The dramatic events of this year – heat domes, wildfires, and most recently floods – have highlighted how our landscapes, both wild and urban, have significant impacts on our lives. Our lands and lives permanently altered, together we can address our changing climate by taking action: through the safeguarding of wetlands with conservation covenants, we can support mitigation strategies and strengthen our collective resiliency.
Wetlands including bogs, fens, marshes, and swamps cover 6% of the world’s land surface and 13% of Canada’s land area; Canada is home to 25% of the world’s wetlands; and up to 98% of our urban wetlands have been destroyed or degraded. These environments, rich in biodiversity, offer habitat to some of our most at risk species. The provincially blue-listed northern red-legged frog (Rana aurora) and the great blue heron (Ardea herodias fannini) have both been documented at the wetland on the 16-acre conservation covenant we registered this fall on southern Cortes Island.
If you have read our Fall 2021 LANDmark, you know about the importance of monitoring and defending our conservation covenants. In addition to supporting biodiversity, protected wetlands can mediate the outcomes of extreme weather events by moderating flooding and drought. Further, wetlands can aid in regulating, capturing, and storing carbon. However, the destruction and degradation of wetlands can contribute to global warming as carbon once captured in these naturally occurring sinks becomes released.
From the Sooke to Squamish, Cumberland to Cortes, TLC’s conservation covenants protect critical wetland habitat throughout the province. With 247 registered covenants safeguarding more than 12,000 acres, our work monitoring, educating, and enforcing these vital ecosystems is never done.
If you have already made your end of year contribution, thank you for your generosity. We are especially grateful for every gift we receive this year given the ongoing impacts of COVID-19. If you are still planning on making a gift this year, please consider supporting TLC’s covenant program. You can make your year-end gift by donating online at conservancy.bc.ca or calling 1-877-485-2422 today. Donations made are eligible for 2021 tax receipts.
Throughout the province our conservation covenants protect precious wetlands, riparian areas, and greenbelts like those found on Cortes Island. Your gift in support of annual covenant monitoring, education, restoration, and enforcement can ensure that B.C.’s biological diversity remains protected. Thank you for your support.
With gratitude,
Cathy Armstrong
Executive Director
