Annual Report

Partners

CWF Education works with a wide range of government departments, non-profit organizations and conservationists from across Canada. We are proud to announce that we are developing new partnerships with the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation, the Institute for Canadian Citizenship and the Government of Nunavut. Through these new partnerships, we are expanding our outreach and bringing diverse organizations together for the common cause of environmental stewardship.

Tim Horton Children’s Foundation

The Tim Horton Children’s Foundation provides summer camp experiences for economically disadvantaged children. At Tim Horton Onondaga Farms near Brantford, Ontario, CWF provides children in the foundation program with outdoor gear such as toques and ponchos to enable their experiences in conservation education. Onondaga Farms camp employees are also trained to use WILD Education resources to connect kids with nature. CWF helped enhance a wetlands conservation program at the 160-hectare farm, which has been instrumental in rehabilitating the trumpeter swan population.

Institute for Canadian Citizenship

The Institute for Canadian Citizenship is a national non-profit organization that was founded by the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson in 2005 as her legacy project at the conclusion of her mandate as Canada’s 26^th Governor General. Clarkson co-chairs the ICC with internationally renowned writer and philosopher John Ralston Saul. The ICC is dedicated to engaging Canadians about citizenship, and CWF is pleased to advance this mission. In 2009, CWF facilitated citizenship discussions with newcomers to Canada at community ceremonies in Regina and Ottawa. Conservation is an important responsibility of Canadian citizenship, and CWF looks forward to ongoing initiatives to engage newcomers in outdoor experiences and conservation education.

Government of Nunavut

CWF supports the culturally relevant delivery of WILD Education programs in Nunavut. A Memorandum of Understanding is being developed between the Nunavut Department of Environment and CWF for the delivery of WILD Education programs. Partnerships will be explored to build the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit framework for conservation education, using traditional Inuit knowledge, institutions and technology to enhance learning.

National Leadership Clinic Program

From March 12 to 14, 2009, CWF Education was one of the sponsors of EECOM’s National Leadership Clinic Program. Seven teams participated in the 2008–2009 program in Winnipeg. CWF Education continues to maintain an active role in EECOM, the Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication, and shares its vision and mission of engaging Canadians in environmental stewardship and learning.

Ontario Envirothon

CWF is a partner of Ontario Envirothon by sponsoring the wildlife stream. Envirothon is a North American program that invites high school students across Canada and the U.S. to put their knowledge to the test through various outdoor environmental challenges.

Regional Centre of Expertise in Montreal

CWF is also member of the CER-Montreal, a United Nations University-based initiative that is part of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the city. In 2009, CWF participated in the 4^th World Congress of Regional Centers of Expertise, which took place in Montreal. Patricia Garcia, CWF’s Regional Co-ordinator for Eastern Canada co-facilitated discussions regarding biodiversity. These discussions aimed to determine the knowledge platforms required to effectively share information, knowledge and experiences, and to identify needs and success factors regarding the implementation of programs that will foster biodiversity conservation throughout formal and informal education.

The CER-Montreal’s main objective is to foster eco-citizenship by promoting public awareness through the development and implementation of formal and informal educational programs that could potentially reach the entire Quebec population. The new expression eco-citizen recalls our role on this earth and reminds us of our actions and responsibilities. In this context, the Centre d’expertise régional de Montréal was created. It was developed under the United Nations University RCE Program and the City of Montreal’s Sustainable Development Plan. The Centre is located at the Biosphère (Environment Canada) in Montreal, but its activities will cover all regions of Quebec and reach the entire population of the province through different programs developed through the collaboration of all CER’s partners.

AMIK

CWF’s Eastern Regional Office and the Agence Mamu Innu Kaikusseth (AMIK) collaborated in the development and implementation of an educational program for Innu communities located in northern Quebec. The program was aimed to increase awareness about the issues involving the decline of species at risk, such as the barrow’s golden eye, the polar bear, the harlequin duck, the Atlantic walrus, the leatherback seaturtle, the eelgrass limpet, the American eel, the Atlantic cod and the North Atlantic right whale. CWF will continue collaborating with AMIK in 2010.

CWF gratefully acknowledges the following partners and participants in CWF Education:

Agence Mamu Innu Kaikusseth

Atlas of Canada (Natural Resources Canada)

Biosphère Environment Museum

Canadian Association of Principals

Canadian Heritage River Systems

Canadian Museum of Nature

Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication

Coastal Zone Canada Association

Education and Water Monitoring Action Group (G3E)

Environment Canada

Canadian Biodiversity Information Network