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Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Dear {FIRST_NAME|Reader},
Happy spring migration season! We've got some great news from Quebec to share, and we hope you're enjoying your seasonal arrivals as much as we are!
Quebec to Protect 50% of Northern Boreal
 On Sunday, Quebec's Premier Jean Charest announced the creation of 14 new national parks and additions to another, totaling 4.5 million acres (135,326 sq km) of new protected areas in the Boreal Forest. This brings Quebec's total protected areas to just over 8% of its land – a dramatic increase from 1% just 5 years ago. Charest also pledged to protect at least 50% of northern Quebec's Boreal Forest and an additional 4% in the south, officially following up on a campaign promise made last summer. These additional commitments total more than 250,000 square miles (625,000 sq km) – an area the size of Texas.
Read Dr. Jeff Wells' blog post about Quebec >
Read Montreal Gazette article >
State of the Birds Report Reveals Birds at Risk
 In an unprecedented partnership, U.S. government and conservation groups have partnered to produce a comprehensive analysis of the state of birds in the nation. Of the 800 species found in the U.S., 67 are endangered or threatened and an additional 184 are species of conservation concern. Find an update on forest birds on p.12 and Boreal birds on p.15.
Download report [PDF] >
Visit State of the Birds web site >
Read Washington Post article >
ON Nature Magazine Features Boreal Birds
 Marathon migrations by Boreal songbirds, natural Boreal rest stops for tired avian travellers, and a look at the great Ontario hawk migration – you'll find all this and more in the latest edition of ON Nature, the magazine produced by our friends at Ontario Nature. The issue also features an article by our own BSI Senior Scientist, Dr. Jeff Wells, about his Albany River birding trip in northern Ontario.
Read Dr. Wells' article >
See the whole magazine >
American Soft-Tissue Obsession vs. Birds
 The secret is out: Americans have a low tolerance for less-than-fluffy toilet tissue. A recent New York Times article reveals that recycled toilet paper makes up less than 2% of sales for at-home use in the U.S. – compare that with 20% in Europe and Latin America. Unfortunately, some of that super-soft toilet paper comes straight from old-growth trees that provide vital bird habitat in Canada's Boreal Forest. Find out how you can choose bird-friendly paper products:
Download Shop Smart: Save Birds paper guide from NRDC [PDF] >
Download Recycled Tissue Paper Guide from Greenpeace [PDF] >
Watch New Tar Sands Documentary Online
 Premiering this month in Alberta, the short documentary Downstream from Oscar-nomiated director Leslie Iwerks tells the story of small-town doctor John O'Connor, whose career is jeopardized as he fights for the community of Fort Chipewyan. Downstream from tar sands operations in Alberta's Boreal Forest, Fort Chip residents are experiencing changes in their ecosystem and startling occurances of rare cancers.
Watch Downstream online >
Learn more about the movie >
This Friday: Dr. Wells on Tar Sands and Birds
Hear Dr. Jeff Wells speak about how millions of birds will be lost to tar sands development over the next 50 years. This Friday at
10am at the Carnegie Endowment for National Peace in Washington D.C.
Get details and a link to RSVP >
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