The Clock is Ticking Yet the Work is Not Done

A little girl walking in the forest with her grandmother.

Biodiversity | Conservation | Government and Policy

Sandra Schwartz | March 3, 2026

As we step into 2026, it’s hard not to feel the weight of the moment.

The clock is ticking for nature. Biodiversity loss continues at an alarming pace. Canadians are increasingly faced with the realities of a planet in distress, from extreme weather like flooding and wildfires, to the blistering heat or frigid cold. Climate impacts are reshaping our forests, coasts, food systems, and communities. Despite these daily reminders of environmental instability, nature protection has barely been mentioned in federal government speeches or policy since the Speech from the Throne, last May.

Silence, at a time like this, is deafening.

Adding to that urgency is a very real deadline. Key federal funding for nature protection is set to expire on March 31. This will halt critical conservation work, and could waste years of research, partnerships built, momentum gained, and trust established. If funding is not renewed, our collective progress will turn into stalled projects and leave the government’s previous investments unfulfilled.

Here’s what it all comes down to: an uncertain future for nature puts ecosystems at great risk, and leaves communities without the benefits they were promised.

Clock ticking showing more biodiversity loss every second

Nature Protection Is Not a Luxury

Moose and calf walking in a serene forest lake, Canadian wildlife in natural habitat.

In recent years, many Canadians have understandably prioritized affordability. When groceries cost more, housing feels out of reach, and energy bills climb, it may feel like environmental protection isn’t as pressing; it can afford to wait in the back seat, right?

This is a false choice.

A healthy environment underpins our stability as a nation, from individual well-being and social connection to local and national economies. We are all completely dependent on nature. Nature protection isn’t a luxury item to bring out only when times are good. It puts food on the table. It supports fisheries, agriculture, tourism, and clean water. It reduces the costs of disasters and protects communities from floods, fires, and extreme weather.

When we allow ecosystems to degrade, the costs don’t disappear. They show up later, and they are far higher. We cannot afford to let environmental protection backslide into full blown crisis.

Progress is Built Step by Step

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned over decades in conservation is that change is almost always built from small, incremental gains.

Nature protection doesn’t usually arrive with grand announcements. It happens through steady, often unglamorous work—through one protected area proposal that survives another budget cycle, one community partnership that deepens, one harmful policy or damaging proposal paused, improved, or stopped altogether.

These steps can feel frustratingly small when measured against the scale of the challenges we face, but they add up. Incremental progress compounds. Sometimes, especially in uncertain political or economic times, holding the line and simply not losing ground is meaningful progress.

We Are Further Along Than We Think

Twenty years ago, large-scale conservation in Canada was far less mainstream. Indigenous leadership in conservation was too often sidelined. Marine protection, ecological connectivity, and nature-based climate solutions were not widely understood or embraced.

Today, the picture is different. Not complete. Not sufficient. But different.

We have made real gains and it’s something we should all take stock in, together. Public support for nature protection is stronger. The role of Indigenous Peoples as leaders in conservation is increasingly recognized. The idea that protecting nature is essential to our collective future is more widely accepted.

Progress is not linear. Some years are about advancing. Others are about defending. Both matter.

Bumblebees feeding on milk thistle flowers, pollinators in natural habitat. — Photo: Bumblebees on milk thistle by Jonathan Dakin

Choosing Not to Walk Away

So yes, 2026 begins with uncertainty. Political attention is non-existent, funding decisions are imminent and the timelines are tight.

But what we do now still matters.

Every protected place that stays intact.
Every endangered species that lives another day.
Every letter sent to a politician to hold them accountable to their promises.

Nature protection in Canada has never been easy. We are still working, still advocating, still believing that this country can live up to its responsibility to the lands and waters that sustain us.

We don’t do this work because it is guaranteed.
We do it because it is necessary.
And because, together, we are capable of more than we sometimes allow ourselves to believe.