Nature Conservancy of Canada launches first national conservation volunteer program in Canada

Volunteers work outside to learn about nature and help protect it
TORONTO, April 18 /CNW/ – The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is celebrating Earth Day by launching the Conservation Volunteers program, the only initiative of its kind in the country. Canadians across the nation are invited to sign up for the program and join NCC experts outdoors throughout the year to help care for some of Canada’s most important natural areas.
“Earth Day is a time when people evaluate their personal contributions to the environment” says John Lounds, President and Chief Executive Officer of NCC. “The Conservation Volunteers program is a meaningful and tangible way for nature-lovers to do their part to protect significant wildlife habitats – not just on Earth Day but year-round.”
The Conservation Volunteers program is holding 70 events across the country throughout 2008. People of all ages can participate and no special skills are required. Activities include planting trees, removing invasive plants, conducting bird inventories, and counting butterfly and dragonfly species, to name just a few.

The outings offer a great educational and outdoor experience for budding ecologists, highly skilled naturalists, families, photographers and anyone who loves nature. To see the 2008 events calendar and sign up visit www.conservationvolunteers.ca
“What makes this program so special is that volunteers are not sitting in an office stuffing envelopes or handing out pamphlets at a conference – they’re right there outside, contributing directly to what they believe in,” explains Lisa McLaughlin, Conservation Volunteers Program Manager at NCC. “Volunteers work alongside professional conservationists and get to see the impact of their work first-hand.”
Volunteers play an important role in helping NCC care for its properties. After NCC secures a natural area, it develops a long-term stewardship plan to ensure that the land stays protected and healthy on an ongoing basis. The activities featured in the Conservation Volunteers program help implement this plan.
A pilot version of the program was launched in Ontario in 2002, followed by Alberta in 2006, with great success. The national expansion of NCC’s Conservation Volunteers program is made possible with generous support from the Royal Bank of Canada, whose contribution resulted from an environmental conservation campaign encouraging clients to ‘turn off paper’ and choose electronic record keeping.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada is a national, non-profit conservation organization that works to protect Canada’s natural habitats. Its plan of action is to build partnerships and develop creative conservation solutions with individuals, corporations, community groups, conservation groups and government bodies. Since 1962, NCC and its supporters have helped to protect close to two million acres (809,371 hectares) of ecologically significant land across Canada. For more information visit www.natureconservancy.ca
For further information: Lisa McLaughlin, Program Manager, Conservation Volunteers, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ontario Region, Tel: 1-877-343-3532 ext 229, Email: lisa.mclaughlin@natureconservancy.ca; Sylvie Charland, National Communications, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Toll free: 1-800-465-0029, Direct line: (416) 932-0050 ext 252, Email: sylvie.charland@natureconservancy.ca