From our mountains, to boreal forests and grasslands, Alberta has an amazing number of wild spaces that we cherish and take pride in. Unfortunately, many of these areas are not protected and are at risk of being lost.
In 2010, Canada committed to conserving at least “17% of terrestrial areas and inland waters” by 2020 through networks of protected areas and other conservation measures. This is known as Aichi Target 11 under the United Nations Convention for Biological Diversity. Progress in achieving this target has been glacial: from 2010 to 2016, Canada only added 1% to its protected areas network.
Why are protected places important?
Protected places create safe havens for forests, grasslands, wetlands and oceans to recover without disruption from poorly considered industrial, agricultural and residential development.
Protected areas also provide habitat for wildlife species like grizzlies, wolves, caribou and trout.Currently, 50% of Canada’s wildlife species are in decline.
Wild Spaces 2020 is AWA’s campaign to celebrate Alberta’s amazing wild spaces and a call to protect them for future generations to enjoy. Our campaign works in partnership with other organizations to ensure that Canada is not only held to this promise, but aims to exceed it by the 2020 deadline. Read more about Wild Spaces 2020
