Robert Bateman and Parks Canada hold BioBlitz

May 22, Mount Revelstoke –

Parks Canada has announced an exciting family event taking place on Saturday, May 22, 2010 at several National Parks across the country, including, Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay and Mount Revelstoke.

To mark International Day for Biological Diversity, the Robert Bateman ‘Get to Know Program’, in collaboration with Parks Canada, will hold the first-ever ‘Get to Know BioBlitz’. The event will take place at 22 natural areas across Canada, including 16 national parks and national historic sites. Young people of all ages, as well as their families, will experience the outdoors and learn about nature through art, exploration and scientific discovery.

A BioBlitz is designed to highlight the biological diversity of a specific natural area, and in so doing, help Canadians have a deeper understanding of the environment. Recognizing that the lack of connection with nature and a decrease in active living is a major challenge for young people today, BioBlitz engages them, using both the creative arts and science to put them in touch with the natural world. Participants will be able to share their artwork and experiences through the Get to Know Online Biodiversity Gallery, which will highlight how youth come to understand nature through the creative arts.

For more than ten years, the Robert Bateman Get to Know Program has connected hundreds of thousands of young people with nature by encouraging them to “get to know” their wild neighbors. Hands-on learning opportunities are provided through cutting-edge educational initiatives which have been developed with leading educators.

Artist and naturalist Robert Bateman, patron of the Get to Know Program, shares fond memories of his first BioBlitz: “On July 4, 1998, we attended the most memorable BBQ and bonfire of my life. It was not far from Thoreau’s Walden Pond and a wonderful group of naturalists presented their discoveries of the day. They had been counting or estimating numbers of the different species within a 10 mile radius of Walden….How wonderful, I thought, to get to know our wild neighbors and compare trends from year to year. What if every community did this on International day for Biological Diversity? That raised consciousness could change the world.”

“The Government of Canada believes it is important to give youth the opportunity to connect with nature and their country,” said the Honourable Jim Prentice, Canada’s Environment Minister and Minister responsible for Parks Canada. “At our national parks and national historic sites, Parks Canada provides the perfect place to foster those connections, particularly this year as we celebrate the 125th anniversary of national parks in Canada and the International Year of Biodiversity.”

For more information on the Get to Know BioBlitz events across the country, including a list of all locations across Canada, visit: http://www.gettoknow.ca/events/bioblitz