Att: Andrea Khanjin This…

Att: Andrea Khanjin

This issue is not getting the attention it deserves. Bigwind Park is a protected nature reserve for a reason: the preservation of endangered wildlife & other natural species. By opening it up to campers, human activity & the utter carelessness that inevitably ensues will likely contribute to the eradication of said species.

We ourselves, as the most destructive species on planet earth, need to do more to protect our wildlands. Kindly read this report from the World Wildlife Organization. It is shocking that we have already contributed to 69% loss primarily due to human activity such as poor management, encroachment, pollution plus other factors.

https://www.worldwildlife.org/press-releases/69-average-decline-in-wild…

I found it deeply disturbing that some 268 species - animal, plant, bird & insect - were at risk. There is no replacing these once they are gone. Conservators cannot keep up with these high numbers. Our ecosystems are fragile and much like a game of Jenga, once you pull out too many blocks, the entire system collapses. Our wildlife is intricately connected. It would be naive & misguided to think they could just move on to make way for a bunch of uninformed humans, many of which regard nature as their right to trample -- all in the name of a good time.

Please take a few minutes to scroll down the page of our endangered species here.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/species-risk-ontario

It is bewildering to me that the current Conservative Party (whom I have supported in the past) wants to ignore the value of our nature preserves. The Greenbelt was created for that express purpose. I would hope for the sake of all Ontarians, that protecting our natural species would be a non-partisan issue.

Please look into this in-depth.

Thank you.