Nature Canada

International Day for Biological Diversity

Today is the International Day for Biological Diversity and there are many celebrations taking place around the world. This year’s theme, “Biodiversity for Development and Poverty Alleviation”, was chosen during the International Year of Biodiversity to step up efforts in raising awareness on poverty and bring about action to alleviate it.

The theme also makes obvious the link between biodiversity loss and poverty; we all depend on biodiversity for our well-being one way or another, but many poor communities directly depend on biodiversity for their daily sustenance. Should we fail to address the issue of biodiversity loss more seriously, these communities, as well as many vulnerable countries, will be the ones most affected by our shortcomings.

BirdLife International, of which Nature Canada is the Canadian co-partner with Bird Studies Canada, has taken this opportunity to showcase a series of projects from the BirdLife Partnership’s work around the world that are aimed to improve livelihoods while conserving biodiversity.

“It is within the reach of this generation, not the last one, not the next one, to turn the tide of the massive and growing ecological crisis that is worsening poverty for millions of people and threatens all life on Earth”
— Dr. Marco Lambertini, BirdLife International’s Chief Executive

Another great quote that reinforces Dr. Lambertini’s with respect to this generation’s responsibility is that by Zig Ziglar:

“Our children are our only hope for the future, but we are their only hope for their present and their future”

We would also like to share with you three great cartoon drawings by Rory McCann, a young artist who has developed a strong appreciation for nature, in celebration of the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB).




Cartoons by Rory McCann

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