Montréal Space For Life - An Exceptional Opportunity to Observe Nature in All Its Splendour

MONTRÉAL, April 10, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Spring has sprung, and nature is bursting with newfound energy. Montréal Space for Life is inviting everyone to take advantage of this ideal spot for observing birds, reptiles, amphibians and butterflies at their leisure. Hundred of birds at the Biodôme are busily singing and tweeting, and the Quebec reptiles and amphibians are emerging from their winter hibernation, ready to celebrate this Springtime Awakening with visitors. But there's more! Butterflies Go Free is on for a few weeks yet, and the Botanical Garden's Main Exhibition Greenhouse is full of the graceful dance of thousands of these winged creatures, delighting visitors as they browse from flower to flower.

It's for the birds! - Bird Fest from April 29 to May 22
Have fun with the family or friends, observing, finding and identifying the many different bird species at the Biodôme. Are you ready for a challenge? With the help of an identification guide and tips from our scientific nature interpreters, see how many birds you can spot and identify in the Biodôme's five ecosystems. And there's something new! This year, on Sunday, April 23 and 30, and May 7 and 14, bird lovers can get an introduction to birdwatching by joining the Biodôme's nature interpreters on guided walks through the Botanical Garden. To sign up and get more details, see our calendar. And don't forget your binoculars! (Note that the walks will be in French.)

Winged wildlife – biodiversity worth protecting

• Did you know that some thirty species of birds are considered vulnerable in Quebec? For instance, the Canada warbler population has declined by 70% over the past 50 years as wooded wetlands have been transformed.
  
  
• Intensive monoculture of corn and soybeans has transformed the Quebec landscape and destroyed some species' natural habitats. The use of synthetic insecticides also explains the declining population of swallows, in particular tree swallows, since the 1970s.
  
  
• On the other hand, the popularity of birdfeeders is thought to have boosted the number of red cardinals in Quebec. Rare in the early 1980s in Montréal, they were seen nesting for the first time in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region in 2013!
  
  
• What can you do to help? Plant your garden with various species of native coniferous and deciduous trees and shrubs, install a bird bath and even leave an old dead tree standing. Your yard will provide water, food, shelter and nesting sites for different bird species.

Springtime Awakening for Quebec reptiles and amphibians, until May 22
Winter is over and the frogs, toads, turtles, salamanders, eastern newts and snakes are beginning to stir and getting ready to celebrate spring's arrival. The Easter weekend is the perfect time to come see them in their natural habitat at the Biodôme and watch an excerpt from Un monde inaperçu, a documentary produced by Étienne Plasse, who followed the life cycles of Quebec amphibians and reptiles throughout all four seasons.

It's your last chance...

• to inspire kids with the play created by the La Nef troupe: Mira, The Little Star at the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium
  Ages 4 to 8
  Until Monday, April 17
  Can Mira, the little star, escape the nasty Algol, who's trying to catch her lovely sparkling light? That's what kids will love finding out as they watch this fantastic new immersive musical theatre show. Here are a few images to whet your appetite!
  
  
• to soak up the benefits of the warm, lush setting in the Botanical Garden's greenhouse, as you watch thousands of Butterflies Go Free
  Until April 30
  Some 50 butterfly species flutter amongst their favourite plants as they feed, rest, mate and lay their eggs, grow as caterpillars and suspend their chrysalises. The Insectarium and Botanical Garden teams have combined their expertise to share butterflies' and moths' amazing life cycles with you.

For the best experience
Buy your tickets online at billets.espacepourlavie.ca/en.
Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Easter weekend, including Monday, April 17.

Visuals:
Quebec Reptiles and Amphibians: http://bit.ly/Éveilduprintemps2017
Bird Fest: http://bit.ly/Ornitho2017
Butterflies Go Free: http://bit.ly/Papillons_Butterflies2017
Mira, The Little Star: http://bit.ly/MiraLaPetiteÉtoile

SOURCE Espace pour la vie

Nadine Fortin, Communications Co-ordinator, Communications and Marketing Division, Montréal Space for Life, Office: 514 868-3053, Cell: 514 250-7753, [email protected]; Marie-Joëlle Filion, Communications Co-ordinator, Communications and Marketing Division, Montréal Space for Life, Office: 514 868-4840, Cell: 514 443-6801, [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.espacepourlavie.ca/