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Circling the Northern hemisphere in a ring of spruce, firs and pines, the boreal forest is the most carbon-rich ecosystem on Earth. In Canada, the boreal forest covers more than 1 billion acres — making it the largest intact forest remaining on our planet. The Canadian boreal forest is a refuge for such species as caribou, cougars and grizzly bears, whose habitats have dwindled further south. Billions of birds, nearly half of all avian species in North America, breed in the boreal before flying southward into our backyards and parks each winter.

In the late spring and early summer of 2021, over 65 million salmon swam down streams in the Bristol Bay watershed to the bay. It’s one of the few healthy salmon runs left in the world. Brown bears emerged to glut themselves on the salmon in preparation for the following winter. Over 190 different species of birds fluttered and soared through the region. This idyllic scene repeats itself each year. The bay itself is home to Belugas, Pacific Right Whales and Pacific Walruses, and these millions of acres of fragile wetlands, tundra and forests are spared from dams and mines.

A report by Environment America Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group
Written by Hannah Read, Environment America Research & Policy Center and Bryn Huxley-Reicher, Frontier Group.

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Millions of bees are dying off, with alarming consequences for our environment and our food supply. We rely on bees to pollinate everything from almonds to strawberries to the alfalfa used to feed dairy cows. What happens if the bees disappear? It’s simple: No bees, no food.