Nice But Not Naughty

As the end of the year draws near, Santa Claus, it’s said, is finalizing his list of who’s been naughty and who’s been nice. I’m not Santa, but since I'm also not Scrooge, I’ve made a list of my own as 2025 comes to a close, but mine is a “nice” list—nothing "naughty” on this one. It’s a compilation of positive actions that have taken place across Canada in 2025 that offer significant benefits to birds, wildlife, and people.

Here I present to you my list of Five Significant Canada Conservation Successes of 2025:

1. The Government of Canada, the Government of Manitoba, and the Seal River Watershed Alliance completed a year-long feasibility assessment that found conserving northern Manitoba’s 12-million-acre Seal River watershed is achievable, publicly popular, and a step towards meeting conservation and reconciliation goals.
2. The Gwich'in Tribal Council, Na-Cho Nyӓk Dun First Nation, Parks Canada and the Government of Yukon took a significant step towards establishing a 3,000 square kilometer (741,316 acre) national park in the Peel River Watershed of Yukon. The area provides important habitat for birds and other wildlife, most notably the Porcupine caribou herd who spend their winters in the region. 
3. An important intergovernmental milestone was achieved with the signing of the Canada-Quebec Nature Agreement, through which the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec agreed to advance the protection and conservation of nature throughout Quebec. This includes creating and expanding protected and conserved areas and supporting Indigenous leadership in biodiversity conservation.
4. In a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) the Government of Canada and the Government of Manitoba agreed to acknowledge, elevate, and support Indigenous peoples as stewards of the lands and waters and work collaboratively with them on Indigenous-led conservation and stewardship initiatives within Manitoba. As part of a new Nature Agreement, this work will advance the conservation of important biodiversity-rich habitats and ecosystems for species at risk and migratory birds.
5. The President of the Haida Nation, Gaagwiis Jason Alsop, and Canada’s Minister of Fisheries, the Honourable Joanne Thompson, formally announced two new marine refuges on Haida Gwaii. Also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, Haida Gwaii is a biodiversity-rich archipelago off British Columbia’s west coast in the Great Bear Sea. Audubon celebrates the establishment of these marine refuges, which will protect over 29 km² of important bird habitat, as well as habitat for salmon, herring, and harbor seals.

With so much positive momentum towards protecting the beauty, vitality, and richness of critical bird and wildlife habitats across Canada in 2025 my version of the “nice” list is filling up. But the year isn’t quite over yet, and there is always room to add one more. We’ll all be watching!