawing and thus emitting carbon. He said, “Here, trees worsen climate change,” and he’s right. This Arctic ecosystem relies on grazing animals to eat the ground vegetation and trample the snow to a thin layer. A thin layer of snow allows the ground to cool much more than a thicker, insulating layer would. However, when humans hunted most of the grazing animals from this area, the ecosystem began to transition from snowy grassland to forest, since the vegetation was not being eaten and could continue growing without limitation. An increase in trees has resulted in ecosystem warming. Nikita is one of many protectors of these vulnerable ecosystems and would like to see the Arctic rewilded and brought back to it’s natural, cool temperature.

Pleistocene Park in Siberia // Source: Animal People Forum

Prairies are also important ecosystems and they combat climate change on their own without a need for trees. Prairies reflect solar radiation and a study from the University of California found that in some areas, grasslands are even better carbon sinks than both tree plantations and natural forests because grasslands are more stable and reliable storers of carbon. Grasslands are less impacted by droughts and wildfires, so there is a lower risk of the carbon being emitted from these ecosystems. Plus, grasslands store carbon underground, so even if they were burned, the carbon would still safely be stored in the earth.

Many native grasslands have been destroyed by anthropogenic activities, such as agriculture and invasive species. We should start thinking about taking climate action by restoring these types of ecosystems instead of planting trees in areas that might not even be effective.

The American Prairie Reserve is an organization that is taking action to recover native prairie ecosystems. In Montana, they are working on removing non-native trees, like the Russian olive and Chinese locust, and reseeding abandoned cropland to restore the native prairie. Neil Shook, the manager of the projects, said, “I have old photos showing settlers out on the prairie, and there’s not a single tree in the background. Now the same places are littered with trees. By cutting trees we’re seeing increases in prairie vegetation and grassland songbirds.” So, this ecosystem is on its way back to thriving with native vegetation and wildlife and without trees.

Source: The Property and Environment Research Center

Conclusion

Now, after all my researching and writing of this article, I still believe that planting trees is a way to combat the climate crisis. Trees, of course, are needed. Deforestation is still a huge, pressing issue for climate change. But the point to remember is that tree planting campaigns may not always be the answer to combating the climate crisis. We need to pay attention to planting trees in the right spaces, but we should also be sharing the spotlight with other types of ecosystem restoration – like grasslands and wetlands – that have their own critical ecosystem functions without the presence of trees. Maybe we will start to see carbon offsetting programs in the future that invest in other types of ecosystem restoration instead of simply planting loads of trees in places they may not belong.

Trees are complex, climate change is complex, and nature is complex. Being aware of the complexity of nature is important, so that we can support the right kinds of initiatives and have a better grasp on the role that trees have in climate change. It helps to do a little research, dig a little deeper, and keep on supporting helpful tree-planting efforts, while also diversifying your support by giving attention to other types of restoration projects. Trees are wonderful – personally, I love trees – but I think we should all start giving a little more love to those native grasses, shrubs, and other wildlife, and highlight the importance of those ecosystems as well. 

The bottom line is that we as humans need to be very careful with how we rebuild nature. It is clear from history that many humans were not careful with nature in the past, which has led us to now – humanity facing a smorgasbord of issues that threaten our very existence. We know that nature is super complex, so obviously, restoring nature is going to be complex too. We need to tread lightly and be fully informed, and not cut any corners while doing so.

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…including ways we can right our environmental wrongs and help nature thrive…”

I do not believe that humans are inherently bad for nature. In history, humans lived harmoniously with nature for generations, living as an intertwined part of nature rather than separate from or in control of it. In fact, even today, in many places in the world, healthy ecosystems actually depend on human intervention and stewardship to thrive.

Does that mean the problem is that humans aren’t living in harmony with nature anymore, as we should be? Well, that may be a piece of it; however, in addition to being better environmental stewards by taking measures to protect the environment, I also believe that we should be taking reactive measures to fix the problems we have already caused. This is where ecological restoration comes into play. There are plenty of things individuals can do to help the environment, including ways we can right our environmental wrongs and help nature thrive in places it used to. Ecological restoration is just that – righting the wrongs, repairing the relationship.

WHAT? – Defining Ecological Restoration

The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) is the leading organization in ecological restoration across the globe. SER defines ecological restoration as “the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed”^[1]. In other words, ecological restoration involves looking at spaces that used to be natural areas that have been ruined in some way as a result of human activities and disturbances, and then taking measures to turn those areas back into functional ecosystems.

The process of ecosystem restoration // SOURCE: Medium

An example of this process in a community could be transforming a damaged, unused parking lot space into a city park where native vegetation can be planted. A larger scale project might look like reverting a decommissioned, highly polluted mine site back into a thriving natural ecosystem. But, wait. Isn’t this supposed to be about how individuals can practice ecological restoration? Absolutely! Ecological restoration does include large scale projects, research, and experiments, since restoration ecology is an academic field of study. But the concept of restoring natural spaces can also be scaled down to the local, household level. So let’s get into what ecological restoration has to do with YOU.

WHY? – The Benefits

Before we discuss the how, we should discuss the why. Why should you care about ecological restoration? Because it benefits you!

Restoring natural areas can do wonders for human health and wellbeing by making our communities healthier and more desirable places to live. For example, transforming degraded areas into functional, natural spaces may improve air and water quality. Ecological restoration projects could also combat climate change, since plant life takes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and cools our environment.

Natural areas also directly benefit human mental health and wellbeing by providing recreational outdoor space, and making urban and suburban areas more aesthetically pleasing. Several studies, including one conducted by the NASA Earth Observatory, have shown the link between positive mental health and both the accessibility and proximity to green spaces. Green spaces are valued by many for enjoyment, boosting their mood, and inspiring deeper connections with nature. To break it down: Ecological restoration = more parks and gardens = more outdoor fun and good-looking cities = happier people.

Ecological restoration projects also usually provide increased and improved habitat spaces for wildlife. Now, I know this article is focused on why ecological restoration is relevant to people, and you are probably not a butterfly or toad looking for habitat, but hear me out. Some very important species are at risk of extinction since their habitat needs are becoming harder to meet in this era of urbanization and climate change. Many natural areas have been reduced or destroyed, and the animals who need to live in those spaces are struggling to survive in many cases. The karner blue butterfly is just one of many examples of a pollinator species that has gone locally extinct in Ontario.

The Karner Blue Butterfly // SOURCE: Nature Canada

Pollinators are especially valuable species for the health of the entire planet, so we really can’t afford to lose any more of them. It is estimated that up to 95% of flowering plants depend on pollination^[2]. In terms of plants that humans eat, that means roughly one out of every three bites of food that you take exists because of pollinators. So if pollinators can’t find habitats and continue to decline, our entire global food system could be at stake. Now that is a scary thought. Allow me to bring back the optimism. It is truly amazing that we have the capability to stop those environmental dooms from happening, and a key method to do so is ecological restoration!

HOW? – The Actions

The individual’s role in ecological restoration is simple: transform your areas with little to no diversity into biodiverse paradises, and take part in local community projects.

One great starting point for figuring out where you should do ecological restoration is identifying areas outdoors that have little to nothing growing there. The average North American lawn is a great example of this. What comes to mind when you think of a lawn? Probably an expanse of short, uniform grass. Let me explain why lawns are one of the areas with the most potential for ecological restoration at the household level.

Lawns are very common green spaces in urban and suburban areas, yet they have no ecological value. Many lawns actually do more harm than good for the environment because they require lots of water and can even release more greenhouse gases than they absorb. It is nonsensical that these precious areas of green space are being wasted on lawn grass!

The key to remember here is simply – restore your green spaces so they are welcoming to a diversity of species in order to create functional ecosystems and promote sustainability.

nstead of having a boring, homogenous lawn, you can transform that space into something more beautiful and ecologically-beneficial! Alternative lawns may look different depending on where you live and what kind of space you have available, but planting a diversity of native plants is a good start. Using a diversity of plants, meaning plants of different species, is important to create habitats. The more diverse your space is, the more types of pollinators and other species it will accommodate, and the more functional the ecosystem will be! If you take pride in the beauty of your yard, then now is the time to let your creativity shine! Check out Credit Valley Conservation’s tips and resources on how to “ecologically landscape” your lawn.

SOURCE: Hamilton Pollinator Paradise

If you don’t have the resources to completely change your lawn right away, don’t worry. You can also just let your grass grow longer instead of regularly cutting it, which can lower the lawn’s water requirements and still foster a space for pollinators. Even simply taking a break from raking leaves in the fall is a strategy to make your spaces more ecologically beneficial because leaf piles are actually super important spaces for small critters to live and hide, like butterfly larvae, salamanders, and shrews!

The key to remember here is simply – restore your green spaces so they are welcoming to a diversity of species in order to create functional ecosystems and promote sustainability.

 For those who don’t have a lawn and don’t have any areas where you can create habitats and gardens, there are still things you can do – just get involved. There are so many local ecological restoration community projects, practically across the whole globe. Finding a project near you that you can help with is just a few clicks away! Just research ecological restoration projects near you. You can also go to the project database on SER’s website to find some larger scale projects in your area if you’re interested in learning more! Many ecological restoration projects welcome volunteers with open arms. You could spend a day in nature by joining a team pulling invasive species in a natural area, or donate to a local initiative trying to turn an old landfill site into a park in your city, or even take a field trip to a conservation area! For example, the Ontario branch of SER hosts several field trips each year in order to introduce the public to restoration efforts near them. Even during the pandemic, they are hosting virtual field trips and webinars.

I study at the University of Waterloo and I like to go for walks on my study breaks. Recently, I took a walk in Filsinger Park, in Kitchener, and I found out that the Filsinger Park stream had been a restoration project. The city replaced the concrete stream channels with native vegetation to create a naturalized, functional stream ecosystem, and it is now a beautiful place to take a walk and appreciate nature! My point is, simply going for a walk and discovering ecological restoration in your city could be the first step in making your mark on the environment a positive one. Ecological restoration is relevant to you. We can all contribute to restoring natural spaces in our own backyards and communities. And by making these contributions, we can restore our relationship with nature, one step at a time.

^[1] Society for Ecological Restoration, “International Principles and Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration: Second Edition” (accessed January 7, 2021) <https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.ser.org/resource/resmgr/docs/ser_international_standards_.pdf>^[2] Ollerton J, Winfree R, and Tarrant S, “How many flowering plants are pollinated by animals?” (accessed January 7, 2021) <https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0706.2010.18644.x>

^[2] Ollerton J, Winfree R, and Tarrant S, “How many flowering plants are pollinated by animals?” (accessed January 7, 2021) <https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0706.2010.18644.x>

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On a beautiful stretch of green fields and trees on the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve, two rounded structures stand out from the landscape of rolling hills: an open-air greenhouse and a 17th century replica longhouse. This is the site of Kayanase (pronounced Guy-yawn-na-say), an Indigenous owned and operated ecological restoration and ecotourism company. Their name, meaning new trails, new tracks or fresh tracks in Mohawk, describes the company well. As industry leaders in ecological restoration, Kayanase is always seeking out new ways to grow and to bring people together to build greater cultural understanding and ecological connectedness. 

The company emerged from the Red Hill Valley restoration project. After a decades-long opposition from the Haudenosaunee and various environmental groups, the Red Hill Valley expressway was approved by the City of Hamilton in 2007. The city and the Six Nations community then negotiated several agreements to protect and preserve Haudenosaunee heritage and history in the valley. Part of this agreement included a contract to undertake a large-scale ecological restoration project in the Red Hill Valley. More than one million native trees were planted over five years in what was one of the biggest ecological restoration projects undertaken in a major urban area in North America. 

Kerdo Deer and A\J correspondents on an eco-walk (Image Credit: Theo Ossinga)

The project was an economic opportunity as well, as the success of the Red Hill Valley restoration project led to more opportunities to work on restoring marginal lands and improve habitat quality in Hamilton and the surrounding area, and Kayanase has since grown into an impressive operation.

Kerdo Deer, Kayanase’s ecotourism coordinator, greets us with a smile and takes us on a tour through the nearly 55,000-square-foot greenhouse and production building, where Kayanase does all of their own seed collection, seed processing and plant propagation. 

Ecological restoration is a complex process. Kerdo explains that Kayanase works within the area known as seed zone 37, which stretches from Niagara to Middlesex. The employees are all certified seed collectors, and they gather wild seeds within 75 kilometres of any site they are restoring. He shows us the chilly seed storage area, the soil mixer, and the compound where trees go once they have outgrown the greenhouse. 

Kayanase uses a combination of science-based approaches and traditional ecological knowledge in their efforts to restore the land to its native Carolinian forest and tall grassy plains ecosystems. “This means incorporating traditional knowledge about respecting the land in all aspects of our restoration work,” says Kerdo. The land guides the company’s efforts in all of their projects. They observe what is currently growing there, take into account what native plants would have grown there before development, and consider how the land will be used as they determine how to restore each site.

This philosophy of letting the land guide Kayanase’s work flows into their ecotourism projects as well. Kerdo walks with us out into the field next to the greenhouse and has us look out over the prairie, “Almost all the grasses you can see in this prairie are introduced.” He shows us different types of clover, wild carrot (also known as Queen Anne’s lace), wild parsnip, and dame’s rocket, all of which are introduced and invasive. “I use the space I have as a teaching tool. There are no big forests here, and most of the plants you can see are invasive, but there is still a lot people can learn.” 

About three quarters of all primary and secondary students in Ontario live within reasonable field trip driving distance of Kayanase, so their cultural and ecotourism program has been a hotspot for school tours. Kerdo shows us his salamander cookies, round blocks of wood under which insects and decomposers will gather. “[These walks] are a moment in time for experiential learning,” says Kerdo. 

“I try to include tactile learning to keep the kids engaged and help them get comfortable.” He gets the kids to peek under the salamander cookies to see the beetles, snails and slugs which work to decompose the wood, and lets them taste some edible plants like garlic mustard. In the winter there are bird feeders and screens of pine boughs behind which visitors can hide to watch the birds.  

Kerdo Deer talking with Mimi Shaftoe (Image Credit: Theo Ossinga)

The intention of the eco-walks that Kerdo leads through the grounds is to help people become comfortable in nature, and connect to ecology. “The more you know about the ecosystems you live in, the less likely you are to destroy them,” says Kerdo. He laughs telling us about a group of high school students from Toronto who he had to coax into walking into the tall grasses because they were so uncomfortable. By the end of the walk, they were much more relaxed, and even picked up the salamander cookies to check out the bugs underneath. There is something incredible about learning to identify plants, and how they can be used by humans as well as their uses for other animals. 

“Part of the tourism is also passing on teachings and sharing culture,” says Kerdo. He tells us about how the Haudenosaunee use family terms to refer to the world around them. Historically, members of the community could be far from their village and out in the wilderness for long periods of time, so it was important to feel at home wherever they went. “If you consider all living things to be your relatives and your family, then you will always feel at home” he says. 

But more importantly, having a relationship with the natural world comes with responsibility. The motto of Kayanase is “Restoring Mother Earth”, and Kerdo explains the importance and the weight of this phrase. “By referring to the Earth as our Mother, there is a responsibility there. A responsibility to give back to the Earth and the ecosystems around us because of all of the gifts they provide us.” 

The end of the eco-walk takes us to the entrance to the longhouse, called Kahyonha:kta, meaning “by the river”. The longhouse is a 17th century replica and was built in 2017. “We always speak with members of the [Six Nations] community first, and make sure we are listening to them about what they want to see come from the project,” explains Kerdo. The longhouse serves as a place of memory and learning for members of the Six Nations community and visitors to connect authentically with Haudenosaunee history and culture. 

A\J correspondents and Kayanase employees inside the longhouse (Image Credit: Theo Ossinga)

We head inside, into the cozy, dark space and sit by the fire, where a few other employees are relaxing. Kerdo tells us a little about how life would have been in a Haudenosaunee village in the 17th century. Fifty to one hundred people would have lived together in each longhouse, with two families per fire. Everyone in the house would have been related through the women, because the Haudenosaunee are a matrilineal society. 

But conversations get heavy as well. Kerdo tells us a story that he often shares with visitors, about his grandparents and great aunts having to hide in the woods in the dark at seven years old, to escape from people coming to take them away to residential school. “We tell people what they need to know, not what they want to hear,” says Kerdo. Meeting someone with a personal connection to these events can transform people’s perceptions, so the Kayanase guides often use their platform to shed light on the tragedies and struggles that the people of the Six Nations have endured.

“When they come visit, people leave their preconceptions behind and depart with a new point of view.” Kerdo tells us. The longhouse acts as a vector for cultural awareness, where visitors witness first hand the richness and resilience of Haudenosaunee culture, and build greater cultural sensitivity and understanding. 

In a time where ecological and social stresses are increasing due to climate change, Kayanase addresses the issue of environmental degradation holistically. Their projects are not only restoring ecosystems, but also building stronger communities and promoting environmental stewardship by restoring people’s connections to each other and to nature. 

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Kayanase holds events, workshops and open houses on a variety of cultural topics, as well as greenhouse plant and sales. Check out their website to book a tour, and follow them on social media to stay in the loop about upcoming events.

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