April 07, 2005
Manitoba will provide over $291,000 from the Sustainable Development Innovations Fund (SDIF) to fund 17 projects across the province including a special endangered species public awareness display at the Manitoba Museum, Conservation Stan Struthers announced today.
"While the number of endangered species around the world is rising, we need to raise public awareness of Manitoba’s own species at risk," said Struthers. "Through educational efforts supported by the Manitoba Museum and other leading community institutions, we help reduce the human impact on wildlife and the environment."
The museum’s project will focus on raising public awareness of threatened species in the province, the major causes of the threats and the impact on our environment. The museum’s exhibit will be about habitat and species management and endangered species and spaces. It will also explore issues such as extinction, habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, invasive species, pollution and climate change.
Other projects receiving SDIF support include:
Manitoba Archaeological Society - $21,950 for phase two of a three-phase project at the Selkirk Healing Centre to collect information on the natural and cultural history of the area and develop an interactive exhibit and teacher’s guide. A database of scientific information and traditional ecological knowledge will be available to other researchers studying cultural history, health issues, environmental change and climate.
Manitoba Naturalists Society, Important Bird Areas Program - $25,000 to assess habitat selection in the Manitoba population of the endangered eastern loggerhead shrike, create breeding habitat at West St. Paul school and create awareness of the significance of the area. West St. Paul is a globally significant Important Bird Area.
Native Orchid Conservation Inc. - $22,200 for public awareness information to promote awareness of native orchids and the need for their conservation.
Rural Municipality of Victoria Beach - $3,800 to revitalize the municipal lands, including green spaces and park areas, while increasing public awareness of environmental issues.
University of Manitoba, Department of Botany - $16,000 to study species composition and genetic diversity in the lichens and bryophytes on the open-beach ridges in Wapusk National Park. The project will help to determine the effects of climate change on these plant species.
"The interaction between the environment and our modern society can be managed effectively to protect and sustain our wildlife and natural resources," said Struthers. "It all begins with understanding what we can do and the need to do it now."
SDIF supports a diverse range of projects, from research studies and demonstrations of new technology to community enhancement and environmental awareness. Other targeted funding programs under the SDIF are:
the Waste Reduction and Pollution Prevention Fund,
the Environmental Youth Corps, and
the Manitoba Climate Change Action Fund.
More information on these programs is available at http://www.susdev.gov.mb.ca.
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Sustainable Development Innovations Fund approved projects
Conserve Native Plants Society Inc. - $4,050 to find and document populations of rare plants. The information will aid in conserving rare species, development of forestry management plans and provide First Nations people with potential harvesting locations of medicinal and ceremonial plants.
Manitoba Archaeological Society - $21,950 for phase two of a three-phase project at the Selkirk Healing Centre to collect information on the natural and cultural history of the area and develop an interactive exhibit and teacher’s guide. A database of scientific information and traditional ecological knowledge will be available to other researchers studying cultural history, health issues, environmental change and climate.
Manitoba Conservation, Wildlife and Ecosystem Protection Branch and Keewatin Publications - $17,000 for the Manitoba portion of a magazine on biodiversity, to be distributed free of charge to Manitoba high school teachers and students in courses such as biology, natural resources and environmental sciences.
Manitoba Naturalists Society, Important Bird Areas Program - $25,000 to assess habitat selection in the Manitoba population of the endangered eastern loggerhead shrike, create breeding habitat at West St. Paul school and create awareness of the significance of the area. West St. Paul is a globally significant Important Bird Area.
Manitoba Orchid Society with the University of Winnipeg, Manitoba Conservation and Nature Conservancy of Canada - $5,000 to continue research into the endangered western prairie fringed orchid’s reproductive cycle to enhance or enlarge the existing population or introduce the plant into other areas of Manitoba. Research has indicated that two rare sphinx moth species pollinate this orchid.
Native Orchid Conservation Inc. - $22,200 for public awareness information to promote awareness of native orchids and the need for their conservation.
Nature North and Manitoba Dragonfly Survey - $17,700 for a website on the Manitoba Dragonfly Survey, a citizen monitoring group and an educational program on the dragonflies of Manitoba. The program will cover life cycles, biodiversity, biogeography, food habits and flight capabilities of dragonflies and damselflies.
Rural Municipality of Victoria Beach - $3,800 to revitalize the municipal lands including green spaces and park areas while increasing public awareness of environmental issues.
Seven Oaks General Hospital - $25,000 for a water reuse system which will decrease total water use by 15 per cent.
The Manitoba Museum - $25,000 for Living on the Edge, an exhibit about Manitoba’s endangered and threatened species and spaces, to be hosted in conjunction with the exhibition in summer 2005 of Discovering Chimpanzees: The Remarkable World of Jane Goodall.
Turtle Mountain Conservation District - $25,000 to permanently secure 50 per cent of the remaining forest and wetland habitat on private land in the region through the signing of conservation easements.
University of Manitoba, Delta Marsh Field Station - $25,000 to determine factors affecting rural water quality in 100 farm ponds in south-central Manitoba. This project is consistent with provincial and federal initiatives to enhance environmental stewardship in the agricultural sector.
University of Manitoba, Department of Botany - $9,500 for research within the Chitek Lake Park Reserve into the effectiveness of enduring-features analysis for park planning. This research will test whether enduring-features analysis, based upon soil and landform characteristics, is adequate for protecting biological communities.
University of Manitoba, Department of Botany - $16,000 to study species composition and genetic diversity in the lichens and bryophytes on the open-beach ridges in Wapusk National Park. The project will help to determine the effects of climate change on these plant species.
University of Manitoba, Department of Entomology with Coalition to Save the Elms - $14,367 for a four-year research project to improve control methods for Dutch elm disease in Manitoba communities.
University of Manitoba, Department of Soil Science - $24,810 for the second year of Manure Nutrients in Sensitive Land, a three-year research project to continue investigation of nutrient cycling and greenhouse gas emissions from soil. The research will contribute to development of best management practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from animals and limit transfer of harmful manure bacteria to the environment.
University of Manitoba, Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources - $10,100 for a study of roadside habitats in rural Manitoba to determine the distribution of various plant species.
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