OTTAWA, March 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nominations are now open for the Canadian Museum of Nature’s national Nature Inspiration Awards. This year marks the 10th anniversary of this national program, which celebrates the leadership of adults, youth, not-for-profits and businesses that are connecting Canadians with nature and setting examples for a sustainable future.
The submission deadline for the 2023 awards is May 23. Nomination forms are available at nature.ca/awards.
Previous nominees and winners have included youth or adults who initiate change through community action, teaching, and advocacy; not-for-profits that inspire Canadians through outreach and public engagement with nature and the environment; leaders who mobilize communities to appreciate the importance of nature in their lives and its connections to a sustainable society; and businesses that create and promote sustainable products and related practices.
“As we approach the tenth year of these awards, we continue to be inspired by the diverse ways that Canadians are showing the importance of nature and of a healthy natural world in our lives,” says Dr. Danika Goosney, President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of Nature. “We look forward to recognizing the projects and people that will come from this year’s call for nominations.”
The categories for the 2023 awards include youth (aged 17 and younger), adults (aged 18 and up), large not-for profits, small-to-medium not-for-profits, sustainable businesses, and community action. A Lifetime Achievement recipient will be selected by the jury.
Nominations can come directly from the individual or organization, or from a third-party familiar with the nominee’s achievements. Nominations should also stress specific projects that show leadership and innovation, rather than just an overview of an organization’s mandate or an individual’s list of accomplishments. Winners receive $5,000, which they can either reinvest in the project for which they were nominated (with the exception of the Sustainable Business category), or they can choose to “pay it forward” by donating to another nature-related cause or organization.
The awards are supported by media partners The Globe and Mail and The Walrus.
On November 15, 2023, the Canadian Museum of Nature will host a gala to celebrate the finalists and announce the winners. BDO Canada LLP is the evening sponsor. Category sponsors are Ontario Power Generation (OPG) for the Not-for-Profit Award (small to medium) and Meta Inc. for Sustainable Business. Category partners are Polar Knowledge Canada, supporting the Community Action Award, and the Canada Space Agency, supporting the Adult Award.
For more information, email awards@nature.ca.
The 2022 winners of the Nature Inspiration Awards were:
- Melissa Lem, M.D., a family physician from Vancouver, British Columbia who has spearheaded with the BC Parks Foundation Canada’s first prescription program for nature;
- Naila Moloo, a teen in Ottawa, Ontario, for innovative projects including the development of a special solar cell, and for advocating for the role of women and girls in STEM fields;
- Fishing for Success, a community social enterprise in Petty Harbour, Newfoundland for its program that introduces women and girls to sustainable fishing practices;
- Birds Canada, a not-for-profit in Port Rowan, Ontario for an innovative podcast about Canadian birds and related conservation issues;
- Mériscope, from Portneuf-sur-Mer, Quebec for its marine-mammal research in the St. Lawrence estuary, and educational collaborations with universities;
- The Nikanese Wah tzee Stewardship Society in Moberly Lake, British Columbia, for its Indigenous-led program to rehabilitate the regional caribou population;
- Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics in St. Catharines, Ontario for its high-quality products that are vegan, cruelty-free, and inspired by the Anishnaabe roots of its founder, and;
- Larry Halverson, from Invermere, British Columbia, for his decades of leadership as a naturalist and wildlife educator, and as a champion for public engagement about nature.
About the Canadian Museum of Nature
Saving the world through evidence, knowledge and inspiration! The Canadian Museum of Nature is Canada's national museum of natural history and natural sciences. The museum provides evidence-based insights, inspiring experiences and meaningful engagement with nature's past, present and future. It achieves this through scientific research, a 14.6-million specimen collection, education programs, signature and travelling exhibitions, and a dynamic web site, nature.ca.
Information for media:
Dan Smythe
Head, Media Relations,
Canadian Museum of Nature
613.698.9253 (cell)
dsmythe@nature.ca
Kasia Majewski
Interim Director, Marketing and Media Relations
Canadian Museum of Nature
613.618-0427 (cell)
kmajewski@nature.ca
