Freedom of Every Sort

So today I had the absolute pleasure and privilege of attending Free the Children's WE DAY in Toronto at the Air Canada Center. In a stadium of 16,000 youth leaders I got to experience amazing music, inspirational speakers, and more importantly the feeling of YES WE CAN DO IT.

Scott Hamel, magician extraordinar, demonstrated the steps of how to get out of a straight jacket, and although it seems irrelevant to everything, he made it make complete sense. Getting out of a straight jacket may seem like an absolutely impossible task, but with determination, step by step, it is possible! And just like anything else, with determination and taking it a step at a time, the impossible is quite possible. So, although the world is big, and the problems that face it seem even bigger, WE have the power to change it. Whether it be building a school in South Africa, or planting trees in Indonesia, we have the power to save the world.

One particular moment that brought tears to my eyes was when Betty Williams announced the Children's Declaration, demanding children be heard in the U.N. This is so similar to how the International Youth Accord is written by youth, for the future of our planet, FOR OUR FUTURE. Youth aren't the leaders of tomorrow, we are the leaders of TODAY. And despite the mass of the problems, the heart shattering loss of biodiversity, and the sickening destruction, WE WILL STOP IT. 


You could text and get your message displayed on the big screen, and among the "I <3 Justin Bieber" (who wasn't there btw.)  and "Be the Change" proudly got my message displayed:

   "Biodiversitymatters.org. Stand up and Speak Out. 

Sign the International Youth Accord on Biodiversity."

A problem has many parts, and social injustice, environmental injustice, all injustice is co related, you can't fix one, without fixing the other. So what I have learnt today. EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM. Whether it be freedom from slavery, climate change, poverty, hunger, whatever it may be, we all thirst for FREEDOM AND PEACE. 

We are going to save the world, take our hands and join us. We are the generation that will save the world, from "me to we", we will do it. No one else will.

Happy Thoughts,

Jessica Tarka

Second Annual Great Lake Erie Boat Float- Ohio, USA

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo teen volunteers along with many other local groups in Cleveland, Ohio took part in the Second Annual Great Lake Erie Boat Float on September 11, 2010. The groups made boats out of post-consumer plastic recyclable materials that they found floating on Lake Erie to help raise awareness about the impact that plastic has on the environment.  But you don’t need to go out in the ocean to see the effect that plastic has on the environment just travel down to your local beach and you will be sure to see a whole out of “trash”.
 

However there are many ways to help….

-use reusable bags!

-Recycle !

-Pick up your trash after visiting the beach

-participate in a local beach clean up

-spread the word!!!!

YOUTH LEADER SERIES

Dayna Noltie

Dayna first became involved in biodiversity work in 2007 when she attended an E-POWER (Protect Our Water and Environmental Resources) Conference on Climate Change with a group of students from Christ the King Catholic Secondary School.  This inspired them to start their school’s environmental group Club Green.  She was vice president during the first two years, and president during its third year.  During this time she also joined the steering committee of POWER’s conference planning board, and helped put on another conference about climate change, and a third about biodiversity.   

The conference about biodiversity qualified her to attend the Second International Youth Symposium on Biodiversity held in Ottawa during 2009.  Here she networked with global youth and helped produce a Youth Accord on Biodiversity, to be presented in Nagoya, Japan in October 2010 as a part of the Convention on Biological Diversity COP-10.  She is currently working to establish consistent international youth participation at the CBD.  In preparation for the meeting, she is learning as much as she can about Access to and Benefit Sharing of Genetic Materials, and has a particular interest in the ties this has with indigenous peoples.  As a part of her learning about this, she attended the Resumed Ninth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-Ended Working Group on Access and Benefit Sharing, Freshwater Summit 2010 and the UNESCO international conference on Cultural and Biological Diversity.

She also recently attended the Commission on Sustainable Development, held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York during May 2010.  Here she joined the CSD Youth Caucus, and she is now working with them to produce their position paper, coordinating the Mining section.

She is currently the Youth representative on the Canadian Environmental Network’s  National Council.

Dayna attends the University of Western Ontario, and is working towards an Honours Specialization in Health Sciences with a Major in Physiology.  She is currently volunteering with Protect Our Water and Environmental Resources.

(Image above: Jessica Walsh-Moreau, Dayna Noltie, Keegan Fitzgibbons)

Macoun Marsh Update (Ottawa, Canada)

Our Macoun Marsh team found two healthy populations of gartersnakes and blue-spotted salamanders.  It is particularily easy to find these herps after a few days of rain. 



DAVID SUZUKI EVENT IN OTTAWA, CANADA

We were pleased to present our Youth Accord to environmentalist David Suzuki tonight.  Just before Dr. Suzuki spoke to his audience, two of our team had the opportunity to speak about the history of the Youth Symposium and the Youth Accord to over 1000 people!  We also collected about 60 signatures supporting the Youth Accord.

Quelle expérience fascinante!

L’été dernier, j’ai eu la chance d’aller observer des baleines au large des côtes de la Nouvelle-Écosse. Quelle expérience fascinante!  Nous avons vu plus de baleines à bosse qu’à l’habitude, environ 14, et ça c’est pas mal de baleines si on considère que la baleine à bosse moyenne mesure environ 13 mètres de long.  Pendant la période de l’été, les baleines à bosse et leurs cousins se retrouvent dans les eaux du nord pour se nourrir, pour ensuite reprendre le chemin vers le sud pour la période de l’hiver.  En fait, il s’agit de baleines à fanons, c’est-à-dire que, à la place d’avoir des dents, ils ont des fanons qui sont constitués de protéine de kératine (ce dont nos cheveux sont formés) pour se nourrir.  Essentiellement, la baleine ouvre la bouche, prend une grosse quantité d’eau et ferme la bouche.  Ensuite, elle filtre l’eau et la laisse ressortir entre ses fanons en ne retenant que le minuscule krill, que la baleine avale. Saviez-vous que lorsque la baleine lève la queue, cela annonce souvent qu’elle s’apprête à plonger? Les baleines à bosse sont véritablement des créatures étonnantes.  Si jamais vous avez la chance d’aller en croisière pour observer des baleines, croyez-moi, ne manquez pas ça!

Anastasia (Ottawa, CANADA)

ItsOneHumanity (IOH)

Elliott Verreault here from ItsOneHumanity (IOH), a youth-run NGO engaged in global civil advocacy. We are currently working on a Global Visual Petition Project for Climate Justice at UNFCCC in a lead up to COP16, Mexico. Our visual petition is now online at http://www.itsonehumanity.org/ with its manifesto translated in 54 languages:

Manifesto: “ In the name of this one great family to which I belong, Humanity, I demand that world leaders come together at the UNFCCC conferences and successfully achieve, without further delay, an ambitious, fair and legally-binding global climate deal in order to ensure a sustainable future for us all. ”

Our next chance at securing a global climate deal will be COP16, which is to take place in December 2010 in Cancun, Mexico.

This time, ItsOneHumanity aims to send a resounding message to the world leaders who will participate in the negotiations of COP16. 

We want to raise voices of world citizens in order to remind world leaders that we are all in this together... that there is only one planet and only one humanity. We want them to approach the negotiation table thinking not “what I am going to lose in this, how should I protect my national interests?” but rather “how can I cooperate and fulfill my global responsibilities as a nation state?”

WEBSITE:

http://www.ItsOneHumanity.org/

VIDEO:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLsN5QPKjaE

FACEBOOK:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/ItsOneHumanityorg/108393479191762?ref=ts

TWITTER:

http://twitter.com/ItsOneHumanity

Can you Guess What This is???

Can you guess what this is a picture of??? This is a picture of palm tree roots! I thought it would make a great picture and I was right!

They are really interesting roots!

Mr. Panamá

FROM THE BIODIVERSITY SKETCH BOOK

This week it was announced that two frogs and a salamander that were previously believed to be extinct have been found alive in the wild.  The species include the cave splayfoot salamander of Hidalgo province, Mexico, the Nimba reed frog of the Ivory Coast, and the Omaniundu reed frog of the Democratic Republic of Congo.  The non-profit organization Conservation International launched the search.

It is great to hear some positve environmental news!

NEWS FROM PANAMA

This is a Keel-billed Toucan that I took a picture of in Panama City. In Spanish, it would be called (Tucan Pico Iris). Including it's bill, it can be from 17 to 22 inches long (45-55 cm).
The bill of the toucan is a spongy, hollow bone covered with keratin, a light and strong protein.
Toucans are very social birds.
Mr. Panamá

Summer Visit to El Eden Ecological Reserve

I was one of a group of teachers that got to spend a week at the El Eden Ecological Reserve in Mexico this past August. While at the field station we assisted in ongoing research to study the impact of recent hurricanes on the biodiversity of the area. The weather was hot and, since we were there during the rainy season, damp.

We saw a great variety of plants, animals, and other organisms. Among other things, we had army ants march through our palapa one evening. It was an amazing sight to see hundreds of thousands of ants flowing through the building and clearing out just about all the small, living things in it. However, sometimes you only get to see trace evidence of what is there. The picture shows me preparing to make a cast of a margay’s paw print.

FROM THE BIODIVERSITY SKETCH BOOK

Lonesome George
The Giant Tortoise Center for Reproduction and Captive Breeding is a program of the Galapagos National Park. Lonesome George is the last known individual of the Pinta Island Tortoise (Geochelone nigra abingdoni) and was taken into protective custody from its island in 1972. George is estimated to be 90 to 110 years old.  Females of a related species have been introduced in the hopes of breeding with George.  No fertile eggs have resulted as yet.  


Painted tortoise is based on an image from putneymarkflickr

YOUTH LEADER SERIES

Lemuel Vega
Lemuel Vega was born and raised in México (Cozumel). He is working on his Bachelor of Biology at the Instituto Tecnológico de Chetumal.  He is also working on his thesis at the Instituto the Ciencias del Mar y Limnoligia (UNAM).  Some of the groups associated with Mr. Vega include the Summit Foundation, The Sierra Club, GoJoven, IFSA, and The Michigan Flint University.  He started his work as a volunteer at the Fundacion de Parques Y Museos de Cozumel (FPMC) 7 years ago working with sea turtles, mangrove reforestation, environmental education, international day beach clean-up, reef fish identification, coral reef identification, crocodiles, etc.  In 2005 he attended the 1^st International Youth Symposium on Biological Diversity held in Puerto Morelos, México. Then in 2009 he was one of the delegates at the Second International Youth Symposium on Biological Diversity held in Ottawa, Canada.  This year he attended the International Youth Conference in Biodiversity in Nagoya, Japan and is presently preparing to attend COP10 next month. 

Earth Rangers

We are excited to be partnering with Earth Rangers 

Chafic Bouchakra (Ottawa, Ontario), Christina Vietinghoff (New Brunswick), Kirsten Falkenburger (British Columbia) will be roaming reporters during the COP10 event in Nagoya, Japan on their new blog.  This is an exciting opportunity for all involved!  More to come!

Web:  www.earthrangers.com

A Special Visit!

The Humpback Whale

This past summer, I had the opportunity to go whale watching off the coast of Nova Scotia. It was an absolutely amazing experience. We saw more humpback whales than normal, around 14, which is a lot of whale considering that the average humpback is around 13 meters long. Since it was summer the humpback whales and many of their relatives were up north feeding, and are now making their way south for the winter. They are baleen whales, meaning instead of having teeth, they use baleen plates made of protein keratin (what our hair is made of) to feed. Basically, a whale will open their mouth, take a big mouthful of water, and close its mouth. Then it will filter the water out through the baleen leaving behind tiny krill, which the whale then eats. Did you know that when a humpback whale sticks up its tail, it often means it is going for a deep dive? Humpback whales are truly amazing creatures. If you ever get the opportunity to go whale watching, my advice to you is go for it!

By Anastasia (Grade 7 student- St-Laurent Academy- Canada)
Image above from M. Costello (Fisheries and Oceans Canada)

YOUTH LEADER SERIES

Emily Malone

Hi, I’m Emily Malone.  I’m 17 years old and attend Fredericton High School in New Brunswick, Canada.  I have been passionate about the environment from a very young age.  For the past several years, I have been an active leader in the CISV Eco-Group.  For the past few years, this group has been working on restoring the population of the Bur Oak, an indigenous tree, to our area.  Since attending the Second International Youth Symposium on Biodiversity, I have become even more excited about the work we have been doing to promote the conservation biodiversity and other environmental issues.  I’m presently working on getting to Japan to present the Youth Accord on Biodiversity, which I helped to write, while finishing my final year of high school.  I plan to continue to educate and excite people about environmental issues.

DURRELL WILDLIFE CONSERVATION TRUST: MAURITIUS PINK PIGEON

Before the first human settlers introduced exotic predators and began to destroy the forest, the pink pigeon was thought to be common on the small island of Mauritius. However, since 1840 it has been regarded as a rare bird, and by 1991 only 10 were left in the wild. The pink pigeon is one of just nine surviving native bird species, which exist in alarmingly small populations on Mauritius today. Without emergency help from the Trust, this bird would have become as dead as the Dodo, the extinct Mauritian bird used to symbolise the efforts of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.

Photo credit JH @ Durrell

For more info. check out http://www.durrell.org/Animals/Birds/Mauritius-pink-pigeon/

BELUGA WHALES

As you know, Beluga whales (also known like white whales) are nice, smiling animals that swim in the water with beautiful harmony and grace. Even if they are genetically smiling animals, they are not always happy... In fact, they have been hunted for ages by the Inuit populations.  Now they are species at risk of extinction and they cannot be hunted anymore.

However, in some zones like Cook Inlet (Alaska), Ungava Bay and in western Greenland, the hunting of Belugas is not forbidden because it is an important necessity for the populations that live there.

In the St. Lawrence River estuary, more than 1000 white whales live. This is a great number, but I have a sad story to tell you: the St. Lawrence is very contaminated by toxic and chemical waste, so the air that Belugas breathe is not "pure". Sometimes this air is the cause of various types of cancer. Many individuals have lost their lives from cancer.  In this case, like in many others, we need a better environmental policy.

GIOVANNI CERASE

7 Grade- St-Laurent Academy- CANADA/ ITALY

Above image from Environment Canada's Hinterland Who's Who

The Canadian Environmental Network’s (RCEN) 2010 Conference

 

The Canadian Environmental Network’s (RCEN) 2010 Conference took place this past weekend at the Grand Plaza Hotel in downtown Montreal.  We were honoured to have been part of today's events with a "Nature Deficit Disorder” workshop with Kathleen Usher from Evergreen.  We spoke of the Macoun Marsh Project and how it evolved into the Second International Youth Symposium for Biodiversity and the International Youth Accord on Biodiversity.  Environmental youth leaders Jessica Walsh-Moreau and Keegan Fitzgibbons shared their own experiences as part of outdoor educational activities and programs. Mike Leveille

National Forest Week

This week Canada is celebrating National Forest Week!

In Fredericton, New Brunswick the CISV-Eco Group has been working for many years to re-establish the Bur Oak to its historic range and habit in the Saint John River Valley. We've planted over 600 of these native trees! We've worked with community groups like Scouts, Guides and Environmental Groups. We've made many presentations to schools and community groups locally, nationally and internationally. Our group holds the New Brunswick Environmental Youth Leadership Award for 2007 for our work with the bur oak project. We are currently preparing for our trip to Japan to help present the Youth Accord and we look forward to seeing what kinds of trees and other biodiversity exist in Japan! We encourage all youth to take action and plant a native tree in your area, Happy Forest Week!

YOUTH LEADER SERIES

Jessica Walsh Moreau

My name is Jessica Walsh Moreau, from Ottawa, Ontario (Canada). I am 15 years old, attending grade 11 at St.Francis Xavier Catholic High School. I am interested in environmental and social issues, including biodiversity. I also play competitive soccer. Ever since I was young I was interested in nature and the outdoors. I would have rather been rolling in the grass than to watch TV. In 2003 I was able to pursue my passion by working with nature even during school hours. For 3 years I worked on Macoun Marsh project, which today I remain involved through Biodiversity Matters. Before going to my present high school was active in an environmental group at St.Marks Catholic High School called SAVE. I went to Sweden in 2005, with a Team representing the Macoun Marsh project where we won second place at the Volvo Adventure Environmental competition. I have had the positive experience of presenting to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2006. One of my proudest accomplishments, was for three years, I helped plan the Second International Youth Symposium on Biodiversity, as the Youth Board Leader. I plan to continue my work this year by starting an Environmental Club at my high school to support the Youth Accord. I will be attending COP10 in Japan this October where I will be promoting the Youth Accord. 

YOUTH LEADER SERIES

Chafic Bouchakra is from Ottawa, Ontario (Canada) and is working on his Bachelor of Science, studying Environmental Science at Carleton University. He first started his work with the environment in grade 12 when he helped start and lead a high school group named Students Against Violating Earth (S.A.V.E.) at St. Mark Catholic High School. S.A.V.E helps to turn the school green, by funding and installing 3 slot recycle bins all over the school, and starting the Rideau River Water Project, where they researched native plants and planted these plants in strategic locations upstream of the Ottawa River to monitor changes in toxic levels entering from that specific stream. He also helped plan and attended the Second International Youth Symposium on Biodiversity and plans to attend COP10 with full hope of making a difference! He is part of the Science Student Success Center at Carleton University mentoring 1st years and other students on how to succeed in science and plans on being a frosh facile this coming school year! He loves working with others and making sure that everyone around him has a blast! He can't wait to do what he can for the environment and have fun at the same time! Help SAVE the world and keep it clean while having the time of his life!

CLEVELAND METROPARKS ZOO NEWS- USA

BIG CREEK CLEAN-UP

Big Creek is an impressive, yet often overlooked river that courses through Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and Brookside Reservation. It disappears via giant culverts directly beneath the Zoo's African Savanna, day-lighting again behind The Rainforest. At the Zoo, you can view the cavernous Big Creek river gorge from the bridge that connects Africa and Northern Trek.

Every one lives downstream! Pollutants in our waterways will eventually find their way into Lake Erie -- our region's primary source of drinking water and an important destination for recreation. Since 1995, committed Zoo staff and community volunteers have been active in stream stewardship at the Zoo.

The Zoo's Resource Management Committee sends a BIG THANKS to the 45 volunteers who helped to clean up the Zoo’s watershed at our 16th Annual Big Creek Cleanup on August 19 2010. Members of our local community, Friends of Big Creek, Zoo Volunteers, and Zoo Crew joined a team of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo staff in hauling metals, plastics, tires, and other assorted trash out of Big Creek. Service Maintenance recycled a whopping 1,660 lbs. of scrap metal, which totaled $132.75 for the Zoo’s General Recycling Fund. There is always much satisfaction—and astonishment—when you see what we haul out of our rivers. Among the “fun” finds were a vintage clock, a guard rail, and a naked Barbie doll! Special thanks to Donatos and ARAMARK for the complimentary pizza and beverages for our volunteers. BIG THANKS to all for a BIG JOB well done!

To learn more about Big Creek and other efforts to improve the health of our watersheds, please visit www.fobc.org and www.crcpo.org.

Big Creek Watershed
Big Creek is among the largest and most urbanized tributaries of the Cuyahoga River. It drains 38 square miles of land from densely-built neighborhoods like Old Brooklyn, Parma, Parma Heights, Middleburg Heights, Brook Park, North Royalton, Linndale and Cleveland. The river consists of two main branches: the East Branch, which has its headwaters in the City of North Royalton and the West Branch, which begins in the City of Brook Park. 

Sent in by Miranda Beran (Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Youth Volunteer) 

DURRELL WILDLIFE CONSERVATION TRUST: THE MAURITIUS KESTREL

In 1974 only four of these beautiful kestrels were known to exist in the wild, which made it the world’s rarest bird. Today, thanks to Durrell, over 800 kestrels fly free in the forests of Mauritius, and the species has been taken off the critical list. Captive breeding and intensive management of wild birds over the last 25 years have undoubtedly saved the Mauritius kestrel from extinction, making it one of Durrell’s greatest success stories. But while the kestrel is out of immediate danger, the population is still monitored, to give advance warning of any new problems.

Photo credit: Carl Jones 

For more info. check out http://www.durrell.org/Animals/Birds/Mauritius-kestrel/

YOUTH LEADER SERIES

Jack Simpson

Fredericton, NB, Canada

CISV Eco-Group Leader

Biodiversity is the common thread that holds all living and non-living species together.

I first began my environmental activist life at the age of 5 when my dad took me to a stream clean-up. Since then, I have been actively involved in conserving the environment. From cleaning up the environment locally I moved on the matters of biodiversity and in 2004 I helped to create the Bur Oak Project which is helping to re-establish this native tree to its historic range and habitat in the Saint John River Valley. To date we have planted over 600 trees in our city and up and down the river valley. Our group holds the New Brunswick Environmental Youth Leadership Award for 2007 for our work with the bur oak Project. We have presented our project work numerous times and I have attended many international youth conferences on the environment in Japan (05, 09, and 10), Sweden (05 and 07) and the USA (04).

Last summer we presented our project at the Second International Youth Symposium on Biodiversity in Ottawa, Canada (super symposium btw). Most recently I attended the International Youth Conference on Biodiversity sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment in Nagoya, Japan. It was fantastic. There were delegates from more than 60 countries and I made many friends and contacts as we shared our project information during the 8 day conference.

I helped to develop the International Youth Accord on Biodiversity that will be presented to the world leaders at the COP 10 in Japan in October of this year and have collected many signatures to support the Accord.

Congratulations to the Canadian team as they carry the Accord forward to the COP10 and good luck at the presentation on Oct. 26th.

 -Jack

YOUTH LEADER SERIES

David Borgal is from Georgetown, Ontario. He was first introduced to the natural world when attending his environmental groups meeting. From there he was asked to attend a conference held by POWER (Protect Our Water and Environmental Resources). He then looked for different ways to become involved in these activities. He is attending Georgetown District High School. He is now a proud member of the POWER Youth Team and enjoys doing what he does. To this day and still many more to come, David has been with POWER for a four and a half years. During this time he helped organize the 3^rd E-POWER conference on biodiversity. This then lead on to becoming a very beneficial experience and lead him to attend the Second International Youth Symposium on Biodiversity held in Ottawa. He continues to move forward, as he tries to create change in his local communities.  He will be attending COP10 next month. 

OUR SERIES ON YOUTH LEADERS

Clara Simpson

CISV Eco-Group Leader - Fredericton, NB, CANADA

Since a very early age I have been involved in environmental conservation, cleaning streams, walking trails and city parks. For the past 6 years I have been working to preserve the biodiversity of our area by helping to re-establish a native tree species. Our group has planted over 600 bur oak trees in our city and up and down the river valley in the historic range of the tree. We contact other groups like the Scouts, Guides, Environmental Groups and get together with them to help plant trees and encourage them to get involved in the project. We have made many presentations in schools and to community groups locally, nationally and even Internationally. I have attended many International conferences and presented information on our project and I have served as Junior Board Member of the 2008 Tunza Conference for the United Nations Environmental Project in Stavanger, Norway. Our group attended the Biodiversity Matters Symposium in Ottawa in 2009 and we have worked to help prepare the Youth Accord and I am very proud to be part of the group going to Japan in October to present our Accord to World Leaders.

MEET ANOTHER YOUTH LEADER!

Christina Vietinghoff is from Fredericton, New Brunswick (Canada). For many years, Christina has been an active member of the CISV Eco-group in Fredericton working to restore indigenous trees along the St. John Valley. After attending the Second International Youth Symposium on Biodiversity, Christina volunteered as a co-chair of the Youth Accord Steering Committee and helped coordinate and write the International Youth Accord on Biodiversity. Last year she created the Fredericton High School 2010 Environmental Club which successfully implemented various projects and also engaged many students in environmental activism. Through her work as a representative on the NB Youth Environmental Action Network, Christina has helped organize youth environmental conferences and helped write the New Brunswick Youth Accord on Biodiversity. Christina is passionate about engaging youth in environmental projects and hopes to continue doing so as she completes her final year of high school!  She will be attending COP 10 next month.

Symbiotic Alga Called Zooxanthellae

The beautiful reefs of our oceans are losing their beauty. Coral reefs are becoming colourless and are dying from water temperatures rising. Corals become stressed when the temperature rises too much and a symbiotic alga called zooxanthellae can no longer survive. Zooxanthellae provide food and will generate the coral’s colour. When this algae leaves, the colourless and hungry coral is left on its deathbed. The Great Barrier Reef, along with many others, has suffered from mass bleaching. In some areas, 90% of the coral has died. In this state, it would take decades for a full recovery. Coral reefs are fragile yet vital ecosystems; they shelter a quarter of the known marine life, and therefore provide a lot of fish for commercial sale. It is important that we act now and preserve these important ecosystems and keep one of the oceans’ most beautiful phenomenons alive for future generations to enjoy.

Ashley Boyd (Grade 7 student from St. Laurent Academy- Ottawa)

MEET OUR YOUTH ACCORD ADMINISTRATOR

Kirsten Falkenburger is originally from Southern Ontario (CANADA) where she developed her love for the outdoors. She started working with a small environmental organization called Protect Our Water and Environmental Resources in 2008. She was one of the youth that organized a local biodiversity conference in Halton for 200 students. She then moved on to a committee to develop the International Youth Accord on Biodiversity, while still doing local work. She is dedicated to the cause and was chosen not only to be the Youth Accord Administrator, but to present the youth work at a large event called Green Week in Belgium held by the European Commission. She was also chosen by the Canadian Environmental Network to be the Canadian Youth Delegate for Biodiversity in 2010. She has spent her time promoting the Convention on Biological Diversity and ways for youth to get involved and protect our natural world. She now lives in Vancouver, British Columbia studying Natural Resource Management so that she can continue her work into the future.  She will be attending COP10 next month.

WELCOME TO OUR NEW PARTNER

 
The Tapir Preservation Fund is now a partner to the Youth Accord on Biodiversity! Check out: http://tapirgallery.blogspot.com/

TAKE A GOOD LOOK IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD!

Here are some images taken from a Southern Ontario garden today.

 

 

The Endangered Butternut Tree in Canada

The native butternut is an endangered tree in Canada.  Near Ottawa this past spring there were 2,500 butternut seedlings planted as part of the ongoing Rideau Valley Conservation Authority Butternut Recovery Planting Program. Our youth planted 11 seedlings at the Macoun Marsh in Ottawa, Canada.  Most are doing quite well, but a few have died. We think the soil was too clay-like for the trees that did not produce leaves.   

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust- The World’s Rarest Parakeet

Introducing the world’s rarest parakeet - in 1986 less than a dozen birds existed in the wild, and only three were female. The echo is one of just nine surviving bird species that are found only on the tiny island of Mauritius, where they exist in alarmingly small populations. Without emergency help from Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, this bird would have become as dead as the Dodo, the extinct Mauritian bird used to symbolise the efforts of the Trust.

Small islands such as Mauritius can suffer from a wide range of environmental problems. These include the introduction of plants and animals to the detriment of existing wildlife, degradation and destruction of the natural habitat so that native animals cannot live there, and the indiscriminate use of pesticides that poison the land and its inhabitants.

Photo credit James Morgan

For more info. check out http://www.durrell.org/Animals/Birds/Echo-parakeet/

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust- More Lemur Images!

Ring-tailed lemurs were the first lemurs to be kept at Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust arriving way back in 1964.

Since then a great deal of expertise has been gained with this species and various others, and we continue to make an extremely valuable contribution to lemur knowledge and captive management. Images by John Dinham and Roberto Hulzebos.

Check out: <http://www.durrell.org/index.cfm?page=73>