When it comes to nature conservation, a little goes a long way. Small-scale conservation efforts can have a huge impact and help ensure that we and future generations can enjoy precious natural spaces. This Earth Day, the Nature Conservancy of Canada challenges you to partake in at least one small act of conservation.

When asked to picture a sparrow, I think a lot of us, especially the city dwellers, think of the common house sparrow. Though ubiquitous across southern Canada, this little sparrow is not actually native to North America.

These 10 stories from Canada and around the world show how communities, governments and organizations are providing solutions that are reversing the loss of biodiversity and the ecological services that nature provides.

Ask any American what their national bird is and they'll be sure to tell you it's the Bald Eagle. Ask a Canadian the same question and they're likely to shift the conversation to the weather or last night's hockey game. Why? Because Canada doesn't have a national bird. That's about to change. And unlike in the United States, everyday Canadians are playing a role in the selection.

You find yourself breathing more deeply, taking in the sharp scent of pine and the sweet mustiness of leaves returning to dust on the forest floor beneath your feet. For a moment, the quiet is broken only by birdsong -- the notes that signalled the absence of predators nearby to generations of your ancestors -- and your pulse rate slows. Some neglected part of you is home, and you realize you've left your worries somewhere between your front door and this moment. This is the power of nature.

Stretching from Alaska to Labrador, the Boreal has more intact forest than the Amazon and nearly twice as much carbon in storage as tropical forests. It is a crowning jewel at the top of the globe. Preserving it now will make bird species more resilient as they face climate change and habitat loss along their migration routes south.