Canada
This year, Canada's National Forest Week (5-11 May 2002), provided a great lead into celebrating the International Day for Biological Diversity. The theme for celebrating Canada's Forest Week was "Biodiversity All Things Big and Small". A week of events organized by both the public and private sector, took place across the country celebrating Canada's forest biological diversity.
As a result of the high level of enthusiasm demonstrated by the Canadian Forest Service. The Biodiversity Convention Office of Environment Canada took part in a traveling exhibit on biodiversity to celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity, with this year's theme being "Management of Forest Biodiversity".
Biodiversity exhibits from Agriculture Canada, the Canadian Museum of Nature, Environment Canada, and Natural Resources Canada were displayed at various locations between 21-24 May 2002. The exhibit promoted partnerships and information sharing between federal departments undertaking biodiversity initiatives.
The event highlighted progress being made both internationally through the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Clearing-House Mechanism, and domestically through the Canadian Biodiversity Strategy and the Canadian Biodiversity Information Network.
The high traffic of visitors to the exhibit suggests a positive trend: Canadians are expressing a keen interest in biodiversity issues and actions. In order to foster the development of this interest, the Biodiversity Convention Office plans to co-ordinate a similar event next year and continue to communicate its biodiversity-related goals and initiatives with Canadians.
