In celebration of World Nature Conservation Day on July 28, we are taking the opportunity to recognize the energy and climate expertise the municipality is putting into protecting the natural environment. Now and into the future, municipal staff are invested in safeguarding the ecosystems that make our region a healthy and flourishing place to live. It is also a priority of Regional Council to show leadership in climate action and environmental protection.
One of the primary goals of World Nature Conservation Day is fighting to save endangered species. We know that plant and fungal life are threatened with extinction. This is particularly serious when we consider that plant life is vital to the survival of many other species on earth.
Right now, urbanization, deforestation and climate change are creating a crisis in which ecosystems and all of their important services are under threat. As a result, the success of future generations of people, plants and many other forms of life on earth hangs in the balance.
Acting on the environment
HalifACT is one of the most ambitious climate action movements in Canada. Our plan is to build a resilient future for Atlantic Canada while adapting to climate change impacts to ensure the health and safety of our residents. HalifACT is concerned with conserving resources so that we can establish a more sustainable relationship with the living environment around us.
Many of our municipal plans are devoted to environmental stewardship:
- The Centre Plan aims to create complete communities and put pedestrians first by growing transit operations, The Centre Plan is dedicated to forward-thinking urban design and the preservation of open spaces that can improve biodiversity, such as different forms of urban agriculture like beekeeping and keeping hens.
- The Halifax Green Network Plan prioritizes taking care of our ecologically and culturally important open spaces and aquatic systems. The plan promotes the sustainable management of natural resources in an interconnected world.
- The theme of this year’s World Nature Conservation Day is Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet. One of the initiatives we are most proud of is our urban forestry tree-planting program. The municipality will plant around 2,500 trees throughout right-of-way spaces and on other municipally owned land in 2023.
- We're working with the Natural Asset Initiative on a pilot project in the Nine Mile River watershed to identify key natural assets that play a role in stormwater management and climate resilience.
- We were recently awarded Bird Friendly City status from Nature Canada, and continue to work with communities to make our region safer for birds and other wildlife.
Contributing to conservation
World Nature Conservation Day is focused on raising awareness of the need for all of us to take biodiversity seriously and preserve natural resources.
- To help keep our ecosystems sustainable, here are some ways you can participate in conservation efforts:
attend tree-planting events and submit a request for trees to be planted on municipal land in your area through 311 - plant native shrubs and perennials in your gardens to attract and feed birds; good options are Serviceberry or Elderberry
- check out the Grow Me Instead Guide to learn how to avoid introducing invasive species into Nova Scotia by practicing responsible gardening and landscaping
- pick up your garbage and deposit it in the appropriate waste sorting stream
- pick up after your pets
- keep an eye out for animals on the roads
- add decals and stickers to your windows to reduce the chance of birds striking windows, especially during migration season when birds are on the move
- participate in beach cleanups
- stay up to date and be aware of conservation-related regional and community planning
- be aware of by-laws that protect riparian areas and tree canopies
- take part in wildlife conservation efforts that respect and preserve ecosystems