Today is World Weltands Day.
All over the planet, wetlands are being degraded and destroyed faster than the Amazon rainforest.
Here in Canada, Ducks Unlimited estimates that our country has lost as much as 70% of it’s wetlands. In parts of the prairies, that percentage is as high as 90%. Like the prairies, BC’s coastal wetlands have also been hit hard by human development. Estimates of the loss in this region range between 60 – 70%.
Wetlands are not waste lands. They provide countless ecological services for free, such as water purification, flood protection, and wildlife habitat. These functions could save governments and taxpayers millions of dollars in building new or repairing existing infrastructure such as water treatment plants or dike systems.
There are also strong moral, ethical and even spiritual reasons to protect and restore wetlands.
The following short documentary, which I produced five years ago, underscored the urgent need for farmers and the governments of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta to get much more serious about engaging in this vitally important work.
It was broadcast by Shaw Community Stations in those three provinces on this day.
It’s message is just as relevant today as it was five years ago.
I hope you enjoy it.
Please follow and like us:
