Tuesday, April 29, 2014

International Ocean Research Conference “One Planet One Ocean” (17-21 November 2014, Barcelona - Spain)

The International Ocean Research Conference “One Planet One Ocean” will be held next 17-21 November 2014 in Barcelona (Spain).

The 2nd International Ocean Research Conference (IORC) is an opportunity for the scientific community to come together to plan the coming decade of international collaboration in marine science and technology, with a view to improving ocean governance. This conference has an interdisciplinary focus, encompassing oceanographic, social science and economic perspectives on ocean research and will provide excellent opportunities to gain insight into the latest oceanographic research through theme sessions, key note speakers and workshops. The IORC will demonstrate the breadth and global impact of ocean research and its fascinating contributions in terms of new knowledge on pressing issues, including climate change, ocean governance and capacity building.

The attached announcement contains information about the Science Programme, Registration, Call for Abstracts, Side Events and Exhibitions, Social Events, Early Career Scientist opportunities, etc.




Monday, April 28, 2014

BIODIVERSITY GALA- Ottawa, Canada- April 28, 2014

 The Second Annual St-Laurent Academy Biodiversity Gala, celebrating excellence in protecting our biological heritage. The event was held at St-Laurent Academy in Ottawa, Canada.  Biodiversity is short for Biological Diversity and it is defined as the variety of all living things.  

 The first award of the 2014 Biodiversity Gala went to Mr. David Coates (Convention on Biodiversity- United Nations) Environmental Affairs Officer for Inland Waters

 Unfortunately the Hon Yasir Naqvi could not be with us today.  He is hard at work in Toronto at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario but he has left us a special video message.

 We live on a beautiful planet.  We all have a stake in protecting our world’s exceptional diversity and we must help to stop it’s loss. Our recipients today inspired us all to be the best we can be.  Image above of the 2014 winners and participants.

 Chafic Bouchakra has had a strong interest in the environment since his High School days and was a strong leader at our International Biodiversity Symposium in 2009.  He travelled to COP10 in Japan in 2010 to promote our International Youth Accord and now works at Little Ray’s Reptile Zoo here in Ottawa!

 Eric, or as he is better known on our biodiversity blog as “Mr. Panama”, is an exceptional naturalist and photographer.  

 Roots & Shoots was founded by Dr. Jane Goodall, in 1991, with the goal of bringing together youth from preschool to university age to work on environmental, conservation and humanitarian issues. Image with Roots and Shoots representative Allison Forsythe.

 Tara Wilson, a First Nations youth who informs us about the reality of residential schools, their effect on the identity, and the loss to the First Nation’s People of their strong connection to the land.

St-Laurent Academy School provided the music for the event.  

The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is an international charity working globally towards their mission of saving species from extinction.  Image from the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust


See more images here:




Congratulations to all the Grade 7 students who worked as a team to make this event happen.  Thank you to Devonshire Public and Notre Dame Catholic School for assisting in the nomination process.  Images by Mr. Leveille

Saturday, April 26, 2014

RECENT IMAGES FROM MACOUN MARSH IN CANADA

 Pileated woodpecker

 American Bittern pretending to be a plant!

 Downy woodpecker

 Tree sparrow

 Painted turtle

Red squirrel

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

EARTH DAY MESSAGES FROM ST-LAURENT ACADEMY IN OTTAWA, CANADA (Grades 1 to 8)


We should help the Earth because we are the only species who can change it to the better. 

Our purpose in the World is to save the World.

Cut down a tree some life goes, plant a tree new life grows. 

Reuse, reduce, recycle, refuse.  Now is the time, let it grow.  Earth forever- Save, Sustain.

We are important because we have the ability to create technology to conserve the future of life.

Protect to save our future.

Support, Save, Sustain.



Conservation helps everyone achieve more.

The Earth is more than where you live, it's what gives you life.

You sustain the Earth and the Earth will continue to sustain you.

Make the world sustainable for everybody to live today and tomorrow.

If you believe in the future of life, others will too.

Sustainability comes from everyone doing their bit. 

Donors replenish Global Environmental Facility, but large funding gap for biodiversity remains



Montreal, 22 April 2014 – US$ 4.43 billion has been pledged by 30 donor countries for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to support developing countries' efforts over the next four years to prevent degradation of the global environment.

The announcement, made at the Fourth Meeting for the Sixth Replenishment of GEF Trust Fund, held in Geneva, Switzerland, 16-17 April 2014, further stated that the funding will support projects in over 140 countries to tackle a broad range of threats to the global environment. These threats include climate change, deforestation, land degradation, extinction of species, toxic chemicals and waste, and threats to
oceans and freshwater resources.

The GEF is the main global mechanism to support developing countries' to take action to fulfill their commitments under the world's major multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

“This is a significant development. We welcome the efforts of the GEF Secretariat and the commitments of donor governments to replenish the GEF capital and thus allow the GEF to continue to serve as the financial mechanism of the CBD and other MEAs,” said Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, CBD Executive Secretary. “This will ensure that the GEF maintains its support for developing countries and countries with economies in transitions to support the implementation of their commitments under the CDB, in particular the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity for 2011-2020 and its 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and the updated national biodiversity strategies and action plans and associated national targets.”

“However, this still serves as a reminder that donor countries failed to fulfil the target set at the Eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 11) in Hyderabad, India, to double the international financial flows by 2015 relative to the 2006-2010 average,” underlined Dias.

“This means that we have missed the opportunity to significantly increase the investment on biodiversity to increase the efforts for achieving the implementation of the Aichi Targets,” said Mr. Dias. “This limited effort of multilateral funding, which represents a 30% increase over the baseline of 2006-2010, puts undue pressure on bilateral funding, domestic funding and private funding to compensate for this shortcoming to
meet the estimated funding gap if we hope to achieve the agreed Aichi Targets by 2020,” he said.

The conservation, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity can provide solutions to a range of societal challenges. For example, protecting ecosystems and ensuring access to ecosystem services by poor and vulnerable groups are an essential part of poverty eradication.

Failing to pay due attention to the global biodiversity agenda risks compromising the capacity of countries to eradicate poverty and to enhance human well-being, as well as their means to adapt to climate change, reduce their vulnerability to extreme natural disasters, to ensure food security, to ensure access to water and to promote access to health.

“Without adequate funding for the global biodiversity agenda the continual availability of biological resources and ecosystems services will be compromised and impact the capacity of the business sector to continue to operate and supply the market with products, services and employment,” said Mr. Dias. “I encourage all countries to ramp up their contributions complementary to the GEF Trust Fund to ensure a better and more sustainable future for us all.”

ECOLOGICAL CORRIDOR CONFLICT IN TOWNSHIP- BHUTAN



The issue of constructing biological corridor has affected the progress of the Rinchenthang Township in Nganglam, Pema Gatshel district south-eastern Bhutan which has brought the government and the local people into conflict. Around 500 acres of the planned Nu 500M Richenthang town falls within the biological corridor which connects Manas National Park to Khaling wildlife Sanctuary. After the significant progress had already been made in township planning, the issue of township encroaching the corridor came up in 2012.
April 15                                                         

FIRE DESTROYS THOUSANDS OF HECTARES OF FOREST- BHUTAN



More than 4,000 hectares of forest was razed by fire in Wangdue Phodrang district, central Bhutan this week. According to the range officer, the fire had reached Matalongchu forest and Lingmukha gewog’s boundary in Punakha, after burning the entire forest under Phangyul gewog. Due to the difficult landscape, strong wind and lack of water sources nearby, the fire was difficult to control.
April 14                

INCREASING DEFORESTATION ACROSS COUNTRY- NEPAL



About 93,283 ha forestland has been destroyed for settlement and agricultural in 63 districts of Nepal in last fiscal year According to annual report by Attorney General, 740 different forests were encroached by 121,234 households to build 30,194 temporary huts and farmland.
April 20