McGuinty Government Supporting International Year of Biodiversity
From Polar Bear Provincial Park to Point Pelee, Ontario boasts a rich diversity of plant and animal life. To mark the United Nations’ International Year of Biodiversity, a new Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) program will showcase “A Slice of Life” in the province.
The ROM is partnering with the Ministry of Natural Resources to offer a year-long series of workshops, podcasts, lectures and teaching tools to encourage Ontarians to appreciate and protect the nature that is all around us.
The ROM program will showcase life in all four of Ontario’s “ecozones” the Hudson Bay Lowlands, Canadian Shield, Mixedwood Plains, and the Great Lakes. Visitors, in person or online, will learn about the unique characteristics of each, the risks to species and habitat in the zones, and how individuals can help preserve the province’s rich biodiversity.
Donna Cansfield, Minister of Natural Resources said that “Nature matters - to our health, our economy, and our quality of life. The International Year of Biodiversity and our partnership with the ROM serve to remind Ontarians that our province’s rich diversity of plants and animals deserves our appreciation and our protection.”
“We are proud of our partnership with the Ministry of Natural Resources in support of the Life in Crisis: Schad Gallery of Biodiversity to educate Ontarians on the fragility of our environment and to inspire public action to protect the diversity of life on Earth”. said Dr. Marie Bountrogianni, President & Executive Director, ROM Governors.
Quick Facts
• The United Nations declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity, inviting everyone to take action to safeguard the variety of life on Earth. See www.cbd.int/2010/welcome for more UN information.
• Ontario has more than 30,000 identified species of plants and animals. Worldwide, more than 1.4 million species of plants and animals have been identified.
• In Ontario, almost 200 species are at risk. Worldwide, more than 17,000 species are threatened with extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Learn More
• Read about how the Ministry of Natural Resources is preserving Ontario’s biodiversity by visiting www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/Biodiversity/index.html
• See how Ontario is protecting species at risk by visiting www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/Species.
• Visit the ROM’s Life in Crisis: Schad Gallery of Biodiversity to explore our world’s biodiversity through three core themes: Life is Diverse; Life is Interconnected; and Life is at Risk, or see visit online at www.rom.on.ca/exhibitions/nhistory/nature/index.php.