Ryan Reynolds and a host of other Canadian celebrities have joined forces to protect nature

November 30, 2009

Be a Force for Nature
with the Nature Conservancy of Canada

News
Toronto, November 30, 2009 Ryan Reynolds and a host of other Canadian celebrities have joined forces to protect nature. Reynolds, Jason Priestley, William Shatner and Rachel Blanchard, star in A Force for Nature - a 30 minute television journey through some of our most magnificent but threatened landscapes. The special will air coast to coast. It is produced by the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the countrys leading land conservation organization.

Through this exciting partnership, viewers will experience the toll development is taking on natural habitat and the animals and plants that depend on these lands. They will meet dedicated Canadians who are working to save our natural treasures, and learn what we can all do to support that urgent work.

Ryan Reynolds profiles the Grizzly Bears battle for survival in the Canadian Rockies amid an expanding web of roads and human development.
Jason Priestley takes viewers to Canadas most southern point, the Pelee Region of Ontario - a last oasis for many rare and threatened species.
William Shatner shares his love of Canada and talks about the importance of protecting a natural legacy.
Rachel Blanchard explores the landscape of the prairies which are slipping into silence as the songbirds disappear.
Denise Donlon, the programs host, provides a clear call for urgent and important conservation work.

A Force for Nature raises awareness about the need to safeguard our natural lands and waterways, while also protecting the wildlife that lives there. The show premiers Wednesday, December 2 at 10 a.m. (MST), on CICT-TV Calgary-Lethbridge, 11 a.m. (PST), on CHAN-TV, Vancouver and 11:00 a.m. (EST) on Global TV, Toronto, Hamilton. It will air nationally on the CTV network on December 27 at 9 a.m. local time, with repeats on regional stations throughout the month of December. (Click here for local air times).

Canadas natural history is disappearing, but with A Force for Nature, Canadians can learn how to save the best of what is left.

Quotes
In the wilderness, animals can take care of themselves. But they are utterly helpless in the face of human carelessness and apathy. Like it or not, their fate rests in our hands, says Canadian actor, Ryan Reynolds.

In my mind there is no question Canada and Canadians wouldnt be what they are without nature and the wilderness. The Nature Conservancy of Canada is working to protect the landscapes that are such a huge part of how we define ourselves, and thats a legacy that I want to be part of, says actor William Shatner.

The task before us in terms of conservation is so big, so urgent, and so important, that we need the help of every Canadian to make this a reality, says John Lounds, President & CEO, Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Facts
13 species have already gone extinct in Canada gone forever and hundreds more are officially listed by the federal government under the Species at Risk Act (SARA).
Habitat loss is the greatest factor impacting global biodiversity. It is a main threat to 85 percent of all species classified as endangered or threatened in the IUCN's Red List.
Across North America, populations of once common birds such as the Lark Sparrow, the Grasshopper Sparrow and the Loggerhead Shrike have dropped by more than 60 percent over the last four decades.
Close to 70 percent of the North American grasslands are gone; and there is less than one half of one percent of Manitobas Tall Grass Prairie left.
Last year, NCC protected more than 90 properties for a total of 174,351 acres.
Only one herd of Mountain Caribou remains in the South Selkirk Mountains and it has less than 50 members. This is the only herd that travels south into the United States.

Learn More
The Nature Conservancy of Canada is Canadas leading land conservation organization. Since 1962 we have helped to protect more than 2 million acres of ecologically significant land nationwide. www.natureconservancy.ca

Link to videos:
Teaser, Ryan Reynolds, Jason Priestley

Link to images:
Ryan Reynolds, Jason Priestley, Rachel Blanchard

Click here to link to TV schedule

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Contact:
Teva Harrison
Coordinator, Monthly Giving
Nature Conservancy of Canada
1-888-277-7514 x 273
Teva.Harrison@natureconservancy.ca


For more information contact:
Teva Harrison
Coordinator, Monthly Giving
Nature Conservancy of Canada
Phone: 1-888-277-7514 x 273
Email: Teva.Harrison@natureconservancy.ca
Website: www.natureconservancy.ca

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