The CWF Africa to Americas Expedition is now underway! Follow this incredible trans-Atlantic row from West Africa to North America with your students to learn more about the marine environment. Then show your solidarity with the rowers by planning your own outdoor activities and sharing your wild adventures with CWF. This is a unique opportunity to commemorate the International Year of Water Co-operation through dynamic and engaging real-life drama on the high seas supplemented by CWF ocean education curricula. The OAR Northwest GPS tracker, daily weather reports, blogs and photos from the water bring the unbelievable challenge to life. If successful, the rowers will set a world record for their achievements, and that is sure to inspire students of all ages. If you have questions for the team, please e-mail cwfeducation@cwf-fcf.org. Stay tuned for CWF’s wildlife webinars.

It’s time to celebrate conservation in Canada and honour those that are paving the way for the future of wildlife and habitat in this great nation! There are eight awards categories but we wanted to specifically mention our Youth Mentor Award. This award recognizes leaders who dedicate their time to educating youth on conservation. By submitting a nomination, not only will you will be giving someone recognition for their hard work but also an opportunity for them to visit Victoria, BC this June with the executive CWF board and receive a feature write-up in CWF’s Canadian Wildlife and Biosphere magazines. The deadline for the Conservation Achievement Awards nominations is March 31st, 2013 at 11:59pm ET. If you visit awards.canadianwildlifefederation.ca you can find printable nomination forms which can be mailed in to our head office in Kanata, ON or you can submit a nomination quickly and easily online.

Since 1963, Hinterland Who’s Who has proudly been bringing Canada’s iconic wildlife directly into your classrooms. In 2013, we’ll be celebrating and we want your group to celebrate too! Your group or class can participate in our 50th anniversary by creating a HWW video showing a Canadian species or ecosystem!

Submit a video before May 17th, 2013 and your group could win an exciting prize! For more information about how to make a HWW video, or to order a DVD containing our most recent videos, please visit us at hww.ca or e-mail us at info@hww.ca. In 2013, stay tuned for more Anniversary activities!

Are your students developing creative approaches to wildlife education? CWF recognizes innovation in all subjects including fine arts, woodworking, music, dance, theatre and new technologies. Whether you are planting trees or putting on an outdoor play, you can register your Habitat 2020 project and be eligible for an acknowledgement of contribution to wildlife education in Canada. You can also request funding for your Habitat 2020 project to a maximum of $500 for a class or school.

Leatherbacks, the biggest turtles on this planet, can grow to over six feet long and weigh more than a ton! Right now ten of them that’s around 20,000 pounds of turtles! are migrating to nesting areas in the south. Interested? CWF Education invites you and your students to become official CWF Turtle Trackers! Learn all about these majestic endangered turtles, then follow along on their amazing journey. Which turtles will land first? Use our tracking journal and see if you can figure it out! Sign up here!

CWF invites you to participate in an exciting event next summer. Athlete Angella Goran will be cycling across Canada, inspiring people to get outside and connect with nature! Want to get involved? Watch for more information coming soon.

• Check out our Wild Education professional development opportunities
• Sign up for our Summer Institute in Nunavut this July
• Get up to the minute updates on our Education Twitter feed or Education Facebook page
• Stay tuned for more information on how educators can order a complimentary copy of Larry the Loon.

Sincerely,

Luba Mycio-Mommers, Ph.D.