Federation

The Canadian Wildlife Federation also provides financial support to charitable organizations, students, researchers and schools undertaking deserving research or habitat projects throughout the year. The following are projects funded in 2008:

Youth Habitat Project in Alberta
$1,000
As part of the 2008 Footprint Project, CWF funded the creation of bird box kits to be assembled and installed by youth to create habitat on conservation lands in Alberta.

The Footprint Project is held each year in conjunction with the CWF Annual General Meeting. This meeting is held in a different Canadian city each year, lending the organization the opportunity to make a difference for wildlife across this great country and leave a lasting ‘footprint’ of our time there.

Protection of Fish and Fish Habitat
$3,333
Wildlife Habitat Canada arranged a meeting between nine conservation, non-government organizations and the Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Madame D’Auray, to discuss the priorities of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans-Conservation Non-Governmental Organizations Coalition, ultimately leading to the development of an Aquatic Habitat Management Framework.

Protection of the Nevis Property
$5,000
The Alberta Fish and Game Association worked to acquire the 148.35 hectares 366.6 acres of the Nevis property. This area consists of reclaimed mine land, a mix of forest and seeded grasslands and small wetlands, all of which are home to wildlife like mule deer, moose, fox and coyotes.

Educational Camp for Children
$5,000
In partnership with the Roderick Haig-Brown Institute, the British Columbia Wildlife Federation is launching a free educational camp that teaches children aged nine to 12 about the importance of wildlife and environmental conservation.

White-tailed Deer
$5,000
CWF funds will help Héritage faune produce a DVD on the management of white-tailed deer populations in Quebec.

Northern Leopard Frog and Black-footed Ferret
$25,000
CWF funds will go to the Calgary Zoo’s Centre for Conservation Research and its Reintroduction Research portfolio to help conserve the northern leopard frog and the black-footed ferret.

Since 1980, up to 122 amphibian species have disappeared. Over the last 20 years, the northern leopard frog’s numbers have been on a steady decline; it is listed as a species of special concern in Alberta and as endangered in British Columbia. The zoo is studying what constitutes a good reintroduction site by researching the habitat of surviving northern leopard frogs.

Until a small population was found in 1981, the black-footed ferret was considered extinct. Since 1987, over 5,800 ferrets have been bred in captivity and reintroduced at sites in the U.S. and Mexico; to date, only one wild population has successfully established itself. The zoo is studying the ecological needs and characteristics of the ferrets to prepare reintroduction strategies.

Bumblebees
$500
Researchers at the University of Ottawa are studying which floral features bumblebees find attractive. The study will identify which preferences are innate and which are acquired tastes evolved over time by attempting to train bees to associate a smell with food in order to attract them to test flowers. Should researchers successfully discover which floral features are attractive to bees, they could use this information to draw the highly valued pollinators towards crops and plants of interest.

Polar Bears
$500 from CWF, $1,000 from Gore Mutual Insurance Company Foundation
With sea ice in Canada breaking up nearly a month earlier every year, there’s been a whopping 14 per cent decline in polar bear numbers. After eight-year-old Amanda Orawski realized polar bears might disappear due to climate change, she took it upon herself to help change their future.

Gore Mutual Insurance Company Foundation held a broker appreciation charitable donation request and, with the help of her mother, Amanda nominated the Canadian Wildlife Federation. Its $1,000 donation will be key to supporting Dr. Andrew Derocher, a polar bear researcher and professor at the University of Alberta, in his research. CWF donated an additional $500 towards his important work.

Anti-poaching Interactive Display and Outdoor Education
$5,300
In partnership with the Ministry of Environment, the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation created an interactive trailer display to appear at large sports tournaments, fairs and other public events. The display will inform the general public about the impact of poaching and how they can help protect Saskatchewan’s wildlife. CWF also contributed funding toward SWF’s Learning Gone Wild: Making Connections with Nature conference, which brings outdoor educators from across the province together to share their experience, knowledge and skills related to education in the outdoors.

Invasive Species Awareness
$5,000
More than 185 invasive species have been established in the Great Lakes basin and now threaten the survival of native fish and wildlife. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters created the Invading Species Awareness Program in 1992, and, in 2008, their Invading Species Watch program worked to monitor over 200 lakes.

Encouraging Families to Bond with Nature
$5,000
A skill-development program called Families United with Nature, initiated by the Nova Scotia Federation of Anglers and Hunters, works to bring families closer to nature and enjoy outdoor recreational activities like camping and fishing.

Canadian Network for the Environmental Education and Communication
$50,000
With CWF’s commitment to environmental education, we helped sponsor EECOM’s 5th World Environmental Education Congress. The bi-annual conference hosts delegates from all over the world who stress the important role of education in protecting the future of our planet.