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Women for Nature initiative reaches milestone

A reception to honour and recognize the founding members of Nature Canada’s Women for Nature initiative was held on November 24 in the Toronto law offices of Miller Thomson.

A reception to honour and recognize the founding members of Nature Canada’s Women for Nature initiative was held on November 24 in the Toronto law offices of Miller Thomson.

“This is an opportunity to celebrate a diverse group of women who have chosen to join Nature Canada in championing nature,” said Eleanor Fast, executive director of Nature Canada. “These women are incredibly influential and they are at the heart of our efforts to engage and empower Canadians to save species, protect habitats and connect children to nature.”

This celebration marks the culmination of Nature Canada’s efforts to mark its 75th anniversary by creating the Women for Nature initiative, bringing together 75 women leaders in conservation. The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and Senator Nancy Greene Raine are among the Women for Nature founders. Kathy Abusow, president and CEO of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® Inc. (SFI) is also a member of Women for Nature.

“I’m honoured to share the passion that Women for Nature has for nature and for passing our values on to others to drive change,” says Abusow. “Connecting children to nature is also a priority we share at the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. Our youth outreach initiatives and community grants are building future leaders for future forests.”

The Women for Nature initiative brings together the leadership, knowledge, experience and passion of amazing women across Canada who are committed to nature. Having reached the goal of 75 members in time for Nature Canada’s 75th anniversary, the Women for Nature members have set an ambitious goal to be 150 women strong by Canada’s 150th anniversary in 2017.