Canadian Wildlife Federation: Forests & Fields

Background

Canadian forests and fields have an important role to play in supporting our communities, our economy and our wildlife. Loss and alteration of habitat, toxic pollutants such the widespread use of pesticides and herbicides and climate change threaten Canada’s wildlife in our forests and farmlands.

The health of the majority of Canada’s wildlife depends on conservation actions taken in our forests, fields and farmlands. Learn how the Canadian Wildlife Federation is undertaking this enormous task.

Interesting Facts

90%
Farmland covers 6.8% of the surface area of Canada and hosts 313 species of birds, or 69% of all breeding bird species, and Canadian farmland overlaps with the range of 90% of our species at risk.

25%
The Canadian Boreal Forest contains one quarter of the world's freshwater wetlands, which supply important habitat for over 75 percent of North American waterfowl.

300
Species of birds breed in our boreal forest. The Canadian boreal forest is a nursery for billions of birds.

Help the Bats

Bats are amazing animals that are vital to the health of our environment and economy. Although we may not always see them, bats are hard at work all around the world each night – eating thousands of insects, pollinating flowers, and spreading seeds that grow new plants and trees. However, many of our bats are under threat of habitat loss, pesticides, white-nose syndrome and more.

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Agricultural Intensification

Over the last several decades, agricultural intensification has diminished biodiversity on farmland because it converts land to more concentrated use, which supports far fewer species. Intensification also increases risk of agricultural pollutants flowing into watersheds, which impacts fish and aquatic invertebrates.

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WILD Spaces

Educators, you and your students can give pollinators a boost by learning about them, planting nectar rich blooms in a school or community garden and by documenting the pollinators that visit the garden.

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Gardening for Wildlife

As more land is developed for human use, our gardens are needed now more than ever to provide wildlife with habitat that wouldn’t otherwise be there. Every wildlife-friendly garden is a haven that can act as a stepping stone between larger areas of natural habitat.

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