Nature Canada names Kitchener a bird-friendly city

Nature Canada has named Kitchener a bird-friendly city due to ongoing efforts to reduce critical threats to birds, population monitoring, education and stewardship. A total of 30 municipalities have been Bird Friendly City Certified across the country as they combat threats and foster public participation through conservation education and bird-safe policies.

“I’m thrilled to be tweeting about Kitchener being recognized as a bird-friendly city,” said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “Our winged neighbours are an important part of our local natural ecosystem, and together with my Council colleagues, I am pleased to see passionate community members working with City staff to live our shared values of cultivating a green city together.”

The Kitchener Bird Team is comprised of dedicated community members from the University of Waterloo, Waterloo Region Nature, Birds Canada, Feather Friendly, rare Charitable Research Reserve, invested residents and City staff. The Kitchener Bird Team is generating enthusiasm for local bird conservation through a contest to name Kitchener’s official bird. Check out the finalist birds and vote here.

“The Kitchener Bird Team is thankful for the expertise, time and work put into certification by its dedicated volunteers and city staff, as well as to readers and adjudicators of certification documents by Nature Canada,” said Jennifer Clary-Lemond, Bird Friendly Kitchener co-chair. “For us, being bird-friendly shows us the best of what Kitchener is already doing to help support regional birds, and it also sets priorities for areas we can further develop in being attentive to bird-friendly ecologies around us.”

Nature Canada’s Bird Friendly City program, now in its fourth year, aims to build a national network of communities dedicated to protecting bird species and biodiversity from coast to coast. Nature Canada works closely with cities, towns, villages, conservation groups, and community leaders to ensure a brighter future for Canada’s birds.

Other cities newly recognized as bird-friendly this year are Sarnia, Uxbridge, and Cornwall.

For more information, contact:        

Shawn Falcao  
Manager, Corporate Communication     
City of Kitchener    
shawn.falcao@kitchener.ca 

For more information, Nature Canada’s Bird Friendly City Certification contact:

Autumn Jordan, Bird Friendly City Organizer
613-562-3447 ext. 238
ajordan@naturecanada.ca

Nature Canada is pleased to acknowledge the support of Environment and Climate Change Canada for the Bird Friendly City program and World Migratory Bird Day.

Nature Canada is Canada’s voice for nature. For 85 years, Nature Canada has helped protect nearly 144 million acres of parks and wildlife areas in Canada and countless species. Today, Nature Canada represents a network of over 250,000 members and supporters and more than 1,200 nature organizations.