CWF encourages Canadians to join in the Walk for Wildlife

OTTAWA, April 9 /CNW Telbec/ - The Canadian Wildlife Federation is urging Canadians to head outdoors and "Walk for Wildlife" to celebrate National Wildlife Week.

The Walk for Wildlife is a national campaign to encourage people from coast to coast to experience the wildlife and natural spaces in their region then log their kilometres at NationalWildlifeWeek.com. Walkers can log as often as they like, all kilometres will be added to our national tally. CWF will be keeping count of kilometres until May 22, International Day of Biodiversity. The goal is to log enough kilometres to go right across Canada creating national awareness about wildlife conservation and biodiversity. We are fortunate in our country to have some of the world's most spectacular wildlife all around us," says Wade Luzny, CWF Executive Vice-President. "The United Nations declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity. We're asking Canadians to head outdoors and discover Canada's biodiversity right in their own backyard and then tell us how far they walked for wildlife by logging their kilometres online."

Participants can join in the Walk for Wildlife by hiking through a nature trail, strolling through a park, hitting the city streets or any number of other outdoor activities that will allow them to connect with native species, plants and habitats.

"By encouraging people to get acquainted with some of the iconic species and scenic spaces that exist right across the country, we are hoping to inspire an even greater commitment to wildlife and biodiversity conservation," says Luzny. "We want to leave a lasting legacy, not only for wildlife but also for our children."

National Wildlife Week is celebrated each year the week of April 10th, in honour of the late Jack Miner, who was instrumental in founding Canada's conservation movement.

For more information about the National Wildlife Week and the Walk for Wildlife, visit NationalWildlifeWeek.com.

For further information: Pam Logan, Communications Coordinator, [phone] ext. 250, [email protected]