In December of 2019, I was lucky enough to be able to visit Canada for the winter and go on a few wilderness trips as well. The most interesting of these trips was when my family and I spent a day at the Niagara Falls, an environment that is so different to the one that I have grown up in for all its geographical and meteorological differences that do not resemble Singapore in many ways. We were able to go on a zip-lining trip that encompassed a full excursion of some of the most prominent waterfalls in the region, while also learning a bit about the ecosystem and the biodiversity that inhabited the region. We were also able to understand some of the downsides of the development that had been going on in the region for infrastructural upgrades, being so close to the USA’s border as well. For example, beaver dams and habitats in some of the surrounding water bodies had been torn down as a result of urban development to accommodate increasing numbers of tourists as well as the redirection of river routes to create some roads as well. This was detrimental to local beaver populations who have had to relocate their habitats to deeper within the woods surrounding the falls as well. Being able to zip-line above the line of the waterfalls gave me a bird’s eye view of the area and I was able to notice several construction sites along the route as well that had been clearing out some of the woods for urban development projects. It was really good to get this view because I was able to visually understand the extent to which a prioritisation of urban development has encompassed conservation efforts in the region. Understanding this as a problem, I was able to go back to my hotel that day and really do some extensive research to see how Niagara Falls has coped with increasing tourist numbers and the kind of effect that has had on rural communities but also some of the flora and fauna in the region. To be able to visit a region of the world that is so intrinsically different from the region I have grown up in really highlighted to me that the importance of environmental conservation and consideration is something that is universal and not specific to a certain group or region, showing its further importance in our societies.