Canadian Wildlife Annual Report

National Wildlife Week Celebrated Canada's North

This year, all eyes were on a part of the world already feeling the warm embrace of a rapidly changing climate — Canada's North. CWF and its program partners chose this area as the 2007 National Wildlife Week theme. NWW is celebrated each year during the week surrounding April 10th, the birthdate of the late Jack Miner — one of the founders of Canada's conservation movement. 

The NWW slogan "Canada's North — ours to protect, the world's to cherish" was particularly timely and relevant because of increased discussion on global climate change and the occurrence of International Polar Year, a major research effort studying the changes to the climates, wildlife and social communities of the Arctic and Antarctica.

CWF was pleased to welcome back the TD Bank Financial Group as a sponsor of NWW. Concern for the environment has been a long-standing priority of TD Bank, which also supports numerous local initiatives through its TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.

NWW is a program of CWF developed in co-operation with provincial and territorial wildlife agencies, Parks Canada, the Canadian Museum of Nature, the Canadian Wildlife Service (a division of Environment Canada), Natural Resources Canada. An educational kit — consisting of a teacher's guide that reinforces student learning about Canada's North, a promotional poster, information about the WILD School program and a Discover Canada's North illustrated poster — was sent to more than 20,000 Canadian educators. Numerous NWW festivals and events also occurred during the week across Canada.

Visit the National Wildlife Week website »

Rivers to Oceans Week Discovered Canada's Northern Waters

This year we combined two special occasions — Oceans Day (June 8) and Canadian Rivers Day (the second Sunday in June) — into a weeklong celebration called Rivers to Oceans Week.

The inaugural year of this new program focused on creating an understanding of Canada's watersheds, our connection to fresh- and saltwater environments, and what we can do to protect them. That connection was underlined in the week's slogan: "Oceans — only a river away."

As part of Rivers to Oceans Week, CWF and its partners have introduced the first educational kit in the new series called Learning About Watersheds. The kit, which was distributed to 20,000 schools and educators, included a teacher's guide and an illustrated poster featuring a river system, the Arctic Ocean and the wildlife that depend on them.

Visit the Rivers to Oceans Week website »

Habitat

Ensuring that wildlife has a home — the food, water, shelter and space it needs to survive — will be the last legacy we leave for future generations. Each year we are building and improving the homes of countless species of wildlife through our habitat programs (WILD School and Blue School).

In 2007, CWF supported the development and/or enhancement of 21 WILD Schools and eight Blue Schools. Each year, through our National Wildlife Week Award, CWF honours an outstanding WILD School project undertaken by a school group the previous year. CWF would like to congratulate Three Rivers Academy, an elementary school in Trois-Rivières, Que., for winning the 2007 NWW Award.

The school's goal is to become a rest stop for migratory birds. A planting project dubbed Migratory Island will have an enormous impact on wildlife because of the academy's location on a sort of natural crossroads (over 200 bird species use the area for their summer habitat) for returning migrants.

Students and staff at Three Rivers plan to cultivate an understorey layer of fruiting shrubs to complement existing stands of mature trees. They will also plant conifers for shade and build a brush pile to provide shelter for wildlife. We wish them much success and look forward to hearing about their progress.

Congratulations also go to John MacNeil Elementary School in Dartmouth, N.S., Stony Mountain Elementary School in Stony Mountain, Man., Gateway Elementary School in Meadow Lake, Sask, and Hillcrest Central School, in Teeswater, Ont., for their outstanding contributions to habitat conservation.

In 2007, we added 44 proud gardeners to the elite list of wildlife-friendly certified backyards. To be certified under the Backyard Habitat Certification program, gardens must meet the four needs of wildlife — food, water, shelter and space — include native plants and avoid the use of pesticides.

Visit the Backyard Habitat program website, Wild About Gardening »

Robert Bateman Contest and Get to Know CD

The Robert Bateman Get to Know program aims to help young Canadians connect with other species that live in their communities. Bateman's rationale is that in order to raise a generation who will care for the planet, we must begin by teaching them the ABC's of environmental literacy. He believes this should start at a young age through familiarizing students with the names, features and characteristics of their wild neighbours.

With support from CWF, the Get to Know Interactive CD was launched in the fall of 2007. The CD, which includes cross-curricular components addressing science, art and computer literacy, was distributed to all schools in the Vancouver School Board, Surrey District, North Vancouver School District, Calgary Board of Education, Edmonton Public School Board and the Toronto District School Board.

The 2007 Robert Bateman Writing and Art Contest was again an overwhelming success with talented artists and writers from across the country submitting their entries to the yearly contest. Winning entries saw their work published in CWF's WILD magazine.

Foundation Funding

Last year, CWF supported the following conservation research and education projects through its CWF Foundation:

• Conservation charity Nova Scotia Nature Trust will protect and manage high-quality wildlife habitat in the St. Mary's River watershed, including floodplain and old-growth hemlock forests. Atlantic salmon and wood turtles are among the imperilled species that will benefit.
• The Musée de la mer in Pointe-au-Père, Que., will help students discover the St. Lawrence estuary by using CWF funds for a multimedia experience that simulates a dive in a fictitious submarine called the Trieste.
• Public schools in Regina, Sask., will have funding for an outdoor environmental education program. Their winter ecology field study classes will teach students how pollutants in snowfall affect wildlife and water quality in the Qu'Appelle River Basin.
• The Haliburton Highlands Outdoors Association will continue its lake trout hatchery and stocking program. Haliburton trout are a unique local strain whose populations have diminished because of degrading habitat and water quality.

Orville Erickson Scholarships

CWF's Orville Erickson Scholarship awards scholarships every year to promising post-secondary students studying wildlife conservation. The scholarship is administered through a memorial fund established in 1975 in memory of the late Orville Erickson of Prince Albert, Sask., a successful businessman with a strong enthusiasm for the outdoors and a commitment to conservation.

Congratulations to the 2007 scholarship recipients: Beverley Sawchuck, Winnipeg, Man.; Melanie Schultz, Camrose, Alta.; Amy Wilker, Lumsden, Sask.; Emma Curran, Ponoka, Alta.; Terry Clifford, Prince Albert, Sask.; Charlene Burnett, Saskatoon, Sask.; Jennifer Barrett, Vancouver, B.C.; Aaron Spares, Brookside, N.S.; Julie Nadeau, Ottawa, Ont., Heather Gerstmar, Saskatoon, Sask.; Melanie Rossong, Saint John, N.B..

CWF Provides a Voice for Wildlife

As the voice for wildlife in Canada, CWF has been a long-time advocate for wildlife and habitat. Here's a summary of some of the important conservation issues we tackled in 2007.

The new Fisheries Act 2007 — a Step in the Wrong Direction

Canada's lakes, rivers and oceans are important to our identity, health, livelihoods and enjoyment. The benefits we derive from these special places depend on healthy, well-managed ecosystems. For 138 years, the federal Fisheries Act has governed how fish habitat and the oceans are protected, managed and used, and it desperately needs to be updated.

When the Department of Fisheries and Oceans introduced changes to the act in late 2006, many observers were shocked at the missed opportunities and weak consideration given to the conservation argument, especially given the urgent need for protection and wise management.

Canada's Forest Strategy

This past summer, the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers invited CWF to comment on Canada's Forest Strategy for 2008 and Beyond. CWF has long been concerned about Canada's forests, recognizing that forest health is directly linked to socio-economic and cultural benefits that we all enjoy. In order to maintain these benefits while providing quality wildlife habitat, conservation needs to become the priority in forest management.

Environment Canada's Spending Freeze

In September, a number of media outlets reported a spending freeze at Environment Canada, after the department froze funding for wildlife programs while it reviewed spending.

CWF was concerned that ongoing research and monitoring programs were in jeopardy of having their funding cut all together. We asked the government specifically about the future of Canada's 500 plus species at risk, such as the spotted owl, the woodland caribou and the Atlantic salmon. We questioned the continued protected status of our 51 National Wildlife Areas and 92 Migratory Bird Sanctuaries. Combined, these areas cover more than 11.8 million hectares of land, and are home to countless species of birds and animals.

And then there's all of the wildlife research already underway. How are Canadians to make informed decisions on issues like climate change without knowing what is happening to our environment and our cherished wildlife?

We asked our supporters for their help on this issue, and thousands signed a petition which was delivered personally to the Minister of the Environment.

Publications

CWF's beautifully illustrated Canadian Wildlife is published six times a year. You'll be impressed with the stunning photography and informative features.

WILD is Canada's premier wildlife magazine for children aged six to 12. Our young readers start almost every letter by telling us they love WILD magazine and think it's the best. This fun-filled magazine is published eight times a year, so the little ones always stay in touch with their WILD side.

In 2007, WILD magazine was again designated a Parents' Choice Award from the Parents' Choice Foundation. The Parents' Choice Awards program receives many strong entries; WILD is among the small percentage selected to receive such an honour.

CWF's Bulletin is distributed twice a year to approximately 300,000 donors and supporters. We redesigned it in 2007 to better serve the regional interests of our supporters.

Checkerspot magazine, CWF's newest publication, garnered an overwhelming response with more than 2,100 new readers signing up online for a free subscription.

Wildlife Update, CWF's free e-newsletter, is your best source for wildlife news, tips, and amazing facts and photos. In 2007, we created another important e-newsletter, Wild About Gardening's Seasonal Gardening Guide.

Climate Change is in Your Hands

Climate change is an everyday issue influenced by everyday people and CWF believes in the power of the individual to make a difference. This belief drives all our efforts, and our new climate change program is no different.

We began at our offices in Kanata, Ont., where a complete energy audit was undertaken to identify areas where we could make further changes to reduce our impact on the environment. As a result we installed 10 solar panels on our building's roof to collect renewable heat energy that helps power our workplace activities.

A new column was introduced in Canadian Wildlife magazine called Adaptations, an intimate look at the species in Canada affected by climate change and the scientists who are studying them.

In the spring, we launched a brand-new magazine called Checkerspot. Canada's first publication dedicated exclusively to climate change, it includes fascinating features and contemporary content aimed at empowering Canadians to take on the issue in their everyday lives. The second issue was distributed in November. Free subscriptions are available at the complementary website, www.CheckerspotMagazine.ca.

Checkerspot magazine was also CWF's first carbon-neutral publication. All the water, energy use and emissions from production have been counterbalanced by Zerofootprint Offsets, an organization that compensates for the environmental impacts of the activities of other companies, through watershed restoration, tree-planting and carbon sequestration through the purchase of trees. All of CWF's printed products are now carbon-offseted.

In June, we planted trees in Saskatchewan to offset all the greenhouse gas emissions generated by people's travel to our annual general meeting in Saskatoon.

And one British Columbia woman literally went to great heights to make a difference for climate change. Mary Krupa, president of marketing firm Morningstar Enterprises Inc., climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Kenya to raise money for the federation's climate change program.

Conservation Education

The centrepiece of the WILD Education family of programs continues to be the ever-popular Project WILD. Used in every province and territory, Project WILD is a "must have" curriculum in most teachers' collection of resources. We offer workshops designed to inform educators about the program's philosophy and to show them how to integrate Project WILD activities into existing curricula.

Education faculties at numerous Canadian universities and colleges, including the University of Ottawa, University of Regina, Lakehead University, Sir Sandford Fleming, Nunavat Arctic College, Queen's University, University of Toronto, University of Windsor, Trent University, Brandon University, train their student teachers to use Project WILD in their classrooms.

In 2007, more than 2,000 teachers and outdoor educators joined the growing ranks of WILD Education program users. We welcome them to the family!

Wild About … poster series

CWF created a fantastic poster to make you wild about snakes. It's the first to feature reptiles in the Wild About … poster series. This stunning poster introduces you to Canada's 24 snakes, their habitats and their behaviours. It will prepare you for a snake encounter, should you be so lucky. It will also tell you why snakes are a boon to gardeners and why they should be welcomed, not feared.

The new Wild About Butterflies poster combines our previously separate caterpillar and butterfly posters in the Wild About ... series, and includes eight more species. Now you can use it to identify 17 species of butterflies and moths AND their caterpillar counterparts.

CWF's Wild About … posters are great for gardeners, wildlife enthusiasts and educators. The posters identify species native to Canada and what you can do to attract them to your garden or neighbourhood park. The collection now includes two bird posters, bats, wildflowers and butterflies.

Reflections of Nature Photo Contest

Once again, CWF received thousands of photographs from wildlife enthusiasts across the country as part of the Reflections of Nature photo contest. View the monthly winners and runners-up. Winning entries also appeared in the November/December issue of Canadian Wildlife magazine.

In 2007, we also introduced a new dimension to the photo contest. So many funny photographs were submitted that were just too cute to keep to ourselves, so we've created a new ongoing caption contest in their honour in CWF's Bulletin newsletter.

A special thanks to CWF supporters who contributed photographs from CWF's Reflections of Nature photo contest for use in this report.

Hinterland Who's Who

CWF's newest partner in conservation is an important national institution — the Royal Canadian Mint. Together, we produced two new Hinterland Who's Who wildlife education vignettes to coincide with the release of two newly minted collector coins featuring the ruby-throated hummingbird and the red-breasted nuthatch.

The Mint's coins have often depicted Canadian flora and fauna because wildlife (especially birds) is a very popular theme with coin collectors. But the Mint's partnership with CWF specifically came about because of employee input under the organization's charitable donation program. There was a strong consensus amongst employees that CWF and its Hinterland Who's Who program, in particular, was a good fit with the values of the Mint and its employees.

Visitors to the HWW website at www.hww.ca can now go backstage with the people who create our Hinterland Who's Who vignettes with the new Behind the Scenes video. HWW is also encouraging aspiring video-makers to make their own Who's Who video.

Visit the Hinterland Who's Who website »

Montreal Old Port

In 2007, we continued work on the beautiful native plant garden at the Montreal Old Port. Located adjacent to the King Edward entrance to the Old Port (in front of the Montreal Science Centre), the garden has an area of 175 square metres and displays some 60 species of native plants, including such vibrant, showy species as Canada columbine, verbena and coneflower.

The popular leatherback seaturtle vignette produced by HWW took centre stage at the Montreal Science Centre IMAX theatre (also located at the Montreal Old Port). The vignette aired prior to films at the theatre throughout October to December. 

Novotel Hotels

From July to December, Novotel Hotels offered a special package called Kids Gone Wild to families staying in its hotels in Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto. Families received tickets to a "wild" family attraction, such as the Canadian Museum of Nature, the Biodome or Canada's Wonderland. Ten dollars from each package sold was donated to CWF. In return, CWF made sure the kids went home happy — we gave each family a surprise prize pack full of fun free gifts about nature and wildlife!

On the Web …

Each year, visitors to CWF websites are informed, educated and entertained, and 2007 was no exception. All CWF websites (CWF's main site, Wild About Gardening, WILD Education, Space for Species, Hinterland Who's Who and Checkerspot) combined saw close to 3 million visitors in 2007!

www.cwf-fcf.org is CWF's main website. Start here for general information about CWF and our programs.

www.wildeducation.org is the home of WILD Education — a family of conservation education programs that emphasize wildlife and the environment. This site contains curriculum-linked resources for teachers, youth leaders and Canadian educators.

www.wildaboutgardening.org is a source of information about wildlife-friendly gardening in Canada. Wild About Gardening offers ideas for attracting wildlife, a comprehensive native plant encyclopedia and much more.

www.spaceforspecies.ca enables students to monitor migratory species and their habitats from space. Students can explore the roles of satellite telemetry, remote sensing, astronaut observations and weather satellites in wildlife conservation.

www.hww.ca, the home of Hinterland Who's Who, features in-depth descriptions of Canadian wildlife and discussions of important issues and actions that help wildlife. This website also contains resource materials suitable for educators.

www.CheckerspotMagazine.ca has been buzzing with over 10,000 sessions since its launch. Several different interactive elements are attracting many people eager to share their ideas about solutions to climate change, and new online-exclusive material is always
being added.

CWF joined the blogging world last spring with the launch of The GHG Spot. As part of the effort to promote individual action against climate change, CWF staffers Asha Jhamandas and Jodi Di Menna have taken on the challenge of cutting their personal carbon emissions, and are blogging about the trials of leading a low-carbon life. Check it out at www.theghgspot.ca.