Dax Dasilva Launches Environmental Alliance Age of Union

Age of Union, a non-profit environmental alliance creating a global community of changemakers, launches today with a pledge of $40 million and debut projects in five countries by tech leader and environmental activist Dax Dasilva, known for his role as Founder and CEO of Lightspeed Commerce. Infused with startup and technology DNA, the new organization allies with hands-on, boots-on-the-ground conservationists worldwide to protect the planet’s threatened ecosystems. Leveraging Dasilva’s experience as a tech entrepreneur, Age of Union will foster innovative solutions to elevate the work of all conservation projects. By supporting, funding, and making visible these individuals and organizations solving critical environmental challenges today, Age of Union seeks to inspire high-impact change around the world.

“I have launched Age of Union as an action-oriented environmental initiative based on the immediate urgency to save the planet and its threatened species and ecosystems,” said Age of Union Founder Dax Dasilva. “The next decade is crucial – we must change the narrative on our environment to one that is hopeful. Through Age of Union’s conservation efforts, we hope to inspire change based on the notion that all acts, both big and small, when acted on together, can change the trajectory of our planet for the better.”

The launch of the environmental alliance follows Dasilva’s 2019 release of his book Age of Union, a compelling guide for igniting today’s changemaker. Grounded in four pillars — leadership, culture, spirituality, and nature — the book advocates that the time for change is now and that our choices are the catalyst. This mission comes to life through the environmental alliance for the guardianship of the world’s ecosystems in the following debut projects in five countries:

• Nature Conservancy of Canada (Quebec, Canada): Saint Lawrence River Restoration– Beginning in his home province of Quebec, Dasilva is dedicated to the preservation of one of the world’s largest freshwater reserves, the Saint Lawrence River, by expediting the impact of the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s current projects and funding expanded initiatives to protect its waters and shorelines, as well as the biodiversity and wildlife that live there.
• Junglekeepers (Peru): Las Piedras Amazon Rainforest Sanctuary & Ranger Program Expansion – Acquiring more rainforest land concessions along the Las Piedras tributary and expanding the Junglekeepers ranger program with new local hires, enhanced training, a new ranger station, and providing tools to elevate the impact of the conservation work being done in the field.
• Canadian Ape Alliance (Democratic Republic of Congo): Wildlife Corridor Expansion – Helping protect the Congo’s lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants, and other endangered species by building up and sustaining a wildlife corridor, achieved through reforestation efforts and designated protected natural areas. Local community efforts are focused on sustainable agriculture practices, environmental education, and alternative livelihood practices that allow for climate change resilience.
• Kalaweit (Indonesia): Dulan Rainforest Sanctuary Expansion – Expanding Kalaweit’s Indonesian Dulan Rainforest reserve in Borneo to help protect critically endangered orangutans, gibbons, langurs, bears, pangolins, and more.
• Kanpé (Haiti): Reforestation and Agroforestry – Reforestation project in Haiti that will include agroforestry and subsistence gardens. This will allow forests to be replanted while locals are able to feed their families and sell sustainably raised crops.

These five projects mark only the beginning of Age of Union’s long-term commitment to conservation initiatives that will protect and restore some of Earth’s most precious ecosystems. Dasilva’s pledge of $40 million will go towards funding these five projects with future conservation efforts to be announced ongoing.

As part of its call to action, Age of Union will produce short documentaries on select projects with plans to premiere the first film We are the St. Lawrence in partnership with the Nature Conservancy of Canada on Oct. 26 in Montreal, Oct. 28 in Toronto, and with plans for Vancouver in late November.

“The St. Lawrence River watershed holds 20% of the globe’s freshwater reserve, and its estuary is one of the world’s largest and most biodiverse. Sadly, humans have taken this for granted,” says Dasilva. “We dump our waste here and use it as a superhighway for cargo ships when it is also home to wildlife like whales, birds, and much more. We hope with our support of Nature Conservancy of Canada, preservation efforts, and this film, we are able to foster a community of support and respect for these great waters.”

“With Age of Union’s generous support, we can now expedite the impact of current projects and begin new ones,” says Joel Bonin, Biologist and Associate Vice-president at the Nature Conservancy of Canada in Quebec. “To protect the biodiversity and wildlife of the Saint Lawrence River, efforts include collaborating with landowners to acquire exceptional natural habitats, working with local farmers to transition to more sustainable crops like hay in flood plains, limiting erosion of shorelines, and restoring channels and swamps to promote fish spawning. Finally, we want to reach out to community members whose engagement is essential to improving how we use the water and care for the river itself.”

Following the debut of We Are The St. Lawrence, this and all future films will live on Age of Union’s website alongside informative articles and video content to help educate the public about crucial environmental issues.