Counteracting climate change – purchasing valuable natural areas from the NCC

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is Canada’s leading nature conservation organization. As a private, non-profit organization, it works with individuals, corporations, foundations, Indigenous communities in Canada, other non-profit organizations, and governments at all levels to protect Canada’s most valuable natural treasures – pristine areas that contribute to the preservation of Canada’s wildlife and vegetation. Since 1962, NCC and its partners have protected 15 million hectares of land.

Recognizing the need to engage in environmental protection activities, the Tree and Tomorrow Foundation has financially supported projects to purchase valuable natural areas located in the province of Ontario. The forest complexes and wetlands located there are crucial for preserving the planet’s biodiversity and slowing down the global climate change.

In 2022, a donation from the Tree and Tomorrow Foundation contributed to the purchase of the Boreal Wildlands area. The coniferous forests, marshes and peat bogs growing in this area help absorb carbon dioxide from global emissions. In practice, they accumulate the equivalent of CO2 emitted by 3 million cars (over their entire lifespan); they also provide habitat for a wide variety of animals, such as bears, moose, wolves, lynx, caribou and over 300 species of birds. The lack of proper protection could have led to the industrialization of these untouched areas, to the detriment of the planet and all of humanity.

In 2023, we provided funding for the purchase of the Hastings Wildlife Junction land. It is over 10,000 hectares of forest and wetlands south of Bancroft, Ontario. Protecting these areas is of particular importance for the ecosystem, including maintaining water quality for both aquatic organisms and local communities. It is the habitat of many animals such as wolves, black bears, moose, martens and several species of rare birds and turtles. Hastings Wildlife Junction plays a special role in slowing the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss. The benefits of carbon dioxide absorption in these areas help reduce greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere.