CWF Goes the Distance for Wildlife

June 8, 2010 –  After logging more than 8,000 kilometres in its first annual Walk for Wildlife campaign, the Canadian Wildlife Federation is encouraging Canadians to continue to go the distance for wildlife with a bike or hike for biodiversity.

CWF Education is inviting classrooms to explore nature from June 8 to 30, 2010 with its School’s Out campaign. The first 50 teachers who log classroom walks, or bikes or hikes for biodiversity, will receive a free subscription to one of CWF’s publications: WILD, Biosphère or Canadian Wildlife magazine, for the 2010/2011 school year. Wild Magazine is filled with stories, games, pictures and information about biodiversity for children aged five to 13. Canadian Wildlife and its French counterpart Biosphère are geared towards teens and adults.

“The School’s Out campaign is a step in the right direction for wildlife, because introducing kids to nature encourages stewardship and conservation,” said Dr. Luba Mycio-Mommers, Director of Education for the Canadian Wildlife Federation. 

The United Nations declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity to celebrate life on earth and the value of biodiversity for our lives. CWF is stepping up the campaign by developing many educational resources about biodiversity and by opening up opportunities for the public to make moral pledges to protect the ocean and dare to care for wildlife, Mycio-Mommers said.

CWF’s Walk for Wildlife got underway on April 4 to kick off National Wildlife Week and wrapped up on May 22, International Day for Biodiversity. By expanding the walk campaign with the addition of a school-based bike or hike for biodiversity, Canadians can add to CWF’s nationwide kilometer count. CWF will continue to find innovative ways to engage Canadians with wildlife throughout the summer and fall.

“By enhancing connections with nature, showing that every step counts and encouraging conservation education, CWF is helping ensure a lasting legacy of healthy wildlife and habitat,” Mycio-Mommers said.

For more information, visit CWFEducation.ca.

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