CONTENTS

NEWS FROM MEMBER GROUPS

• Citizens’ Inquiry into the Impacts of the Uranium Cycle
• A Busy Spring at High Park
• The Land Between Research Forum
• Butterfly Miracles: from Metamorphosis to Migration
• Pollinators: For Food. For the Future
• Alton Grange Association's Annual General Meeting
• 3rd Annual Living Green Fair in Port Hope
• Saving Injured Raptors in the Grimsby/Niagara Peninsula
• North American Native Plant Society Annual Spring Native Plant Sale
• Are you up for a Challenge?
• Carden Nature Festival
• Hamilton Naturalists' Club Junior Naturalists

NEWS FROM MEMBER GROUPS

Tuesday April 15th, 2008
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Sadleir House, 751 George Street
Peterborough

Tuesday April 22nd, 2008
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Rideau Park United Church, 2203 Alta Vista Drive
Ottawa

If you haven't already done so, there is still time to participate in the inquiry:

1. Make an oral presentation: What do you know? What has been your experience? This is an opportunity to get it on the record. You will present to a panel. Pre-Registration at www.uraniumcitizensinquiry.com or 1-877-562-1904
2. Attend the inquiry: To observe and learn more about the uranium cycle.
3. Send in a written submission: Submissions can be any length and must be received by Thursday May 1st, 2008. Submissions can be emailed to info@uraniumcitiznesinquiry.com or mailed to 2799 McDonalds's Corners Rd., R.R. #3 Lanark, Ontario K0G 1K0.
4. Offer financial support or endorsement: Cheques can be mailed with the notation that they are to be used for the Citizen's Inquiry. This account is administered and audited by the Tay Legal Defence Fund. Please write cheque to “Uranium Mining Moratorium Fund”, P.O Box 2149, 57 Foster St., Perth, Ont. K7H 3M9.

High Park Volunteer Stewardship meetings are held on the first and third Sundays of each month. We gather in front of the Grenadier Cafe at 10:30 am and go to our work site from there.

For more information visit http://www.highpark.org.

Tuesday April 22nd, 2008
Buckhorn Community Centre,
1801 Lakehurst Road
Buckhorn
(705) 457-4838

The forum is a celebration of science and research with presentations showcasing ideas and information that will support planning and stewardship of the unique natural and cultural heritage in The Land Between.

It is a one day event with a diverse and interesting list of presentations and is open to the public. Conservation, culture, species, spaces, wetlands, water and more...

Registration is not required, however if you wish to have lunch, a $5 payment at the door and pre-registration is needed. Display space is also available.

For more information visit www.thelandbetween.ca or contact Leora at (705) 457-4838 or email tlb@thelandbetween.ca

Friday April 25th, 2008
7:30 pm
Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit, 200 Rose Glen Road
Port Hope

Willow Beach Field Naturalists present Butterfly Miracles: from Metamorphosis to Migration with guest speaker Adrienne Brewster, curator and entomologist at the Wings of Paradise Butterfly Conservatory in Cambridge, Ontario.

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
6:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Canadian Museum of Nature, 3rd floor (West), 240 McLeod Street
Ottawa
Free admission / no registration required

Did you know that approximately 90% of all flowering plants rely on animals, rather than the wind, for pollination? The vast majority of all pollinators are insects however bats, birds and even small mammals serve as pollinators, in various parts of the world. Without these pollinators, we would not have chocolate, bananas, apples and much other food. But as important as pollinators are to agriculture, they also perform key roles in natural ecosystems, by keeping plant communities healthy.

To learn much more please join us for the sixth annual Ottawa Wildlife Festival Forum on pollinators. We have three very dynamic and engaging speakers, as well as many informative and interesting displays.

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

Thursday, May 1st, 2008
7:00 pm
SGI Centre outside Alton (15 mins. south of Orangeville)

Guest "speakers" are four raptors from WEEP (Wildlife Education and Environmental Programs, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph) so children are more than welcome!

For more information contact altongrangeassociation@hotmail.com

Saturday May 3rd, 2008
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Port Hope Fall Fair Building, McCaul Street
Port Hope

Learn about stepping lightly on the Earth from over 40 community exhibitors and local youth. For more information visit http://livinggreen.open-eyes.org/ or e-mail livinggreenones@yahoo.ca
.

Thursday May 8th, 2008

7:30pm

Guelph Arboretum, University of Guelph

Carol Ricciuto opened the Open Sky Raptor Foundation in 1998 with one 8’x8' cage housing a Cooper’s Hawk. The caging has since grown to house many different types of diurnal raptors from kestrels to eagles and she works with them from triage to release training. She travels all over southern Ontario to get or rescue birds of prey and people have also brought birds to her from further afield. Education of the public about these magnificent birds is very important to her - to tell people of the importance of these creatures in our eco-system, to tell of ways we can help them and rescue them and allow our future generations to marvel at the sight of them.

info@guelphfieldnaturalists.org

Saturday May 10th, 2008
10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Markham Civic Centre, 101 Town Centre Boulevard
Markham

A huge selection of native wildflowers, grasses, ferns, shrubs, trees, vines and related books brought together in one easily accessible location. Informative seminars and free parking.

Contact plantsale@nanps.org if your group would like to setup an information table. A $20 fee to cover the cost of the table rental is requested.

For more information and to view the preliminary plant list visit www.nanps.org

Friday May 30th and Saturday May 31st, 2008
Carden Alvar

Birders at all levels can enjoy the 4th annual Carden Challenge, on the weekend of May 30-31st. The Challenge goal is simple: raise funds to support the stewardship of Carden’s alvar and bird habitats. Teams of four gather pledges based on how many bird species they see in a 24-hour period within the Carden Alvar Christmas Bird Count circle.

Last year’s winning team bagged 122 species and the event raised over $14,000 for conservation. We hope 2008 will be even better.

For more information or to register your team, contact Ron Reid at (705) 326-1620, nature@couchconservancy.ca, or send the $60 registration fee (which includes a wrap-up dinner) to The Couchiching Conservancy, Box 704, Orillia, L3V 6K7.

Friday June 6th, Saturday June 7th and Sunday 8th, 2008

June 2007 saw the launch of the inaugural Carden Nature Festival as a celebration of the natural wonders of the Carden Plain, an oasis of traditional landscapes located in southern Ontario, close to the GTA, formed by a distinctive geological history and brimming with ecological biodiversity. Over 200 people from all across the province attended. Comments were extremely positive with a few suggestions to expand the number of events and keeping to smaller groups.

June 6-8, 2008 is the second Carden Nature Festival. All the suggestions have been incorporated. It is twice the size, with twice the selection and twice the duration, all at the same price. Already registration has reached 150 with 13 events sold out. But it is not too late; there are 47 events still available. This Festival should not be missed.

Eight (8) clubs have already registered to obtain their fundraising rebates. What about your club?

For complete details and registration form visit www.CardenGuide.com/Festival

The Hamilton Naturalists' Club Junior Naturalists have been busy. Learn about their activities at http://www.hamiltonnature.org/publications/Wood_Duck_April1.qxd.pdf - page 13. Be aware – this file is over 7 MB.

NEWS FROM NATURE NETWORK

Carolinian East – Saturday April 26th, 2008 hosted by South Peel Naturalist's Club.
North – Friday May 2nd to Sunday 4th, 2008 hosted by the Nipissing Naturalists Club and the Friends of Mashkinonje.
Ontario East – Saturday May 3rd, 2008 hosted by Upper Ottawa Valley Nature Club

The Carolinian West Regional Meeting was hosted by the West Elgin Nature Club on Saturday March 29h, at the Backus-Page house. 26 people from 13 member groups were in attendance. Much great discussion took place as well as an interactive activity to identify properties being protected by individuals on the Carolinian Canada Coalition Big Picture map. We had a special presentation by Lorne Spicer, Bill Prieksaitis and Frank Latonzeo about Heritage Trees.

We welcomed Nelson LaPorte, Lambton Wildlife Incorporated new Club Representative.

After 5 years as the Carolinian West Regional Director, Brenda Lorenz will be replaced by Anne McArthur of the Friends of Rondeau as the new Regional Director. Thank you Brenda and welcome aboard Anne.

The Fall Carolinian West Regional will be hosted by the Ingersoll District Nature Club on Saturday November 1st.

The Great Lakes West Regional Meeting was held on Saturday April 5 at the Point Clark Community Centre and hosted by the Huron Fringe Field Naturalists. 20 people were in attendance from 10 member groups. Maria Papoulias, Ontario Nature’s Stewardship Coordinator spoke about local Nature Reserves and highlighted the important role local clubs, acting as stewards, play in managing these properties. A tour of the Point Clark lighthouse and museum had been arranged and was enjoyed by all.

We welcomed Fred Jazvac Owen Sound Field Naturalists’ new Club President.

The Fall GLW meeting will be hosted by the Owen Sound Field Naturalists on Saturday November 8th.

Thank you to the individuals who have had added their names to our Advocate for Nature list. Please help to spread the word about the Advocate for Nature email list - you could post this in your newsletter, share it with your members at the next meeting, announce it at your next Board of Directors meeting or make a presentation at your Annual General Meeting. Every little bit helps!

In March 2008 we had 34 new subscribers to our Advocate for Nature email list. We now have 1788 Advocates for Nature.

To add your name online, copy and paste this link in your web browser or click here http://www.ontarionature.org/news/archive.php?type=action.

Answer: Life … and lots of it.

Bees, birds, nests, insects, carbon, swings, kids, forts, moss, lichen.

Now some may ask ‘Yes, but what’s in a dead tree?’ The answer is still Life … only in a dead or dying tree there is even more of it.

At this time of year the urge to ‘clean up’ takes hold. In her article from the Fletcher Wildlife Garden website, author Christine Hanrahan, states, “Standing dead trees are often considered dangerous eyesores in need of prompt removal. Actually, they play such an important role in wildlife ecology that it is often said they give life to the forest.”

It is also true that these trees give life to our backyards and to our neighbourhoods. More aptly called a wildlife tree, they provide food, hunting perches and natural cavities that are the required nesting sites for many species.

Frequently trees that seem ‘dead’ are often still very alive. Even though they exhibit large cavities or dead limbs, these trees are still offering the invaluable services of; water retention, carbon storage, oxygen release, acting as windbreaks and providing shade and cooling in the hot summer months.

A completely dead tree can stand for many decades, giving life, shade and contributing to the beauty of your home and neighbourhood for generations. That is something to think about before setting the teeth of the chainsaw to its trunk. Resisting the urge to ‘clean up’ for just a moment, consider the complete picture and think longer term. Look at the benefits in terms of wildlife, aesthetic and social appreciation. Consider the values that will be lost forever if that tree is taken down and hauled away.

Christine’s article on Wildlife Trees can be found on the Fletcher Wildlife Garden website at www.ofnc.ca/fletcher/howto/htsnags.php.

For more information on the value, management and care of trees, a variety of factsheets are available free for download from the Landowner Resource Centre at www.lrconline.com.

NEWS FROM ONTARIO NATURE

The Ontario government is committed to considering municipal requests to expand the existing Greater Golden Horseshoe Greenbelt. Draft criteria for evaluating and approving expansion proposals have been posted on the Environmental Registry (EBR # 010-2866) for public comment. Please consider expressing your support for Greenbelt expansion and for criteria that will encourage and enable municipalities to propose Greenbelt expansions.

Through the protection of environmentally sensitive and agricultural lands, the Greenbelt provides significant environmental, cultural, recreational and health benefits. A report released this week by the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy indicates that the Greater Golden Horseshoe Greenbelt is the most successful and useful greenbelt in the world.

(See article in the Globe and Mail, 04/10/2008. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080410.wgreenbelt10/EmailBNStory/National/home )

The EBR posting asks for comments on six draft expansion criteria. By and large these criteria seek to ensure that any expansion proposals are broadly supported by community members and organizations, that they represent logical extensions to the existing Greenbelt, and that they are consistent with the Greenbelt Plan and other provincial planning initiatives.

Potential issue: While the criteria generally merit support, it is possible that criteria #3 may create an unnecessary barrier to Greenbelt expansion. This criterion stipulates that expansions should be "next to" the existing Greenbelt, implying that only areas directly adjacent to the existing Greenbelt can be considered. Ontario Nature believes that expansion criteria need to be flexible enough to accommodate environmentally significant or agriculturally significant lands that would represent a logical extension to the Greenbelt and yet may not be directly adjacent to it. For example, a municipality may be interested in adding lands to the Greenbelt but may be separated from the existing Greenbelt by the lands of an intervening jurisdiction. While we recognize the preference of maintaining the Greenbelt as a continuous "band," this should not impede the Greenbelt aspirations of municipalities slightly removed from the Greenbelt boundary. The criteria should not limit expansion of the Greenbelt to areas directly adjacent to the existing Greenbelt.

Let the government know that you strongly support Greenbelt expansion and that the criteria for expansion should encourage and enable communities to propose expansions. To view the expansion criteria, go to http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/displaynoticecontent.do?noticeId=MTAyODU2&statusId=MTUzNjk5&language=en

Please submit your comments by the April 30th, 2008 deadline to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing at greenbelt@ontario.ca. Be sure to quote the EBR # 010-2866. Please send a copy of your letter or email to Ontario Nature at clarem@ontarionature.org or fax us at (416) 444-9866.

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is hosting a series of consultation workshops about expanding the Greenbelt (http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page5340.aspx).

These consultation workshops will provide the opportunity for municipalities, organizations and the public to discuss and provide feedback on the draft criteria that the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing will use, once they are finalized, to consider municipal requests to expand the Greenbelt.

MMAH staff will be present at the workshops, which will be led by an independent facilitator. Registration for the workshops will begin at 5:00 pm. The workshops will start at 5:30 pm and conclude by 9:30 pm.

The schedule for the workshops is as follows:

Thursday April 17th, 2008
Royal Canadian Legion, 5603 Spring Street
Niagara Falls

Tuesday April 22nd, 2008
Lions Club Community Centre, 347 Burnham Street
Peterborough

Thursday April 24th, 2008
Ferndale Banquet Hall, 24 Ferndale Industrial Drive
Barrie

Wednesday April 30th, 2008
Markham Fair Grounds, 10801 McCowan Road
Markham

Please indicate on the registration form (http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=5214) which workshop(s) your organization wishes to attend. Your organization may attend more than one workshop, but it is not necessary to attend all workshops.

Please fax the completed registration form to (416) 585-4245 no later than one week prior to the selected workshop. Should you prefer, you may also respond via e-mail to greenbelt@ontario.ca. If you have any questions please call 1-866-733-7578 to speak to a planner.

There will be Stakeholder Workshops which you are invited to attend to discuss this Strategy.

The three workshops will begin at 9 am and adjourn at 4:15 pm Lunch will be provided.

Ogilvie, Ogilvie & Company has been retained to design, facilitate and summarize these workshops. Summaries of the proceedings of the workshops will be made available to all invited participants.

To confirm your attendance and choice of workshop location, please contact Ogilvie, Ogilvie & Company at 1-866-386-6225 or e-mail at mobal@ils.net by Friday, April 4th 2008. Once they receive your confirmation of attendance, they will provide you with more information about the workshop and location.

A background discussion paper “Protecting Lake Simcoe: Creating Ontario's Strategy for Action” has been posted on the MOE Environmental Bill of Rights registry (www.ebr.gov.on.ca). The registry posting number is 010-2974. The questions included in the discussion paper will be discussed at the workshops.

If you do not plan to participate in one of the workshops, you may wish to comment on the discussion paper through the MOE registry. Please note that comments are due by Friday, May 2nd, 2008.

In addition to the three Stakeholder Workshops described in this notice, there also will also be two Public Information Forums

Wednesday, April 16th, 2008 Barrie

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008 Newmarket

The Public Information Forums will be advertised in the local media and on MOE’s website and will deal with the same subject matter, but will be more informational and “Question and Answer” based than the three Stakeholder Workshops which will cover the subject matter in more depth.

The consultations described here represent only the first phase of consultations towards the development and implementation of a Lake Simcoe protection strategy. Further opportunities will be provided as the proposed legislation and Lake Simcoe Protection Plan are developed.

If you have any questions regarding the Stakeholder Workshops, please contact Ogilvie, Ogilvie & Company at 1-866-386-6225 or e-mail at mobal@ils.net.

We want everyone who is interested in the future of Lake Simcoe to take this opportunity to attend one of the three workshops to bring forward ideas, provide suggestions, and to become involved in developing this strategy. We have sent this notice to a wide variety of stakeholders, however if you believe that there are other stakeholders or associations that would benefit from receiving this information, please inform Ogilvie, Ogilvie & Company immediately and they will ensure that this notice is extended to them for their consideration.

For more information on Lake Simcoe, you may also wish to access the MOE website www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/water/lakesimcoe/index.php. This site will be updated regularly so please refer to it often for the latest announcements and information.

For enquiries about the development of a long-term comprehensive strategy to protect Lake Simcoe in general, we invite you to contact Debbie Pella Keen, Manager, Lake Simcoe Protection Strategy by phone at (416)314-1702 or email debbie.pellakeen@ontario.ca

Ontario Nature will be at The Green Living Show http://toronto.greenlivingshow.ca/ at the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place in Toronto. We are looking for volunteers to help staff our booth. If you would like to help promote Ontario Nature (and your local group too!) at the show dedicated to all things green and attended by over 20,000 people, contact Carol Poitras, at (416)444-8419, ext. 221 today.

As you know, Ontario Nature and the Boreal Songbird Initiative have developed a nation-wide petition to protect the most significant bird nursery in North America, the Boreal Forest. Thanks to our partners across North and South America and parts of Europe, we have signatories from around the world demanding that the Canadian government protect the Boreal Forest, an international treasure and significant breeding ground for migratory birds. We appreciate the resounding support the Nature Network has provided.

We have 3,500 signatures to date and anticipate getting thousands more before we submit it to our provincial and federal elected officials. We remain confident that the Save Our Boreal Birds petition will raise political awareness about the importance of the Boreal Forest to breeding birds and that they will make conservation announcements.

We thank you for your help to date in making this a big success! We ask that you remind your members, friends and family to sign the petition and to pass it on to people they know. Together we can protect the Boreal Forest for birds.

If you have any questions please contact Jen Baker at jenniferb@ontarionature.org or 1-800-440-2366, ext. 224.

The gold rush is on in Ontario. Prospecting and mining are fast-growing industries, with over 5,500 claims currently staked in the far north alone. The sudden boom in staking and exploration, prior to any comprehensive land use planning is raising alarm bells as it effectively forecloses options for conservation and other land uses. Mining can cause massive environmental harm and has been creating conflicts with Aboriginal communities and private landowners across the province. Fortunately, the government has an opportunity to rectify the situation with its promise to ‘revise and modernize’ the Mining Act.

Ontario’s archaic Mining Act was developed in 1873, when picks and shovels were the primary mining tools. Since that time mining technology and the size of mine operations has grown in leaps and bounds. The legislation, however, has not kept pace with the modern world. It is based on the “Free Entry” system which allows prospectors to search for minerals almost anywhere in the province. This means that the mining industry has first dibs on most of the province’s land-base, both public and private.

“It is time for the Mining Act to enter the twenty-first century and to respect other values and uses of the land,” says Dr. Anne Bell, Senior Director of Conservation and Education at Ontario Nature. “The revised legislation must address the Free Entry system and require comprehensive environmental assessments that deal with each stage of the mining process, from exploration to reclamation.”

Premier McGuinty made a commendable election commitment to review the Mining Act. This review must be thorough and address the extensive environmental and social concerns.

NEWS FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

Earth Hour was a huge global success! On Saturday, March 29, from 8 pm to 9 pm people around the world turned out their lights for Earth Hour, sending a very strong message to our government and governments around the world, that we need to take action on climate change now.

Beginning in Tel Aviv and ending in Vancouver, the lights went out and the celebrations began. Many iconic buildings and landmarks around the world turned out their lights, including the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco; Alcatraz jail, San Francisco; Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia; Brighton Pier, UK and the Sears Tower, Chicago.

Canada had one of the highest participation rates around the globe with over 150 cities participating. Great job Canada! Many buildings and landmarks also turned off their lights. These included the CN Tower, Niagara Falls, Toronto Eaton Centre, Fairmont Royal York Hotel, Honest Ed’s in Ontario; all buildings in which VanCity, BC Hydro and City of Vancouver operate; and the MacDonald Bridge, City Hall and Parade Square in Halifax.

Thanks to everyone here in Canada and around the world that participated in the first ever, world wide Earth Hour! Your efforts and determination have made this an event to remember.

Saturday April 19th, 2008
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
938 Barton Street East
Winona

Raptorfest is a one day environment event focusing on the Migratory Birds of Prey. The program includes:

• Live bird seminars by the Peregrine Foundation and Open sky Rehabilitation Centre
• Live mammal seminars by the Muskoka Wildlife Centre - meet fox, lynx, possum, snake and turtle up close (species may vary)
• Raptorfest Art Awards for children
• Guided tour at Beamer Memorial Park

For more information visit www.niagarafruitinstitute.ca

Tuesday April 22nd, 2008 is Earth Day. What are you doing to celebrate? Share your activities with the Nature Network in May’s Nature Network News.

http://www.earthday.ca/

Eliminating the use of disposable plastic bags is about more than just the environment, it is about health, sustainability, economics and ultimately, the quality of our life.

Each year the world goes through some 500 Billion plastic bags. Only about 2% of these bags are recycled. Most have a short lifetime with a consumer -- they are used for the few minutes it takes to get from the store to home and then they're thrown away. Plastic shopping bags can last up to a thousand years in a landfill. In the environment, they break down into tiny, toxic particles that become part of the soil and water. They contribute to the plastic debris in the ocean, which kills an estimated 1 million sea creatures each year.

To take the ‘drop the plastic bag pledge’ and find out more visit www.droptheplasticbag.org

The Caring for the Moraine Project (CMP) is back with full force in 2008!

The project now includes: proactive landowner contact activities; landowner workshops; a suite of Moraine related outreach materials; stewardship (on-the-ground) projects; a photo contest; landowner appreciation events; and more.

Bringing together over 30 conservation organizations already working on the Oak Ridges Moraine, the CMP is about coordinating existing services and reducing duplication of stewardship activities on the Moraine. The CMP offers: landowners free property visits to properties larger than 2 acres; access to financial and technical assistance; landowner information nights on a wide range of topics and in various locations across the Moraine; and stewardship focused Moraine materials.

For more information contact Kate Potter, Project Coordinator at (905) 579-0411 ext.106 or kpotter@cloca.com. The CMP has been funded by the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation.

The 2nd annual Moraine in Focus Photo Contest runs this year from Tuesday April 1st to Wednesday December 31st. The categories include amateurs, professionals and youth (under 16).

Great prizes will be awarded and the winning imagery will be showcased at events across the Moraine in May 2009. Lets see the Moraine, through your eyes!

For more information visit www.monitoringthemoraine.ca/moraineinfocus

Earth Day Canada, in partnership with Cascades, has launched its search for this year’s winner. The Hometown Heroes Award recognizes and encourages personal environmental achievement at the local level. This year’s winner will receive a cash-prize of $10,000 - $5,000 to keep and $5,000 to donate to the environmental cause of their choice.

For more information, or to nominate yourself, an individual or group from your community, please visit www.earthday.ca/hometown.

The deadline for applications is Tuesday April 22nd, 2008.

In early April opposition party leaders Stéphane Dion, Gilles Duceppe and Jack Layton signed a historic pledge to fight climate change. The KYOTOplus pledge is part of a national global warming petition campaign launched on Parliament Hill by Sierra Club of Canada and a broad collective of environmental and public interest organizations. The Prime Minister and Environment Minister John Baird were also invited to sign the pledge, but declined.

KYOTOplus will gather the pledges of citizens and politicians who want Canada to take a leadership role on global warming - both domestically and internationally. It calls on elected Canadian politicians to “work to ensure that Canada honours its Kyoto commitment and sets a national target of cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 25 per cent, relative to the 1990 level, by 2020.”

KYOTOplus gives Canadians the opportunity to mobilize and pressure their government to protect our climate.”

Visit www.sierraclubaction.ca to sign the petition today and send it to as many friends as you can.

UPCOMING NATURE NETWORK NEWS DEADLINES

The next issue of the Nature Network News will be sent on May 15th. Submissions will be accepted until May 1st. Please send articles to clarem@ontarionature.org.

Ontario Nature publishes the Ontario Nature Network News every month with contributions from its staff and member groups.