Writing this month’s article I am enjoying a beautiful sunny day. Peak leaf colour, my nieces are raking a pile to jump in, and I can’t think of a more idillic picture of peaceful life. Of course, with Rememberance Day fast approaching, I am feeling deeply grateful.
By the time this is published there will be poppies all over, and ceremonies soon to be held. All with the worthy purpose of rememberance. The human toll taken by war is immesurable, staggering, beyond comprehension. But the scars inflicted on the earth run just as deep.
Traces of human conflict abound on our planet, trenches, fox holes, industrial works, even crators. And there are still many areas where live munitions litter forest floors. Untold millions of animals have been lost too. Not only beasts of burden, horses, pidgeons, dogs, but wildlife. The essence of life on earth. Scores of species, and genetic diverstiy that had taken countless lifetimes to develop were lost among our kin. Conflict leaves an ugly legacy.
It seems now, that without conflict in our region, our modern lifestyle is waging a war on that invaluable diversity. The 6th mass extinction is happening all over the world, including our region. There are 49 species at some level of risk here. Whether it is a risk of population loss, extripation, or full blown extinction the number is too high. Do we want to continue on a course that leads to our grandkids never seeing a turtle in the wild?
Now is the time to act, before the loss is irreversable. We can seize this moment, to turn the tide, and repay the natural world for all of the trespass of human conflict. Through the work of conservation we give hope to ourselves and the species that can’t read the news of habitat loss. They live it.
One of the most significant ways you can protect the planet is through conservation. And one of the best ways to support conservation in our region is through The Couchiching Conservancy’s Heartwood Fund. This special Fund was developed by the Conservancy’s Past Presidents Council for legacy gifts; bequests, stocks and life insurance policies.
The goal is to raise $10,000,000 for conservation in your region. The money will go toward supporting natural places forever. Forever is a long time, and the only amount of time fitting for the planet that has given us everything we have an hold.
You do not have to be rich, you do not have to be a landowner, you don’t have to give all you have. But if you wish that the legacy you leave is one of peace that honours those who came before, and protects the way of life they fought for, I personally can think of nothing better.
Please join us in celebrating protecting the natural world. Donate now to support conservation in our region. Protect those 49 species at risk, and leave a legacy of peace on this earth.
For more information on the Heartwood Fund please reach out to Tanya Clark at, Tanya@couchconservancy.ca or, 705-326-1620.
Courtney Baker is the Administrative Assistant at The Couchiching Conservancy, a local charitable land trust, protecting nature for future generations.