Training and education
are key to the success of biodiversity conservation for a number
of reasons: many citizens are unaware of the problems with biodiversity
or how they could help and individuals within economic sectors
often desire information and training on how their activities
can reduce impacts on the environment. Therefore, federal government,
in collaboration with NGOs and private sector are engaged in both
education and training initiatives.
For example, Environment
Canada has launched a program called Action 21 which provides
support to community efforts to conserve biodiversity, among other
priorities. Other education efforts include publication (through
fact sheets, books, online media) of information about biodiversity
and about ongoing conservation efforts such as Canada's State
of the Environment Report.
Training
intiatives that aim to involve target groups in biodiversity conservation
include development of community stewardship manuals, publishing manuals
that help industries develop biodiversity strategies, working partnerships
with stakeholders to develop information material on biodiversity and
agriculture and assisting in the development of biodiversity curricula
in Canadian colleges and universities and building student capacity