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Lake Winnipeg. Photo by J. Pelc.

Lake Winnipeg. Photo by J. Pelc.

Nature Conservancy of Canada launches Paddle for Nature challenge to connect Manitobans with their beloved waterways

August 24, 2021
Winnipeg, MB

 

Grab your paddle and make a pledge to protect nature in Manitoba

Spending time on the river or in the lake is a standard part of any Manitoba summer. Those moments on the water help ground us and forge lasting connections to our natural world. That’s why the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is challenging people to paddle for nature from August 27 to 29, as a way to help ensure that those beloved natural places endure for generations to come.

Paddle for Nature is a three-day fundraising challenge event that asks people to buckle up their lifejackets and pledge to paddle their canoes, kayaks — even their rubber dinghies and bathtub boats — as a way to support nature conservation in the province.

Right now, we are facing the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. When we lose nature, we also lose the benefits that it provides to people. From carbon storage to the health benefits of spending time in nature, we know that our well-being is directly linked to the health of the habitats around us. To accelerate our efforts in conserving nature, we need all of society to play a role.

All funds raised through the Paddle for Nature challenge will go directly to nature conservation projects in Manitoba. To date, NCC has conserved over 71,000 hectares (over 175,800 acres) in the province and has contributed to vital research on the health of the province’s waterways.

Paddlers can join the challenge by visiting paddlefornature.ca. From there, they can register for the event with a $50 fee and set their distance and fundraising goals. Participants can sign up individually or as a team to commit to a personal paddling challenge and raise funds for nature — right here in Manitoba. The goal is to see how many kilometres participants can collectively paddle in support of conservation.

“Whether it’s 500 metres down a local river or a multi-kilometre voyage along Lake Winnipeg, the distance doesn’t matter,” said Mike Couture, volunteer event organizer with NCC in Manitoba. “The goal is to get as many Manitobans as possible out on the water on the same weekend to paddle for nature. At the end of the day, we know nothing beats skimming through glassy water, watching the landscape unfold before you from between the gunwales of a canoe.”

About

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the nation's leading not-for-profit, private land conservation organization, working to protect our most important natural areas and the species they sustain. Since 1962, NCC and its partners have helped to protect 14 million hectares (35 million acres), coast to coast to coast. To learn more, visit natureconservancy.ca.

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Media Contact:

Christine Chilton
Community Relations Manager
(204) 942-7416

Jensen Edwards
National Media Relations Manager
Mobile: (438) 885-9157

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Funding provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada