Does your municipality declare National Wildlife Week (NWW) each year? It should! National Wildlife Week is a great way to increase community awareness of wildlife and habitat conservation.
There are all kinds of things you can do to celebrate. Arrange a wildlife movie night, or invite a wildlife expert to give a talk. You can even organize an entire NWW festival for your community. For more information, call the toll-free, Canada-wide NWW hotline at 1-800-563-WILD.
Here are just a few ideas from a selection of the hundreds of Canadian communities that celebrate NWW:
• Organize a planting party. A local nursery may be willing to donate trees, shrubs, or plants for the event.
• Spruce up the grounds of your municipal offices by planting trees, shrubs, or flowers. Put up bird feeders for a bit of extra excitement!
• Plan a community nature walk through a nearby forest. Your local naturalist club or wildlife agency may be able to provide a guide.
• Adopt a nature trail. Put up bird feeders and nesting boxes, and pick up garbage along the trail.
• Hold a community cleanup day.
• Organize a stream-cleaning day: remove all the garbage from a stream or riverbank in your area.
• Encourage local conservation officers to speak to schoolchildren, community groups, or any organization you may be involved with.
• Prepare wildlife displays for shopping malls and other public places. Local nature clubs may be able to assist you.
• Ask your public library to display NWW posters (available from the Canadian Wildlife Federation). Encourage the library to offer wildlife-related storytelling sessions for children.
• Organize a photo or poster contest on wildlife and environmental themes.
• Plan a wildlife film festival at your local community centre, school, or library.
• Hold a wildlife art show, contest, or auction featuring the work of local artists.
• Encourage your local newspaper to publish wildlife articles. Perhaps it could profile a school, community association, or business that has improved wildlife habitat in your area.