Bird Studies Canada, Nature Canada and the Gosling Foundation announce new Local Action Fund to advance conservation of birds and their natural habitats
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ottawa, ON (February 3, 2017)―Bird Studies Canada, Nature Canada and the Gosling Foundation are announcing the launch of a new Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) Local Action Fund today that provides local organizations with grants to engage more people in protecting IBAs. The Fund will help to coordinate local actions to help protect, restore or enhance biodiversity and ecosystem integrity within threatened IBAs.
“Nature Canada is very excited to be partnering with Bird Studies Canada and the Gosling Foundation to help local communities engage in nature conservation,” says Eleanor Fast, Executive Director of Nature Canada. “This new Fund will make a difference in helping to protect birds and their habitats across the country.”
“This partnership is an excellent example of the importance of working together collaboratively to ensure that our birds survive and thrive,” says Steven Price, President of Bird Studies Canada. “Through the generous support from the Gosling Foundation together we will be able to mitigate threats and enhance the protection of Canada’s most important areas for birds.”
BACKGROUND
As Canadian co-partners in BirdLife International, Nature Canada and Bird Studies Canada have delivered the IBA program in Canada for 20 years. IBAs are sites that support specific groups of birds and range in size from very tiny patches of habitat to large tracts of land or water. They are identified using criteria that are internationally agreed upon, standardized, quantitative, and scientifically defensible. This makes IBAs an important tool for identifying conservation priorities, and fostering greater success in the conservation of bird populations.
To arrange a Nature Canada interview, please contact:
Janet Weichel McKenzie, Nature Canada Media Specialist
613-808-4642 jweichelmckenze@gmail.com
To arrange a Bird Studies Canada interview, please contact:
Elaine Secord, Communications & Public Affairs Manager
519-586-3531 ext. 111 Cell: 519-586-7251
