CWF announces funding for Calgary Zoo’s species at risk research during Walk for Wildlife

CALGARY, April 10, 2010 – The Canadian Wildlife Federation is springing into action with the announcement of $40,000 in additional funding to help the Calgary Zoo save a favorite amphibian – the threatened Northern Leopard Frog.

The new funding, to be announced at CWF’s Walk for Wildlife at Calgary Zoo today, complements $25,000 of annual grants CWF has been providing the Centre for Conservation Research since 2008. The new funding is part of CWF’s $1-million Endangered Species Program to conserve at-risk wildlife across Canada and engage more Canadians in supporting species-at-risk.

 “As we celebrate National Wildlife Week and the International Year of Biodiversity at Calgary Zoo, CWF is pleased to increase its support for the Centre for Conservation Research,” said Wade Luzny, Executive Vice President of the Canadian Wildlife Federation. “We are fortunate in our country to have some of the world’s most spectacular wildlife all around us. Unfortunately, many species are at risk and we have to work together to safeguard biodiversity.”

Wildlife is declining due to a wide range of pressures including habitat loss, contaminants, commercial over-exploitation, invasive species and climate change. To date the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) has listed 585 species at some level of risk – extinct, extirpated, endangered, threatened or of special concern.

CWF’s new funding to the Calgary Zoo will be used by Dr. Des Smith to improve survey methods and the demographic understanding of Northern Leopard Frogs, a threatened species in Alberta that is being aggressively managed to restore populations to former levels. The zoo’s preliminary research has shown a chilling 30 per cent decline in surveyed populations in the last few years.

Amphibian diversity in Canada is very low to other parts of the world, so the loss of a species is very serious, zoo researchers said. The international amphibian crisis is alarming: since 1980, 122 species of amphibians have gone extinct, which is 105 times their natural extinction rate.

Through the annual funding agreement, CWF also supports the Calgary Zoo’s recovery programs for Black-tailed Prairie Dogs and Black-footed Ferrets. The scientific research funded by CWF is developing solutions for environmental problems threatening species and ecosystems. CWF’s annual funding also supports a conservation biologist fellowship.
 
CWF is presenting the Walk for Wildlife through Calgary Zoo’s Canadian Wilds to encourage Calgarians to show their support for biodiversity. The event is part of CWF’s national Walk for Wildlife campaign celebrating National Wildlife Week April 4–10 as well as the International Year of Biodiversity. About 175 guests are registered for the Calgary walk, including many newcomers to Canada.

CWF continues to encourage Canadians to get outdoors and experience the biodiversity all around them. Walkers can visit NationalWildlifeWeek.com to add their kilometres to CWF’s nationwide tally. CWF’s goal is to log enough kilometres to walk across the country and create national awareness about conservation. CWF will be counting kilometres until May 22, the International Day of Biodiversity.

“By participating in a Walk for Wildlife, Canadians can show how much they care about biodiversity: it’s a step in the right direction,” Luzny said.

About the Canadian Wildlife Federation:
The Canadian Wildlife Federation is a national non-profit charitable organization dedicated to ensuring an appreciation of our natural world and a lasting legacy of healthy wildlife and habitat. By spreading knowledge of human impacts on the environment, developing and delivering educational programs, sponsoring research, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, recommending policy changes and co-operating with like-minded partners, CWF encourages a future in which Canadians can live in harmony with nature. For more information, visit CanadianWildlifeFederation.ca.

Contact:
Heather Robison
Media Relations Officer
(306) 550-4155
heatherr@cwf-fcf.org