Media Kit
Media Kit ROW
Media Kit coming soon
CWF is making the conservation movement mainstream during Rivers to Oceans Week
The world’s oceans, rivers and waterways are responsible for housing more than half of the world’s wildlife and, as of 2008; there was an outstanding 263,000 known marine species. However, we as humans consume more water than any of these animals. Conserving these waters, along with the species that call them home is up to us. We must make the steps to ensure that is safe and clean for current and future generations of both wildlife and people.
Water is everywhere – in the sky, on the ground, in our bodies. It sits frozen in time on mountains, floats across the horizon above the birds, and fills the deepest, darkest crevices of Earth. Water is the foundation of life. All life on this planet started out in the water and most of the planet’s inhabitants still call it home. To destroy it is to hurt not only ourselves but many beautiful creatures on this wonderful, water filled world we all live in. So take charge and take care; show your stewardship during Rivers to Oceans Week and protect our water.
For more information about the Canadian Wildlife Federation or Rivers to Oceans Week please visit cwf-fcf.org.
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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, 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. Visit cwf-fcf.org.
Contact:
Stacey Scott
Communications officer
1-800-563-9453
staceys@cwf-fcf.org
Program materials and poster
Learning Centre
Stewardship education kit
Every year, CWF, along with its partners, produce an educational kit based on the current ROW theme. This year, the kit consists of a teacher’s guide with links to a detailed online lesson plans, a colourful promotional poster and information about CWF’s WILD School program.Water lesson plans
Visit our online Learning Centre to gain access to extensive lessons about all thing water including; surface water, urban runoff, water conservation and sewage.Promotional poster
This inspiring poster is available as part of the stewardship educational kit or separately. Simply contact us to order your complimentary poster today!
ROW website and social networks
Visit our ROW website to get the latest news, event listings and updates. And make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and You Tube.
ROW backgrounder
Oceans Day (held annually on June 8) and Canadian Rivers Day (held annually the second Sunday in June) are celebrated together during Rivers to Oceans Week every June 8 to 14. By creating an understanding of Canada’s watersheds, our connection to fresh and saltwater environments and what we can do to protect them, ROW is making the conservation movement mainstream.
- Oceans Day is celebrated annually on June 8 to raise awareness about the importance of the Earth’s oceans and to inspire us to take better care of them.
- Canadian Rivers Day gives Canadians a chance to honour our rivers and the important role they play at the heart of our history and natural heritage.
About the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s educational programs
More than 100,000 Canadian educators can’t be wrong. They’ve discovered how WILD Education can help them inform the next generation about vital ecological principles, from biodiversity conservation to habitat enhancement to endangered species recovery.
Our ever-growing selection of conservation education programs include Project WILD, Below Zero, Fish Ways, Ocean Education and WILD School. Each program is built on sound pedagogical foundations: a conceptual framework, curriculum links, piloting in Canadian classrooms and scientific scrutiny. Our programs are designed to meet the needs not only of teachers, but also of youth leaders, park naturalists and other conservation educators.
Discover how you can access knowledge that is critical to the healthy future of our natural world through WILD Education programs. Visit WildEducation.org to learn more.
About the Canadian Wildlife Federation
The Canadian Wildlife Federation is a non-profit organization that works with Canadians to make a difference to the kind of legacy we leave behind – not just for wildlife, but also for our children.
CWF represents 300,000 members and supporters that work from coast to coast to maintain something very important: a bright future for Canada’s wildlife. By attaining and spreading knowledge about human impacts on the environment, sponsoring research, promoting sustainable use of natural resources, recommending changes to policy and cooperating with like-minded partners, CWF encourages a future in which Canadians can live in harmony with nature. Visit cwf-fcf.orgfor more information.
ROW fact sheet
• Oceans provide 97.5 per cent of the Earth's water and cover approximately 70 per cent of its surface.
• Eighty per cent of ocean pollution is caused by human activity on land. Marine debris, such as plastic bags, lost fishing gear, six-pack rings, and glass bottles, remain in the environment for years, killing or injuring right whales, leatherback turtles, and numerous other seafarers, that become entangled in the litter or mistake it for food.
• Oceans, including their bottom sediments, are the largest carbon storage areas on the planet. Water helps us fight climate change by storing much of the Earth’s carbon supply in soils, terrestrial plants, undisturbed petroleum deposits and oceans.
• Billions of litres of untreated sewage flows into our waterways. This includes motor oil, solvents, and miscellaneous toxic chemicals; inadequately treated waste water from industries; pesticides sprayed on gardens and crops; nutrients, such as phosphates and nitrates from municipal and agricultural sources; and human waste, which often contains pharmaceuticals,. Marine pollution affects estuaries and coastal waters, areas critical to migratory species.
• Water is good for our health in more ways that one. Anti-leukemia drugs have been developed from sea sponges, bone-graft materials have been made from coral, and anti-infection agents have also originated from the sea. Kelp, for example is an anti-oxidant, and the algin from kelp is used to make ice cream, drinks, medicines, paper, cosmetics, ceramics, paint and other substances.
• All water is essentially reused and the Earth’s water is in constant motion through the hydrological cycle. Since time began, the same amount of water has splashed around in an everlasting circle. It begins when the sun's heat changes water to vapour (evaporation). Plants also give off vapour through their leaves. Then, when the vapour cools, it falls to Earth as rain, snow or sleet. The oceans play a huge part in this cycle: each year, about 330,000 cubic kilometres of water evaporate from oceans! (The salt stays behind, by the way).
• Rain, snow and fog can become acidic when they pick up chemicals from the surrounding air. Few underwater species can survive continued immersion in an acidified lake. When a lake is fed too many nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous (found in fertilizers, sewage and soaps), an explosion of plant growth occurs. These plants eventually die and, as they decompose, they use up the oxygen and warm up the water. Fish that require lots of oxygen (lake trout, for example) can no longer survive.
• Nature-based tourism is estimated to contribute $12 billion per year to Canada’s economy. One-third of Canadians enjoy water-based activities like swimming, boating, canoeing, fishing, kayaking and camping.
• There are more than 900 dams that are 10 metres or more in height throughout Canada. These obstacles prevent fish and other aquatic species from traveling to essential feeding and spawning grounds. They often result in unnaturally low water levels that can leave some species (or their eggs) high and dry.
• Water temperature is one of the key characteristics that determines “who” can live “where” in rivers and oceans. As the climate gets warmer, water also warms up. In freshwater systems this can mean greater evaporation, lower water levels, and less available oxygen. (
• The effects of oil spills on wildlife are splashed across the headlines on a far too regular basis and the risks of a spill increase as we extend our search for crude oil into underwater habitats. Every year, more than 300,000 birds are killed by oil off the south coast of the island of Newfoundland alone.
• Cod has been continuously fished on the Grand Banks by many nations and in great numbers since the 1400s but due to overharvesting and a rapid population collapse, fishing for cod within Canada’s waters was closed in 1995. When we harvest more fish, shellfish or plants than nature can replace, the population crashes. The tragic tale of the Atlantic cod is a sad example of the dangers of overharvesting.
• Some ocean-going trawlers drag their nets along the ocean bottom, killing most of the fish and mollusks in their paths, destroying reefs, and stirring up mud that clogs the gills of other species in the area. While these fishers may be seeking only a few species, many other underwater creatures fall as casualties to their destructive methods.
• Humans sometimes bring new aquatic species to an area on purpose or through carelessness. If these newcomers take hold, they often replace native species. Zebra mussels, originally from Russia, are a well-known freshwater example. Since they were first found in Lake St. Clair in 1986, they have rapidly spread to all the Great Lakes and beyond. They filter about one litre of water per day, removing the phytoplankton that drives the entire food web. There are now enough zebra mussels in Lake Erie to filter the entire volume of the lake once a week and to deprive other species of a share in the food supply.
• When freshwater or ocean shorelines are disturbed, soil is added to the water. Think about trying to breath in a dust storm. That’s what underwater creatures go through in muddy waters.
More information
If you would like to learn more about ROW or CWF programs, contact us by email, phone, fax or mail at:
The Canadian Wildlife Federation
350 Michael Cowpland Drive
Kanata ON
K2M 2W1
Telephone: 1-800-563-9453
Fax: 613-599-4428
Email: info@cwf-fcf.org
Website: cwf-fcf.org
For media inquiries contact:
Stacey Scott
Communications Officer, Canadian Wildlife Federation
613-599-9594
staceys@cwf-fcf.org
Louise Hanlon
Manager, Communications, Canadian Wildlife Federation
613-599-9594
louiseh@cwf-fcf.org