Press

May 18, 2000

Ann Arbor, MI -- The Nature Conservancy of Canada has announced its official partnership with EcologyFund.com (www.EcologyFund.com), a click-to-donate wilderness Web site that has preserved almost 1000 acres in three months. All land is paid for by EcologyFund's sponsors, it costs nothing for site visitors to donate 333 square feet of wild land per day. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (www.NatureConservancy.ca) joins the World Land Trust and the Wilderness Land Trust as official partners of EcologyFund. Land can be save in the USA, the Amazon rainforest, Patagonia, and now Canada. EcologyFund.com is the only click-to-donate Web site that offers projects in both North and South America, and the first and only site to offer a Canadian project.

"Our partnership with EcologyFund.com provides a great way for everyone to participate in land conservation as a part of their everyday life," says John Lounds, Executive Director of the Conservancy's National Office in Toronto. "We are excited about the visibility and additional revenue that EcologyFund brings. People sitting at their computers all over the world can click and donate a small amount of Canadian wilderness everyday, at no cost to themselves." The project titled "Save Canadian Wild Lands" on the EcologyFund site encompasses three of the Nature Conservancy of Canada's active conservation efforts: Waterton Park Front in Alberta, Clear Creek Forest on Lake Erie in Ontario, and Tall Grass Prairie in Manitoba.

The Waterton Park Front effort will add a buffer of wild land on the east side of Waterton Lakes National park in southern Alberta to protect critical habitat and wildlife corridors. The area is used by both grizzly and black bears, and is the wintering ground for a large elk herd and the core range of the Belly River wolf pack. The Waterton Lakes National Park is adjacent to the U.S. Glacier National Park and together they were named an International Peace Park World Heritage site in 1995. The project also includes the Clear Creek Forest on Lake Erie in southern Ontario, where the Conservancy is trying to preserve 800 acres including a remarkable old-growth forest remnant and Lake Erie shore front. The third effort selected for the EcologyFund project will save prairie land in southeastern Manitoba. Less than 0.02% of virgin tall grass prairie remains. These rare grassland tracts are home to a remarkable amount of wildlife: 155 bird species, 35 mammal species, 48 types of butterflies, and over 270 plant species including the endangered Western Prairie Fringed Orchid.

The Nature Conservancy is Canada's only national charity dedicated to preserving ecologically significant natural areas, places of beauty and educational interest through outright purchase, donations, and conservation agreements. Since it began in 1962, the Conservancy with the help of individuals, communities, businesses and the government has protected over 1.6 million acres of land.

Since its launch, EcologyFund.com has saved over 940 acres of wilderness land. All the land is added to nature reserves or parks and paid for by site sponsors including Working Assets, Whole People/Whole Foods, Novica, CoolSavings.com, iPrint, and CharityMall. EcologyFund founder Tim Kunin sees the explosive growth as a sign of the times. "The success of EcologyFund.com shows that people care about the environment." But," Kunin notes, "the amount of work to be done is enormous. Unfortunately, we're not in danger of running out of wilderness that is in urgent need of protection."

EcologyFund.com founder Tim Kunin is available for interviews: Kunin@EcologyFund.com or 781-461-6161.

CONTACT:
Jessica Frost, Publicity Director
CharityMall.com/EcologyFund.com
216 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104
ph: 734-213.7777
fx: 734-913-5555
jfrost@charitymall.com