Nature Canada and Sustainable Forestry Initiative Welcomes Director General of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as its 151st Member of Women for Nature

OTTAWA, Ontario, Sept. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Nature Canada, Canada's oldest national nature conservation charity, is pleased to recognize and honour Ms. Inger Andersen, Director General of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as its 151st member of Women for Nature.

Ms. Inger Andersen, is being featured as a keynote speaker at today's Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) annual conference in Ottawa at the Westin Hotel. SFI's annual conference, with its theme: Forests. A Way of Life, is as an ideal venue to recognize Andersen because it brings together the foremost thought leaders from the fields of sustainability, conservation and youth outreach. More than 600 people attended Andersen's keynote address.

As Director General of IUCN, Ms. Inger Andersen emphasizes the importance of nature conservation to help achieve sustainable development. "Nature is not an obstacle to human aspirations," says Ms. Andersen, "It is an essential partner, offering valuable contributions towards all our endeavours. We should all take a moment to stop, think and stand up for our greatest ally – Nature."

Under her leadership, IUCN's Commission for Education and Communications launched #NatureForAll and the #NatureForAll Playbook, modeled after the Canadian Parks Council's The Nature Playbook, to help build community support for nature conservation by engaging more individuals to take action for nature. This is now a global movement with more than 175 partners such as Nature Canada, Parks Canada, and SFI connecting people to nature across 36 countries.

"Nature Canada is delighted Ms. Inger Andersen has become our 151st Women for Nature, said Ms. Sheefra Brisbin, Vice-Chair of Nature Canada's Board of Directors and a Women for Nature member. "Ms. Andersen's work as a champion and role model for the important place that nature plays in our lives is at the heart of Nature Canada's efforts to connect youth with nature in order to protect our precious wildlife and habitats."

"Recognizing Inger is a perfect launching point to take Women for Nature beyond Canada's borders. I can't think of anyone who is better placed to achieve our shared goals of elevating the importance of biodiversity and youth engagement, than a woman leader of one of the world's largest and most powerful conservation organizations," said Kathy Abusow, SFI Inc.'s President and CEO. Abusow is also a founding member of Women for Nature.

Nature Canada's Women for Nature initiative brings together women of influence from a variety of backgrounds who are demonstrating their passion for nature and driving change. One way they do this is to empower emerging young nature leaders who implement nature-based projects, inspired by the NaturePlaybook.

About Nature Canada

Nature Canada was founded in 1939 because of the passion and initiative of Mabel Frances Whittemore, a teacher and nature lover whose main goal in life was to share her passion for nature with others. Today, Nature Canada represents a network comprised of 50,000 members and supporters and more than 350 nature organizations across the country. Over the past 75 years, Nature Canada has helped protect more than 63 million acres of parks and wildlife areas in Canada and countless species that depend on this habitat as well as engaging hundreds of thousands of Canadians especially children in nature through its activities.

About Women for Nature

Nature Canada's signature "Women for Nature" initiative raises awareness about the need to connect more Canadians of all ages to nature. The Women for Nature initiative is comprised of women from diverse sectors and backgrounds who come together to champion the importance of nature in the daily lives of all Canadians and to encourage more Canadians to connect with nature. Our founding members include women of influence such as Her Excellency Sharon Johnston, Senator Diane Griffin (Honorary Chair of Women for Nature), Minister Catherine McKenna and Margaret Atwood to name a few. Our members champion efforts to inspire  youth and families to spend time in nature, to learn and experience our natural heritage and in doing so, ensure the health and well-being of our Canadian society. It also has a goal of being 150 Women Strong in celebration of Canada's 150th anniversary.

About the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® Inc. (SFI)

SFI® Inc. is a sustainability leader that stands for future forests. We are an independent, non- profit organization that provides supply chain assurances, produces conservation outcomes, and supports education and community engagement. SFI works with the forest sector, brand owners, conservation groups, resource professionals, landowners, educators, local communities, Indigenous peoples, governments, and universities. SFI standards and on-product labels help consumers make responsible purchasing decisions. Additionally, we oversee the SFI Forest Partners® Program, which aims to increase supply of certified forest products, the SFI Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program, which funds research and community building, and Project Learning Tree®, which educates teachers and youth about forests and the environment. SFI Inc. is governed by an independent three-chamber board of directors representing environmental, social, and economic sectors equally. SFI believes caring for forests improves everyone's quality of life. Learn more: sfiprogram.org.

SOURCE Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc.

Related Links

http://www.sfiprogram.org