Indigenous-led ocean protection in Canada

🌎 Good news: One of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems on Earth, the Great Bear Sea, is Canada’s first - and the world's second largest - marine protected area network, co-governed by 17 First Nations.

⚠️ Not-so-good news: A new The Nature Conservancy Science study finds that 35% of the world already lives in areas where extreme heat limits safe outdoor activity for part of the year.

🌱 What you can do: Even small actions like planting native species or supporting community gardens can cool cities, reduce flooding, and support biodiversity. 

And when we talk about climate solutions, anger and worry decreases: and hope rises! By making climate action visible, it can become contagious.

Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for narrating this edition of Talking Climate. 

Music by Bradley Myer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Welcome to Talking Climate with Catherine Hayho. Each episode, we explore how climate change is affecting the people, places, and things we love, and what we can do to make a difference. From science to solutions and stories that inspire, you're in the right place for real talk about real change. This week we're talking about Indigenous-led conservation, how extreme heat restricts our lives, and gorilla gardeners. Let's dive in. Good news. The Great Bear Sea is one of the most biodiverse cold water marine ecosystems in the world. It's home to kelp forests, whales, sea otters, and five species of Pacific salmon. But industrial activity, climate change, and habitat loss have been degrading its wildlife and fisheries for decades. Until now, that is. In June 2024, 17 First Nations partnered with Nature United, that's what the Nature Conservancy is called in Canada, and the governments of Canada and British Columbia to establish a vast network of marine protected areas across the Great Bear Sea. The result was Canada's first marine protected area network and the largest indigenous co-governed ocean conservation initiative in the world. Together, these protected areas make up 10 million hectares, that's nearly 25 million acres of ocean, an area larger than Portugal. The goal of this partnership is to restore these unique marine ecosystems, while supporting local communities whose cultures and livelihoods have depended on these waters for millennia. Backed by 335 million in funding, the initiative is already supporting Indigenous guardians who monitor ecosystems and enforce protections. It ultimately aims to create thousands of jobs in sustainable fisheries, tourism, conservation, and renewable energy. Since then, conservation progress continues. Areas in the Kishkosh and Kitakata inlets, key habitats for humpback whales and wild salmon, were protected in July 2025. Then, in October 2025, two new marine refugees established the waters off of Heidegwai as part of the Great Bear Sea protected area. The regions were identified by traditional Haida knowledge as areas of high ecological and cultural importance. How does this relate to climate change? First, protecting coastal ecosystems on land and in the ocean builds climate resilience for both people and nature. Second, the Great Bear Rainforest is one of the world's largest carbon sinks, with old growth trees that store and absorb much more carbon than younger trees would, safeguarding the forest from development while supporting local ecosystem-based economies keeps its carbon stores intact. That's a double win. If you enjoyed this story, subscribe to my video series on Patreon or Substack to watch next month's What's the Latest episode. I'll be catching up with past guest editor James Ratling Leaf Sr., a geospatial expert and member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, who works to combine indigenous knowledge and Western science to tackle climate change. Not so good news. Last week I talked about how climate change is affecting our mental health. This week, a new study highlights its impact on our physical health. Combining over 70 years of global climate data with a physiological heat tolerance model, my Nature Conservancy colleagues Luke Parsons, Nick Wolfe, and their co-authors found that a full 35% of the world's population already lives in areas where outdoor activities are severely limited during the hottest time of the year. Climate change isn't just making heat more intense, it's shrinking the amount of time people can safely go about their daily lives, Luke says. Even light activity like walking outside, climbing stairs, or doing household chores can become dangerous when temperatures and humidity climb too high. Older adults are especially vulnerable. People over 65 now experience roughly 900 hours each year when heat severely restricts safe outdoor activity, compared to about 600 hours in 1950. And while the worst conditions are often associated with poorer regions, the study found that dangerous heat already affects part of wealthier countries, too. Access to cooling, infrastructure, and workplace protections are resources that aren't available to everyone. Yet that's what's needed to keep people safe in a warming world. What you can do. People are experimenting with this idea in creative ways. Last week in Toronto, I met a student who was planting native seeds in public areas around the city. In Los Angeles, artist Doug Rosenberg built a temporary wetland in the concrete channel of the LA River, creating a small patch of habitat that quickly attracted birds and other wildlife. In the UK, gardener Harry Smith Haggett used plants to highlight local problems in Horsham. He filled potholes with flowers, drawing attention to dangerous roads and prompting repairs. In London, environmental activist Ellen Miles has been transforming overlooked corners of her neighborhood into mini oases filled with pollinator-friendly plants. After sharing her adventures online, she has inspired others to do the same. She says part of the appeal is the immediate impact. A lot of activism can feel intangible. With gorilla gardening, you see the results. It's empowering. Planting in public spaces can sometimes fall into a legal gray area. As a CNN article explains, authorities often turn a blind eye, so long as it doesn't cause damage, obstruction, or a public nuisance. But the safest way to participate is by supporting local greening efforts, planting native species in your own yard or apartment balcony, volunteering with a community garden, or working with local groups to add pollinator habitat in your neighborhood. With the first day of Northern Hemisphere Spring arriving soon, now is the perfect time to get started. Don't forget to talk about what you're doing with others and get your community involved too. Thanks for listening to Talking Climate, narrated by Ann Cloud. For more resources, links, and actions you can take, check out the full newsletter at www.talkingclimate.ca. Keep talking, keep connecting, and keep making climate part of the conversation.