[Pollinator] Pollinator Forum: April 30th Canadian Museum of Nature

[Kilvert,Elizabeth [NCR]]

POLLINATORS: FOR FOOD. FOR THE FUTURE

If you love chocolate, enjoy blueberry pie and muffins, eat cereal with
fruit for breakfast, nibble on a handful of almonds for a night-time
snack, or wear cotton clothes, thank a pollinator! In fact, pollinators
are responsible for one out of every three mouthfuls of food we eat, and
for so many other things we take for granted. But as important as
pollinators are to agriculture, they also perform key roles in natural
ecosystems, such as keeping plant communities healthy and providing food
for birds and other wildlife. And, did you know that approximately 90%
of all flowering plants rely on animals, rather than the wind, for
pollination? And of these, the vast majority of pollinators are insects
such as beetles, bees, ants, wasps, butterflies and moths.  However,
birds, bats and other small mammals also serve as pollinators.

To learn much more about the remarkable job that pollinators perform,
how much we depend upon them, the threats they face, and how you can
help, please join us for the sixth annual Ottawa Wildlife Festival Forum
on pollinators.  We have three very dynamic and engaging speakers lined
up, as well as many informative and interesting displays.


FORUM DETAILS
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

3rd floor (West)
Canadian Museum of Nature
240 McLeod Street, Ottawa

Free admission / No registration required Displays Light refreshments OC
Transpo Bus Service: numbers 5, 6 and 14 Limited on site paid parking

ORGANIZERS
Sponsored by the OFNC/Fletcher Wildlife Garden, the Canadian Museum of
Nature, The Canadian Wildlife Federation, Parks Canada, The Ottawa
Stewardship Council and the Ottawa Wildlife Festival.

AGENDA
      6 p.m   doors open, mingle, browse displays, refreshments

      7:00 p.m.  Welcome and Introduction by Joanne Di Cosimo, President
and C.E.O. Canadian Museum of Nature.

      7:05 p.m    Restoring the natural environment with pollinators in 
mind. Josh Van Wieren, Park Ecologist, St. Lawrence Islands National
Park. 

      7:40 p.m   Pollination & Pollinators for Food & Fibre Security. 
Dr. Peter Kevan, University of Guelph

      8:10 p.m   INTERMISSION and door prizes

      8:30 p.m   Creating a garden for pollinators. Maria MacRae, 
Canadian Wildlife Federation.

      9:00 p.m   Questions from the audience for our speakers.

      9:15 p.m.  Meet with the speakers, browse the exhibits

      9:30 p.m   END


DISPLAYS
The Forum will feature displays from the following organizations:

     Applehill Fruit Farm

     Canadian Biodiversity Institute

     Canadian Museum of Nature

     Canadian Organic Growers

     Canadian Wildlife Federation

     John Nelson, Beekeeper

     The Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club

     The Ottawa Stewardship Council

     Ottawa Wildlife Festival

     Parks Canada

     Pollination Canada