The City of Guelph is setting aside land toward Canada’s goal of protecting land and water.
The city, along with Ontario Nature, announced on Wednesday that 274 hectares of city-owned land is being designated to make 30 percent of the country a protected area by 2030.
The 30×30 target initiative is part of the Global Biodiversity Framework developed at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP 15).
In a news release, Guelph CAO Scott Stewart says their commitment to environmental stewardship is central to their strategic plan and reflects their vision of a more resilient and sustainable city.
According to a map provided by the city, the protected areas are situated in the four corners of the city.
They say the contributing properties are part of Guelph’s Natural Heritage System, a network comprised of natural spaces such as rivers, streams, woodlands, wetlands, meadows and wildlife habitats that are connected by hydrological and ecological linkages.
They say these properties were assessed by an expert and determined as meeting the rigorous national standard for biodiversity conservation.