Wildlife & Natural Spaces

You cannot protect what you do not know. Nature’s diversity exists all around us. SCCF works with individuals, partners and community groups to promote knowledge of wildlife and natural environments. We work to preserve and protect for all to enjoy, both now and in the future.

Conserving Edmonton’s River Valley and Ravine System

RuiLin Guo — June 24, 2016
Most of Edmonton’s natural lands lie within its extensive river valley and tributary ravine systems – an area of 7,400 ha and 48 km in length, including 22 ravines, for a combined total length of 103 km. Much of the area is either under private ownership or targeted by City Parks for recreational infrastructure. Golf courses, gravel quarries, a velodrome and other sports facilities, freeways, boat launches… have all been proposed over the past decades for what is often “free land” to the City. Fortunately there are a growing number of local ENGOs actively involved in conservation of these lands with whom we partner or support on a project basis.

Highlighting Natural Heritage: the Credit Valley Trail

RuiLin Guo — June 23, 2016

Sierra Peel Members participate at local events, committees and roundtables to bring the voice of Sierra Club of Canada to the table in support of Watershed Health and Natural Heritage Preservation. Protection of river valleys and the ecological goods and services they provide to wildlife and people is at the core of our vision and commitment.

Sand Dunes? In Edmonton!

RuiLin Guo — June 20, 2016

The Edmonton Group has traditionally focused on parkland creation and conservation. These are usually multi-year projects; our favorite, going on fifteen, is the Sand Dunes Natural Area (our name - bureaucratically known as NW384) in the far southwest of Edmonton.

We identified the feature in 2001, characterized its pro-glacial origins, and with the support of the Curator of Geology from our Provincial Museum, induced the City to purchase the lands the following year. The dunes lie on the easternmost extent of the 200 sq km glacio-lacustrine Devon Dune Field to the west of Edmonton.

Come to the Pollinator Party at Heart Lake

Kristina Jackson's picture
Kristina Jackson — May 3, 2016

Annual Sierra Club Meadow Planting & Medicine Wheel Maintenance

Heart Lake Conservation Area
June 4th, 2016
10am to 2pm

Community wildflower plantings are fun for families, individuals and groups! High school students are welcome to gain volunteer hours

We provide all the equipment needed. Wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather.
Light refreshments will be available. Bring your own refillable water bottle, please.

Grow our Greenbelt

Sierra Club Ontario's Greenbelt Campaign is currently focused on Protecting and Growing the Greenbelt. Building on support from the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation, Sierra Club Ontario has been making advances in protecting threatened ecosystems in Peel and Durham Region.

Halifax Diverse

Halifax Diverse creates opportunities for the public to learn about, engage with, and contribute to urban green spaces in the Halifax Regional Municipality. See our blog (found here) for information on upcoming events, past events, and occasionally, information about environmental happenings in HRM.

Mines and Quarries

Gretchen Fitzgerald — February 9, 2016

Mines and quarries can impact the environment in a variety of ways such as water contamination, diverting water systems, air emissions, and destroying habitat for wildlife.

The way to reduce these impacts is through careful consultation, land-use planning, and - when serious impacts can't be avoided - saying "no" to certain mines and quarries. 

Natural Capital

Natural Capital refers to the stock of natural resources and environmental assets, and how they contribute to building healthy communities. The Natural Capital perspective is a way of placing a monetary value on the benefits, known as ecological goods and services, that nature naturally provides to humans. Examples include: regulating climate, water purification, erosion control, flood protection, and providing health benefits. 

Natural Capital is a way of communicating how much nature is worth, in the hopes to make better policy and development decisions in the future.

Great Lakes Protection

The Great Lakes hold 1/5th of the world’s fresh surface water and currently provide drinking water to over 42 million people. The Great Lakes Campaign works to address concerns related to the Great Lakes Basin, water conservation, and pollution prevention.

Sierra Club's Wild Child

Enjoying the little things
Sierra Club's PEI Wild Child is an enrichment program offered free of charge in Childcare Centres across PEI. Wild Child gives children the opportunity to engage positively with the natural environments in their communities; through games, art, discussions and various fun activities, children learn about our native plants, animals and trees, and basic ecological concepts including; conservation, habitats, life cycles and more.

Forests and Wildlife [Archived]

Canada's most important natural resource is its forests which provide timber, pulpwood, wildlife habitat and a wealth of recreational opportunities. But the forests are not limitless and all Canadians must share a renewed commitment to their wise use and management.

Within the conservation movement, sustainable forestry means forest practices that ensure that the structure, function and composition of the forest are maintained in perpetuity. It also entails the equitable distribution of forest resource benefits, and the opportunity for the public to be involved in a meaningful way. After all, the forests of Ontario are ours—88% of forested land is Crown land, held for the people of Ontario in trust by the provincial government.

Opposing the Detroit River International Crossing [Archived]

The governments of Canada, the United States, Ontario and Michigan have come to the illogical conclusion that declining cross-border traffic requires a $5billion expenditure of public funds that will have a devastating impact upon Ontario's sensitive Prairie ecosystem and 8 Species recognized as Threatened or Endangered under the Species at Risk Act. Sierra Club Ontario is challenging the flawed Environmental Assessments conducted and approved by the Federal and Provincial governments on the grounds that a need for the project was not established and that the mitigation strategies to minimize the impact to the Species at Risk are scientifically inaccurate.