WWF-Canada creates Catalyst Fund to accelerate nature restoration across Canada

New investment will support small actions with big impact that increase large-scale ecosystem restoration

OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 30, 2025 /CNW/ - WWF-Canada announced today the launch of the WWF-Canada Catalyst Fund, a $500,000 initiative designed to accelerate ecosystem restoration across the country and help Canada meet targets set in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and 2030 Nature Strategy.

Introduced at the organization's inaugural Nature Restoration Forum in Ottawa, the fund will support efforts by Indigenous Peoples, non-profits, businesses and all levels of government to expand or accelerate restoration of lost or degraded lands. The investment will specifically target small but effective restoration actions to support initiatives that are at the planning or implementation stage.

"Our latest Living Planet Report Canada showed that wildlife in Canada is in trouble, with more than half of the species we studied decreasing in abundance," said Megan Leslie, WWF-Canada president and CEO. "Nature restoration creates habitats that help reverse the wildlife loss we're seeing and bring a host of other ecological benefits. The Catalyst Fund will support seemingly small restoration activities that will have an outsized impact, accelerating our collective efforts to bring balance back nature. It's another concrete way we're working to Regenerate Canada."

Funding will support large restoration projects of more than five hectares by encouraging actions such as better planning, the use of native plants and seeds, strengthened monitoring and maintenance protocols to ensure long-term success, or other innovative ideas.

Ecosystem restoration can include activities such as replanting fire-damaged forests or stabilizing the banks of flood-ravaged rivers with native vegetation. Healthy, restored ecosystems deliver many benefits: more habitat for wildlife, increased carbon stored in nature, and communities that are more resilient to the effects of climate change. Restoration is also critical to supporting the priorities of First Nations, Inuit and Métis, who have stewarded the land and waters for millennia.

"As we build on the momentum of our first Nature Restoration Forum, the Catalyst Fund comes at the perfect time," said Elizabeth Hendriks, WWF-Canada vice-president of Restoration and Regeneration. "By funding capacity, whether it's the native seeds needed, guidance for a monitoring protocol or an opportunity to learn from peers, we'll encourage new partnerships, connect experienced leaders with those just beginning their restoration journey, and ultimately accelerate restoration for biodiversity, climate and communities."

About World Wildlife Fund Canada 

WWF-Canada is committed to equitable and effective conservation actions that restore nature, reverse wildlife loss and fight climate change. We draw on scientific analysis and Indigenous guidance to ensure all our efforts connect to a single goal: a future where wildlife, nature and people thrive. For more information visit wwf.ca. 

SOURCE World Wildlife Fund Canada