A Toronto energy consultant is biking his way from Calgary to Vancouver to raise awareness and funds for nature.
Part of Alex Simakov’s 1,400-kilometre solo bike ride means he will pass through the Okanagan as he travels down to Vancouver.
Simakov is raising funds for Nature Conservancy Canada, with the money he’s raising going towards the non-profit’s programs in the Rocky Mountains. He added that he wanted to support them because the non-profit has been leading Canada’s effort in land conservation.
“While we’re making great strides towards decarbonizing our economy and achieving Net Zero by 2050, we need to confront the reality that climate change is already here and only getting worse,” he said.
“The world is struggling with a growing frequency of natural disasters, and as demonstrated by last month’s record-shattering heat wave in British Columbia, Canada is no exception.”
Simakov said the first line of defence against natural disasters brought on by climate change is our natural ecosystems.
“By better managing the health and restoring the vitality of our forests, wetlands, and prairies, we can dramatically reduce the destructive impact of climate-driven disasters upon our communities.”
Over the last two weeks, Simakov has cycled past some of B.C.’s wildfires, which has shown him the importance and urgency of investing in Canada’s resiliency against climate disasters.
If you would like to donate to Simakov’s Nature Conservancy fundraiser, you can do so here.
READ MORE: ‘Full forests are the best wildfire’: Peachland watershed group
@twilamam
twila.amato@blackpress.ca
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.