17 resolutions for a greener 2017

Make 2017 great with these 17 green resolutions that make the world a better place for wildlife.

1. Keep litter out of the water

When garbage enters our water, it can be digested by or entangle just about any type of aquatic life from zooplankton to whales. Help prevent litter from entering our waters by joining the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup.

Volunteers collect litter from Woodbine Beach in Toronto, Ont. © Peter Nguyen / WWF-Canada
Volunteers collect litter from Woodbine Beach in Toronto, Ont.  © Peter Nguyen / WWF-Canada

2. Don’t waste a drop of water.

Even tiny actions to reduce our water footprint add up to help support the overall health of our rivers and lakes.

3. Volunteer

Even though you’re just one human being among 7.4 billion others, a single person can make a sizable difference. Volunteer to give back to the planet.

4. Welcome wildlife in your community

Wildlife is rapidly disappearing and one of the main causes is habitat loss. You can help by creating habitats for native wildlife such as bees, bats, butterflies and birds in your backyard or by starting a community project with Go Wild Community Grants presented by TELUS.

monarch butterfly on a pink flower
Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), Canada. © Frank PARHIZGAR / WWF-Canada

5. Champion green practices at work

All it takes to be an office eco-hero is to follow a few simple tips from WWF-Canada’s Smart Office Toolkit. In 2017, resolve to shut down your computer, teleconference, save paper and encourage your colleagues to do the same.

6. Curb climate change for polar bears

During Polar Bear Week (Feb. 27 – March 3), walk to school or work to reduce carbon pollution and help raise funds to combat threats to polar bear survival. Join the walk.

Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) walking on ice, Churchill, Canada. © WWF-US / Elisabeth Kruger/
Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) walking on ice, Churchill, Canada. © WWF-US / Elisabeth Kruger/

7. Watch what you eat

Almost one-third of fish stocks globally are harvested at unsustainable levels. Helping protect the wealth of our oceans can be as simple as buying the right fish.

8. Become a citizen scientist

Help protect our water by volunteering with Loblaw Water Fund projects, or report your sightings of whales, dolphins and sea turtles to the B.C. Cetacean Sightings Network.

© STRAWBERRY ISLE MARINE RESEARCH SOCIETY
© STRAWBERRY ISLE MARINE RESEARCH SOCIETY

9. Support the transition to a low-carbon economy

Carbon pricing is an essential tool to incentivise companies and governments to drive down greenhouse gas emissions to benefit wildlife and people. Let’s start living, and prospering, within nature’s limits.

10. Do the Polar Dip

Take the plunge into frigid Lake Ontario this February with our Polar Dip – a fun, brave way to fundraise for WWF’s Arctic conservation work.

11. Set something in motion

This past spring, WWF-Canada helped release baby snapping turtles back into the wild after one person set into motion a series of actions that led to their survival. This year, resolve to be a catalyst for a healthier planet.

Child releases snapping turtle hatching © Roger Hallett / WWF-Canada
Child releases snapping turtle hatching © Roger Hallett / WWF-Canada

12. Account for nature

Incorporate the true costs of environmental damage into business decisions. Use our Accounting for Nature Toolkit to add nature to the corporate ledger.

13. Get to know your watershed

We all live in a watershed. Check out watershedreports.wwf.ca to learn more about the health of your watershed and the threats it faces.  

14. Give up plastic

Carry a reusable water bottle and shopping bag to reduce unnecessary waste. Remember, if it’s plastic, it’s here to stay for thousands of years.

15. Show your support for MPAs

Only one per cent of our country’s oceans are protected. Add your name to a growing list of Canadians who want to make meaningful ocean protection a priority.

Bowhead whale in Lancaster Sound © Martin Lipman
Bowhead whale in Lancaster Sound © Martin Lipman

16. Take on a green challenge for wildlife

Choose a fun green challenge – scrap your car, eat green or bike for a month – and get friends and family to donate for wildlife.

17. Spend more time connecting with nature

In 2017, spend more time in nature and cultivate an appreciation for all the ways it benefits us and sustains us.

Child standing in temperate rainforest, British Columbia, Canada. © Mark HOBSON / WWF-Canada
Child standing in temperate rainforest, British Columbia, Canada. © Mark HOBSON / WWF-Canada

Join the Count for Nature movement

Be a part of the action by counting yourself in our growing movement of Canadians helping preserve nature. Share your story at wwf.ca/countfornature and on social media @WWFCanada using the hashtag #CountForNature.