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.@CWF_FCF asks Canadians to help pollinators by growing plants that #bees and #butterflies will love. #WildAboutGardening
Pollinator kits from @CWF_FCF pollinator kits are spreading to #gardening centres across Canada. #WildAboutGardening
OTTAWA_June 1, 2016 _ Growing concerns over the health of pollinators like wild bees and butterflies has the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) urging the public to dig in and plant for wildlife.
“Pollination is one of the most important processes on the planet,” said Rick Bates, Acting CEO of the Canadian Wildlife Federation. “About 90 per cent of the seed-producing plant species in the world depend on pollination. We need to ensure that our gardens, yards and communities provide habitat for pollinators because so many of these species are declining.”
CWF helped the public grow more than 60,000 pollinator plants in Ontario in 2015 through the distribution of monarch kits. CWF plans for 200,000 additional pollinator plants to be introduced across Canada in 2016. CWF’s pollinator kits are now available at garden centres across Canada including many Home Depot locations. The kits feature a variety of pesticide-free bedding plants for songbirds, hummingbirds, monarchs and other butterflies. A list of suppliers is available at CanadianWildifeFederation.org/Pollinators. Thousands of pollinators will benefit from these plantings.
Quick Facts
• Pollinators provide about one third of the food we eat
• It is estimated that pollinators contribute over a billion dollars to the Canadian economy
• There are more than 1,000 species of pollinators in Canada including butterflies, bees, flies, beetles, wasps and birds
What You Can Do:
• Avoid using pesticides
• Ask garden centres for plants grown without Neonicotinoids(neonics) as these insecticides stay in the plant and contaminates the pollen and nectar the pollinators eat
• Certify your garden as wildlife friendly through the Canadian Wildlife Federation
Getting Young People Planting for Pollinators
CWF’s new WILD Spaces program is engaging 7,000 youth through online learning programs, habitat development projects and educational field trips about pollinators. As part of this program, CWF is providing 100 classes with enough perennial plant kits to create or expand their own pollinator gardens. CWF is also sending groups of participants to conservation centres to enjoy hands on pollinator education experiences at:
• Calgary Zoo May 30-31
• Montreal’s Mount Royal Park June 7-9
• Edmonton’s Muttart Conservatory June 13-16
• Toronto’s Royal Botanical Garden June 13-14
• Vancouver’s VanDusen Botanical Garden June 21
CWF’s WILD Grants program also supports many schools with their pollinator projects including:
• Habitat restoration at Kitchener - Waterloo Collegiate
• A “living laboratory” at Ancaster Strata Adolescent Montessori featuring native plant species and bird nest boxes
• A permaculture project at Edson Holy Redeemer High School focusing on native edible species and native flowering plants
• An outdoor classroom at Winnipeg’s Beautiful Savior Lutheran School to focus on butterflies and the importance of habitat restoration
• A butterfly garden at Montréal’s École Saint-Barthélemy
• Pollinator programs at Charlottetown’s LM Montgomery Elementary School
Teenagers in CWF’s Wild Outside leadership program are also creating bee habitats in Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary.
Visit CanadianWildlifeFederation.ca and WildAboutGardening.org for more information and to get involved. Resources include pollinator posters, information on the lifecycles of pollinators, planting ideas, help on how to garden organically, gardening clubs and recipe ideas including ways to cook with weeds.
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About the Canadian Wildlife Federation:
The Canadian Wildlife Federation is dedicated to fostering awareness and appreciation of our natural world. By spreading knowledge of human impacts on the environment, sponsoring research, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, recommending legislative changes and co-operating with like-minded partners, CWF encourages a future in which Canadians can live in harmony with nature. Visit CanadianWildlifeFederation.ca for more information.
Contact:
Heather Robison, Media and Community Relations, heatherr@cwf-fcf.org: 1-877-599-5777 x 212
