Aside from Canada’s sesquicentennial, 2017 marks another special milestone: this year is the 100th anniversary of the Migratory Birds Convention Act. The act, which was established in 1917 and updated in 1994, protects hundreds of native bird species that migrate between Canada and the U.S. as well as the habitat these populations require. The legislation came on the heels of the Migratory Bird Convention, which was signed in August 1916 by the United Kingdom (representing Canada) and the U.S. One organization celebrating the centennial of the Migratory Birds Convention Act is Wildlife Habitat Canada (WHC), which recently issued the 33rd stamp of its annual Canadian Wildlife Habitat Conservation series. Established in 1984, WHC is a national non-profit and non-governmental charitable organization. Its grant program – founded one year after the organization was created – has invested about $55 million in support of more than 1,500 conservation projects across Canada. “It varies year to year, but annually the organization funds upwards of 35 conservation activities across the country, whether it’s fixing a wetland; wetland or waterfall research projects; or promoting environmental stewardship and a connection with nature,” said WHC Executive Director Cameron Mack. Continue reading →