By Vince Fiorito
“And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ‘ARK.'” — Genesis 7:23
The story of Noah’s Ark is ancient, but its message has never been more relevant. Today’s flood is not one of water but of ecological collapse—an extinction crisis of our own making. Across the globe, vibrant ecosystems once teeming with life have been reduced to fragmented, degraded remnants. Habitat destruction, pollution, invasive species, and urban sprawl have reshaped the natural world, pushing countless species to the brink of extinction. Unlike Noah, we have the power to act before it is too late—to choose renewal over destruction, to rebuild instead of erase. The choices we make today about what we plant, protect, and preserve will determine our future.
A Lost Landscape: The Transformation of Brant’s Block
I live in Burlington, Ontario, where the Great Lakes and Carolinian Deciduous Forests merge near the historic location of “Brant’s Block,” a 3,450-acre land grant given in 1784 to Mohawk leader Joseph Brant. At its southwest corner stands “Brant’s Oak,” a venerable White Oak that once marked the boundaries of Brant’s Block, Wellington Square, and, ultimately, the modern city of Burlington. In Brant’s time, this land was a thriving mosaic of hardwood forests, tallgrass prairies, and pristine wetlands, home to an astonishing diversity of life.
The sandy shoreline near Brant’s home supported abundant American Eels, Lake Sturgeon, and Atlantic Salmon. Least Bitterns and Black Terns filled the skies, while Monarch Butterflies and Yellow-banded Bumblebees moved among fields of Dense Blazing Star and Wild Bergamot. Greater Prairie-Chickens danced while Eastern Cougars hunted them.
The forests beyond teemed with Red Mulberry, American Chestnut, and towering Tulip and Cucumber Trees, sheltering Passenger Pigeons and Wood Thrush. Eastern Red-backed Salamanders tunneled under logs as bald eagles soared overhead.
Today, little of this remains. The ancient forests, prairies, and wetlands have been replaced by sprawling development. Brant’s Oak still stands—but now surrounded by asphalt on Allview Avenue, a relic of a lost world. The once soft soils, thick with organic matter accumulated over millennia and teeming with decomposers, have become invasive Eurasian earthworm compacted and hostile. Carpets of non-native turfgrass consume space and water resources as fertilizers, pesticides, road salt, plastic and urban runoff drain through street sewers into nearby channelized waterways, fueling toxic algal blooms and poisoning aquatic ecosystems and our drinking water.
On streets nearby grow Periwinkle (Vinca minor), Lily of the Valley (Convalleria majallis), English Ivy (Hedera helix), Day Lily (Hemerocallis fulva), Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica) and many other common escaped ornamentals that choke out native plant species, disrupt pollinator relationships, and alter soil chemistry across Southern Ontario, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Chile… These introduced species and many others commonly found in urban areas have become problems nearly everywhere they have been introduced.
A Dysfunctional Global “McEcosystem”
This transformation is not unique to Burlington. Across the world, a homogenized “McEcosystem” of invasive species is replacing once-diverse landscapes. Even if the biodiversity crisis halted today, Earth’s biosphere would require millions of years to recover. Our planet is habitable because of its fragile abundance of life, and we are rapidly dismantling it.
The Need for a New Stewardship
We must become better stewards of the land. Imagine landscapes designed not for mere aesthetic appeal but for ecological function—gardens and green spaces filled with species Joseph Brant might recognize. Such landscapes would require less maintenance while purifying air, soil, and water and providing habitat for pollinators and wildlife.
Yet native plant enthusiasts often face opposition. Neighbors may see ecologically sound landscapes as “unkempt,” and outdated property bylaws continue to prioritize cosmetic uniformity over ecological necessity. In some cases, homeowners are fined or ordered to remove native gardens that support at-risk species. Meanwhile, garden centers continue selling invasive plants without restrictions.
Building Our Own ARKs
Perhaps it is time for each of us to build our own arks—one ecologically functional, native species-based landscape at a time. By choosing native plants, advocating for better policies, and rethinking our approach to landscaping, we can help restore the biodiversity we have lost. The alternative is to stand idly by as the floodwaters of extinction rise around us.
Resources for Action
For those interested in making a difference, the Ontario Invasive Plant Council’s Grow Me Instead guide provides excellent native alternatives to invasive species.
- Ontario Invasive Plant Council: https://www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca/resources/grow-me-instead/
- North American Native Plant Society: https://nanps.org
- Commercial Native Plant Growers: https://nanps.org/commercial-growers/
- Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes: https://wildones.org
- Carolinian Canada Coalition: https://caroliniancanada.ca
- Pollinator Partnership Canada: https://pollinatorpartnership.ca
- Canadian Wildlife Federation: https://cwf-fcf.org
- Grow Native Halton: https://www.grownativehalton.ca/
The time to act is now. The Ark is not a boat, but the landscapes we reclaim, the biodiversity we safeguard, and the futures we choose to restore. Let’s not wait for another flood—let’s be the architects of renewal, one native habitat at a time.
