Species and Spaces at Risk

Giant pandas, bowhead whales, peregrines, whooping cranes and sea otters - these high profile endangered species are compelling topics for students and for conservation campaigns. But what about other species - the small, the slithery, the leafy - without whom the ecosystems of the more well-known mammals and birds would collapse? Recognizing that individual species can not survive without a healthy habitat, more conservation efforts are now being focused on preserving ecosystems and the variety of all life on earth. You will be hearing more about biological diversity or biodiversity, terms referring to this variety of life. In 1992, Canada signed the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. Governments are now working together to develop plans to protect biodiversity.

In this issue of The WILD Times you will find background information, activities and resources for teaching about biodiversity. A Dene story brings home the message that even the smallest creatures have value and deserve respect. Find out which species are endangered and threatened in the NWT. One aspect of bowhead whale conservation is told in the story of Igalirtuuq National Wildlife Area, the result of years of lobbying by Clyde River residents to protect critical bowhead habitat. Students at Sakku School in Coral Harbour explore another aspect of the bowhead story, the tension between traditional law and Canadian law.

There's more too... caribou on Southampton Island, wood bison, peregrine falcons and new resources on contaminants in northern Canada and birds of the NWT

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