You and I, wildlife and their habitat, are all connected.

As the end of year approaches and we are spending more time with family, friends or on our own, it’s natural that we would reflect on the past year and look forward, with hope, to the brand new year just around the corner!

Humans, Little Brown Bats, Monarch Butterflies, Painted Turtles, North Atlantic Right Whales — we are all connected. We need each other to survive and thrive. Sadly, many of Canada’s wild families are at risk of becoming endangered.

If a member of your family needed your help, you would try to help them, wouldn’t you? The Canadian Wildlife Federation strives to support members of our family, especially those that need the most help.

We need your help to conserve the most at-risk members of our family.

Our wildlife family has never needed us more than they do now:

  • Only about 350 North Atlantic Right Whales exist today, and since 2017 more than 20% of the population (121 individuals) have been killed or seriously injured by human activities, specifically fishing activity and vessel strikes.
  • Since 1970, approximately 3 billion breeding birds have been lost from Canada and the United States.
  • All eight species of freshwater turtles found in Canada are at risk.
  • 10 million bats have died due to White-nose Syndrome
  • 70 species are at risk on the Canadian plains
  • The Monarch Butterfly population has declined more than 80 per cent in the past 20 years.
  • One-third of the 200 freshwater fish in Canada are at-risk.

Caring For Our Families

But there is hope! When you give a gift from the Canadian Wildlife Federation, it is also a gift to other members of your family — your wildlife family.

  • CanFishGear works with local fish harvesters to implement evidence-based solutions such as ropeless, or on-demand gear which allows them to continue to fish and marine mammals to live.
  • Sustainable ranching programs support ranchers working to save native grasslands, and thus many of its at-risk species such as Burrowing Owls, through proper cattle grazing.
  • BC Fish Passage Restoration Initiative is working to restore access to critical spawning and rearing habitat for our Pacific Salmon and other species, which will in turn help the Pacific Northwest’s forests, rivers and ocean.
  • In just one weekend, thousands of Canadians came together to make more than 76,000 observations on iNaturalist, a global citizen-science platform which helps Canadian scientists and policy makers help Canadian wildlife. Currently, we are close to breaking 10 million Canadian observations!
  • More than 73,000 freshwater turtle hatchlings have been returned to the wilds of Ontario, giving these at-risk species a head start.
  • In just the few years our youth outreach programs have been running, we’ve helped more than 450 participants contribute more than 400,000 hours of volunteer service hours for conservation.

When you give a gift to the Canadian Wildlife Federation — be it a gift in someone’s name, an adopted animal or wild magazine subscription — your money will go to helping Canada’s wildlife and wild places.

Whether a lone wolf, a close-knit pod, found family or a devoted duo, whatever type of family you connect with, know that you are part of something to celebrate.  If a member of your family needed help, you would you help them! Whether you give once or twice a year or show your dedication monthly, know that your donation to CWF is a gift to all of our wildlife family.

We need each other to survive and thrive. Let’s appreciate our diverse extended family and connect as a part of the Canadian Wildlife Federation Family.

Together, we will support Canada’s wildlife like a family.