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

Volume 3, Issue 2
March 2006
bulletin français

In this issue :

1.

Biodiversity Education and Conservation Colloquium, 2006

2.

Canada Blooms

3.

A Planet at Risk

4.

Montreal without Pesticides

5.

Native Prairie Nursery Plays Key Role in Restoration Efforts

6.

Saving the Wild

7.

Biodiversity Day 2006

8.

Botanical Gardens & Climate Change

Thank you to our Canada Blooms volunteers!

Sincere appreciation to all of our volunteers that lent a helping hand at Canada Blooms!

Helen Bilechuk, Bonnie Collins, Zofia Dunin-Borkowska, David Galbraith, Tiffany Harvey, Joanna Kowalczyk, Marion Little, Debbie McCallum, Ann & Bob McIvor, Barbara McKean, Scott Morrison, Kate Oxley, Robert Ritchie, Elly Smith, Cristina Sufrim, and Brenda Windebank.

 

On-line Resource: "Learning for a sustainable future"
www.lsf-lst.ca

Learning for a Sustainable Future is a bilingual Canadian nonprofit organization working with educators from across Canada to integrate the concepts and principles of sustainable development into Canada's education system.

LSF provides support for developing the knowledge, skills and values needed to contribute to the development of a socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable society.

They work with educators, students, parents, government, community and business to integrate the concepts and principles of sustainable development into education policy, school curricula, teacher education and lifelong learning across Canada.

Resources include:

  • On-line activities
  • Classroom activities
  • Professional Development Workshops
  • Background information on "Understanding Sustainability"
  • E-newsletter for press releases and information about events

 

A New Website for BGCI,
Sarah Dixon, BGCI

Visit the now richer and more dynamic www.bgci.org and find out everything you want to know about botanic gardens and plant conservation!

Our website has been upgraded to incorporate a range of new features and content, including:

  • Improved Garden Pages Editing - login and update your garden's pages, add pictures and an introduction and tell us about your activities;
  • Improved Site, Garden and Plant Searches - we've improved our search engines so it's easier to find the content you are looking for;
  • Journal Archives - we are indexing back issues of BGJournal, Roots and our email bulletin Cultivate in a year-by-year archive of journals;
  • Improved Language Support - we have more features in more languages;
  • Improved Accessibility - the site will work in more browsers and a text-only version of the site is made available through Loband;
  • Dynamic Content - instant updates throughout the site with the latest information and news;

and much more. All our key resources are still available for download and we are continually developing and improving the site. We always welcome your feedback.

 

Upcoming educational events:

(Events are posted in the language(s) in which they are presented):

May 2nd-6th , 2006/ du 2 au 6 mai 2006
To Be or Not to Be: Canadian Museums Association Conference
« Être ou ne pas être » : Congrès de l’association des musées canadiens
www.museums.ca
Saint John, N.B

June 28-July 1, 2006
Sustainability: Walking the Talk: American Public Gardens Association Conference
www.aabga.org
San Francisco, California, U.S.A

July 27-29, 2006
"Cultivating a Sense of Place: A Youth Gardening Adventure": National Youth Gardening Symposium
The American Horticultural Society & Missouri Botanical Garden
Web Link

September 10-14th, 2006
"The Nature of Success, Success for Nature": Education in Botanic Gardens,
BGCI's 6th International Congress, Oxford, U.K.
www.bgci.org/educationcongress

October 19-22, 2005/ du 19 au 2 octobre, 2006
Salt of the Earth: Creating a Culture of Environmental Respect and Sustainability (EECOM/IC/NSEN Annual Conference)
« Le sel de la Terre: Vers une culture axée sur le respect et la durabilité de l’environnement » (Congrès de l’EECOM/IC/NSEN)
www.eecom.org
White Point, Nova Scotia/ Nouvelle Écosse

More botanical & environmental education events/conferences www.bgci.org/canda/edu_events

Plant conservation events/ conferences
www.rbg.ca/cbcn/en/news/coming

 

Subscription information:

If you would like to subscribe, have any questions or if would like to contribute a news item,
please contact Laurel McIvor, newsletter editor and writer (unless otherwise indicated):

laurel.mcivor@bgci.org,
514-872-5420.

 

Acknowledgements:

We would like thank the following for their contributions and support:

Translation: Catherine Gouillard
Design & Layout: Cheryl Fraser
Sponsors: HSBC Holdings plc
Partners: Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Canadian Botanical Conservation Network, and Montreal Botanical Garden

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Jardin Botanique de Montréal
4101, Sherbrooke St. E., C-318
Montréal, Québec, H1X 2B2

www.bgci.org/canada