Biodiversity: It's in Our Nature Announcement

On Monday afternoon, on behalf of the ROM, Janet Carding was pleased to welcome The Honourable Michael Gravelle, Minister of Natural Resources, for the announcement of Biodiversity: It's in Our Nature, the Ontario government’s new biodiversity plan. In addition to various government stakeholders, Dianne Lister, Dave Ireland and ROM staff were able to hear about the plan alongside members of the Ontario Biodiversity Council, including some mutual stakeholders and partners as represented by Conservation Ontario, Ontario Sand Stone &Gravel Association, Ducks Unlimited and, the Chair of the OBC, Jon Grant, O.C.

The Earth Rangers Studio in the Schad Gallery was an appropriate venue for the announcement since, as Janet mentioned in her remarks, the ROM embraces the four pillars of the plan - to engage people, reduce threats, increase resilience and to support research. In fact, our own strategic plan places biodiversity front and centre, by actively supporting engagement and research. Janet also had the opportunity to share some of the ROM’s recent biodiversity accomplishments, including, from a field and research perspective, Dr. Jean-Marc Moncalvo’s recently documented rare mushrooms and Mark Peck’s work with the Toronto based Urban Bird Program.

This is in addition to ROM programming to acknowledge 2012 as the “Year of Oceans” as designated by the United Nations. We generated some important, original public engagement opportunities with our Green Living Show exhibit, A National Symposium, and an Ontario Elementary School Curriculum document about oceans.

Congratulations to the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ontario Biodiversity Council on an important strategy.