New Projects Will Help Sustain the Greenbelt’s Natural and Agricultural Systems
Greenbelt Foundation Announces Five Grants that Build Climate Resilience for Ontario Communities
Toronto, April 8, 2021, the Greenbelt Foundation is announcing five new grant projects that take innovative approaches to protecting southern Ontario’s natural and agricultural systems, and draw on these systems to support biodiversity and build greater climate resilience for communities.
This is the first grant round announced since the Greenbelt Foundation signed a new funding agreement with the Government of Ontario in December of 2020, guaranteeing ongoing investments in important projects like these for the next three years. "
Credit Valley Conservation Foundation (CVC) will help municipalities and conservation authorities in their jurisdiction use natural areas like forests and wetlands to address flooding and other climate risks. In doing so, they will help municipalities account for these natural areas as infrastructural assets.
Municipal Natural Assets Initiative (MNAI) will similarly support municipalities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe and beyond in managing natural areas as infrastructural assets. In doing so, MNAI will enable municipalities to better invest in and protect nature in the region.
Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) will assess the value to society contributed by ecosystem services from natural areas in Hamilton’s and Burlington’s Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System. This will help support the business case for protecting near-urban natural corridors like Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System.
Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCS) will identify and map Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) across the Greenbelt and southern Ontario. By identifying these areas and listing them as KBAs—an international designation—WCS will help to protect critical biodiversity cores across our landscape.
Ontario Farmland Trust will increase understanding of the unique needs of farmland in the Greenbelt region, while promoting the importance of connected agricultural land. As one of Canada’s most important food-producing regions, the Greenbelt’s agricultural sector requires ongoing support and investment in order to build sustainability, which is tied to the sustainability of the region.
“The Greater Golden Horseshoe is fortunate to have high-quality natural and agricultural land surrounding what is Canada’s most rapidly developing region,” says Edward McDonnell, CEO of the Greenbelt Foundation. “This land faces imminent risks, however, from climate change, invasive species, and pollution, among other impacts. The Greenbelt Foundation is supporting projects that invest in our natural and agricultural areas and help position them as useful solutions to pressing infrastructure and economic problems, such as erosion, water contamination, flood control, and more. In doing so, we are helping to better protect these vital landscapes.”
This is the first grant round announced since the Greenbelt Foundation signed a new funding agreement with the Government of Ontario in December of 2020, guaranteeing ongoing investments in important projects like these for the next three years.
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For the full project backgrounder, click HERE.
About Greenbelt Foundation:
Greenbelt Foundation is a charitable organization, solely dedicated to ensuring the Greenbelt remains permanent, protected and prosperous. We make the right investments in its interconnected natural, agricultural and economic systems, to ensure a working, thriving Greenbelt for all. Ontario's Greenbelt is the world's largest, with over two million acres of farmland, forests, wetlands and rivers working together to provide clean air, fresh water, and a reliable local food source.
Greenbelt Foundation Media Contact:
Michael Young
Communications Advisor
Greenbelt Foundation
(416) 960-0001 x 311
[email protected]
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