Princess Louisa Marine Provincial Park is called suivoolot by the Shíshálh (Sechelt) nation, meaning “sunny and warm,” an apt descriptor for the inlet where waterfalls tumble down a granite gorge. If you want to drift by rainforests and waterfalls, this mainland park—which is only accessible by boat or seaplane—might be for you. Located off Jervis Inlet near Egmont, a public fundraising campaign led by BC Parks Foundation expanded the protection of the fjord to include the southern shoreline.

Made up of lakes, marshlands, and forests of coniferous trees including spruce, pine, and fir, Canada’s boreal forests cover 55 percent of the country, and serve as recreation sites for many communities. Birch River Wildland Provincial Park near Fort McMurray is part of this remote haven, providing habitat for bison and birds. The park (accessible only by bush plane) also offers opportunities for backcountry camping and hiking adventures through strands of old-growth forests.

Added to the World Heritage List in 2018, Atikaki Provincial Park is popular with adventure seekers looking to canoe the vast Bloodvein River or explore the region’s archeological sites which include ancient pictographs depicting bison, kingfishers, and moose. The Anishinaabe First Nations of Pimachiowin Aki operate a guardians program to help keep the land and waterways safe, and serve as educators and protectors of what the Anishinaabe call “the Lungs of the Earth.”

Backus Woods, on Ontario’s South Coast, allows you to discover the warmth and beauty of Canada’s unique Carolinian life zone, a small ecoregion composed of deciduous forests, lush swamplands, and 64 different species of ferns. While the Carolinian life zone makes up less than 0.25 percent of Canada’s landmass, it protects 25 percent of the country’s at-risk species. Here, you’ll find some of Ontario’s oldest living trees, including 400 year old black gum trees.

Every square mile counts in Canada’s push to reach 30 percent conservation by 2030. And in 2016, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) added another square mile of land to the pre-existing Green Mountains Nature Reserve in Quebec’s Appalachian range. The land here is filled with delicate maidenhair ferns and stands of old-growth forest, as well as three trail networks for exploring. The expansion also provides protected habitat for bears, moose, and bobcats, ensuring they have space to roam.

Nova Scotia's Troop Island was secured for conservation in 2012, saving it mere weeks before it was due to be sold to developers. The speedy campaign to preserve the island, located less than an hour from Halifax, was partially financed by the local community, and organized by the St. Margaret's Bay Stewardship Association and the Nova Scotia Nature Trust. You can reach Troop Island by kayak or boat and walk inland from the sandy beach to discover an untouched Acadian hardwood forest.

Wander among the white spruce forest of Prince Edward Island’s Thomas Island; these slender trees shade the vibrant red-sand beaches where seals often rest at low tide. Reachable by kayak, you can find Thomas Island on the eastern coast of Prince Edward Island surrounded by shallow waters and seaweed beds, with its red sands providing a striking contrast against the green of the forest. It was conserved by the NCC in 2015 due to the role it plays as the breeding grounds for great blue herons.

The riverside Salmonier Nature Reserve is home to the endangered boreal felt lichen, a grayish-blue lichen with white, papery edges that forms a symbiotic relationship as it grows on tree trunks and branches. The damp climate of this region of Newfoundland encourages the growth of a variety of other lichens, indicators of air quality and they have important uses in medicine. The reserve stretches along the Salmonier River which supports Newfoundland’s threatened Atlantic salmon.