Eight decades of advocacy and education, of protecting parks and species at risk. For over 80 years, members and donors like you have helped create more than 110 million acres of Protected Areas in Canada—and safeguarded the countless species that call those areas home.

There may be much work yet to be done, but we also want to celebrate the successes that our members, supporters and volunteers have made possible. And it is because of your trust and support that protects wildlife and wilderness from coast to coast to coast. This year, McLean’s ranked Nature Canada as one of the top charities of 2019 and our members share this honour! Every donation, every petition signed, every action taken is going towards protecting nature and wildlife in Canada.

Here are a few of our many victories for nature from the past 80 years:

Species at Risk: In 1977, Nature Canada played a lead role in establishing The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and, after years of pressure, in 2002 the Canadian government finally adopted the Species at Risk Act. In 2005 Nature Canada produced our first national report card on the federal government’s implementation of the law.

Acid Rain: Kids today have no idea what acid rain is. Why? Because of the work we’ve done, thanks to supporters like you. In 1982, we were founding members of the highly successful Canadian Coalition on Acid Rain, which became the country’s largest environmental coalition, bringing a powerful and united voice to demand reductions in acid rain emissions.

Fighting Pipelines: Nature Canada has intervened countless times to protect habitats and species from the dangers of pipelines and gas projects, including bringing expert evidence to the hearings for the Northern Gateway, TransMountain, and Energy East pipelines. In 2013, with the support of our members, we called on the government to reject a proposal by energy giant Cenovus to add 1,275 shallow gas wells and 220 km of pipeline within Suffield National Wildlife Area. And because of you—our members—we were successful.

Climate Change: In 1984, Nature Canada published a major article called “The Greenhouse Effect.” That’s right: 35 years ago, we were talking about global warming! In 2000, Nature Canada helped to launch NatureWatch, a nationwide volunteer program to help scientists monitor the effects of climate change on the environment. And now, we’re bringing nature groups together to find nature-based solutions to climate change!

Green Budget Coalition: In 1999, Nature Canada pulled all of Canada’s major environmental groups together to present a unified request that the federal budget invest in nature conservation. The government finally began to listen and implemented half of our recommendations, including the $1.3 billion investment in nature in the 2018 budget.

Saving Bird Lives: With our partner Bird Studies Canada, Nature Canada has been working to protect over 600 Important Bird Areas in Canada, recruiting hundreds of passionate volunteer NatureCaretakers in the process. Your gifts support on-the-ground conservation projects that protect birds in decline, including grassland birds, shorebirds and aerial insectivores, from coast to coast to coast.

Thank you to our members, now and long term that have allowed for these great nature wins in collaboration with our partners to protect wilderness and wildlife from coast to coast to coast.