What You Helped Us Accomplish in 2021
Dear Supporter,
After another eventful year, I’m looking forward to relaxing and spending time with family and friends this holiday season.
I may even enjoy a Polar Beer or two, a spruce tip ale we teamed up with Torque Brewing to create.
The team at CPAWS Manitoba was very busy in 2021, connecting people to nature through group hikes, workshops, and webinars and encouraging people to join the fight to Keep Manitoba Wild.
More than 7,500 people participated in our Nature Club activities like paddle nights, photo contests, and outdoor learning workshops at schools and daycares in 2021.
We’re excited to continue offering fun ways to get outside together in the new year, starting off with Saturday hikes and skate nights. If you’re not on our events newsletter list yet, sign up at this link. Each week, you’ll get a roundup of our upcoming events so you won’t miss the chance to sign up.
Reflecting back on 2021, we’re remembering fondly the time we spent in Fisher River Cree Nation with Canadian Wilderness Stewardship Program (CWSP) participants. The program is designed to empower the next generation of Canada’s environmental stewards by providing the tools and confidence they need to advocate for protecting nature in Canada.
We gathered with 10 inspiring young women who are eager to learn new ways to engage their communities in environmental stewardship. Outdoor survival and safety, medicinal plants, and restoring Lake Winnipeg were just a few workshops participants took part in over the week. They also learned about our efforts to protect the southeastern Interlake in partnership with Fisher River Cree Nation and Peguis First Nation.
Our work has been possible thanks to the support of tens of thousands of Manitobans like you who joined the fight to Keep Manitoba Wild by signing our postcards to elected officials, writing letters, and donating their time and resources.
Keep on reading for a recap of what we've accomplished with your support and what we've got planned for 2022.
Happy holidays, and see you in the new year!
Yours in Conservation,
Ron Thiessen
Executive Director
CPAWS Manitoba
Find Inspiration on Our Blog
We’ve had the chance to connect with so many people this past year, and we’re grateful to everyone who shared their stories with us about how they connect to nature. Our blog posts offer tons of inspiration to rekindle your connection to nature. Read about an initiative to protect the entirety of the Seal River Watershed as an Indigenous Protected Area, learn about the benefits of nature journaling and how you can get started, and practise your nature photography after reviewing these tips. Find even more nature news and inspiration on our website.
Connect to Nature — While Cozy at Home!
Nature has been here for us during the pandemic. We want to maintain this positive connection to nature by providing a space for people to connect online from the safety of their homes and to appreciate nature in their backyards and beyond. Learn about nature in Manitoba through our free webinars hosted by experts on polar bears, snake dens, the northern lights, and much, much more. Watch past webinars on our Vimeo channel.
Campsite fees are three times higher at St. Ambroise Provincial Park after a private company was awarded a 21-year contract to manage what used to be a public service. Despite the public uproar, the government is using that deal as a “template” for future partnerships. We provided an update on the privatization and potential decommissioning of parks at our online Annual General Meeting, which you can view on Vimeo. We need your help to remind the government that parks are for people — not for profit. Click here to show your support to Defend Manitoba Parks.
Manitoba recently introduced legislation recognizing the polar bear as an official emblem. We hope the designation will improve conservation efforts for polar bears, which are deemed as threatened in our province. The Manitoba government has proposed a massive provincial park stretching from Churchill all the way to the Ontario border. Northern First Nations are working to establish Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas in the region. These initiatives could protect polar bear birthing dens, along with other critical habitats for a wide array of wildlife. Click here to show your support for protecting polar bear habitats.
Help Keep Manitoba Wild
Share your love of wilderness protection with the special people in your life. When you donate to CPAWS Manitoba, you can send an e-card, personalized with your own message. Donate now to receive your e-card today.
Mark Your Calendar with Upcoming Events
We’ve got a busy calendar of activities scheduled for 2022. We’re aiming to host outdoor activities every other Saturday and plenty more interesting webinars. Be sure to sign up for our weekly event listings newsletter so you don’t miss out on upcoming Nature Club events.
Here’s some of what you can expect in the coming months:
- January 22: Ski and snowshoe meetup with free hot chocolate and a campfire
- January 28: Learn about the latest research at IISD’s Experimental Lakes Area (webinar)
- February 4: Bat Behaviour: North American bats and white-nose syndrome (webinar)
- February 5: Group skate on the river trail with free hot chocolate
- February 11: Capturing the sounds of birds in the Seal River Watershed (webinar)
- February 26: Group skate on the river trail with free hot chocolate
- March 12: Group hike on the Seine River and in Bois-des-Esprits
- March 26: A challenging group hike at Pine Point in the Whiteshell
- April 22: Monarchs in Manitoba (webinar)
Need-to-Know Nature News
It’s been a big year for nature, and we were lucky to have been featured in the news many times in 2021. Here are some highlights. You can see more on our In the News page.
- A document shows the government was mulling a private model for parks months before it finalized a 21-year lease with a businessman to operate St. Ambroise Beach Provincial Park. Click here to read the Winnipeg Free Press article.
- If you want to hike but you don't want to go alone, our free group hikes are a great way to help you hit the trail. CPAWS Manitoba Director of Communications and Public Programs Mira Oberman talked to Stephanie Cram on CBC Manitoba's Weekend Morning Show.
- With the help of CPAWS Manitoba, Peguis First Nation, and several Interlake communities, the Fisher River Cree Nation Conservation Areas Initiative aims to protect the health of the natural landscape while creating sustainable economic opportunities. Click here to download the Express Weekly article.
- A CPAWS report assigned letter grades based on progress toward reaching Canada’s conservation goals, support for Indigenous-led conservation and protected area management. Manitoba earned a C-. Learn more in this article from the National Observer.
- The decision to expand tourist access to polar bears in Churchill “may very well pose additional challenges to this threatened species." Read this CBC article about this move to end a decades-long moratorium.
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