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Go Wild -‐Grow Wild 2015: LAUNCHING PARTNERS Call to groups caring for nature In urban to rural environments from Windsor to Toronto Go Wild -‐ Grow Wild 2015 is a major 2-‐day event planned for April 17-‐18, 2015 to connect people to nature in Carolinian Canada. It will showcase the wonders and benefits of Canada’s ‘secret garden’ of native plants -‐ from gardening to wildlife; from prairies, parks, and trails to ecotourism and citizen science; from habitat-‐friendly products to strategies for climate change. It will celebrate simple actions that combine together to create a green future for Canada’s deep south. As a community that cares about healthy ecosystems, this is an important opportunity to connect with each other and to connect with new allies. Friday: Connect with other groups on hot topics •
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Share your goals and programs for native plants, invasive species, climate change, ecotourism and trails -‐ how can we collaborate to effectively meet the growing need, interest, demand and momentum for connecting people to nature using best practices? Networking reception and entertainment Display set up for Saturday -‐ come early, network and relax! Saturday: Connect with a high quality, active target audience •
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Showcase your programs and products to an audience interested in native plants and the outdoors. Speak directly to potential clients, volunteers, supporters, professional and community partners. Benefit and celebrate your current members. This will be a premiere event for them to enjoy. Promote your upcoming events and activities. Sign up participants from across the zone. Go Wild -‐ Grow Wild 2015 will promote ecological best practices based on sound science and recovery strategies in a way that is interesting, fun, informative and inspirational for key audiences. Greening the Future in Carolinian Canada Contact [email protected] or 519-433-7077
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Go Wild -‐Grow Wild 2015: LAUNCHING PARTNERS Call to groups caring for nature In urban to rural environments from Windsor to Toronto How will your group benefit? •
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Connect with new audiences and potential supporters -‐ we will plan and market this event to attract crowds that have interest in nature, outdoors, gardening, local foods, healthy lifestyles and care about the environment. o Location -‐ large trade show venue Agriplex at the Western Fair Grounds, London, Ontario o
Easily accessible -‐ affordable event to go with the family. In a recognized venue near high levels of local urban and rural residents and within 2 hours drive of one quarter of Canada’s population. o
Date -‐ spring weekend when people are ready to plant o
Display and sales booths -‐ 50 -‐ 100 booths, free information, demonstrations, talks, experts -‐ program is aimed to attract crowds Link them to your goals -‐ our social marketing research, based on a random survey, shows that many people are interested in doing something for the environment. When asked, native plants topped their list of interests but they need assistance or advice to get started. o
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Broad consultation and review of recovery strategies identified that native plants link to many aspects of ecosystem recovery. They are a stepping stone to understanding wild places, using best practices, supporting local nature, addressing major threats and feeling empowered to take action. Find customers, clients and participants -‐ we will leverage our network and others across the zone to attract people who are actively in the outdoors who may want to deepen their involvement and expand their eco-‐
friendly actions. o
Connect with professionals from a range of sectors -‐ we will reach out to communities across the zone who are looking for ways to integrate native plants into their work from corporate grounds to municipal planning to landscape design to the health sector and more. o
Network with other groups -‐ we will provide opportunities for you to share your program models, best practices, successes, tools, resources. Our vision is to make it work for you. Affordable. Easy. Enjoyable. Productive. Effective networking & outreach. Make an impact in the Big Picture. Together, we will make a difference in Canada’s biodiversity hotspot. Greening the Future in Carolinian Canada Contact [email protected] or 519-433-7077
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Go Wild -‐Grow Wild 2015: LAUNCHING PARTNERS Call to groups caring for nature In urban to rural environments from Windsor to Toronto Launching partners make a difference. We believe the time is right to launch a major new event in Carolinian Canada all about biodiversity. We can’t do it without you. Launching partners are critical to attract sponsors and ground the event in best practices. Currently there is no event at this scale in Ontario that brings together groups, businesses and citizens to explore and celebrate native plants, stepping stones a wide variety of ecosystem recovery actions. Together, we will showcase positive awareness and action for biodiversity to a broader public and invite others to join us in this journey to a healthier planet. Join or Renew Now •
Carolinian Canada members benefit! http://caroliniancanada.ca/contribute/membership o Table in shared booth for Seedling members (not for profit) for $50 o Free 10 x 10’ booth for Canopy members (not for profit) o Booth amenities extra Launching Partners will get these benefits: •
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EXTENDED: By December 5, 2014 -‐ logo on early promotions and website, first pick of available booth locations By January 5, 2015 -‐ recognized in media release and social media By February 15, 2015 -‐ recognized in Big Picture Report Card Launching Partners to provide: •
Support letter or email sent to [email protected] outlining o Participation in event -‐ e.g. exhibitor booth, talk, demonstration, mini-‐workshop, providing information o Agreement with Grow Wild principles to use and promote native plants and ecological practices in harmony with local land uses o Permission for name and logo to be used in promotions and attracting sponsors for this event o Commitment to promote the event to your network o Optional: Brief description of the your booth / talk / workshop with estimated in-‐kind value -‐ this can be sent later. o Carolinian Canada sliding scale membership Sponsors •
Financial sponsorship is optional -‐ contact [email protected] for a sponsor package For more information please contact Michelle Kanter, Executive Director [email protected] 519-‐280-‐5268 (direct) or 433-‐7077 (CCC line)
Greening the Future in Carolinian Canada Contact [email protected] or 519-433-7077
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Go Wild -‐Grow Wild 2015: LAUNCHING PARTNERS Call to groups caring for nature In urban to rural environments from Windsor to Toronto BACKGROUNDER Go Wild -‐ Grow Wild 2015: GROWING OUR FUTURE, TOGETHER Biodiversity conservation begins at home. Native plants are at the heart of healthy ecosystems, thriving communities and the global biodiversity crisis. Carolinian Canada, stretching from Toronto to Windsor, is where one-‐quarter of Canadians live together with one-‐third of Canada’s rare species. Our Grow Wild program inspires, informs and tracks habitat action across the Carolinian Life Zone. Grow Wild aims to conserve biodiversity, wildlife, water, air and productive soils in Carolinian Canada. Together, we v Save native plants in the wild (in core habitats, parks, private reserves, waterbodies) > Explore. Local. Nature. v Steward the whole landscape (reduce impact across different land uses) > Get Inspired: Plan your project v Seed native plants (to link and buffer healthy ecosystems) > Go Wild: Find out about Native Plants Last year, our pilot program collected 1,000 pledges for habitat actions in rural and urban Carolinian Canada. They ranged from protecting native plants in the wild to habitat-‐friendly native woodland management to growing native plants. Together, we can make a big difference. But we still have a long way to go to reach recommended biodiversity levels for thriving communities. So we are planning a premiere event for the Carolinian Life Zone to connect people to everything they need to save, steward and seed native plants from backyard wildflower gardens to prairies to community greenspace to back-‐forty wildlife habitat. Grow Wild! connects habitat-‐friendly people in the Big Picture with sound science and community benefits. Why Grow Wild? In Carolinian Canada, the average nature supporter is faced with a complex array of decisions and options. This region has among the highest diversity of wildlife and plants, habitats, rare species, invasive species, land uses, jurisdictions, agencies and conservation efforts in Canada, creating a challenge for any landowner, homeowner or community to make the right choices and do the right thing for their slice of green. Local Science: We reviewed dozens of recovery strategies and consulted with over 200 scientists and stakeholder groups to address critical needs of over 100 rare species and ecosystems Collaboration: We identified a suite of high priority actions in 15 biodiversity hotspot areas using a consensus-‐building method used around the world for conservation on complex landscapes. Grow Wild promotes these actions and related best practices. Strategic Benefits: We surveyed our target audiences (landowners from a random phone survey), and found that many are willing to take action but need a place to start and connect with others. Most respondents are interested in growing native plants. They identified a lack of access to assistance as a major obstacle. Grow Wild provides connections to overcome this obstacle. Greening the Future in Carolinian Canada Contact [email protected] or 519-433-7077
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Go Wild -‐ Grow Wild 2015 Expo for the Nature-‐lover, the Gardener and the Outdoor Adventurer from Toronto to Windsor! SAVE THE DATE Saturday April 18, 2015 Agriplex, Western Fairgrounds, London, Ontario Green Your Future with 100 Exhibitors, Mini-‐Workshops, Demonstrations, Landowner Leaders, Hands-‐on Activities, Tour Sign-‐ups & more Friday, April 17: Connect across Hot Topics, Sector Forums, Networking, Reception, Awards, AGM Saturday, April 18: Explore the ‘secret garden’ of Canada’s Deep South with North American Native Plant Society -‐ Nature Conservancy of Canada -‐ Earth Day Canada Royal Botanical Gardens -‐ St. Williams Nursery and Ecology Centre -‐ Ontario NativeScape Society for Ecological Restoration -‐ Ontario Invasive Plant Council -‐ Upper Thames River Conservation Authority
ReForest London -‐ Association of Canadian Educational Resources -‐ The Garden Club of London Friends of the Coves Subwatershed Inc. -‐ London Environmental Network -‐ Landscape Native Participant list is growing! Add your group now. What can you do at Grow Wild 2015? Go Wild! Local Nature. Wild Treasures. • See them in the wild. Save them in the wild. • Parks, Trails, Reserves, Land Trusts, Nature clubs, Eco-‐
Adventures, Tours Why Grow Wild? The need is urgent • Taste the zone: eco-‐friendly producers • Meet your wild neighbours: wildlife exhibits • Research shows that a biodiverse green safety-‐net is cri5cal to buﬀer climate change eﬀects such as ﬂoods, droughts, poor water quality, loss of wildlife, climbing energy and infrastructure costs. Grow Wild! Native Plants • Green-‐source your next landscape or garden project from groups and businesses that use and promote native plants The solu6on is feasible and cost-‐
eﬀec6ve • Link to advice, support, new tools, research • Support healthy ecosystems and rare species • Find out about best practices from the experts • A greenway or connected network of na5ve plants and healthy ecosystems will beneﬁt people, wildlife and thriving communi5es. Get inspired! Natural Allies DIY • Inspire and inform your personal projects.....big or small! • Introduce native plants and control invasives in your yard, garden retreat, food garden or farm • Meet Landowner Leaders: How-‐to experiences and stories from Grow Wild across Carolinian Canada for everyone interested in nature Count Yourself In! • Networking for biodiversity hotspots; Map locations of important invasive species; Plan for climate change • Big Picture Report Card, Conservation Action Plans, EcoTrails, • Like a green puzzle, every piece helps...from pa5o pollinator pots to green roofs to climate change gardens to windbreaks to trails to marginal lands to buﬀered waterways to parks to wildlife sanctuaries to old growth reserves. Landowner Leaders, Grow Wild Bootcamp • Meet Carolinian Canada members who work on community projects that save, steward, seed local habitat Grow Wild! SAVE native plants in the wild -‐ STEWARD the whole landscape -‐ SEED native plants for healthy ecosystems GO WILD -‐ GROW WILD 2015: GREENING OUR FUTURE, TOGETHER Greening the Future in Carolinian Canada Contact [email protected] or 519-433-7077
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