As the Government of Ontario focuses its mandate on protecting Ontario, it is essential that nature conservation be prioritized for Ontario’s long-term well-being. Ontario has many opportunities to protect more of our lands and waters, as highlighted in Ontario Nature’s Protected Places StoryMap.
Last year, Ontario Nature updated its Protected Places StoryMap to serve as a communications and education tool, shedding light on ongoing and potential efforts towards nature conservation in the province. The revamped Protected Places StoryMap identifies around four million hectares of potential protected areas.
Milburn Wetland © Paul Heaven
Many of these areas have been identified as conservation opportunities by partners and Nature Network groups for years. The areas identified are vital for halting and reversing biodiversity loss and addressing climate change. In addition to their ecological and climate adaptation benefits, protected areas provide recreational and tourism opportunities.
Many of the featured areas on the StoryMap’s two interactive maps, such as Wolf Lake and the Farabout Peninsula, have received grassroots support for decades and represent the ecological diversity of Ontario. Both maps offer distinct ways to view the featured areas, with the first comparing existing and potential protected areas and the second filtering featured areas by type, such as wetlands or ecological corridors. Viewers can navigate each of the interactive maps to learn more about these areas and why they are so crucial for the province to protect.
Naturalists canoeing Wolf Lake © Kristen Setala
Though the Government of Ontario made some strides in expanding protected areas in 2025, protecting an additional 12,600 hectares, it remained a laggard among its peers, with less than 11% of its total area protected. With 86% of Ontarians supporting the expansion of protected areas, the Government of Ontario would be politically astute to expand efforts to conserve and protect Ontario’s natural legacy.
Sign our action alert to urge the government to protect more areas now.
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