2011 International Day for Biodiversity Events

May 22nd is International Day for Biodiversity (IDB).

The RCEN has selected thirteen lead environmental NGOs from across Canada to carry outreach and education activities IDB 2011. This year’s theme is Biodiversity and Forests and coincides with the UN declared 2011 International Year of Forests.

Click on your province or territory to see what's happening near you!

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South East Alberta Watershed Alliance

May 22 - Medicine Hat, Alberta

Want to explore your watershed this summer? On May 22, International Day of Biodiversity, join Park Interpreters on guided hikes at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park to learn more about the unique forests in this “oasis on the prairies.” Later in the evening, enjoy an outdoor lecture on the value of forest ecosystems and the rare plants and animals found throughout Cypress Hills. Or if you prefer streamside forests – join the naturalists at Police Point Park Nature Centre right in the heart of Medicine Hat. Stop at the Field House to pick up a “Forest Scavenger Hunt” kit and then set off to explore riverside forests on your own. Hunt for plants, birds and wildlife while you learn how the river shapes the forest, and how this unique habitat is vital for a wide variety of birds and animals.

For more information contact Maggie at Maggie@seawa.ca.

Pacific Streamkeepers Federation

May 22 - North Vancouver, British Columbia

The Pacific Streamkeepers Federation has teamed up with a wide variety of partners in North Vancouver to participate in International Biodiversity Day. The theme of Biodiversity and Forests is particularly timely. While issues such as the pine beetle have brought to light the dependency we have on our forests it is the urban forest we will be focusing on. We have been taking part in a multitude of Official Community Planning sessions of late and something that has become very apparent is the value we place on our urban forests and our reliance on them for human recreation, animal recreating, aesthetics, water absorption and the retention of species. We are planning for fun outdoor hands on involvement to showcase the urban forest and how each of us can help protect these pockets of paradise and explore who else we share the space with. Come on out to explore with us!

For more information contact ZoAnn at ZoAnn@PSkF.ca.

Living Prairie Museum

May 22 - Winnipeg, Manitoba

Living Prairie Museum is partnering with Winnipeg schools to plant pockets of butterfly gardens around Winnipeg. Each garden will have no less then ten indigenous tall grass prairie plant species. The gardens will contain both nectar-rich plants for adult butterflies and plant species preferred by caterpillars. The participating classrooms will learn about the importance of habitat conservation and biodiversity. In addition, Living Prairie Museum will be hosting a prairie plant sale on Biodiversity Day for local gardeners to add some native prairie plants to their yards.

For more information contact Living Prairie Museum at prairie@winnipeg.ca.

Conservation Council of New Brunswick

May 29 - Fredericton, New Brunswick

A family day in Odell Park, Fredericton will take place on May 29th. Odell Park is one of New Brunswick's best examples of old growth Acadian forest. The event will be a fun and educational opportunity to learn about tree age and diversity, and animals and plants that live in the Acadian forest and the ecological processes that sustain it. A video that describes the unique character and biodiversity of the Acadian forest will be created and posted to the CCNB Action TV youtube channel as a learning tool about our Acadian forest and its rich biodiversity.

For more information contact Tracy at forest@ccnbaction.ca

Nature Conservancy of Canada

May 27-29 - Codroy Valley Bird-a-thon; Upper Ferry, Newfoundland

Spend 24 hours birding in the Codroy Valley, one of the most productive of Newfoundland’s few estuarine wetland sites. The Codroy Valley is the only Ramsar site in the province and is a recognized Important Bird Area for migratory birds, including shorebirds and ducks, and is a site where raptors are commonly found. This will be the fourth year the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has sponsored this event, where volunteers record all the birds they see on 19 NCC properties in a 24 hour period.

Join us at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 27th to Sunday, May 29th. Be sure to dress for the weather and be prepared to walk long distances. NCC will provide your lunch and supper on May 28th. Please bring your own breakfast for the next morning. Cabin rentals are available - please contact the region coordinator for reservations and more information about the accommodations. For the event, please bring a notebook, a pencil and binoculars. If you have a scope and/or field guides (bird and plant), please bring those as well.

June 4-5 - Birding Workshop and Field Trip; Stephenville Crossing, Newfoundland
If you want to learn more about the birds in your local area, then this event is for you! A morning workshop, led by an expert birder, will help you to learn about the various species which occur in the area and how to identify them. Then you can put those skills to use and help the Nature Conservancy of Canada survey beautiful Sandy Point, an island with sand dunes and salt marshes which supports a wide variety of birds, including the endangered Piping Plover.

Join us at 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Please dress for the weather and be prepared for a walk along rough terrain (hiking boots required) as well as a boat ride. Lunch, snacks and water will be provided. Please bring your own birding equipment. The event will go ahead rain or shine, unless weather conditions prevent the boat from getting to Sandy Point.

For more information contact Randal at randal.greene@natureconservancy.ca

Nova Scotia Nature Trust

May 22 - Halifax, Nova Scotia

Blue Nose Marathon

Have fun and help protect forests, water, and other natural areas in Nova Scotia – and the species that live in these areas – by participating in the Nova Scotia Nature Trust team in any of the races at the Blue Nose Marathon and raise funds for the cause. At the races, receive free passes from our Nature Trust “Species at Risk” to the June 2 grand opening of the Museum of Natural History’s Netukulimk forest exhibit, and come learn about the relationship among species in forests and the importance of biodiversity in forests, as well as what you can do to help protect Nova Scotia’s natural areas.

Visit http://nsnt.ca/newsevents/ for more information. See you there!

CPAWS – NWT Chapter

May 22 - Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – NWT Chapter will hold an outdoor community event May 22nd (12:00pm – 4:00pm) to celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity. The event will include readings and short presentations from local biologists and informative displays on northern biodiversity and forest ecology. Conservation initiatives as a means to protect biodiversity will be promoted, including the proposed Thaidene Nene National Park Reserve. Join us with friends and family to learn about and promote the important relationship that northerners share with the unique biodiversity existing in the NWT.

For more information contact Kris at kris@cpaws.org

Forest For Life at Georgetown Marketplace

May 22 - Georgetown, Ontario

Our Forest Futures - 2011 is the International Year of Forests and the launch of the decade on Biological Diversity. Throughout 2011 we will be celebrating, educating, informing on the many values of forests and BioDiversity through education, action and outreach to the community. Our goal is to help our community think about and take action to safeguard and restore our BioDiversity and understand the role of forests as a part of our natural infrastructure. We will be celebrating with our community on May 22 by hosting our fourth International Day for Biological Diversity at the Georgetown Marketplace by bringing wild things and forest values to our community.

For more information visit www.powerhalton.ca.
 

Tucker House Renewal Centre

May 23 - Rockland, Ontario

Join Tucker House and Boisé Est in celebrating biodiversity May 23rd (one day after the International Biodiversity Day). Tucker House, located on a beautiful and historic setting of 30 acres in Rockland, is hosting events for the whole family. The day will include brief forest-based biodiversity awareness activities for kids at 10am and 11 am in French and 2pm in English. Adults will be treated to presentations on “Edible Forest Gardens” at 10 am in French and 2pm in English, as well as forest discovery sessions at 10am in English and 2pm in French. Mark it down on your calendar!

For more information visit www.maisontuckerhouse.ca.

Plenty Canada

Several dates, various locations, Ontario

2011 is the International Year of Forests, the beginning of the decade on Biological Diversity and within the UN Second Decade of the World’s Indigenous People. Throughout 2011 Plenty Canada will be sharing information about the contributions of Indigenous traditional knowledge to forest and biodiversity health. We will illuminate the importance of vibrant Indigenous cultures to sustaining life for all.

Through our project Our Traditions Our Future we will educate forest certified private forest owners, public land managers, and other interested Canadians about Indigenous perspectives on stewardship and culture and the potential for shared and improved outcomes for environmental protection including biodiversity. Plenty Canada will celebrate International Day for Biodiversity with a field day at our rural office.

For more information please contact Larry at larry@plentycanada.com.

Bedeque Bay Environmental Management Association

Several dates in May - Kinkora, Prince Edward Island

Join us for BBEMA’s Get To Know BioBlitz, a celebration of Prince Edward Island’s unique wildlife and green spaces. Students from Summerside Elementary School will be partnering with BBEMA staff, local biologists and volunteers to discover the plants and animals around them, by identifying, recording and counting as many species as possible. Youth of all ages alike will get a chance to try their hand at species identification, photography, wildlife sketching, and a nature scavenger hunt. This four hour event will be hosted at the Maple Plains Agro Environmental Demonstration site in Kinkora, PE.

For more information please contact Tracy at staff@bbema.ca

Biodiversity Day Tour of Mont-Royal hosted by CISDL

May 22 - Montreal, QC

Bronwyn Chester, a Montreal-based expert on forest biodiversity who regularly contributes to local media on the subject, will be giving a free 3 hour bilingual tour of Mont-Royal. She will identify and describe the various trees in the park, while discussing their history and context in Quebec (such as whether they are native or imported species), and their characteristics. For more information on trees in Montreal and Ms. Chester’s work, please see http://foretmontreal.blogspot.com/2010/10/island-of-trees-european-buckt....

For more information please contact Alex at alex_liam_kenny@gmail.com.

Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan

May 22 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Join the Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan in celebrating May 22 as International Biodiversity Day. We have many activities planned for people of all ages and abilities and they’re free! On May 21 we will be leading a guided walk through the Saskatoon Natural Grasslands, a piece of fescue prairie existing within the city limits, to demonstrate how we can live with nature and what we can do to enhance and protect our wild places. We also hope to have Premier Brad Wall assist us in a ceremonial planting of needle and thread grass, our Provincial Grass, in celebration of International Biodiversity Day (date TBA). For those unable to make these days, we will also host a tour to Prince Albert National Park on June 4 and 5. Here we will help relocate native plants that would otherwise be destroyed by development, and will also tour the many habitats of the park. 2011 is also the 100th anniversary of Canada’s National Park system, so will have a few activities geared toward this as well. Our final tour will be on June 25, when we will visit Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife area and tour their native plant nursery, recent restoration areas and also recent areas that have had prescribed fires. All of our tours will have a BioBlitz component, where participants will record as many native plants as they can find. We hope you can come and join us for one or all of these events.

Visit http://www.npss.sk.ca/?s=5 for event information.