CAMPAIGN FOCUSES ON HEALTHY HABITATS
Since 1938, Ducks Unlimited Canada has been helping conserve and restore wetland habitat that is an important part of our ecosystem.
Nowthe national organization is teaming up with its counterparts in the United States and Mexico in a North America-wide campaign called Rescue Our Wetlands, with a multi-year goal of raising $500 million across Canada.
Greg Siekaniec, chief executive officer of Ducks Unlimited Canada, says wetlands are more than just important habitat for bird species, they play a huge role in providing a healthy environment for all Canadians.
Wetlands filter water to protect clean water sources, they help regenerate groundwater, store runoff and reduce flooding, Siekaniec says, adding that they also store carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases and serve as a bountiful playground for outdoor enthusiasts.
“For 77 years we believe very much that we’ve had a positive effect on conservation here in Canada, and frankly across North America,” he says.
“But with the extent of landscape change that continues to march across the continent, without organizations like us joining forces with those who support us, it’s going to be a very different situation in the future.”
Rescue Our Wetlands will fund the conservation and restoration of millions of hectares of important habitat across the country.
But Siekaniec says the campaign goes above and beyond simply raising money for wetlands, it also includes education programs and world-class wetland and waterfowl research.
“It’s one thing to put the conservation on the ground, but it’s an- other thing to have the supporting elements that will not only sustain it, but get other people engaged.”
The campaign would fund continued research at Ducks Unlimited Canada’s Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research, while also expanding the organization’s award-winning education programs for young Canadians that take place in local wetlands.
Expanded public policy initiatives would involve working with provincial and local governments to further boost wetlands protection policies and legislation.
Siekaniec says while Ducks Unlimited Canada has a successful track record, Canadians need to stand up and be heard on these issues for Rescue Our Wetlands to succeed.
“We can’t do it alone. If we don’t have the support of the communities, and if we don’t have the support of our politicians, it won’t happen.”
He suggests people let politicians know they have expectations about the things they value in life, like “the chance for your children to have a clean environment, to enjoy great recreation, to have a clean water source in the future, andthat a healthy landscape is key.”
“When I talk to a politician, they already know what they’re going to hear. But when a citizen talks to them, or a business person, their voices speak volumes.”
Ducks Unlimited Canada president Jim Couch says Rescue Our Wetlands is a campaign that captures the essence of what it means to be a conservationist.
“It’s something completely personal. What it means to a bird- watcher on the B.C. coast will be different than what it means for an Alberta rancher. “Vacationers who can no longer swim in their favourite lake or families whose homes have been engulfed by floodwaters will all see the value in a campaign like Rescue Our Wetlands.” According to national campaign chairman Bob Kozminski, “what makes this campaign unique, and what will make it a continental success like nothing we’ve seen before, is the fact that it will mean something to everyone. Because wetlands benefit every life. “It gives us the opportunity to help people realize this — and to take action. There’s no time to wait.” Fo rmore information on Rescue Our Wetlands, go to ducks.ca.
THIS STORY WAS PRODUCED BY THE CALGARY HERALD’S SPECIAL PROJECTS DEPARTMENT ON BEHALF OF DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES. THE HERALD’S EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT HAD NO INVOLVEMENT IN THE CREATION OF THIS CONTENT.