Environment, Community / Pictures available at www.carolinian.org
Carolinian Canada Coalition
MEDIA RELEASE
YOUTH HELPING SPECIES AT RISK
Point Pelee National Park, Ontario – August 16-17 – While most teens take advantage of the summer weather and time off school to relax and soak up the sun on the beach, several of the Ontario Stewardship Rangers will be having a different sort of beach experience this summer. Stewardship Ranger teams from across Carolinian Canada will be taking part in a Species at Risk Camp hosted by the Carolinian Canada Coalition in partnership with Point Pelee National Park. These teams of 16 & 17-year old Stewardship Rangers will spend their day at the beach restoring habitat for Ontario’s only lizard, the Common Five-Lined Skink. They’ll also be learning about some of our endangered and threatened species, many of which live in the Carolinian Life Zone of southwestern Ontario, including the Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus and the Hooded Warbler.
Many students know that iconic animals like the Panda Bear or the Right Whale are endangered, but are unaware of species at risk in their backyards and communities, and what they can do to help. The 2-day camp, on August 16-17 at Point Pelee National Park in Essex County will introduce Stewardship Rangers to rare Carolinian species and habitats, as well as the landowners, experts and volunteers that help them.
As summer employees of stewardship councils and First Nations, Stewardship Rangers assist with a range of conservation work for public and private landowners across the Southern Ontario. Camp participants will be able to take a trip to the tip of Point Pelee to learn about how erosion affects habitat and species; visit a dark sky preserve and learn about the environmental impacts of night light; restore skink habitat along the shore of Lake Erie and get up close and personal with many species through a presentation by Reptiles At Risk! The 2-day camp is packed full of activities!
Through the camp the Rangers will also learn how their participation in the Stewardship Ranger program and the Species at Risk camp are not the only way they can get involved in stewardship. Any citizen can easily contribute to many stewardship activities through citizen science initiatives, such as monitoring through the Ontario Nature Reptile and Amphibian Atlas. A highlight of the camp is a presentation of “SHOUT! Youth Helping Species At Risk” by the rangers themselves about their summer work.
“Ontario Stewardship Rangers are teens with potential to be the next generation of land stewards,” said Bronwen Buck, Ecosystem Network Coordinator with the Carolinian Canada Coalition. “In addition to providing hands-on experiences, the camp offers opportunities for rangers to share field stories, network with conservation-minded peers, and interact with experts who can provide them with career-related advice.”
The camp is part of the Coalition's "Greening the Future for Species at Risk" program to inspire, inform and guide communities towards habitat recovery in harmony with working landscapes. Assistance for this project is provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Parks Canada, TD Canada Trust’s Friends of the Environment Foundation, Point Pelee National Park and the Friends of Point Pelee.
Stretching from Toronto to Windsor, the Carolinian Life Zone is marked by one of the highest concentrations of species at risk in Canada, with over 150 nationally protected species and over 500 provincially rare species and ecological communities. Carolinian Canada Coalition is a partnership of groups with the shared goal of conserving and restoring the unique nature of southwestern Ontario for healthy and sustainable landscapes. Interested supporters can receive a free Wild Neighbours Kit or explore Carolinian Canada by visiting www.carolinian.org or calling 519-433-7077.
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Media Contacts:
Michelle Kanter, Executive Director, Carolinian Canada Coalition, 519-433-7077
Megan Ihrig, Coastal Program Coordinator, Carolinian Canada Coalition, 905-993-0149
Project funding provided by: