Environmental health is directly tied to human well‑being, peace, and sustainable development. Protecting the environment is the global theme for Rotary in April. Photo shows Rotary Club of Ladner's donation of trees and shrubs to the Westham Island Park as action on the environment to mark the club's 65th Anniversary in 2022.
Rotary chose Protecting our Environment as one of our seven Areas of Focus because healthy ecosystems support healthy communities. Thriving natural systems — forests, oceans, rivers, wetlands — are essential for human health, food security, and economic stability.
When ecosystems collapse, communities suffer. Just as Rotary's seven Areas of Focus form an interconnected system which drive and depend on each other, Rotary links environmental protection to peacebuilding. When water, land, or food resources become scarce, conflict increases. Protecting the environment helps reduce these pressures and supports long‑term peace.
Collaborating with, even forming partnerships with, organizations that support community‑driven conservation and share a focus on protecting the environment, expands Rotary’s impact and credibility.
Through local and regional relationships with environmental conservation groups we can ensure that future generations inherit a livable, thriving planet — a natural extension of Rotary’s mission to create lasting change.
Rotary Club of Ladner has engaged in this Area of Focus with projects such as the clean up of the invasive plant species, Spartina, along the Boundary Bay shoreline here in Delta. We celebrated our 65th Anniversary by funding and working with the City of Delta to plant trees and shrubs in the small Westham Island Park to contribute to the City's "tree canopy" program. We have supported Earthwise Society in Delta.
Rotary clubs make a difference in their communities in measurable ways to achieve an IMPACT by enabling communities to embrace local solutions, create innovative service projects, and access grants and other resources to build and maintain harmony between people and nature. Some examples:
- restoring land, coastal, and marine habitats, such as our Spartina removal project;
- supporting sustainable agriculture and fishing, both are and have been important industries in Delta;
- reducing greenhouse gas emissions;
- strengthening communities affected by climate change;
- promoting environmental education;
- encouraging sustainable consumption, one could even say our Shred A Thons convert paper into recycled material while generating funds for food security in the community.
These are just several examples of the many kinds of accessible, community‑driven projects that align with Rotary’s Areas of Focus and Rotary's Action Plan.
Club meeting invocation by
Peter Roaf
Member, Rotary Club of Ladner
