The theme of World Ocean Day 2025 is Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us. Recognizing the importance of the ocean, Canada has already committed to protecting 25% of the ocean by 2025 and 30% by 2030. As we move towards those goals, marine protected areas will be a critical part of the work.

Coming together in unity and solidarity doesn’t necessarily mean that we’ll agree on everything all the time, but, if we can embrace respectful dialogue on the decisions that matter to all Nova Scotians, I have no doubt that our collective courage, goodwill, and resilience will shine through.

The Earth’s biodiversity - the variety of life on Earth - is diminishing at an alarming and unprecedented rate. The science on biodiversity trends is bleak: the 2019 IPBES’ Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity estimates that around 1 million of an estimated 8 million plant and animal species on Earth are threatened with extinction unless action is taken to lessen the threats.

World Wetlands Day is a day where people around the world celebrate wetlands and raise awareness about the importance of wetlands. Wetlands are known for their incredible ability to provide habitat for species, filter water, reduce or prevent flooding, serve as buffers for wildfires, and sequester carbon, making them critical for both climate change mitigation and adaptation, and biodiversity preservation.

Last week, East Coast Environmental Law launched a campaign to win a right to a healthy environment in Nova Scotia. This law reform advocacy initiative was a long time coming, and it’s the product of many years and many hands. As the staff lawyer leading the initiative now, I am so excited to see it take flight.

A major reason why I decided to pursue a legal education was that it has the potential to open doors to many interesting areas of work.  However, after my first year at the Schulich School of Law, I was left with more questions than answers about what I wanted my career to look like. As someone who has always been environmentally conscious with a love for the natural beauty of Atlantic Canada, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work as a summer student at East Coast Environmental Law (ECEL) , where I delved into the intricate legal frameworks surrounding coastal development in the Atlantic provinces.

I was very fortunate to be sponsored by BoyneClarke LLP, the law firm that hired me for my articles, to work at East Coast Environmental Law for the summer.  As a summer research student at ECEL, I had the opportunity to research what legal and policy tools are available to Nova Scotia’s municipalities to steward wetlands. Working at ECEL this summer made me more hopeful for Nova Scotia’s climate future, as I began to learn about opportunities available to protect our climate and natural areas that were previously unknown to me.

This summer, I had the opportunity of interning at East Coast Environmental Law (ECEL), an organization dedicated to advocating for environmental laws and climate justice in Atlantic Canada. As a first-year law student, I was incredibly grateful to have had this experience where I was able to work with federal environmental laws for my own learning and understanding, as well as gain new skills in communicating laws to the general public.