Today is Giving Tuesday and the Nature Conservancy of Canada is asking people to help them conserve some of the country's most
important forests, wetlands, grasslands and coastal areas.

On this day, all gifts to NCC will be matched, meaning people can double their donations and make a major impact by protecting important habitats and the wildlife they sustain.

Native grasslands are among the most endangered ecosystems in the world, and their loss means that many native species are now critically endangered. 

Grasslands also hold value beneath the surface. After absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, grassland plants store the carbon within their vast root systems, preventing it from warming the planet. 

This natural process is one of the best solutions we have to slow the pace of climate change. 

Aerin Jacob, director of science and research with NCC, says there is no solution to either biodiversity loss or climate change without nature conservation.

"It takes everyone to support nature in a whole-of-society approach and urgency needed to get from less than 13 per cent protected lands and waters today and to meet Canada’s conservation targets of protecting 25 per cent by 2025 and 30 per cent by 2030. The looming threats of accelerating climate change and nature loss demand that we protect and restore nature, faster, at a much larger scale."

Every dollar donated to NCC on "Giving Tuesday" will be matched in each region of Canada for the conservation and restoration of important habitats.

In Saskatchewan, the matching funds are possible thanks to the support of the Heather Ryan and L. David Dube Foundation.

The match partner in Alberta is Rocky Mountain Soap Company.

In Manitoba,  donations to NCC are being matched by Michael Paterson and Gail Asper.

Donations to the Nature Conservancy of Canada can be made at natureconservancy.ca/donate.