The Canadian Committee for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (CCIUCN) is calling for nominations to join its board of directors in 2022 (self-nominations accepted). If you have a passion for conservation and would like to be involved in a national committee that aims to inform, connect and promote conservation actions in Canada, we would love to hear from you! Please click here for the nominations form, and here for a candidates guide Submissions in English and French are welcome; board business primarily occurs in English. Nominations are due no later than December 13th, 2021 and all inquiries and submissions should be sent to CCIUCN@nature.ca.
A nominations committee consisting of 4 board members and observers will be reviewing submissions and a slate will be recommended for the board to endorse prior to being elected at the 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM) (date to be determined). No nominations will be accepted from the floor during the AGM. Candidates accepted for approval at the AGM will be notified in advance and each must be members of the CCIUCN prior to acceptance. Should attendance at the AGM (virtual or in-person) not be possible, candidates will be asked to accept in writing before the AGM.
Please join us to learn about current events, initiatives and opportunities to contribute to the work of the IUCN in Canada. Our agenda is being finalized and your board of directors looks forward to the dialogue. Please share this invite with colleagues and friends. CCIUCN members and non-Members are welcome!
CC-IUCN is looking for youth volunteers (18-30 years old) to become 2020-2021 CC-IUCN Youth Ambassadors. The successful Youth Ambassadors will work with the committee to connect youth to nature and the CC-IUCN before, during and after the IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) through online engagement, and connecting and working with other Canadian and international organizations and events. The CC-IUCN will provide up to $2000 in funding for each chosen Youth Ambassador to register and attend the WCC in Marseille, France June 11-19 2020 (and some additional support for other meetings).
Please note that this is a volunteer position and will require a commitment of approximately 10 hours a month for a two-year term (with an increased commitment level expected directly before, during and after the WCC). The Youth Ambassador position is limited to Canadian citizens and landed immigrants.
I’m delighted to write to you now, midway through our fiscal
year, to provide an update of the activities of the CCIUCN and to highlight
some upcoming events.
As Board President, I will aim to provide these
updates throughout the year to keep our membership informed about and engaged
in CC IUCN projects.
We kicked off the year with our Annual General Meeting
in January, where we swore in our board and began the development of our 3-year
work plan. Thanks to the input of our members we have finalized the work plan
and it is posted on the CCIUCN
website for your information. It is an
ambitious plan that aims to advance our contribution towards the mission of the
IUCN and conservation of nature in Canada.
Interested
in being involved?
CCIUCN is seeking members who like to actively
participate on projects outlined in the work plan. Presently, we are seeking members with an
interest in communication, membership services and youth engagement but if you
see something in the work plan that interests you, please reach out! You can contact cciucn@nature.ca with your interest and we’ll be in touch.
We
want your input
One of the key activities of the CCIUCN over the next
few months is soliciting input from members on the draft IUCN Programme
2020-2024, titled ‘One Nature, One Future’. The finalized Programme – a 4 year
work plan- will be presented for adoption at IUCN World Conservation Congress in
Marseille France in 2020. The Canadian Committee, like all country committees, is soliciting input from
members on the draft Programme and in order to gather as much input as
possible, we’ve established three ways you can provide input:
Fill out a member’s survey seeking input on the Programme. The members survey is open until August 26th
and you can access it here.
Join us at the in-person Regional forum on September 5th at the
Museum of Nature in Ottawa. Register and
find the agenda here. This year we’re also working to have video
links so that members who can’t make it to Ottawa can still participate.
We hosted a webinar in early July where participants were able to learn
about how the Programme of work drives the activities of the IUCN, review a summary
of the current draft and discuss next steps in the Programme development
process including how to provide input. If you missed the webinar, don’t worry!
You can watch a recording of the session here. Special thanks to the Canadian Parks Collective for Innovation and Leadership for hosting the webinar.
2020
World Conservation Congress
The CCIUCN will also be playing an active role at the
upcoming World Conservation Congress in Marseille in 2020, including sending Youth Ambassadors (stay tuned for
more information on that), hosting a Canada Reception and more. If you intend
to be at the Congress, drop us a line as we’d love to connect with all the
Canadians who will be travelling to France.
One more item for your calendars: this fall, CCIUCN in partnership with Canadian Parks Collective for
Innovation and Leadership, will be hosting a webinar on synthetic
biology.
This rapidly developing field holds promise and risks for the conservation of
biodiversity. CCIUCN will be sending out invitations in the fall, so be sure to
tune in to learn more.
My first six months as President of the CCIUCN has been busy and
exciting – there is so much to do! I
very much look forward to all the activities we have planned over the next six
months and beyond. I’ll close by wishing
you all a safe and fun summer, and a productive fall. I look forward to hearing
from you and seeing you soon.
Note: Survey deadline has been extended until August 26th!
The IUCN Programme 2021-2024 “One Nature, One Future” survey is now posted.
Please fill out the survey and distribute the survey links amongst your networks for feedback on the IUCN Programme 2021-2024 draft for consultation. The survey will be live until end-of-day Monday, August 26th.
Please join us for a webinar on July 4, 2019 from 1pm to 1:40pm ET.
This webinar will provide an introduction to the Canadian Committee of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (CCIUCN) and World Commission on Protected Areas (WPCA) and to both the current and draft Programme of Work that guides Members, Commissions and the IUCN Secretariat in securing the planetary life support system by 2030.
Panelists include: Lisa McLaughlin VP of Conservation and Planning Nature Conservancy of Canada CCIUCN President Meg Beckel CEO, Canadian Museum of Nature Past President, CCIUCN Rick Bates CEO, Canadian Wildlife Federation IUCN Regional Councillor (North America & the Caribbean). Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lxZ0FPg5TG2CKWgd581_TA
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
The next 14-18 months is a critical time for conservation.
The new report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) tells us that nature is declining at rates unprecedented in human history, and although it’s not too late to make a difference, we must make transformational change.
In 14 months the World Conservation Congress in Marseilles will be a moment for conservationists from around the world to send a signal to government leaders on the need for serious commitment and action to stop the loss. In 18 months (October, 2020) the Convention on Biological Diversity meetings will be in Kunming, Guizhou, China, where new targets to 2030 will be set and commitments made.
To help plan the places and times where you can provide input to these events to help shape future international conservation action, here is a schedule of events between now and 2021 for your use.
At the May 9, 2019 CCIUCN Board meeting, Olaf Jensen (Environment and Climate Change Canada) made a presentation about Canada’s progress towards Canada Target 1 / Aichi Target 11. That presentation is shared below as a pdf file.
The Global Directory of IUCN National and Regional Committees is now available to view and contains information on the activities of these members of the IUCN family as well as their contact details. You will see from this document that there are more than 60 officially recognised IUCN National Committees and 7 Regional Committees as well as Country Focal Points in places where these arrangements do not exist. More National Committees are being established regularly, most recently in Benin in West Africa, the United States of America and Belize in MesoAmerica. The editors intend to regularly update the document which you can also download from the IUCN website.
This Global Directory should also provide some context to help IUCN Members in the West Europe and East Europe and Central Asia region decide on whether to form an InterRegional Committee to join the other Regional Committees in helping IUCN function…
The IUCN Programme provides the framework for planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating the conservation work undertaken by the Commissions and the Secretariat with and on behalf of IUCN Members.
The 2017-2020 Programme as revised by Congress is now available on the IUCN website:
#NatureForAll (#NFA) will be launched at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress (WCC) in Hawai’i September 2-10, 2016. There are many ways in which #NFA ambassadors, partners, and WCC attendees can participate in building the #NFA movement.
In the lead-up to the WCC #NFA is reaching out to existing and new partners, with a focus on building a coalition of organizations and individuals who share the #NFA vision.You can be a part of:
#NatureForAll’s Social media presence: Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and help broaden #NFA’s reach by hashtagging #NatureForAll.
For Me, Nature is…: Contribute social media posts of photos that show your feelings in nature. Watch and share this video for more information.
#NatureForAll Greenhouse: Be a Mentor or Supporter to one of three finalists of the #NFA Greenhouse, an accelerator that has sought out projects from around the world that are connecting people to nature. Contact Crista Valentino at crista@coalitionwild.org for more information.
Social Media Influencers: Reach out to emerging social media influencers in your network with strong YouTube audiences to ask them do a short piece on their interaction with nature. Contact Tomasz Wiercioch at wiercioch@pc.gc.ca for more information.
During the 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress the #NFA pavilion will be a central gathering place and focal point for the #NFA journey and for celebrating, catalysing, and showcasing global efforts to connect people to nature. You can be a part of: ·
The #NFA launch event: On September 2 at 11:00 AM and in other engaging, interactive sessions throughout the pavilion programme. Check out our pavilion program and the #NFA journey here.
Plays for Nature (Nature Playbook): Contribute video submissions that capture stories and actions about connecting with nature (Nature Plays).Contact Tomasz Wiercioch at wiercioch@pc.gc.ca for more information.
NatureRX Video: contribute to the filming of a new creative video that will be part of this comedic viral video series.
Building the Choir: Be a part of a video, podcast, and performance of a ‘connecting people to nature’ song being written at WCC. Contact Tomasz Wiercioch at wiercioch@pc.gc.ca for more information.
The Studio Photo Booth: Use the #NFA pavilion photo booth and share photos and videos via social media.
Airbrush Tattoos: Get a tattoo and participate in accompanying social media contest.
#NatureForAll Fireside Chats: collectively develop strategies and commitments to grow the #NatureForAll movement – from 8:30 to 10:30 September 3-6 at the #NFA pavilion. Build momentum and scale up action so that Partners and projects from around the world will be promoted and shared as a foundation for learning from each other and scaling up action. You can: benefit from cross-promotion by co-branding new or existing projects or programs with #NatureForAll. Share your experiences and lessons by requesting a form for a #NFA case study and collaborate with other #NatureForAll partners to scale up existing programs that connect new audiences with nature, or develop new ones. Check here for partnership and brand guidelines.
The Canadian Committee of IUCN (CCIUCN) is pleased welcome Samantha McBeth, Caroline Merner and Elise Pullar as our Youth Ambassadors for 2016/2017.
Samantha, Caroline and Elise competed with 111 other young people for these volunteer roles. They will be working with the CCIUCN to help our ongoing initiative to help connect youth to nature.
Their first tasks will revolve around the IUCN World Conservation Congress this September. If you are in Honolulu expect to see them at the Canadian Delegate Reception on September 2 and at the #NatureForAll pavilion among other places.
I am writing on behalf of Mike Wong and Sean Southey, Co-chairs of the joint IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) – Commission on Education and Communication (CEC) Task Force on #NatureForAll, to invite you to play a vital role in the #NatureForAll campaign by becoming a partner or helping to identify partners for #NatureForAll.
More partners are needed to commit to this important new IUCN initiative to build new constituencies for nature conservation, locally and globally, and across all sectors of society. Please join the campaign and the #NatureForAll core team for the IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) in Hawaii, September 1-10, 2016 where partners will announce their commitment and celebrate their partnership.
The #NatureForAll campaign is in response to growing world-wide understanding of the intimate relationship between positive experiences in nature – especially at an early age – and establishing a sense of connection with the natural world that leads us to support its conservation. The campaign aims to amplify the messages of individual organizations and broaden the reach and impact of their programming to create a future in which billions of people worldwide are experiencing and connecting with nature and taking action for conservation. It is the foundation for the #NatureForAll movement, which will be launched with key partners at the #NatureForAll pavilion at the WCC. This brochure and this short animated video provide additional details.
Becoming part of #NatureForAll is as easy as 1-2-3.
1. Share your LOGO with Mike Wong (Mike.Wong@iucn.org) to be identified as a partner on our web site and campaign material.
2. Describe YOUR ORGANIZATION and its work, as it relates to #NatureForAll themes to benefit from cross-promotion. We’re asking for 250 words or less (e.g., a web link).
3. Make a #NatureForAll PLEDGE by sharing your organization’s commitment to raising awareness about nature and its values, facilitating opportunities for people to experience nature, and creating transformational moments that lead to lifelong personal connections with it.
I highly encourage all CCIUCN members to reach out to your different networks and bring in more core partners for #NatureForAll.
If you are an organizational member of CCIUCN please consider becoming a partner and help play a crucial role in this game-changing conservation movement and support a global effort to invite every person on the planet to fall in love with nature!
Thank you and warmest regards,
Margaret Beckel,
President, Canadian Committee for IUCN
President and CEO, Canadian Museum of Nature
The CCIUCN will provide up to $2500 in funding for each Youth Ambassador for registration and travel expenses to attend the IUCN World Conservation Congress.
Canadian Committee for IUCN 