Governments should consider the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services as strategy for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction

Montreal, 21 October 2015 – Biodiversity and the ecosystem services it underpins can be the basis for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction strategies as they can deliver benefits that will, according to the outcomes of a recent technical workshop on ecosystem-based approaches to climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, increase the resilience of people to the impacts of climate change.

The key messages from the workshop, recently held in Johannesburg, South Africa, were delivered at a side event in Ankara, Turkey, at the 12th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. The focus of the messages is that governments should consider ecosystem-based approaches to climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction to provide safety nets to communities in times of climate shocks and natural disasters. These findings come in advance of the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (“Paris 2015”).

"Biodiversity and healthy ecosystems are the building blocks that provide natural solutions which build resilience for society to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change," said Barbara Thomson, Deputy Minister, Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa.
As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather and climate events, ecosystems can provide protection from these extremes by stabilizing the movement of water, earth, rocks and snow; serving as a buffer from climate impacts and hazards. 

Ecosystem-based approaches to climate change adaptation (EbA) use biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of an overall adaptation strategy to help people adapt to the adverse effects of climate change, while ecosystem-based approaches to disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) are defined as ‘sustainable management, conservation and restoration
of ecosystems to reduce disaster risk, with the aim to achieve sustainable and resilient development’.

“Biodiversity is a critical resource, not only for climate change adaptation and mitigation, but as a tool to make countries more resilient and help reduce the risk and damages associated with natural disasters,” said Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

“Taking ecosystem-based approaches to adaptation and ecosystem-based approaches to disaster risk reduction enables people to adapt to the impacts of climate change by using opportunities created by sustainably managing, conserving and restoring ecosystems to provide ecosystem goods and services. It is clear that these approaches should be integrated into broader adaptation and development strategies.”

Healthy ecosystems can also reduce socio-economic vulnerability by providing essential goods and services to people, such as supporting income generation and protecting human health.

At the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity, held in October 2014, member States requested the Executive Secretary to compile and analyze experiences on ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and ecosystem-based adaptation. In response, the Secretariat is preparing a synthesis report that compiles experiences, planned activities and national targets of Parties, as well as other relevant information related to EbA and Eco-DRR. In addition, a technical workshop on ecosystem-based approaches to climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction was organized in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 28 September to 2 October 2015, with the support of the European Union, the Government of South Africa, the Government of Sweden and the Government of Germany.

The purpose of the workshop was to review a draft synthesis report on experiences with implementation of EbA and Eco-DRR, identify gaps and share more information to strengthen the report. Workshop participants, which included national experts from key regions, including from small island developing States and least developed countries, representatives from indigenous peoples and local communities, as well as experts from relevant organizations, provided perspectives on implementing EbA and Eco-DRR.

The main conclusions from the synthesis report and from the workshop will be presented to the Convention’s Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice for consideration at its twentieth meeting.

For more information: www.cbd.int/climate/doc/flyer-climate-2015-10-20-en.pdf

EMPOWERING YOUTH ON BIODIVERSITY ISSUES (OTTAWA, ONTARIO)

GRADES 5 TO 12
Today educators and students from St-Laurent Academy, Notre Dame Catholic School, Devonshire Public School, and Lady Evelyn Alternative School partnered together for our training program to accredit youth to become biodiversity leaders in their communities. 
 

This included conservation projects, outdoor classrooms, organic gardening, promoting locally sourced food, and political action.

We began with an introduction to the diversity of life that can exist in an urban setting as seen through our community-based Macoun Marsh restoration project led by St-Laurent Academy Elementary and Junior High students. 

A final piece connected these local elements to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and its international mandate to highlight global environmental activism designed to change the way people think and act.

BIODIVERSITY MENTORSHIP PROGRAM- OTTAWA, CANADA

 

GRADES 5 TO 12
Biodiversity affects us all.  A global crisis is taking place now.  Scientists predict that we may lose half of all species on the planet by the end of this century.

On Saturday, October 17, 2015, educators from St-Laurent Academy, Notre Dame Catholic School, St. Patrick High School, Devonshire Public School, and Lady Evelyn Alternative School will partner together to develop a training program to accredit youth to become biodiversity leaders in their communities.  This included conservation projects, outdoor classrooms, organic gardening, promoting locally sourced food, political action (becoming politically literate) etc

We will begin with an introduction to the diversity of life that can exist in an urban setting as seen through our community-based Macoun Marsh restoration project led by St-Laurent Academy Elementary and Junior High students. Students have now identified over 1400 species here.  A parallel language arts program at Devonshire Public School uses a web of local connections to build a template for environmental stewardship based on partnerships between local farmers, grocery store managers, a local restaurant, politicians, and community associations. Youth participants will walk away with a blue print for building both community-focused science and issues-based literacy programs designed to engage them as true defenders of their biological heritage.

A final piece will connect these local elements to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and its international mandate to highlight global environmental activism designed to change the way people think and act.  The students will hear video messages and meet professionals active in biodiversity issues.

We will begin with an introduction to the diversity of life that can exist in an urban setting as seen through our community-based Macoun Marsh restoration project led by St-Laurent Academy Elementary and Junior High students. Students have now identified over 1400 species here.  A parallel language arts program at Devonshire Public School uses a web of local connections to build a template for environmental stewardship based on partnerships between local farmers, grocery store managers, a local restaurant, politicians, and community associations. Youth participants will walk away with a blue print for building both community-focused science and issues-based literacy programs designed to engage them as true defenders of their biological heritage.

A final piece will connect these local elements to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and its international mandate to highlight global environmental activism designed to change the way people think and act.  The students will hear video messages and meet professionals active in biodiversity issues.

Mike Leveille

PATTERNS OF NATURE- The SPHERE

The sphere is such a logical structure, yet it is rarely even noticed.  What a compact way to package matter!  Biodiversity is full of spheres!  

 

 Pumpkin

 Cottontail Rabbit Eye

Goat's Beard

 Orange

 Sphere of spheres

Integrated Conservation Strategies for Threatened Biodiversity and Geodiversity for Global Sustenance

The conservation of biodiversity represents a crucial challenge for the future. Protecting our Natural Capital ie Biodiversity is a contribution to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to halt the dramatic loss of ecosystems, species and genetic diversity. The steady growth in importance of WBC has made it our mission to maintain or even increase the excellence of this congress. To achieve this goal the Committee will prepare a series of Keynote lectures, symposia, Workshops and meet-the-expert sessions on parallel tracks covering the entire field of Biodiversity. The scheduled congress is organized by Global Scientific Research Foundation, Bangalore, India in association with the Institute for Nature Conservation Of Serbia.

The III World Biodiversity Congress, October 26-29, 2015, is taking place in Mecavnik- Mokra Gora, Serbia. The theme for the Congress is “Integrated Conservation Strategies for Threatened Biodiversity and Geodiversity for Global Sustenance”, as encapsulated by the vision and mission of GSRF. It will provide a scientific platform for scientists, natural resource managers, and environmental consultants to planners, environmental advocates, and corporate and public policy makers  across the globe at a gathering that offers us the opportunity to step beyond our regular networks and meet colleagues from around the world  to exchange knowledge, discuss issues, share innovations, and network and  tackle urgent and emerging international conservation needs through science and collaboration.

Creation Myth- Canada

According to the Iroquois peoples, it was on a Sea Turtle's back that a sky woman helped to create the Earth. Canadian Museum of History, Ottawa

PATTERNS OF NATURE- The SPIRAL

Nature holds many secrets, and the physics of form is one of these many wonders.  Spirals are found throughout nature- from the greatest galaxies to the tiniest snail shell.  Here are some spirals I have observed.  

 Big horned sheep, USA

 Caterpillars, Ottawa, Canada

 Romanescu

 Snail, Quebec City, Canada

Chambered Nautilus, Pacific Ocean

House Plant

Turkey Tail Fungus, Ottawa, Canada

Images by Michael Leveille 2015

Host city of the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 13)

The host city of the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 13), the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP-MOP 8), and the second meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (COP-MOP2) has been changed from Los Cabos, Mexico to Cancún, Mexico.

 

This change has been made by the Government of Mexico, in consultation with the Secretariat, taking into account the requirements for convening these meetings.

 

The dates of the meetings remain unchanged (4 to 17 December 2016), as previously communicated in notification 2015-003 of 8 January 2015.

 

The text of this notification is also available on the CBD website at: http://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2015/ntf-2015-078-cbd-bs-abs-en.pdf

New manual presents guidelines on sustainable tourism and management in sensitive biodiversity areas

Montreal, 3 July 2015 – Enforcing the notion that a healthy natural environment is one of the world’s most important tourism attractions, and that visiting nature serves to heighten awareness of its intrinsic value for us all, a new manual launched by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) presents guidelines on sustainable tourism and management.

Geared towards being both practical and accessible, Tourism Supporting Biodiversity: A Manual on applying the CBD Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development, highlights the important role tourism plays for biodiversity and aims to improve knowledge and materials to better integrate biodiversity into sustainable tourism development.

“The manual is a reference tool for planners, developers, managers and decision makers involved with tourism development and resource management in areas of sensitive biodiversity,” said Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, CBD Executive Secretary. “The purpose is to help them to mainstream biodiversity concerns and ecosystem services within sustainable tourism development.”

With its emphasis on management and governance, the manual, prepared as a result of experiences compiled by the Secretariat and decisions taken by countries at the eleventh and twelfth meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD, reflects a wider perspective on approaches and experiences in sustainable tourism development and management. It serves to complement the more technical User’s Manual on the CBD Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development, published in 2007.

The manual is the result of a collaboration between the CBD Secretariat, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and some 140 experts from around the world to identify current trends and upcoming issues and opportunities on the links between sustainable tourism development and the CBD agenda, and is meant to be used as a transformative tool for sustainable consumption.

“UNEP appreciates the collaboration and looks forward to replicating and improving the useful experiences listed in the manual at regional and local levels through activities and projects with partners and the tourism sector”, said Arab Hoballah, Chief of the Sustainable Consumption and Production Branch in the Division of Technology, Industry and Economics of UNEP. “Lessons learned can then be shared with Parties to help deliver a transformative change and transition to a truly inclusive green economy.”

“The focus is on the tourism sector to stop biodiversity loss,” said Dirk Glaesser, Director of UNWTO’s Sustainable Development of Tourism Programme. “It is also an enormous opportunity to engage with the more than one billion tourists travelling internationally and accelerate their preferences for more sustainable tourism products.”

The attention of CBD Parties to biodiversity and tourism development forms just one part of a wider international movement to promote and enhance the sustainability of the tourism sector. The manual, prepared in coordination with IUCN’s groundbreaking new publication, Tourism and Visitor Management in Protected Areas: Guidelines for Sustainability, with both publications providing a solid base for capacity-building and cooperation activities, was supported by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety of the Government of Germany. Project leader Nicola Breier, Head of the Ministry’s Marine Biodiversity unit, said, “Germany is glad to have contributed to this effort also by sharing its diverse experiences in making sustainable tourism work for nature. We hope that this manual, as a tool to promote travel practices that benefit biodiversity, will be widely used by practitioners in the tourism sector.”

The manual is available online at: www.cbd.int/tourism/doc/tourism-manual-2015-en.pdf

2015 UEBT Biodiversity Barometer shows additional efforts needed to reach UN targets on biodiversity awareness

Montreal, 25 June 2015 – An average of 69% of respondents in nine countries say they have heard of biodiversity, but additional outreach efforts are needed for the world to reach global targets on biodiversity awareness set under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

According to IPSOS research conducted for the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT) in 2015 among 9,000 persons in Brazil, Ecuador, Germany, France, India, Mexico, Netherlands, UK and USA, biodiversity awareness is rising in general, with millennials showing a particularly high degree of awareness. However, the rate is not rising sufficiently quickly to make a difference to biodiversity conservation efforts.

“To reach the 2020 targets on biodiversity awareness, bolder awareness raising efforts are needed not only by governments, but also by businesses and others,” says Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the CBD, in response to the survey results. “As we come to the second half of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity, let us all work together to reach out and increase understanding on biodiversity.”

Other important findings of the 2015 Biodiversity Barometer include:

• Between 2009 and 2015, biodiversity awareness grew from 56% to 64% in Germany, France, UK and USA. In Brazil, biodiversity awareness has fallen slightly since 2010.

• 87% of respondents believe it is important to personally contribute to biodiversity conservation. Interest is especially high (over 95%) in Latin America and India, and is growing in other countries.

• Young consumers that learn about biodiversity at school show the most awareness. The majority of youth (88%) personally want to contribute to biodiversity conservation, with one out of two believing it essential.

• Biodiversity is the term given to the variety of life on earth and the natural patterns it forms, but it is often confused with other concepts like organic agriculture, environmental protection, diversity of human races, climate change or environmentally-friendly products and technologies.

• Television, radio programs, newspapers, magazines and schools are quoted as being the main sources of biodiversity awareness.

• 83% of respondents expect companies to respect biodiversity, and want to be better informed on how biodiversity is conserved in their supply chains. Only 42% are confident that companies pay serious attention to biodiversity in their supply chains.

• In 2015, 36% of the top 100 beauty companies and 60% of food companies mention biodiversity in their reports or on their websites.

“To respond to consumer expectations, companies need to step up and improve their biodiversity reporting. In addition, more direct consumer communication on biodiversity is required to increase the trust of consumers,” says Rik Kutsch Lojenga, UEBT Executive Director.

A summary of the 2015 UEBT Biodiversity Barometer can be downloaded from the UEBT website: www.uebt.org

MASS EXTINCTION OF SPECIES

We are currently witnessing the start of a mass extinction event the likes of which have not been seen on Earth for at least 65 million years. This is the alarming finding of a new study published in the journal Science Advances.

See http://theconversation.com/earths-sixth-mass-extinction-has-begun-new-study-confirms-43432

Loss of biodiversity impacts human health, says CBD and WHO

Montreal, 4 June 2015 – Healthy communities rely on well-functioning ecosystems. They provide clean air, fresh water, medicines and food security. They also limit disease and stabilize the climate. But biodiversity loss is happening at unprecedented rates, impacting human health worldwide, according to a new state of knowledge review of the Convention on Biological Diversity and World Health Organization.

The report, Connecting Global Priorities: Biodiversity and Human Health, launched today in Brussels at Green Week 2015, Europe’s biggest annual conference on environmental policy, focuses on the complex and multi-faceted connections between biodiversity and human health, and how the loss of biodiversity and corresponding ecosystem services may negatively influence health. One of the first integrative reviews of its kind, the report brings together knowledge from several scientific disciplines, including public health, conservation, agriculture, epidemiology and development.

“This state of knowledge review is a significant contribution to our understanding of the complex relationships between biodiversity and health,” said Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity. “Increasing our knowledge enables us to develop effective solutions capable of strengthening ecosystem resilience and mitigating the forces that impede their ability to deliver life-supporting services.”

All aspects of human well-being depend on ecosystem goods and services, which in turn depend on biodiversity. Biodiversity loss can destabilize ecosystems, promote outbreaks of infectious disease, and undermine development progress, nutrition, security and protection from natural disasters,” said Dr Maria Neira, World Health Organization Director, Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health. “Protecting public health from these risks lies outside of the traditional roles of the Health sector. We are ready to work with other sectors to bring about change.”

Access to sufficient quantity, quality and diversity of foods, clean air, freshwater, medicines and healthcare are not only central to maintaining healthy populations, they are foundational pillars of sustainable development. Meeting these needs while facing the persistent challenges of biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, emerging disease pandemics and shifting disease burdens is not an insurmountable feat, but it does require concerted action, based on robust evidence and coordinated cross-sector solutions.

This comprehensive report brings this knowledge to the forefront, demonstrating that biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation and ill health often share common threats and pointing toward innovative, mutually-supportive and cross-sectoral solutions. This contribution is especially timely as governments finalize agreement on the post-2015 development agenda and Sustainable Development Goals and prepare to reach new global commitments to tackle climate change by the end of 2015.

Among the shared threats identified throughout the report, land-use change is identified as an important driver of biodiversity loss with concurrent implications for many of our most pressing public health challenges. For example, land use change through deforestation is a leading driver of disease emergence in humans and is believed to have contributed to the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

While the resulting development of our freshwater and terrestrial resources is also associated with some health benefits, these are unevenly distributed, often to the detriment of our most vulnerable populations and carry unintended consequences. For example, under unsustainable conditions, industrial agricultural practices in many parts of the world may also exacerbate biodiversity loss, pest and disease outbreaks, micronutrient deficiencies, antibiotic resistance and the impacts of climate change on the health. These outcomes are not inevitable. They can be averted through concerted global efforts, by connecting our vast scientific and local knowledge, and developing coherent, cross-sectoral policy priorities toward a healthier, more equitable, sustainable future.

Contributions from over 100 scientists and practitioners working in global public health and biodiversity conservation policy were included in the report, including experts from Bioversity International, COHAB Initiative, DIVERSITAS, EcoHealth Alliance, Harvard School of Public Health, the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, IUCN, United Nations University, and the Wildlife Conservation Society.

The full report released today is now freely available online at: www.cbd.int/en/health/stateofknowledge www.who.int/phe

May 22, 2015. International Biodiversity Day, Ottawa, Canada

 Our Grade 6 class celebrated IBD by painting local species on our Outdoor Observatory!

 Youth need a connection to a local space.

 Young people need to care about biodiversity in order to protect it.

HAPPY BIODIVERSITY DAY!

Bio-Bridge Initiative funding agreement signed to promote technical and scientific cooperation on biodiversity

Montreal, 19 May 2015 – The Republic of Korea and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), with the purpose of promoting technical and scientific co-operation and to support achievement of the goals and targets of the Convention, have today signed a funding agreement for the implementation of the 2015-2020 Bio-Bridge Initiative.

The Bio-Bridge Initiative, launched by the Republic of Korea in 2014 at the margins of the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, aims to support developing countries in their efforts to achieve Aichi Biodiversity Target 19, that “by 2020, knowledge, the science base and technologies relating to biodiversity, its values, functioning, status and trends, and the consequences of its loss, are improved, widely shared and transferred, and applied.”

The agreement was signed by the Minister of Environment of the Republic of Korea, His Excellency Mr. Seong-kyu Yoon and the Executive Secretary of the CBD, Mr. Braulio de Ferreira de Souza Dias.

During his visit to the Republic of Korea, Mr. Dias will hold a series of high-level meetings on the leadership initiatives – including Bio-Bridge – that have been established by the Republic of Korea to support the Convention. He will also participate in events being held to commemorate the International Day for Biological Diversity that is celebrated this year under the theme, “Biodiversity for Sustainable Development”.

“Technical and scientific cooperation among its 196 Parties is a critical multilateral element of the Convention,” said Mr. Dias. “By carefully helping to match the needs of Parties with the offers of support by other Parties that have relevant experience, as well as with leading organizations and centres of expertise, the Bio-Bridge Initiative will make a lasting contribution. I invite all Parties and partners to join in this initiative to significantly enhance our efforts to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets by 2020.”

Funding for Phase 1 of the Bio-Bridge Initiative (BBI) comprises an initial investment of more than US$ 500,000 by the Ministry of Environment of the Government of the Republic of Korea, with five additional contributions for 2016-2020.

The initiative aims to address some of the identified structural deficiencies that will enable more systematic and sustainable technical and scientific cooperation by: facilitating the communication of technical and scientific needs and priorities of countries; enhancing the availability and accessibility of information with respect to best practices and expertise for technical and scientific cooperation, and; matching the needs of countries with support for technical and scientific cooperation by relevant global, regional and national organizations and initiatives.

The BBI will particularly benefit developing countries and countries with economies in transition that are Parties to the Convention, in particular least developed countries and small island developing States, and the scientific and technical institutions in these countries. Activities scheduled for Phase 1 include engaging important partners; preparing a detailed 2016-2020 action plan; compiling and validating technical and scientific cooperation needs and offers of support; organizing scoping exercises and consultations with Parties, agencies and experts; setting up the basic clearing-house mechanism function of the initiative; developing key partnerships and networks for project delivery, and; identifying candidate pilot projects for Phase 2 (2016-2020).

A funding agreement for the Peace and Biodiversity Dialogue Initiative was also signed by the Minister of Environment and the Executive Secretary. This initiative will promote transboundary cooperation in protected areas globally. Through the Peace and Biodiversity Initiative, Parties to the CBD can share knowledge and best practices in transboundary cooperation. They may also wish to strengthen existing cooperation mechanisms or develop new ones with the facilitation of the CBD Secretariat and many partners with expertise in this regard.

The agreements for the Bio-Bridge and Peace and Biodiversity Dialogue Initiatives add to three other agreements that the Republic of Korea has signed with the Secretariat of the CBD as a commitment of critical support to the Convention in view of its Presidency of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention. The previous three agreements are the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ support to the Sustainable Ocean Initiative, the Korean Forest Service’s support to the Forest Ecosystem Restoration Initiative, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s support to the Capacity Building Initiative for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.

WINNERS OF THE 2015 BIODIVERSITY GALA- OTTAWA, CANADA

Voted by students from local public, Catholic and private schools:

1. Governmental Support Award: Elizabeth May

Elizabeth Evans May OC MP is an American-born Canadian environmentalist, writer, activist, lawyer, and politician currently serving as leader of the Green Party of Canada and Member of Parliament for Saanich—Gulf Islands.

2. Community Action Group -Local NGO: LEAF (Local Eco-action Families)

LEAF was formed in the winter of 2008 by a group of concerned residents of Lindenlea, Rockcliffe Park and New Edinburgh who wanted to think globally and act locally on environmental issues.

3. Notre Dame Youth Award- Michaela Clairmont

Michaela Clairmont is passionate about the environment.  Blessed with abundance appreciation for nature, combined with a strong willingness to learn and to share, Michaela has consistently demonstrated a serious commitment to her studies and the environment.  Michaela was a dedicated camper in both Outdoor Education and in Environmental Science.  On both these excursions, Michaela showed leadership and managed to engage many of her classmates as she led various experiences with both a fitness and stewardship perspective. 

4. Local Youth Award for Biodiversity and Conservation- Jessica Walsh Moreau

Winner of the Ottawa Leading Girls Building Community Award, Jessica has been involved in the Macoun Marsh Biodiversity Project since its beginning.  She was also a leader in the 2009 International Youth Symposium for Biodiversity and in the formation of the International Youth Accord for Biodiversity that she co-presented in Nagoya, Japan for COP10.     

5. The St-Laurent Academy Biodiversity Award- Allan Leveille, Evan Mulcahy (St-Laurent Academy Youth and Biodiversity Mentors)  
Allan and Evan represent some of the youngest of our original Biodiversity Youth Mentors.  They are very enthusiastic and proud to assist for tours at our local Macoun Marsh. 

6. The International Biodiversity Award- Geoff Green, Founder, Executive Director & Expedition Leader of Students on Ice Expeditions

Canadian adventurer, environmentalist and educator Geoff Green has been leading expeditions and adventures from pole to pole for the past twenty years. Many notable organizations such as the Discovery Channel, World Wildlife Fund, National Audubon Society and the Smithsonian Institution enlist Geoff to lead their groups into the world's most remote and interesting regions.

7. International Youth Award for Biodiversity and Conservation- Lemuel Mena Vega (Mexico)

Lemuel Manases Mena Vega is a native of Cozumel and one of the founding members of the Park and Museum Foundation, which is dedicated to the conservation and maintenance of ecological parks and habitat in Cozumel. Lemuel has been most active in a project conserving and monitoring sea turtles and has presented at several international conferences, including the Second International Youth Forum in Canada in 2009. His long-term goal is to establish an environmental education business in Cozumel to get the native population active in conservation efforts.

8. International Youth Award for Biodiversity and Conservation- Christian Schwarzer (Germany)

Christian Schwarzer is a young German law student and a founder and member of the first Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN)’ Steering Committee. The Global Youth Biodiversity Network provides a unique global platform where youth organizations and individuals can get in touch with each other and join forces for the protection of biodiversity.  He has been to 21 rounds of UN-negotiations.  Among them 6 COP meetings (2 UNFCCC and 4 CBD) as well as 15 subsidiary body and ad-hoc working group meetings of the UNFCCC and the CBD.   

9. Devonshire Public Youth Award- Grade 6 students and KIVA

When a grade 6 Devonshire student came forward with an inspiring idea about how their school could support local farmers while raising money to help people help themselves, grade 3 - 6 students from the school stepped forward to help out. KIVA is a micro-financing bank that works in developing countries around the world helping hard-working people receive loans to help them become self-sustaining. When loans are repaid , the money can be loaned again to help others. We are now in the process of purchasing grain from a local farmer so we can have a pancake lunch at our school to raise money. The money raised will become a school legacy fund that will allow future generations of Devonshire students to work locally and make a significant difference in the lives of farmers, entrepreneurs, students and farmers around the world.  

10. The Ottawa Biodiversity Education Award- Laura Leet and the SEED Educators

Creator of SEED Educators that helps teachers to see environmental education differently. We are located in Ottawa and hold monthly networking sessions for teachers. There is also a website that allows teachers to access environmental educational resources for their classrooms.