In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the  Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) this year, each of the organization’s employees will take Time for Nature. This in-house participation program is about getting out into nature, spending time in natural areas, visiting the very spots that inspired NCC employees to work in conservation, taking family and friends to an NCC property where they work or visiting an NCC property in another region.

Now, NCC is extending the Time for Nature challenge to all Canadians, encouraging them to join the celebration and visit a nearby NCC property this year. The non-profit conservation organization has 2.6 million acres of conservation lands to choose from, all in the southern, most inhabited part of Canada – right where Canadians work and live.

Taking time for nature could involve a hike, a bike ride or a tour of a conservation area protected by NCC. Canadians could even get their hands dirty through the Conservation Volunteers program.

Each province hosts a number of Conservation Volunteers events, where participants can get involved in direct, on-the-ground conservation action.

“It’s about connecting people with nature,” says Marie-Michele Rousseau-Clair, land stewardship coordinator for NCC’s Quebec Region. “It gives Canadians of all ages and walks of life a hands-on experience with conservation, and the chance to explore the natural habitat, see rare species and visit some extraordinary sites around Canada.”

Visiting the Weston family Conservation Centre (photo by NCC)

Conservation Volunteers can join NCC staff to participate in species inventories, nesting site clean-up, restoration and maintenance activities, tree planting or invasive species removal, says Ms. Rousseau-Clair. “The program is an amazing way for NCC to leverage our conservation actions in a short period of time. Tree planting with two staff members, versus 25 volunteers, means the difference between many days and one afternoon.”

In 2011, NCC held 80 Conservation Volunteers events across the country, where 1,029 participants volunteered for a combined total of 747 hours.

At these events, people can also take on the role of Roving Reporters. Using Toshiba-donated camcorders and cameras, these volunteers receive NCC press badges, interview fellow conservation volunteers and record what takes place. The final product is shared on the NCC website.

To view The Take Time for Nature pdf, click here...

To sign up for a Conservation Volunteers event or learn more about the Roving Reporters program, visit conservationvolunteers.ca.
 

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the nation’s leading not-for-profit, private land conservation organization, working to protect our most important natural areas and the species they sustain. Since 1962, NCC and its partners have helped to protect more than 2.6 million acres (1 million hectares), coast to coast.

For more information, visit natureconservancy.ca/timefornature.