The federal government’s EcoAction Community Funding Program is investing in two environmental projects in Atlantic Canada.
In Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, $20,000 will be provided to the Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation (BCAF) over two years to fund efforts in improving air quality and reducing water consumption. An important part of BCAF’s project is reducing the waste created by disposable water bottles, and to this end it will support The Blue W, a program that promotes municipal tap water as a healthy and accessible alternative to bottled drinks.
The EcoAction Community Funding Program will also provide $25,000 to Ducks Unlimited Canada to fund projects that aim to protect wetlands in the Maritimes. One of these projects is the Atlantic Wetland Care Program, whose goal is to encourage landowners to safeguard important wetland habitat. Protecting this habitat will improve water resources and contribute to the survival of wetland species. The program includes an educational component, with “Caring for Your Wetland” workshops offered to private landowners.
According to Jodie Hambrook of Ducks Unlimited Canada, the involvement of private landowners is crucial: “In New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, the protection of wetlands is a unique challenge because much of our land is privately owned. It is essential that we work with individual landowners as they play a vital role in the management of wetland habitats.” The program hopes to promote an ethic of stewardship in such landowners, thereby protecting the habitat and the many species it supports, and keeping the water clean.
In 2013, the Government of Canada is providing over $4 million to fund over 100 projects through the EcoAction Community Funding Program.
