1. Biodiversity Education and Conservation
Colloquium, 2006
April 12-14th, Vancouver, British Columbia
Registration extended until April 3rd!
Time to come out of winter hibernation and get re-energised by exchanging experiences and
ideas for engaging the public in conservation with colleagues from across Canada!
Our keynote speakers, Drs. David Galbraith, Sally Aitken and Elin Kelsey will provide
insight and inspiration related to plant conservation and biodiversity education. A number of
network representatives will share exciting programmes in conservation and biodiversity education
efforts. Daily discussions will allow opportunities to share experiences and ideas for teaching about
the importance of biological and plant diversity to audiences of all ages.
Don't miss the post-colloquium tour to two fascinating gardens nestled into the coastal forests
of Vancouver Island (
Coastal Forests & Treasured Garden).
More information (invitation)
2. Canada Blooms
Earlier this month, our Biodiversity Travelling Exhibit went "underground" to Canada Blooms:
the Toronto Flower and Garden Show. Each year Canada Blooms temporarily
transforms an enormous basement section of the Toronto Convention Centre into colourful and
creative display and demonstration gardens, a flower show, marketplace and educational exhibits.
During the 5-day exhibition we distributed over 6000 "Plant Conservation Checklists for
Gardeners" (
download a copy), biodiversity activity sheets (
get your own) and general information about plant conservation and education at Canadian botanical gardens.
Many people we spoke with expressed surprise at the number of botanical gardens and
arboreta across the country and were very pleased to hear of our conservation network and
efforts. We also discovered that word-searches are extremely popular, that grandparents are
extremely important vectors for educational activities, and that the smell of hyacinths overpowers anything!
Canada Blooms attracts about 100,000 gardeners and plant enthusiasts mainly from Toronto and the
surrounding area. This year all show proceeds were dedicated to supporting Toronto Botanical Garden's
revitalisation project.
3. A Planet At Risk, Katrina Van Osch-Saxon, Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory
The Niagara Parks Commission exemplifies the preservation of natural habitats in the Niagara region. Through children's
educational programmes like "Frogs For The Future", the Commission shares their dedication to conservation by
educating future generations about the importance of taking care of the environment and its inhabitants.
Amphibians are considered one of nature's greatest indicators of an imbalance in the surrounding habitat.
Canada is home to at least forty-five amphibians, all of which are under great pressures from human development.
Frogs For The Future educates children about local amphibians and teaches them how to monitor the frogs and
toads in the surrounding habitat, to help scientists discover why the numbers of these species are declining.
Looking beyond our border we quickly realize local amphibians are not the only ones in trouble! Many
amphibian species that live in the tropical rainforests of South and Central America are also threatened.
Several species of Poison Dart Frogs live in the canopy and on the floor of the rain forest which are being
destroyed for the lumber and farming industry.
This type of educational programme emphasizes the importance of preserving the natural habitats around
the world and in our own back yard.
4. Biodiversity to gardeners' rescue!
Jean-Pierre Parent, Montreal Botanical Garden
Like most large Canadian cities, Montreal now has a bylaw restricting pesticide use. As a
centre of horticultural expertise, Montreal Botanical Garden actively participates in the
application of these new regulations by researching alternative solutions and by promoting
ecological gardening.
Through our educational programming we promote biodiversity as a preventative means
of controlling pests and disease. We encourage gardeners to use a large variety of plant
families, genera and species in their garden to create a dynamic habitat in which populations
of predators and prey balance each other. For example, more natural landscaping and hedges
composed of several types of bushes are more appropriate than monocultures such as rose gardens
and single-specie hedges.
Montreal Botanical Garden's "Horticultural Information" team has produced several ecological
gardening handouts for the public. We have also developed an educational information booth for
community outreach and take it to different neighbourhoods throughout Montreal.
Horticultural outreach gives us an ideal opportunity to promote our passion for sustainable
development and biodiversity conservation.
5. Native Prairie Nursery Plays Key Role in Restoration Efforts,
Jennifer Lohmeyer, Saskatchewan Watershed Authority
The Regina Plain is a vast area along a northwest to southeast axis between Regina, Moose Jaw
and Weyburn. Less than 0.1 per cent of the 1.1 million acre Regina Plain landscape area remains
as native prairie. It is ideal for annual crop production, and nearly all the area is cultivated.
A few years ago, the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority thought it would be wise to start
collecting some of the seeds and genetic materials of remaining native plants, and preserve them
for restoration efforts. Thus, the Regina Plain Native Prairie Nursery was born. The nursery presently
contains 48 species of forbs, 22 species of grass, three sedges and four woody species, for a total of
77 species all propagated from hand collected wild seed.
To increase awareness of the importance of native grassland environments over the Regina Plain
territory, SWA is working with local schools and community groups to plant patches of native prairie
in schoolyards. Students & community members then become the architects of a restoration project and
get a chance to see what native prairie should look like.
More information link to: www.swa.ca.
6. Saving the Wild: an opportunity to participate in species recovery in Canada,
RENEW-Recovery of Nationally Endangered Wildlife
"Saving the Wild" is a new publication produced by the Canadian Wildlife Service of Environment
Canada as a source of information and inspiration to encourage more Canadians to join us in saving
the wild or in working to conserve landscapes where all species can thrive.
This publication highlights various Canadians from all walks of life who are striving to save wildlife
in Canada. It celebrates their view of a natural world in which all things are precious and connected and
crucial to our well-being, and it celebrates their commitment to doing something about it. The booklet
provides an overview of the need the recovery of species at risk in Canada and the ways in which people
can participate in that process.
In the opening letter from the Canadian Wildlife Directors Committee, Trever Swerdfeger and Hugh
Hunt acknowledge that "in an ideal world, we all would be working to maintain healthy and diverse habitats
and preventing plants and animals from disappearing in the first place, rather than rescuing them from
extinction. But the fact is that species recovery is an essential aspect of biodiversity conservation right now."
More information link to www.specesatrisk.gc.ca.
7. Biodiversity Day 2006: World community urged to protect biodiversity in deserts,
Convention on Biological Diversity
"Protecting Biodiversity in Drylands" has been declared as this year's theme for International
Day for Biological Diversity, May 22nd.
Dryland ecosystems are very fragile. They make up 47% of the land surface of the Earth and
include semi arid lands such as the Karoo and the Horn of Africa, savannah landscapes such as the
Eurasian steppes, and the North American Great Plains. Home to a richness of biological diversity,
they are also central to the livelihoods of almost 2 billion people.
Biodiversity in these ecosystems is under threat from a variety of human activities. Poverty has
forced people dependent on natural resources to overexploit already marginal lands in order to sustain
their livelihoods. This has led to desertification and drought, the endangerment of 2,311 species, the loss
of agricultural production and the rise of social, economic, and political tensions.
On May 22nd, help promote awareness of conservation issues and efforts in dry and semi-arid lands.
For more information and activity suggestions visit the website
8. Botanical Gardens & Climate Change,
Sarah Dixon, BGCI
BGCI is calling for abstracts to present papers, posters
We are seeing more and more press attention over the increasing appearance of climate
change. Botanical gardens are in a unique position to help the world adapt to changing climatic
conditions, with expertise in propagation, horticulture, and plant conservation.
As climate changes, entire ecological systems could come under threat – and plants are
often not able to move rapidly in response to fast change. It will be essential that ecosystems
and their constituent biological organisms can adapt and survive in the changed environment in
order to continue to exist.
Human intervention could be crucial in facilitating adaptation and evolution. Living organisms
kept in protected environments can be used to create new ecosystems and help existing ecologies
to adapt to change in the environment. Gardens have an absolutely crucial role to play in saving
plant diversity - a kind of Diversity Savings Bank. By being the world's guardians of living plant
material, gardens could actually be the key to the future of life on earth!
BGCI is taking part in a workshop on climate change and botanic gardens this spring. You
can expect to see consultation and reporting on this key topic over the coming year – stay tuned!
Full article: www.bgci.org/cultivate/hot_topics
|