As the daughter of a Parks…

As the daughter of a Parks Canada employee and now a biology teacher, one of the defining experiences of my life has been watching what seemed like stable species become species at risk. I am witnessing the degradation of habitat and subsequent consequences related to what has been called the 6th mass extinction. Studying ecology and truly understanding the state of the environment has become a sorrowful experience in which one must work hard to maintain hope. Please not weaken the Ontario's approach to species conservation. We must balance economic and urban growth with sound environmental decisions. I still wonder what a sky would look like filled with passenger pigeons and truly hope that future generations will not only read about red side dace, snapping turtles, and monarch butterflies.