May 31, 2018
FREDERICTON, May 31, 2018 After helping Fredericton homeowners during the floods, the newest recruits in the Canadian Conservation Corps are planning additional community service and conservation projects across Canada.
"I'm very proud of the young adults who are building a better Canada by giving back through our new Canadian Conservation Corps program,” said Rick Bates, CEO of the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF). “These youth are part of an innovative nine-month education program that includes wilderness training, conservation field learning and community service projects, but to begin on day one with flood relief goes above and beyond our expectations."
The new program was developed by the Canadian Wildlife Federation and is funded by the federal government as part of the Canada Service Corps.
Over the next two years, the Canadian Conservation Corps will recruit participants, aged 18-30, half from underserved parts of the nation. The first group of recruits began training in February and have spent the past few months in Saskatchewan, Ontario and Alberta helping with turtles, snakes, fish and other wildlife and habitat conservation projects. The second group of recruits met in Fredericton May 8 and was scheduled for orientation at a base camp but immediately adjusted those plans to support local flood relief efforts. These young adults then set off for two weeks of wilderness training and is now back at base camp near Fredericton for wildlife education workshops and project planning. The participants will be helping with conservation projects across Canada as well as in their home communities as the program unfolds.
“It’s really wonderful to see young people take immediate action to address the needs of Canadians by supporting local flood relief efforts. That’s what Canada Service Corps is all about: bringing the notion of service to life by getting people together to make a positive difference in our communities and the lives of others.”
The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour
To learn more, visit CanadianConservationCorps.ca, follow @conservationcorpscan on Instagram or add @cwfyouthcorps to Snapchat.
About the Canadian Wildlife Federation:
The Canadian Wildlife Federation is a national, not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to fostering awareness and appreciation of our natural world. By spreading knowledge of human impacts on the environment, carrying out research, developing and delivering education programs, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, recommending changes to policy and co-operating with like-minded partners, CWF encourages a future in which Canadians can live in harmony with nature. For more information visit CanadianWildlifeFederation.ca.
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Contacts:
Heather Robison
Media and Community Relations Officer
heatherr@cwf-fcf.org
(613) 599-9594 x 212
Pamela Logan,
Communications Director
pamelal@cwf-fcf.org
(613) 599-9594 x250
