Celebrate National Wildlife Week by helping the Canadian Wildlife Federation Walk across Canada!

By Louise Hanlon
April 9, 2010

You probably know that getting outside and connecting with nature has many positive health benefits—in addition to being an enjoyable way to pass the time. And you also probably know that kids don’t play outside the way they used to. Marathon sessions of kick the can and hide and seek have been replaced by hours in front of televisions and game consoles.

Long before the term “nature-deficit disorder” was coined, the Canadian Wildlife Federation recognized the need to celebrate Canada’s species and spaces. National Wildlife Week, a flagship program of CWF, was proclaimed by an act of parliament in 1947. Its primary purpose is to connect Canadians with nature and pay homage to our country’s natural heritage and contribute to its conservation through awareness and education programs nationwide.

This year during National Wildlife Week, CWF is urging Canadians from coast to coast to get outside and go for a walk. It’s as simple as that—where you walk, or how far, is up to you. But no matter if that walk is one kilometre long or 100, log that walk at NationalWildlifeWeek.com. You can log as many walks as you like. As the tally grows, native Canadian species will move across the map. With your help, we hope to make it across the country.

“We want Canadians to celebrate National Wildlife Week by doing what comes naturally, having fun outdoors,” says CWF Executive Vice-President Wade Luzny. “The benefits are innumerable. I urge everyone to go for a walk, dig in the dirt and celebrate nature. You’ll become healthier, happier and more connected to the world around you.”

While at NationalWildlifeWeek.com, you can visit our blog, send us a photo or link to our Facebook pages and Twitter posts.

Health Canada estimates that Canadians spend close to 90 per cent of their time indoors. Indoor air can be 10 times more polluted than outdoor air. You can improve lung function and your overall health simply by going outside. Find the cleanest air by looking for the trees—they are the best air purifiers around. If you live in an urban area, go to parks where there are lots of trees—you'll notice the improved purity of the air. Create clean air indoors by getting rid of pollutants like aerosol sprays, paints, incense and chemical products, and try growing indoor plants to filter your air.

The United Nations declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity. The term biodiversity refers to the important connections among all living organisms, species and ecosystems. What better time than now to get out and connect with Canada’s great outdoors? By making this connection with nature, you will be supporting CWF and its mission to celebrate what we are so lucky to have an abundance of here in Canada—vast spaces and wildlife to learn about and enjoy.

“Almost half our country is pure wilderness. We are home to 25 per cent of the world’s boreal and too many lakes and rivers to count—and much of it within driving distance of major cities,” says Luzny. “No matter where you live, there are trails waiting to be discovered and a songbird waiting to be heard.”

National Wildlife Week isn’t going to change the world or slow the pace of video game obsessions, but it does provide an opportunity to introduce a little balance—something most of us strive for day to day.