Guest letter from the editor

Kateri Monticone (Photo by Christian Blais)

In my work for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in Quebec, I’m often struck by how the biggest successes come from the most unlikely places.

Take our collaboration with Groupements forestiers Québec (GFQ), for instance. Five years ago, I couldn’t have imagined how  NCC could work successfully with landowners whose primary activities included timber harvesting. But we decided to think outside the box, and we launched the Quebec Ecological Corridors Initiative, which brings together landowners and countless other partners to conserve natural areas that are connected by ecological corridors. Five years later, along with GFQ, we’ve developed a conference and training program that encourages more than 600 woodlot owners to foster ecological connectivity on their land.

NCC’s belief in the importance of embracing new ideas and innovation to help accelerate the pace of conservation showcases how, if we are to truly address the dual crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, we must go beyond our areas of expertise, work with new partners and collaborators and develop or embrace new tools.

In this issue of the Nature Conservancy of Canada Magazine, writer Jimmy Thomson explores three NCC projects that are doing just that. This issue illustrates how thinking big also means being ambitious: daring to try new things, working at larger scales and at a faster pace than ever before to conserve diverse, high-quality areas. Other times, like in the case of Reginald Hill in BC (Project Updates, page 17), it can also mean embracing big opportunities in the smallest area. By working together, we can all appreciate our role in  building a thriving natural world. Because when nature thrives, we all thrive.

Yours in conservation,

Kateri Monticone

Director of strategic conservation and innovation – Quebec