Volunteer opportunities increase for Canadians thanks to new partnership

A three-year, $280,000 agreement with TELUS will help WWF-Canada recruit and train conservation volunteers across the country

TORONTO, April 8, 2016 /CNW/ - Canadians will soon have even more opportunities to harness their passion for the environment and take action for the planet. As the presenting sponsor of WWF-Canada's volunteering program, TELUS is championing conservation volunteerism to help WWF-Canada demonstrate what is possible when we work together.

In anticipation of National Volunteer Week (April 10-16, 2016), WWF-Canada and TELUS are pleased to announce a new step in their partnership to engage Canadians for nature. Building on the success of past campaigns, WWF-Canada and TELUS will now work together to drive direct conservation action with meaningful impacts across the country.

This partnership will create rewarding opportunities for Canadians to donate their time, talents and skills to support WWF-Canada's conservation work. WWF-Canada volunteers can be site coordinators for the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, assist in fundraising events such as the CN Tower Climb for Nature, and volunteer their technical skills to support WWF-Canada's operations, through means like digital marketing.

With the support of TELUS, WWF-Canada will:

• Expand WWF-Canada's national volunteer presence by creating and expanding skills-based opportunities in all WWF offices from coast to coast to coast.
• Create a new, annual hands-on volunteering event in 2016 that will engage Canadians to create meaningful conservation impacts across the country.
• Expand workplace volunteering for conservation through the Living Planet @ Work program by developing resources such as volunteer toolkits.

"WWF-Canada volunteers play a critical role in our conservation efforts. They organize shoreline cleanups and coordinate sustainability committees at work, but they want to do even more," David Miller, WWF-Canada president and CEO, said. "The TELUS Days of Giving employee program is a great example of the positive impact volunteering can have in the workplace and beyond. We're thrilled to work together with TELUS to transform conservation volunteerism in Canada."

Championing volunteerism is not new to TELUS. Each spring the company hosts TELUS Days of Giving to make it easier for their employees to give back. In 2015, these 1,350 activities engaged more than 17,850 volunteers to deliver significant results, including 715 bags of waste collected from river valleys, parks and fields.

Canadians are encouraged to become champions for nature and become one of hundreds of WWF-Canada volunteers today.

Visit http://www.wwf.ca/takeaction/volunteer/ for more information.

About World Wildlife Fund Canada
WWF-Canada creates solutions to the environmental challenges that matter most for Canadians. We work in places that are unique and ecologically important, so that wildlife, nature and people thrive together. Because we are all wildlife. For more info visit wwf.ca

SOURCE WWF-Canada

Image with caption: "TELUS volunteers plant trees for the annual TELUS Days of Giving, an opportunity for employees, friends and family to participate in charitable and community activities. Credit: TELUS (CNW Group/WWF-Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160408_C2447_PHOTO_EN_661148.jpg

Philippe Devos, director of communications and media, [email protected], [phone]