Healthy forest Coalition - For the birds contest and campaign
A Campaign from the Healthy Forest Coalition FOR THE BIRDS
All across Canada, people sheltering at home have delighted in the birds outside their windows. Now millions of migratory birds are arriving from their wintering grounds to the south. These birds, many so small they fit into the palm of a child’s hand, have flown thousands of kilometres to make their nests and raise their young in our forests. They have a few short months to ensure the survival of their kind. A long standing federal and international law, the Migratory Birds Convention Act, says it is illegal to destroy birds or their nests during breeding season but this law is not working. Across Canada, whole forests are cut down while the birds are on their nests. The only way to enforce the law so it actually protects the birds is to require a ‘silent season’. This means all the machines cutting and hauling trees out of our forests fall silent during nesting season. The birds can safely sing their hearts out. What can we do?
CELEBRATE the miraculous arrival of so many beautiful birds – from tiny ruby-throated hummingbirds to brilliant warblers to the shy hermit thrush. Check out Scott Leslie’s gorgeous photographs on https://www.healthyforestcoalition.ca or on our Facebook page. We’ll post one a day in June. Kids and grown-ups, make paintings or drawings or sculptures of birds.
SHARE this post. Post your pictures on Instagram and Twitter with #forthebirdscanada. Enter your artwork in our contest by posting your pictures on our Healthy Forest Coalition Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/297430313924008/ Kids, include your age please. Check out the contest guidelines and the prizes you can win. If you’ve taken photographs of birds, post them on https://www.inaturalist.org/ or https://ebird.org/
REQUEST Please email the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change at EC@canada.ca , preferably with a cc to your MP and your MLA. If you can, add a picture you have made to the email. Here’s a possible version. Your own words are even better: The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Our migratory birds need your help. The Migratory Birds Convention Act says it is illegal to destroy birds or their nests during breeding season but the law isn’t being enforced. We need a silent season in all our forests during breeding season. That means no logging operations (including the building of logging roads) from the beginning of May to the end of July. The dates may vary across the country but the principle is the same. Please help birds like the Canada Warbler shelter in place safely while they nest and raise their babies in our forests. Yours sincerely, (Your name and province) You could email the Prime Minister too at justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca
ENTER OUR FOR THE BIRDS CONTEST
June 1st to June 30th
CELEBRATE the miraculous arrival of so many beautiful birds – from tiny ruby-throated hummingbirds to brilliant warblers to the shy hermit thrush – as our migratory birds return to build their nests and raise their babies here in Nova Scotia.
WIN great prizes including beautiful bird books, plus ceramic tiles and -- the grand prize – this Yellow Warbler mug set, all from Lucky Rabbit pottery in Annapolis Royal.
Kids and grown-ups, make paintings or drawings or sculptures of any birds that nest in Nova Scotia.
Enter them in our contest by posting them on our HFC facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/297430313924008/ (link) with information about the age of the artist. See rules for details.
For inspiration, check out Scott Leslie’s gorgeous photographs. We’ll be posting one a day in June. For the Birds Contest Rules:
1.) Contest open to any resident of Nova Scotia.
2.) Entry must be an original work of by the artist depicting a bird or birds that nest in Nova Scotia.
3. Work of art can be a drawing, painting or sculpture in any medium.
4.) There is no entry fee. Limit of 2 entries per person.
5.) A digital file of the work of art should be posted to the Healthy Forest Coalition page on Facebook. Include information regarding the ge group of the artist. Format of art should be a .jpeg file.
6.) Artist retains all rights for their artwork, but grants the Healthy Forest Coalition the right to make use of the image on its website and for other purposes associated with promotion of the "For The Birds" project
7.) Age groups for artists: Under 10 years. 10 to 16 years. Adult - over 16.
Deadline for entries will be June 30th. Winners will be announced by July 10th. Prizes: Will be awarded to entrants placing first, second and third in each group with a grand prize for the overall winner. Judging: by a volunteer group of members from the Healthy Forest Coalition. All decisions will be final.