CWF Looks Beyond the Olympics and Leaves a Lasting Legacy for Healthy Wildlife and Habitat in B.C.

February 25, 2010

The Canadian Wildlife Federation is supporting many unique conservation programs in British Columbia to help sustain diverse ecosystems and leave a lasting legacy of healthy wildlife and habitat in the Olympic region and beyond.

 “The Olympics have drawn a lot of attention to environmental issues such as climate change,” says Wade Luzny, Executive Vice-President of CWF. “By partnering with local organizations in B.C. and other provinces, CWF is helping to protect our wild species and spaces and encouraging public participation in critical conservation efforts aimed at education, mitigation and adaptation.”

In 2009 and 2010, CWF funded many conservation programs and associations in B.C. including:

• The Salt Spring Island Conservancy: There are more than 45 known species at risk on Salt Spring Island and with its $4,000 sponsorship, CWF is helping conserve and protect habitats of these plants and wildlife. Through Stewards in Training students are connected with nature in this Coastal Douglas Fir biogeoclimatic zone ­- the rarest ecosystem in the province.

• The Galiano Conservancy Association: CWF provided $4,000 towards hands on environmental education programs for schools or groups based in the Vancouver and Victoria regions. Several dozen native species on Galiano are at risk, and the island is a perfect venue for hands-on environmental education with a focus on ecological health and restoration.

• TEDx Whistler: CWF was a sponsor of this conference on Tourism’s Place in a Sustainable World.  Hosted by the Whistler Centre for Sustainability on Feb. 18, during the Olympic games, the event featured thought-provoking presentations by leaders in tourism and sustainability. The conference engaged 100 guests and an online global audience through micro-blogging and live streaming. By contributing $5,000 to the initiative, CWF advanced the conference goal:  that the tourism sector positively contributes to the challenges of climate change, poverty and peace.

• Whistler Blackcomb: By providing $7,500 for new signage on the official alpine skiing venue for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, CWF will help educate tourists about the conservation of coastal tailed frogs and whitebark pine as well as the relationship between climate change and forest fires. The signs will be installed in the spring. Arthur DeJong, Whistler Blackcomb’s Mountain Planning and Environmental Resource Manager, thanked CWF for its support:  “We are privileged to be partnered with CWF in inspiring conservation through education," he said.

• The Vancouver Aquarium:  By providing $8,000 in funding, CWF is helping assure populations of B.C.’s northern leopard frog, an endangered species. CWF continues to fund many zoos and aquariums across Canada for conservation research and education programs for species at risk.

• The B.C. Wildlife Federation (BCWF): By providing a total of $30,000 for the 2009 and 2010 BCWF Wetlandkeepers Workshops in the Sea to Sky region, CWF is encouraging public participation in the protection of habitat between Vancouver and Whistler. Visit bcwf.bc.ca for more information on wetland restoration, rehabilitation and conservation courses this spring and summer.

• CWF developed new public service announcements and webisodes featuring footage from the BCWF’s Introduction to Wetlandkeepers Course held in Whistler in August of 2009. The videos are now posted on CWF’s You Tube Channel.  Part of CWF’s Rivers to Oceans education program, the video series features a 30 second PSA as well as a 60 second PSA. There are also five and seven minute webisodes, which can be used as teaching resources.

“Wetlands play an important role in sustaining biodiversity in our world,” said Wade Luzny, Executive Vice-President of CWF. “These ecosystems are critical for the survival of wildlife, water purification and reducing carbon in the atmosphere. CWF is pleased to support the BCWF’s Sea to Sky Wetlandkeepers Workshops as well as many other conservation initiatives in the Olympic region and all across Canada. Our thanks to the many volunteers, supporters and organizations that are working with us to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for Canada’s species and spaces.”

About the Canadian Wildlife Federation:

The Canadian Wildlife Federation is a national non-profit charitable organization dedicated to fostering awareness and appreciation of our natural world. By spreading knowledge of human impacts on the environment, sponsoring research, developing and delivering educational programs, 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

Contacts:

Heather Robison
Media and Community Relations Officer
Canadian Wildlife Federation
heatherr@cwf-fcf.org
306-550-4155

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