I am writing as a community…

I am writing as a community partner who relies directly on the work of the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) to engage local residents and students in meaningful, hands on environmental learning. I am opposed to the proposed restructuring of Ontario’s conservation authorities and urge the Province to keep conservation local.

I am the founder of Bioblitz London, a community initiative that connects residents with local biodiversity, and a professor at Fanshawe College where I developed a hands on nature education course to engage students directly with the biodiversity in our region. For these initiatives, UTRCA involvement enables real, on the ground learning, such as conducting benthic invertebrate assessments to understand water quality, seeing turtle conservation in action, exploring local biodiversity, and making iNaturalist observations.

Consolidating multiple conservation authorities into one large regional CA would make it significantly more difficult to collaborate at a local level. In a time when more people are becoming disconnected from nature, it is counterproductive to reduce the local presence and expertise that are crucial for meaningful public engagement and environmental stewardship.

I am also concerned about the ecological implications of centralized governance. Our region includes diverse ecosystems, including the uniquely important Carolinian Zone, which contains some of Canada’s highest biodiversity and most at risk species. Stewardship of these ecosystems requires local knowledge and relationships that a distant regional authority cannot replicate.

I urge the Province to maintain the current structure and support the essential work of local conservation authorities like the UTRCA.