Press Release
April 19, 2013
MVFN Spring Banquet: Celebrating 25 years!
NOTE: MVFN’s Spring Gathering 2013 tickets ($30), must be purchased in advance by Friday, May 10, 2013. Tickets may be purchased in Almonte at Gilligallou Bird (Heritage Court, Mill St.), in Carleton Place at Read’s Book Shop (Lansdowne Ave.), in Lanark at Lanark Living Realty (George St.) and in Perth at The Office (Wilson St. E.). Please contact MVFN’s Brenda Boyd (bjboyd@rogers.com; 613.256. 2706 for further information or to reserve tickets.
The Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists (MVFN), founded in the spring of 1988, will celebrate their 25th anniversary at a banquet—their fourth annual Spring Gathering 2013. The evening will include a keynote presentation entitled, “Looking Back and Looking Ahead: Nurturing Our National Nature,” which will be given by Éric Hébert-Daly, National Executive Director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.
The stunning landscape of proposed Thaydene Nene National Park—over 33,000 km2 of boreal and tundra landscape located around and beyond the shores of the East Arm of Great Slave Lake. Photo Clara Hughes
Regardless of the nature of our passion, it seems we often fail to fully appreciate one accomplishment before moving on to the next task, and often we do not reflect sufficiently upon the path of past successes. MVFN’s Spring Gathering 2013 evening and talk by Hebert-Daly will be an opportunity to celebrate our spectacular national, provincial and territorial parks, and to reflect upon the protection of these natural treasures.
Looking back…who were the people, what were the events, and which places stand out in the history of Canada’s natural heritage conservation? Take our national parks, for example. Our first national park, Banff, was created in 1885 when tourism and commercialization were its key mandates. It was not until the National Parks Act of 1930 that our parks became places of preservation. Further, 2013 marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of ecological integrity as the guiding principle for managing our national parks. These are but a few of the many milestones in Canada’s 128-year national park history. What other landmark events can you recall?
Looking ahead to 2038—the next 25 years—how should we proceed to nurture our national nature? Which elements of our natural heritage most need our attention and what have we learned about nurturing nature over the last quarter-century? There has been a major shift in our understanding of best practices for shaping our natural legacy as Éric will describe. How do we fit into this picture?
MVFN invites you to Spring Gathering 2013, to look back and look ahead along the path of nature conservation while enjoying a showcase of gorgeous examples of Canada’s natural beauty—including places many of us know only through photographs.
MVFN’s Spring Gathering 2013 will take place Thursday May 16, 2013 at the Almonte Civitan Community Hall, 500 Almonte St. (just west of Highway 29), Almonte. The reception will begin at 6:00 pm, and at 6:45 the banquet, followed by the presentation, will take place. Tickets ($30), must be purchased or reserved in advance by Friday, May 10. Tickets may be purchased in Almonte at Gilligallou Bird (Heritage Court, Mill St.), in Carleton Place at Read’s Book Shop (Lansdowne Ave.), in Lanark at Lanark Living Realty (George St.) and in Perth at The Office (Wilson St. E.). Please contact MVFN’s Brenda Boyd (bjboyd@rogers.com; 613.256. 2706 for further information or to reserve tickets.