The Raw Beauty and Real Voices of Canada’s Great Bearawsassets.wwf.ca/downloads/wwf_lp_fall_2013_oct_3_eng_linked... · (EVs) are an affordable option. Practicality. EVs are viable

Meet David MillerWhat inspires WWF’s new President and CEO? Getting his hands dirtyPage 2

From Whales to Cargo ShipsExamining Prince Rupert’s fine balancePage 4

Draw the Line HereVirunga: Africa’s oldest national park or newest oil field? Page 11

Living Planet2013

MAGAZINE

FALLMaga zine for W Wf- Canada SupporterS

The Raw Beauty and Real Voices of Canada’s Great Bear

I grew up with earth in my hands, connected to the natural world. This inspired my passion for our natural environment, a core value that has shaped my life and work.

I spent my childhood in a tiny village in England where nothing went to

waste, eggs were free-range and what we would now call organic, and we grew our own herbs and vegetables. Our lifestyle was based on balance with nature. It was the closeness to nature that I felt every day in my family’s gar-den that really helped shape my pas-sion for the environment. The direct connection to natural systems—know-ing that the seeds we planted would help feed us—was part of my life from the very beginning.

I learned that if you treat nature with respect, it will help nurture and nourish you—and nowhere is that truer than in Canada, where we’re blessed

with an abundance of natural resourc-es. After immigrating to Canada, the first time I felt truly Canadian was on a canoe trip in Algonquin Park, Ontario. It was tough work, but beautiful, and we could drink the water straight from the lake. I’ve long understood that it is our responsibility to take care of this bounty for ourselves and our children. And taking care of Canada’s natural riches is what I’m looking forward to doing as the new president and CEO of WWF-Canada. l

September 3rd was David Miller’s first day at WWf. You can read his bio online: wwf.ca/davidmiller and tweet him a note of welcome: @iamdavidmiller

Three Thingsneed a nature break? Here are three things WWf staff are watching, doing, and listening to online.

Share it. By 2050 we could get all the energy we need from renewable sources. Share this and other cool facts by keeping up with the global Seize Your power campaign: facebook.com/wwfcanada

Tweet it. Keep oil exploration out of africa’s oldest national park—sign the petition at panda.org/virunga and share with your followers #sosvirunga @WWFCanada

Watch it. How would you explain “zero emissions” to a child? Watch these parents try: wwf.ca/zeroemissions

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© 1986 Panda symbol WWF-World Wide fund for nature (also known as World Wildlife fund) ® “WWf” and “living planet” are WWf registered trademarks.

To receive your newsletter electronically, visit wwf.ca

A CEO who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty

H u m A n n AT u R E“If you treat nature with respect, it will help nurture and nourish you.”

—david Miller, president & Ceo WWf-Canada

Save the DatePut nature on the agenda this fall. Check out these great opportunities to get involved—and outside!

October 4: World Animal Day. From pandas to polar bears, spread the love by symbolically adopting your favourite spe-cies. Check out our new adoption catalogue in this issue or visit shop.wwf.ca

October 21-27: Waste reduction week. Get a jump on your New Year’s resolution to waste less and save more. Also a cool challenge for your workplace green team. Get started: atwork.wwf.ca

November 12: WWF-Canada’s Annual Public Meeting in Toronto. Also, look for the launch of our 2013 Annual Report in mid-November: wwf.ca/annualreport

November 21: World Fisheries Day. 85% of the world’s fisheries are overexploited—do your part by pledging to buy MSC-labelled products when purchasing seafood: wwf.ca/seafood

December 5: International Volunteer Day. Last year 826 volunteers donated 9,858 hours to WWF-Canada! Got some time and lots of passion? Join the fun: wwf.ca/volunteer

B R E A k I n G n E w S !

First Scores now InH ow healthy are Canada’s waters? As you read in the last

Living Planet, in many cases, we simply don’t know. It’s a critical knowledge gap WWF is working to solve. The first set of results from our groundbreaking freshwater health assessments are now available. Find out how some of Canada’s most iconic rivers scored: wwf.ca/freshwater l

By David Miller, President and CEO, WWF-Canada

Competitive Pricing. Electric vehicles (EVs) are an affordable option.

Practicality.EVs are viable for all thanks to better range and plentiful charging options.

The remaining 25% of total greenhouse gas emissions from light-duty vehicles in 2050 (vs. business as usual) will need to be targeted from manufacturing and recycling.

WWF-Canada would like to thank the generous supporters of our sustainable transportation work:

20% reduction from fuel e�ciency standards

18% reduction from alternative transportation use

7% reduction from all transportation being powered by 100% renewable energy

30% reduction from more electric vehicles on the road, powered by a greener electricity grid

2050 Vision: 75% + GHG EMISSIONS REDUCTION FROM TRANSPORTATION

$

McLean Foundation

Public Profile. EVs are familiar to all and are a common component to corporate fleets. They are actively shared, rented and purchased.

2020 GOAL: 10% OF VEHICLE SALES ARE ELECTRIC

Not the only “Great Bear” in the forest. B.C.’s north Coast is also home to Kermode bears—called “spirit bears” by coastal first nations. these are actually black bears with a recessive gene that makes their coat cream-coloured. Only 1,000 live in B.C.’s great Bear rainforest, and they’ve survived because first nations never hunted them or told fur trappers about them.

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The Grizzly bear (ursus arctos horribilis)

Grizzly bears symbolize wilderness and attest to the vibrancy of their ecosystem. Such is the case for Canada’s Great Bear region, home to Canada’s largest and densest grizzly population.

Living Planet 2013 fall issue — Page 3

L I F E S C I E n C E S

Driving a smart climate futureTransportation accounts for 30 per cent of Canada’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Stepping away from the internal combustion engine and creating the drastic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that we need is possible. Here’s how WWF’s EV goal will help drive change.

Grizzly bears are actually brown bears—they’re a subspecies found only in western Canada, Alaska, and the northwestern U.S.

The Great Bear’s wild salmon rivers feed grizzlies and us—60% of B.C.’s multi-million-dollar salmon catch runs through this region.

The grizzly’s ferocious reputation is at odds with what it eats: 90% of its diet is vegetarian.

learn more about wildlife in Canada’s great Bear: wwf.ca/greatbear

AT H O m E I n T H E w O R L D

Setting the table in Prince Rupert The world’s resource development challenges are coming to a head in this small port city. WWF’s Mike Ambach walks us through Prince Rupert’s fine balance and what’s at stake.

Living Planet 2013 fall issue — Page 4

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L ocated on British Columbia’s rugged north coast, the small port city of

Prince Rupert straddles an unusual line. Life here blends rainforests, wild rivers, and the rich cold water of the Great Bear Sea with rapid industrial growth and port facilities that handle everything from coal to cruise ships.

“The area surrounding Prince Rupert, which forms part of the larger area we call the Great Bear region, is on the front lines of some of the world’s biggest resource challenges,” says Mike Ambach, manager of WWF’s North Coast Program.

“On the water, it’s not uncommon to see humpback whales breaching one

moment, and then a shipping vessel passing by the next. Imagine you’re looking at the mouth of the Skeena River, which supports one of Canada’s largest wild salmon populations, and just next door you can see port infrastructure developing.”

These contrasts—whales and cargo ships, wild salmon and port cranes—offer a snapshot of the challenges Mike encounters in his day-to-day work.

“In an average week, I might move from getting my hands dirty at a shore-line cleanup or another community out-reach project to researching the impacts that industrial development is having on the Great Bear region.

“I feel incredibly lucky to be involved in such a wide range of work,” he adds.

Originally from the Cariboo region in B.C.’s Interior, Mike arrived in Prince Rupert in 2007 to apply his skills and broader commitment to sustainability in a place that he could make a difference. He is also a talented photographer who devotes a great deal of time to documenting the incredible diversity of life on B.C.’s North Coast.

“I’m interested in how people relate to the place where they live, and how this changes and grows as that place de-velops,” he says. “Generally, in this com-munity, the health of the environment is the fundamental element that ensures the well-being of the people. But it’s easy to have these values sidelined by larger forces at play, especially with eco-nomic development along the coast.”

It was on a trip that brought industry, government, and non-governmental organization reps together to tour the Gitxaala Nation’s traditional territory that Mike learned a common saying among First Nations people: When the tide is low…our table is set.

Referring to the tradition of gathering food from the sea at low tide, the phrase helped Mike truly understand the value of natural wealth in the Great Bear region. Here, nature literally means nourishment.

“WWF’s work is to ask stakeholders to step back and understand the cumulative impact we’re having on B.C.’s oceans, rivers, and species,” Mike says. “Given the tremendous value these represent, it only makes sense to understand a healthy environment as the basis of human well-being.” l

learn more about WWf’s work on the north Coast: wwf.ca/princerupert

“ I’m interested in how people relate to the place where they live, and how this changes and grows as that place develops.”

—Mike ambach, manager of

WWf’s north Coast program

Shipping is a growing industry on British Columbia’s north Coast.

Mike captures a humpback whale breaching in the great Bear Sea.

F R O m T H E C O V E R

Voices of the Great Bear

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Last year, Coastal First Nations and WWF teamed up to protect the ecological and cultural richness of the Great Bear region in the wake of the proposed Northern Gateway oil pipeline. On a recent trip to the coast, we had the opportunity to hear directly from individuals who live in this globally im-portant space about their lives and how they would be irrevo-cably changed by the project.

I t’s easy to appreciate the raw beauty and natural diversity of the Great Bear

region. But experiencing it through the eyes of the people who live here drives home what’s really at stake as Canada’s government deliberates the proposed Northern Gateway project.

Talk to anyone in the Heiltsuk village of Bella Bella about life in the Great Bear and the conversation inevitably turns to the sea. Be it a community leader, artist, teacher, business owner, or student, they’ll tell you that family, food, culture, work, and play are deeply connected to a healthy ocean.

The Coastal First Nations communi-ties on B.C.’s Central and North Coast and Haida Gwaii understand that taking care of this special place, the Great Bear, requires managing land and ocean eco-systems in a way that balances environ-

ment and local economies with cultural and social health.

This dependence on an intact marine culture has stirred First Nations opposi-tion to the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline project, which would bring as many as 200 oil supertankers to the coast every year.

Ask Chief Marilyn Slett of the Heilt-suk Nation where this opposition stems from and she’ll give you one very basic reason: “We’ll cease to be Heiltsuk if there’s an oil spill.

“We have deep-rooted connections to the land and the sea,” Slett continues. “Our culture is derived from our sur-roundings. Our economic opportunities come from the sea.”

The Heiltsuk and other First Nations communities on the B.C. coast have

Living Planet 2013 fall issue — Page 5

(continued on page 6)

By Bessie Brown, Coastal First Nations, and Jo Anne Walton, WWF-Canada

About The Coastal First nationsthe Coastal first nations is an alliance of first nations on British Columbia’s north and Central Coasts and Haida gwaii. for the past decade, the Coastal first nations has charted a course that has strengthened the connections between its communities, its environment, and its economy. “Our communities are developing marine use plans, implementing economic opportunities in renewable energy, carbon credits, forestry, ecotourism, non-timber forest products, and shellfish aquaculture,” explains art Sterritt, executive director of Coastal first Nations. “We’re building a rich economy that stems from our cultural values.”

“We’ll cease to be Heiltsuk if there’s an oil spill.” —Chief Marilyn Slett, Heiltsuk Nation

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Five-year-old Shayda Easterbrook sports her crab costume for her end-of-school parade.

Living Planet 2013 fall issue — Page 6

worked hard to develop a conservation-based economy. When they talk to us about the future, that vision is built on sustainable industries like shellfish aquaculture, ecotourism, revitalization of fish processing plants, geoduck fisher-ies, and rebuilding fish stocks.

“People from all over the world come to see the rare white spirit bear,” says the head guide for Kitasoo’s Spirit Bear Adventures, Doug Neasloss. “Tourism is dependent on the wildlife and every-thing is connected. If you lose the salm-on, you lose all the bears; if you lose the bears, you lose the forest.”

Neasloss also believes an oil spill would destroy the ecotourism business that his community has spent so much time and effort building.

Others along the coast fear that a spill will negatively impact traditional

resources and cultures.The proposed tanker routes go right

past traditional-use areas of Metlakatla, explains Guardian Watchman David Leask. “I have a young family. I just moved them over to Metlakatla so I could teach them about harvesting tra-ditional foods and about who they are as Tsimshian people.”

Beth Humchitt, a traditional singer, emphasizes that the songs and dances of First Nations are passed down from generation to generation. Everything about First Nations people comes from the land, from the territory, from the animals, she tells us. They all tell a story.

For Heiltsuk artist Ian Reid, the Great Bear equals sustenance. It gives him nourishment his body needs—cod, seaweed, and oolichan oil. But more than that, “It not only fed my tummy, it fed a real important part of my soul and my mind.”

It’s a good life, growing up here, Reid says. “All these birds, all these ravens, the seals, sea lions, whales. This place is key not only to our people but to the world as a whole.” l

Join Coastal first nations and WWf in taking a stand for Canada’s great Bear. visit wwf.ca/greatbearsea

(continued from page 5)

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Traditional singer and drummer Beth Humchitt tells us everything about First Nations people comes from the land, from the territory, from the animals. They all have a story.

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vancouver

Great Bear Region of B.C.’s north Coast

“This place is key not only to our people but to the world as a whole,”

—Heiltsuk artist ian reid, shown carving a pole outside his home in Bella Bella

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Chatham Sound

prince rupert

Hecate Strait

Metlakatla Skeena river

nass river

Bella CoolaBella Bella

shoots and the width and length of a shoot. Then, all that information gets plugged into an online central database, which stores data from citizen-scientists mapping eelgrass around the coast.

Ask James why so many of his neigh-bours are willing to get up at the break of dawn to wade around in the muck and he’ll tell you: “It’s in everyone’s best interest to protect eelgrass.

“There are families and fishermen whose lives and livelihoods depend on these nursery habitats,” he explains. “It’s also a great way to get a community together and to introduce kids to nature in a way that really counts.” l

No matter what coast you live on, you can help keep your local water ecosystem healthy. Learn more by contacting your local water keeper or visit wwf.ca/freshwater

Living Planet 2013 fall issue — Page 7

Why follow a guy in chest-high waders into a tangle of eelgrass at five in the morning? To protect life in nature’s underwater meadows. James Casey, WWF’s freshwater conservation analyst, takes us on a (soggy) adventure.

I t’s 4:30 a.m., and James Casey is waiting, coffee in hand, at the local

coffee shop near Chatham Sound, on B.C.’s North Coast, for the rest of the volunteer team to arrive. “This part is really exciting, as we don’t know what to expect until we get out there,” says James. “It’s almost like starting a treasure hunt.” In fact, what James is starting is an eelgrass mapping project.

Eelgrass is a flowering plant that grows in the intertidal zone, forming meadows of habitat for all kinds of species: juvenile salmon, oolichan, crabs, marine snails, and other sea life. “Imagine adding trees to the forest floor,” James explains. “By adding three-dimensional structure, eelgrass allows an abundance of life to happen.”

But eelgrass is as vulnerable as it is important, says James. “It likes to grow in bays and estuaries, the same places we humans like to build.” Since eelgrass is such a critical species, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has protected it under the “No Net Loss” policy, meaning any eelgrass habitat that is destroyed by human disturbance must be replaced somewhere else at a ratio of 2:1. And this is where the mapping project comes in.

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knee deep in an emerald sea

F I E L D G u I D E

Years ago, James and other WWF staff received training from the SeaChange Marine Conservation Society to learn how to locate and map eelgrass. The aim is to identify areas that need to be protected. “As with anything involving Canada’s coasts, shoreline work is dependent on the tides, and in the North Coast, a good opportunity to get out is bright and early in the morning,” says James, explaining his 4:30 start time.

He’s not the only early riser in these parts. The mapping project depends on a group of dedicated scientists and volunteers from the community, as well as other organizations, like Ocean Ecology—which helps map some of the trickier subtidal beds. “All you need is a GPS and the willingness to get out there,” James says. Often joined on the beach by black bears and wolves, the team starts by walking along the shore, looking for beds of eelgrass. “Some-times we’re up to our knees in mud,” says James, laughing.

Once the team identifies a bed, they walk along the perimeter mapping the area. If time and tides allow, they also capture the condition of the eelgrass, measuring things like the number of

flora Banks eelgrass bed. this bed and others like it are threatened by industrial development.

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“ There are families and fishermen whose lives and livelihoods depend on these nursery habitats.”

—James Casey

y O u I n S P I R E u S

Power for the people, by the people

Donna Morton believes that communities should own their own energy. Even more, she believes that they should be involved in creating it, managing it, and profiting from it.

w hen the Seton Lake Band in Salath, B.C., wanted to power their com-

munity and economy or-ganically, they turned to Donna Morton. Working closely with a wide range of community members, from elders to children, as well as technical ex-perts and artists, Donna helped develop a clean energy installation that integrated traditional arts and culture with modern technology.

The result: a beautiful solar array on the local school with a mural featuring thousand-year-old cave pictographs. These pictographs speak to the tradi-tions of the band, offering instructions on how to live in the community. The design from the mural has now been used repeatedly, including in the na-tion’s flag, to represent the band.

The array is far from the only out-come of this project. The chance to collaborate on such an exciting project helped bring the community members together, and showcase the alignment between traditional beliefs about us-ing the Earth’s gifts with respect and modern technology and lifestyles. The project also empowered community members through training to build local knowledge and skills around sustain-able development and clean energy.

All these results are exactly what Donna envisioned when she co-founded

First Power to bring community-owned clean energy and grow meaningful job

creation in the First Nations communities of B.C.

“Communities make better decisions about development because they have to live with the results,” Donna says. “Communities that run on clean energy that they helped develop and own themselves are

truly empowered—there’s real pride in how they’re powering every element of their economy.”

After working on carbon tax policy in B.C., Donna was ready to be part of the solution. “I had this desire to be-come a ‘yes’ person,” Donna explains. “I felt called to be part of starting a new relationship with energy, making vi-able alternatives happen. I wanted to be part of the shift toward taking personal responsibility for generating power at a homeowner and community level.” l

donna is co-founder of first power, Sun drum, and principium. She advises WWf on renewable energy policy and development issues. to learn more and get involved, join WWF’s Global Renewable Energy campaign: wwf.ca/seizeyourpower

Living Planet 2013 fall issue — Page 8

“Energy can be beautiful, artful —something that celebrates who

we are as human beings.”

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donna collaborates with the community, including local school children, to bring the solar installations to life.

donna speaking at a leadership conference.

A native Torontonian, Dianne spends her summers in Newfoundland, where she regularly enjoys hiking in the company of friends and family. She recently became aware of the work WWF is doing to assist the recovery of Grand Banks cod stocks, with a view to creating a sustainable fishery that will be a model for the world. The devastation she has seen in East Coast communities, caused by the collapse of cod, has been dramatic. “I can see this issue, touch it, feel it. The impact on lives and the community is huge. This is the type of work that I’ve been looking to support for many years.”

The words of her grade 7 teacher have stayed with Dianne all this time. “I want to leave the world a better place, even if it is in my own small way. I want to do my part now and after I’m gone to help bring the cod back to a sustainable level.” That is why Dianne has included WWF in her will. For her, it’s about supporting objective, science-based work and partnerships that will move the issue forward. This is the legacy Dianne has chosen, “for my grandchildren,” she says, “and the future of the planet.” l

Pass on your passion for nature to the next generation. find out how: wwf.ca/legacy

F O R T H E O n E S y O u L O V E

A lifelong environmentalist, a life-exceeding passion

S T u m P T H E S C I E n T I S T

How is a solar panel like a leaf?

Dianne Gartley’s interest in the environ-ment started in Mr. Peak’s Grade 7 class. It deepened when she read Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. And it blossomed with experience and wisdom, for the next generation to inherit.

Question by Morley, age 9, from Burlington, ON and a camper at Glen Bernard Camp.

Great question, morley! we asked Farid Sharifi, wwF’s resident engineer and energy expert, to shed some light on the answer.

y ou’ve probably learned all about photosynthesis (say: fo-to-SIN-this-us) at school. That’s the process

used by plants and other leafy greens to convert “light energy” (sunlight) into “chemical energy,” which can be used to fuel the plants’ activities—like getting bigger and producing oxygen for humans to breathe.

Photosynthesis is really similar to the photovoltaic (say: fo-to-vole-TAY-ick) process used by solar panels to turn sunlight into “electrical energy,” which can be used to power your refrigerator, TV, and washing machine.

Leaves and solar panels are alike because they both collect sunlight and turn sunlight into energy—different types of energy to do different things! l

says. “But after reading that book, I understood—humans aren’t always benevolent. That was when I became an environmentalist, although I don’t think I knew it at the time.”

A city girl at heart, Dianne hiked, camped, and canoed when she could over the years. She and her husband took their three children out as well, fostering their appreciation for nature. “I have a steady diet of outdoor activi-ties. In the city, biking and walking, and in the country, hiking,” she says. “I try to be conscious about what I do and how my actions impact the planet.”

Living Planet 2013 fall issue — Page 9

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In our science class, we learned that conservation is the wise use of our

natural resources,” recalls Dianne. “That really piqued my interest and made me consider the environmental movement for the first time.” However, it wasn’t until the age of 15 that she read Silent Spring by Rachel Carson and realized that humankind doesn’t always live in harmony with nature. “I used to play outside with my brothers and cousins and friends in city parks and at cottages. I believed that this was just the way things should be. Humans as a part of nature,” Dianne

“

you produce energy, too!Has anyone ever told you that you have too much energy? Just like a leaf or solar panel turns sunlight into energy, you turn food into energy, which can be used to bicycle to school, paint a picture, play soccer, and more!

Leaf vs. solar panel: which is more energy efficient?You’ve just learned…types of energy, now let’s look at which is better at gathering the sun’s power.

Solar panels are made up of solar cells. The better the cell, the more energy it creates —all the way up to 44% efficient for a super high-quality cell! The most common solar cells (like the ones that make up the panels you might see on the roof of a house) are around 14 to 19% efficient. That means up to 19% of the sunlight gathered by a solar cell becomes useable energy for your home.

A leaf, on the other hand, has a maximum efficiency of just 11%. Plus, things like re-flection often reduce a leaf’s efficiency to 3 to 6%. The most en-ergy-efficient plant? Sugar cane, at 8%!

y O u R V O I C E

Jess Housty: Boldness and hopeThis past June, 26-year-old Jess Housty—a member of the Heiltsuk Tribal Council—testified before the Joint Review Panel, responsible for reviewing the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline project. The following is an excerpt of her testimony.

y O u R I m P A C T

Thank you for helping us “Stop the Trade!”This past spring, we asked for your support to help us stand up against illegal wildlife trade, and now we’re seeing results, thanks to you!

E ven in my short life and my short work, I’ve seen really huge

transformations in my community. What we’ve fostered in our young people is boldness and hope. We have fostered a strong sense of place-based identity that is rooted in our cultural values, and it links our youngest generation into a powerful chain that stretches back to time before memory.

From the deep sea to the intertidal

zone and into the meadows and forests, our young people walk where their an-cestors walked. I’ve walked where my ancestors walked. And the duty that they inherit is the same one I inherited.

When my children are born, I want them to be born into a world where hope and transformation are possible. I want them to grow up able to be Heiltsuk in every sense of the word, to practise the customs and understand the identity

that has made our people strong for hundreds of generations.

That cannot happen if we do not sustain the integrity of our territory, if we don’t sustain the integrity of our lands and waters and the stewardship practices that link our people to our landscape.

On behalf of the young people in my community, I respectfully disagree with the notion that there is any com-pensation to be made for the loss of our identity and for the loss of our right to be Heiltsuk. l

Read Jess Housty’s full testimony at wwf.ca/JessHousty

Living Planet 2013 fall issue — Page 10

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Threat: Your Action: Progress:Rhinos

Hundreds of rhinos are killed each year for their horns.

Elephants

30,000 African elephants are killed each year for their tusks.

Tigers

97% of the wild tiger population has been wiped out in the last century.

RhinosThanks to your support, three rhino calves have been born to relocated mothers, signalling a sign of hope for future rhino populations.

ElephantsThis past spring, Thailand made a historic pledge to work toward ending ivory trade, making this a monumental step in protecting all forms of domestic and wild elephants in Thailand and parts of Africa.

TigersIn the Terai Arc region of Nepal, tiger populations have increased an estimated 63% from 2009.

1.3 million people,from 234 countries,

including thousands of Canadians, signed the

petition to the Thai Prime Minister demanding an

end to Thailand’s ivory trade.

Close to2,000 Canadians helped raise over

$90,000 to fight illegal wildlife trade.

Canadians signed 1,050

pledges to stop illegal wildlife trade.

D I S P AT C H F R O m y O u R L I V I n G P L A n E T

Democratic Republic of Congo, 06/17/2013: unESCO world Heritage Committee requests cancellation of Virunga oil permitsThe international body that oversees World Heritage Sites asks for the cancellation of oil exploration permits in Virunga, Africa’s oldest national park.

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“ Virunga National Park is one of the last places on Earth you should go looking for oil. The park is of global conservation importance and is vital for the livelihoods of many people living around it. We are urging alternative development models that are sustainable for the long term— development that provides real benefits to local communities and does not put endangered species at risk.”

186: A 2010 census counted 186 critically endangered mountain gorillas in virunga

85% In December 2007, the DRC government granted oil concessions covering 85% of the park

50,000: threat of environmental dam-age to the park from oil extraction could put 50,000 people’s health and livelihoods at risk

Located along the eastern edge of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Virunga has the highest level of biodiversity on the African continent. Virunga is protected from industrial exploration under DRC law; however, the government has given special permission to companies to explore for oil within the park. The World Heritage Committee said it is deeply concerned that laws could be changed so that oil concessions covering 85 per cent of the park could be exploited.

—René Ngongo, mining and extractives policy adviser at WWF-DRC

virunga, drC, africa

To draw the line on oil exploration in Virunga National Park, join WWF’s global emergency campaign at panda.org/virunga

Disruption and increased human activity in the park could threaten the population of endangered mountain gorillas.

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We are creating solutions to the most serious conservation challenges facing our planet, helping people and nature thrive.

Why we are here.WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by: Conserving the world’s biological diversity; Ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable; and Promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

Chairman: Roger Dickhout • President and CEO: David Miller • Editor: Jessie Sitnick • WWF, 410-245 Eglinton Avenue East, Toronto, ON M4P 3J1 Canada • Toll-Free: 1-800-267-2632 • email: [email protected] • Website: wwf.ca donate: wwf.ca/donateWWF-Canada is a federally registered charity (No. 11930 4954 RR0001), and an official national organization of World Wide fund for nature, headquartered in gland, Switzerland. WWf is known as World Wildlife fund in Canada and the U.S. Published (Sept. 2013) by WWF-Canada, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Any reproduction in full or in part of this publication must mention the title and credit the above-mentioned publisher as the copyright owner. © text (2013) WWF-Canada. No photographs from this production may be reproduced. All rights reserved.

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