Greetings! The Steering Committee of the Biodiversity Caucus has been meeting regularly and developing ideas for new projects and activities for the coming year.
The Caucus provides a collective voice for organizations, offering guidance to national environmental groups, governments at all levels, the private sector, international organizations, and multilateral environmental agreement secretariats. Grounded in the CBD's definition of biological diversity, we emphasize genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity while respecting diverse belief systems and political views.
This position is ideal for individuals with a background in finance, accounting, or bookkeeping who are passionate about environmental advocacy and nonprofit governance.
Welcome to the IPCC for Biodiversity - Welcome to IPBES
Many of of us are likely aware of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for the climate change convention. In 2010 the international community started moving towards a similar platform for Biodiversity and in 2013 the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) was formalized. Resting within the United Nations Environment Program, IPBES works to strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services, with a priority on reports that underscore conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, long-term human well-being and sustainable development. Numerous assessments and summary reports for policy makers have been completed.
The reports produced by IPBES are through and systematic with great minds from across the planet leading the research and chapters. The documents for policy makers are great as well. When diving into the reports and summaries, the potential for mainstreaming IPBES into civil society has not even been scratched! If IPBES were a plant, it would perhaps be some seedlings or sprouts coming out of the ground. There is so much potential. So in discussion with the Caucus, we are looking at taking some of the richness of IPBES and turning this into a summary for our community. We would love to have a conversation in late September or early October to have a first conversation with the caucus community. If you would like to get involved in the development and setting the course for this work, send an email along - this is going to be fun. 😀
Featured Events
Highlights of the Ontario Biodiversity Summit
The 2025 Ontario Biodiversity Summit, “Our Turning Point for Nature” took place from May 21-22, 2025, at Trent University in Peterborough-Nogojiwanong.
It was a great coming together of the Biodiversity Community in Ontario and beyond. Organized around Ontario Biodiversity Council's strategic plan, the 21 sessions followed Councils goals of Empower People, Reduce Threats, Enhance Resilience, Improve Knowledge, and Transform Investments. All concurrent session have a single page synopsis so you get a sense of the energy that was in the rooms. It was great!
While an Ontario focused summit, with lots of Ontario content, the summary one pagers apply to all of us interested in enabling a positive future which includes biodiversity, and suggest ways forward and actions to take.
On June 6-8, AWA and several other groups conducted a BioBlitz at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park on the Alberta side. Cypress Hills stands as a unique ecosystem; one of the few places to remain unglaciated during the last ice age, it is an island of forest that towers over the surrounding prairies. As an unglaciated sky island, it boasts high biodiversity and several species not found anywhere else in Canada.
Nearly 70 species experts attended the BioBlitz, recording thousands of observations and hundreds of species, including the first known record of Corallorhiza wisteriana (spring coralroot) in Alberta. We are working on a report to summarize our findings, to be published in the new year. For details and to see the observations, click the button below. Also check out Alberta Wilderness Association's Adventures for Wilderness Series!
The third annual Wetlands Appreciation Week is happening August 9th to 17th! Join the Birds Canada, CARP, Cole Harbour Parks & Trails, The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, Ducks Unlimited Canada, East Coast Environmental Law, The Ecology Action Centre, Halifax Regional Municipality, Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute, Nature Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, Our HRM Alliance, Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve Association, Shubenacadie Watershed Environmental Protection Society and TransCoastal Adaptations in some great events across Nova Scotia, including guided hikes and walks, webinars and seminars, interactive activities and more in celebrating this year's theme - Thriving Together: Wetlands and Communities! Visit the webpage below to view the week's schedule.
As we approach COP30 in Belém, Brazil, we invite you to save the date for a historic gathering of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature. From November 8–11, 2025, GARN will host its Pre-COP30 Summit: four days of powerful Rights of Nature events, strategic assemblies, and movement building.
We’ll open by celebrating GARN's 15-year anniversary, honoring the leadership that has helped seed this global movement and community. From there, we’ll come together for our annual General Assembly for GARN members, host an Indigenous Council Gathering, and hold the third and final session of the 6th International Rights of Nature Tribunal: A New Pledge for Mother Nature.
This is your chance to connect with Rights of Nature leaders from across the world, reflect on our shared path, and create powerful shared strategies for the years ahead.
📆 Mark your calendars: November 8–11, 2025 – Belém, Brazil
⚠️ Some events require registration and have limited capacity.
You'll receive easy-to-follow instructions on how to take part, and resources to help you along the way. All you need is a smartphone, tablet or digital camera.
No backyard required. Photograph the beetles on your balcony. The buttercups in the park down the street. The beaver you encounter on your canoe trip. As long as it’s in Canada, every contribution counts. Audio recordings are also welcome.
From July 28 to August 4, venture out into nature — with friends, family or by yourself — and record your observations.
July 24th marks this year’s Earth Overshoot Day, the date when humanity’s demand on nature surpasses Earth’s capacity to replenish nature during the entire year. Calculated by Global Footprint Network, the international sustainability organization that pioneered the Ecological Footprint, this date is based on the National Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts maintained by York University. Why it is earlier than last year is explained here.
Earth Overshoot Day falling on July 24th means that humanity is currently using nature 1.8 times faster than Earths ecosystems can regenerate.
This overshoot occurs because people emit more CO₂ than the biosphere can absorb, use more freshwater than is replenished, harvest more trees than can regrow, fish quicker than stocks replenish, etc. This overuse beyond what nature can renew inevitably depletes Earth’s natural capital. It compromises long-term resource security, especially for those who already struggle to access the resources needed to operate.
A Win in the Federal Court for Piping Plover Protection
In an important win for species at risk protection in Canada, the Federal Court has ruled that the Minister of Environment and Climate Change acted unreasonably in changing how critical habitat for the endangered Piping Plover (melodus subspecies) is identified in its recovery strategy. EcoJustice, representing East Coast Environmental Law and the Federation of Nova Scotia Naturalists, successfully challenged the Minister’s 2022 amendment, which introduced vague and harder-to-enforce criteria for identifying critical habitat—undermining efforts to protect the Plover.
The Court found the Minister failed to address key concerns the organizations raised during the public consultation process and quashed the decision and sent the matter back to the Minister for reconsideration.
This ruling reinforces the need for clear habitat protections under the Species at Risk Act and affirms the importance of public engagement in environmental decision-making. Read the full decision:
Installment one: Lawn naturalization in the County of Prince Edward , ONT
The “Local Biodiversity Initiatives Spotlight” is a section of the Biodiversity Caucus’ newsletter that seeks to highlight innovative approaches to foster and improve biodiversity by local governments and organizations across Canada. It is written by Shauna Doll, an Environmental Specialist working for Halifax Regional Municipality and member of the RCEN Biodiversity Caucus. If there is a project you would like to see highlighted as part of this series, please send your idea to shauna.doll@halifax.ca.
Introduction
When the County of Prince Edward Council began tweaking their municipal bylaws to better support the introduction of native species to residents’ properties, they joined a growing network of local governments in Canada who see the potential for supporting biodiversity right outside their front doors. This article explores some of the ideas and experiences shared by County Councillor Kate MacNaughton and Supervisor of Environmental Services and Sustainability, Albert Paschkowiak, around amending a bylaw that informs the maintenance of one of Canada’s most prolific landscapes: lawns.
A brief history of lawns in North America
At the height of summer in any Canadian city the sensory landscape is occupied by the whirring of lawn mowers, the smell of freshly cut grass, the feeling of running barefoot through front yards, and the view of uniform green carpets lining every suburban street. For many, these are nostalgic cornerstones of the quintessential summer experience. Despite some of these pleasant associations, the lawns of North America are deeply rooted in a history of colonization, aristocracy, and resource-use.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, expansive lawns were places where affluent of members of European society could express their dominance over nature and showcase their wealth. The labor of lawn care was relegated to low-wage hired “help”, drawing stark social divisions between those who enjoyed lawns and those who maintained them. As settlers traveled westward to North America, this preference for well-manicured landscapes came with them and so too did perceptions of dominance over people and place. This, along with the desire to establish agriculturally productive space contributed to a land management ethos that drove widespread displacement of Indigenous people and the transformation of biodiverse landscapes into fields, pastures, and monocultures like lawns.
Now, two and a half decades into the twenty-first century, the culture of lawns is so ubiquitous that it has become the default for at least a portion of most properties. Their maintenance is often written into local government legislation. However, considering the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change—from the gas guzzling two stoke engines required to keep grass trimmed to the buckets of water required to keep it green—the resource-use required to establish and keep a lawn is falling increasingly out of step with the sort of action needed to secure a sustainable future for Canadian cities. Some local governments, like Prince Edward Country in Ontario, have recognized this and are making changes to support a new way of enjoying and managing yard space.
Lawn naturalization
Lawn naturalization is an umbrella term for any action taken to reduce lawn maintenance and improve biodiversity. There are a variety of methods to pursue lawn naturalization, and it can be undertaken at different scales ranging from a single naturalized garden bed to a yard-wide project. In some cases, it can be a simple switch of dominant groundcover from a conventional turf grass species like Kentucky bluegrass to a low-maintenance species like clover or a more diverse mix of native grasses. In other cases, an entire lawn can be transformed into an oasis of perennial wildflowers, a forest of native trees, and/or development of wetland habitat. The possibilities of naturalization are diverse and endless!
Regardless of the method or scale there are generally two cardinal rules of lawn naturalization:
Increase native vegetation as much as possible and
Reduce conventional, resource-heavy lawncare activities like mowing and fertilization.
Lawn naturalization results in a variety of positive outcomes including (but not limited to) increased support for biodiversity through habitat and food provision, especially for pollinator species such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds; better pollination rates for vegetable and flower gardens; less water usage; reduced greenhouse gas emissions; decreased fertilizer use, and less labour to maintain a manicured lawn.
Despite these many benefits, the long-standing cultural prevalence of lawns can cause conflict between those who prefer lawns and those that do not. This can drive a wedge between neighbours which sometimes escalates to involve bylaw enforcement. To avoid these negative outcomes and initiate the cultural shift necessary to increase acceptance of lawn naturalization at the community-scale, an investment of time and energy is needed. In some communities this work is already well underway.
The County of Prince Edward example
Driven by a desire to reduce neighbour-to-neighbour naturalization-related conflict and increase opportunities for residents to contribute to fostering regional biodiversity, County of Prince Edward Council formally recognized the benefits of lawn naturalization and amended the long-standing Grass and Weeds By-Law (Bylaw 78-2023) in the spring of 2023. This change followed extensive public consultation, which revealed that most residents were supportive of naturalization initiatives. The amended by-law exempts County residents who want to create naturalized areas on their properties from the requirement to maintain their lawns at a maximum height of 20 cm. The municipality also introduced a voluntary lawn sign program so participating residents can communicate their intention to naturalize to their neighbours and other community members. These signs add a layer of legitimacy and protection, while also helping the County quantify the level of resident support for and participation in lawn naturalization programming. Signs are also an important means of educating the public on the value of naturalization. The program is complemented by a volunteer, confidential registry of properties that further helps staff manage the program. Though the staff team responsible for environmental initiatives at the County of Prince Edward is comprised of just one person, the municipality was able to achieve this change due to their dedication and the added support of a few champion Councillors, residents , and local volunteer groups dedicated to ecological stewardship. Though the amendments to Bylaw 78-2023 are still relatively new, only now in their second summer in action, there is much to celebrate already. There is increased environmental awareness and literacy across the community, supported by educational outreach initiatives like lawn tours, the development of informative online resources, and the deployment of lawn naturalization signs (the design of which is the result of a student art contest). According to those working for the municipality, education is essential for a program like this to work.
However, as anyone who works for local government knows, making these sorts of important legislative changes is just the first step. Real change happens in the activation and enforcement phases, neither of which is ever easy. In the case of lawn naturalization, one challenge is defining what qualifies as “naturalization”. Because naturalization involves a reduction in mowing, the line between intentional natural space and neglected space can become blurry, causing worry that some residents may take advantage of amended bylaws and allow their property to fall into disrepair. According to municipal staff in Prince Edward County, it is essential to educate enforcement officials like by-law officers, so they can distinguish between a nurtured property and an uncared for one. Another important distinction that is likely to help with this is the municipality’s continued effort to control noxious and invasive species. All County residents, whether participating in lawn naturalization or not, are prohibited from planting or supporting invasive and noxious invasive species like knotweed (Reynoutria japonica var. japonica), glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus), and phragmites (Phragmites australis subsp. australis). Identifying a local weed list can be a vital tool in addressing emerging invasives and preventing them from establishing.
In addition to these important lessons, there are a few other tips the County of Prince Edward has for other local governments interested in initiating lawn naturalization programming or improving existing programming. These include:
Adjusting language within existing bylaws to better support the cultural shift needed to improve local biodiversity outcomes. It is important to modify language that may be mobilized to punish residents for their stewardship efforts. For example, terms like “unsightly premises” are deeply subjective and thus impossible to adequately enforce.
Taking the “green-light” approach to policy development. Rather than always developing policy that imposes limits (“no you may not”) work on highlighting opportunities (“yes you may”).
Developing a suite of biodiversity-based bylaws to build a framework of support for alike initiatives. For example, tree protection bylaws are complementary to bylaws that would allow lawn naturalization.
Walking the talk. Lead by example by initiating naturalization and related green infrastructure projects on public land will help establish demonstration sites and build community buy-in.
Building community. When initiating new naturalization or other biodiversity-based projects, create volunteer and educational opportunities to build environmental literacy and capacity.
Preparing the community before introducing too much change. Introducing too many big changes at once can be overwhelming. As noted throughout this article, a cultural shift is required to ensure that initiatives like lawn naturalization are accepted and normalized at the community level. Consultation is crucial to determining whether your community is ready to support pro-naturalization change. Connecting with the community can help municipal managers and council understand resident perspectives and readiness.
Roundup on Bill C-5: Building Canada Act and One Canadian Economy Act
Introduced by Liberal PM Mark Carney on June 6, 2025, this omnibus legislation faced a rushed vote on June 20, 2025, after only seven days notice and two days of consultation. The bill was split and passed 306-31 on Parliament's last sitting day before recess. Despite Senate concerns, it was approved on June 26 and now awaits royal assent.
The Chiefs of Ontario and other First Nations groups have issued urgent warnings and organized rallies, condemning the bill for bypassing meaningful consultation and threatening Indigenous rights. Environmental groups have urged the public to contact MPs and senators to oppose the bill, warning it will weaken environmental oversight, erode democracy, and sideline public participation.
Environmental Defence, West Coast Environmental Law Association, Canadian Environmental Law Association, Canadian Parks And Wilderness Society, David Suzuki Foundation, Nature Canada, Ecojustice, Ecology Action Centre, WWF-Canada, Sierra Club Canada Foundation Joint Statement: Senate Urged to Fix Bill C-5 to Protect Democracy and the Environment
RCEN supports ENGOs and individuals by providing valuable networking, communications, and resource-sharing services. From coast to coast, we collaborate on bold, positive, and future-focused solutions to the climate crisis. Our Biodiversity Caucus, in particular, plays a pivotal role in linking local and global efforts to protect and enhance biodiversity. By joining the Biodiversity Caucus, you can directly contribute to implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), raising awareness, building capacity, and encouraging proactive action.
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