Go back to Wildlife Festival Highlights 2000

March 2
Awards for Excellence in Environmental Conservation Nomination Deadline

March 15
Poster Contest Deadline for School Children. Information (613) 831-2253

Presentation of the Awards for Excellence in Environmental Conservation and silent auction featuring wildlife-related products and services. Celebrities, wildlife conservation groups, sponsors of the Festival, winners of our Awards for Excellence in Environmental Conservation and their guests, will be invited to a reception, silent auction and awards presentation. Awards are hand-carved chickadees, we hope to encourage nominations of individuals, youth and groups in this region who have made a sustainable contribution to wildlife and wildlife habitat. Special posthumous award to Ferdinand Larose. Free admission and buffet; cash bar. Master of Ceremonies is John Lacharity.
Canadian Museum of Nature, 315 McLeod St., Ottawa. RSVP to Madeline Kallio at (613) 831-2253.
Approximately 200 local politicians, individuals from wildlife and outdoor organizations and other guests enjoyed good food and the opportunity to bid on items in the silent auction. The Awards for Excellence were presented to Albert Dugal (Individual Award) for his work in preserving the Leitrim Wetlands, the Land Preservation Society of the Ottawa Valley (Group Award) for their work in preserving the Gillies Woods in Arnprior, and the Students of Kars Public School (Youth Award) for their efforts in greening their schoolyard and providing space for wildlife. A special posthumous award was presented to Ferdinand Larose for his vision in the creation of the Larose Forest. The event was a great success and the group will consider repeating it next year.

April 4
7th Annual Poster Contest Awards
See the Poster Contest Award Winners:

School children made posters reflecting the theme of the Festival and winners were bused, with their entire classes, to the Canadian Museum of Nature for presentation of awards on April 4, 2001, a visit to the Museum, and participation in a nature presentation program by Marcel Gahbauer of the Canadian Peregrine Foundation.

April 6 - 8
Wildlife Awareness Event Wildlife Awareness Event at Carlingwood Shopping Centre
Mall Hours --Friday 9:30 a.m. to Sun 5 p.m
Carlingwood Shopping Centre donates space to us annually for a coming-together of wildlife organizations to exhibit and interact with the public (60,000 to 70,000 people) Visit displays featuring local and regional wildlife organizations. See live animals and meet some wild and wooly mascots. Face painting, scavenger hunt and lots of prizes. Fun and learning for the whole family.
Carlingwood Shopping Centre, 2121 Carling Avenue.

Eight mascots were worn by Merivale High School students and Katimavik volunteers. One enthusiastic visitor to the show brought her own wildlife mascot costume.

1. Alba Wilderness School
2. McSab Animal Farm
3. Canadian Wildlife Federation
4. Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario Region
5. Little Ray's Reptile Adventure
6. Oasis Reptile Club of Ottawa-Carleton
7. Ducks Unlimited
8. Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club
9. Fletcher Wildlife Garden
10. Ottawa Area Girl Guides
11. Mississippi Valley Conservation.Authority and the Mill of Kintail
12. Ottawa Duck Club
13. Ottawa Rideau Trail Club
14. Look and Listen Day Camps
15. Outaouais Wood Carvers
16. Domtar Forestry Centre
17. City of Ottawa Public Health Branch
18. Eastern Ontario Biodiversity Museum
19. OCDSB: MacSkimming and Bill Mason Outdoor Education Centres
20. Canadian Parks & Wilderness Society
21. Wildlife Artists
22. Dinosaur Nature Centre
23. Stewardship Ottawa Carleton
24. Friends of Petrie Island
25. Murphy's Point Provincial Park
26. Sierra Club
27. Friends of the Jock River
28. Ottawa Amphibian and Reptile Association
29. Canada Trust Friends of the Environment
30. Wildlife Festival Booth will display material for the Canadian Nature Federation, Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre, Consider Nature's Ways, and the Reptile Rainforest.

The enthusiasm of the exhibitors and the visitors to Carlingwood Shopping Centre created a superb atmosphere. Mascots worn by Katimavik and Merivale High School volunteers were Smoky the Bear, Boomer the Beaver, Max the Poop-and-Scoop Dog, the Tiger, the Stork, the Crazy Chicken, the Ducks Unlimited Duck and the Skunk. More than 100 people took part in the "Wildlife Observation Challenge" and won prizes donated by the exhibitors. The event was, once again a great success.

April 9
Wildlife and Habitats of the National Capital Region 7 - 9 pm Join Tony Beck, local naturalist and outdoor photographer as he takes you on an adventure into the diverse habitats of the greater Ottawa area. With a slide presentation, you'll witness spectacular images of our natural habitat and the animals that dwell there. Ottawa Public Library, Carlingwood Branch, 281 Woodroffe Avenue. Call 725-2449 to pre-register.
The slide presentation was a great success, with more than 40 people in attendance. It was well received, although there was little time for questions.

April 22
Open House at Wolf Grove Woods 10:00 am Explore the woods and harvest wild edible plants with botanist, Martha Webber. Bring a lunch and supplement it from the wild. Meet at Metcalfe Park in Almonte. Information: (613) 839-5217
A beautiful, warm day was enjoyed by 19 people who searched for wild edible plants and supplemented prepared lunches with wild leek and other tasty morsels.

April 22
Earth Day Ottawa Celebrations 10 - 4 pm Visit the Canadian Museum of Science and Technology for an exhibition of eco-friendly vehicles and organizations. Contests for students.
Successful event

April 25 - 27
Envirothon at YM/YWCA Outdoor Centre in Kanata Fourth annual North American competition featuring students from 12 high schools who strive to be the best at topics ranging from forests and soil to wildlife aquatics and wildlife management. Contact: Mike Rosen (613) 692-0014.
Good weather and enthusiastic participants made this a successful event.

April 27-29 (This has been postponed until September)
WILD Weekend Getaway Join the Canadian Wildlife Federation for an unforgettable encounter with nature at the Leslie Frost Centre near Algonquin Park. Explore wetlands and old-growth forests, build bird feeders and bat houses. To register, contact Joyce Sharp at (613) 599-9594.

April 28
Family Nature Walk at Stony Swamp Nature Centre. 2:30 pm Naturalist Martha Webber will encourage participants to discover the wonders of nature in spring. Look for wildlife signs and habitat. Bring sunflower seeds to feed the chickadees. Learn about the needs of wildlife and also some interesting facts on edible plants. Contact: (613) 839-5217.
About 20 people fed the chickadees on a beautiful day. They also saw several pairs of nesting geese

April 29
Guided Nature Walk at Jack Pine Trail, Moodie Drive. 8:00 am Join naturalist Tony Beck for this wonderful hike into one of Ottawa's best natural areas. Experience marsh, forest and field as they awaken from winter. Bring waterproof footwear, binoculars and insect repellant. Listen to weather forecasts and dress accordingly. Phone 828-5936 for reservations.
The field trip was a great success. The weather was perfect. There were no biting insects. And, the wildlife was relatively diverse and cooperative. A highlight was an early Ottawa record of Least Bittern (heard only.) A close fly-by of a Pileated Woodpecker was also nice. Several participants fed the chickadees, while many seemed to enjoy the natural experience of one the best trails in the Ottawa area.