Nature Canada would like to thank all those who signed our letter asking the Canadian government to take action to conserve Canada’s biodiversity during the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB). The petition letter, having 1,840 signatures, has been sent to PM Stephen Harper, Environment Minister John Baird and the environment critics from each of the opposition parties, urging them to take the following five actions:

• Protect at least 50 per cent of Canada’s Boreal Forest;
• Protect Canada’s endangered wildlife by effectively implementing the Species at Risk Act;
• Save one of Canada’s greatest grasslands treasures and the wildlife that live there. Close the
door on further industrial development within Alberta’s Suffield National Wildlife Area;
• Declare a moratorium on new tar sands expansion until environmental and human health
issues have been fully addressed; and
• Commit to environmentally sustainable development in Canada’s North. Demand that the Mackenzie Gas Project proceed only if it does not negatively impact the region’s people and wildlife.

If you would like to celebrate the IYB, here are five things you can do:

• Do your part to use nature’s resources wisely and conserve energy at home and work.
• Support native birds and butterflies by planting gardens and placing feeders around your home.
• Learn ten new things about nature in your region, and share what you know with ten other people.
• Read at least one book or watch one movie this year about biodiversity, nature, or the environment.
• Participate in at least one outdoor expedition, such as a bird watching trip, to connect with nature.

Once again, thank you all for your efforts and continuous support.

In 2010, we remember that biodiversity is life. Biodiversity is our life.