Nature Canada

Get youth involved with nature through Youth Conservation Stamp

Image Courtesy of Wildlife Habitat Canada

Wildlife Habitat Canada (WHC) has issued the first ever Youth Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stamp to promote nature stewardship among youth. This self-adhesive commemorative stamp sized sticker, as opposed to a postage stamp, can be displayed on various surfaces such as iPods, computers, binders, or bookmarks to make a highly visual public statement of support for wildlife and biodiversity conservation in Canada.

Proceeds from the sale of the stamp, which retails for $5 will go towards establishing a grant dedicated to youth-driven wildlife conservation projects. Projects eligible for funding include cleaning up vacant lots or schoolyards, planting native vegetation and tree planting.

The 2010 Youth Conservation Stamp depicts the pastel artwork of 14-year-old British Columbia resident Ivy Liu, a winner of the Robert Bateman Get to Know contest. The stamp portrays a Black Bear (Ursus americanus) and a Kermode Bear (Ursus americanus kermodei), also referred to as the “Spirit Bear.”

Here are the young artist’s thoughts on her art piece entitled The Beauty of Nature:

The moment I heard about the Get to Know program, I was more than excited. At first I had many ideas in mind, but after some research, the spirit bear and the black bear really stood out to me. The inspiration really came from an interesting fact about these bears. It really got me interested when I learned that the spirit bear is actually a black bear that has white fur due to a rare genetic trait. This is when I decided to paint the spirit bear and the black bear to show not only diversity among species but also diversity within species. When I was creating this piece of art, I imagined an environment that was harmless to the bears, a place where these animals can live in harmony; this is why bright yellow was added, to show warmth and protection. Other than painting I also enjoy traveling with my family, as well as exploring nature. In the future I hope to help conserve wildlife habitat even more. –Ivy Liu

The Robert Bateman Get to Know Contest is a nationwide competition that encourages young people to submit artwork, photography and written work to celebrate the natural world. The Contest is sponsored by Nature Canada (premier sponsor), Wildlife Habitat Canada and Parks Canada. Since the Contest was launched in 2000 to inspire Canadian youth to get outdoors and connect with nature, it has grown into Canada’s largest nature arts contest for youth.

The purchase and promotion of the Canadian Youth Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stamp not only helps youth get connected with nature and fully understand and appreciate its beauty and benefits, but it also helps to ensure that this exquisite resource is preserved for generations to come. You can purchase the stamp from Wildlife Habitat Canada by visiting their website.

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