Leamington, Ontario – August 11 and 12 – If you go into the woods (or beach or savanna) today, you’re in for a big surprise in Point Pelee National Park. You might meet a teen with a mission to save rare wildlife.

It’s an annual migration. This week, teens from across southwestern Ontario including Middlesex, Aurora, Haldimand, Waterloo Wellington and Walpole Island are venturing into the park to do what they do best: have fun. But this does not involve relaxing, tanning or listening to music. Instead, 25 Stewardship Rangers, age 17, are eagerly improving habitat and exploring some of Ontario’s rare and unusual species including the Five-Lined Skink (Ontario’s only lizard) and the Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus.

Carolinian Canada Coalition (CCC) is hosting “Grow Wild”, its 4th annual 2 day intensive training camp on how to care for local rare species and habitats. On the camp agenda is a biodiversity geocaching challenge, seeing coastal processes in action at the tip, shadowing Park staff to restore Skink habitat, meeting live raptors (owls, eagles and hawks), ancient fossils and aquatic wildlife.

They rangers will learn ways to help, like growing wild gardens to support rare butterflies. They will share their stories and ideas through social media, skits and presentations about their own roles in stewarding southwestern Ontario’s unique biodiversity.

“The camp is inspirational and helps teens to achieve a high level of conservation knowledge in a short time,” says Carolinian Canada Outreach Coordinator Bronwen Buck. The difference from the classroom is that the activities are hands- on. “Each year they indicate that not only have they learned a lot, but they want to continue to help nature either through their career choices or as a volunteer”.

The camp is part of the Coalition's "Greening the Future in southwestern Ontario", a charitable program to inspire and guide communities towards habitat recovery in harmony with working landscapes. The teens are part of ranger teams that are hired every summer to assist landowners and communities on a variety of natural management projects such as removing invasive species and maintaining trails.

CCC is proud to be partnering with Parks Canada and the Ontario Stewardship Ranger Program. Additional assistance is provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Friends of Point Pelee and the TD FEF Friends of the Environment Foundation.

Stretching from Toronto to Windsor, the Carolinian Life Zone is marked by one of the highest concentrations of rare wildlife in Canada, with over 150 protected and 500 rare species and habitats. Interested supporters can receive free Eco-News or explore Carolinian Canada at www.carolinian.org or 519-433-7077.

###

Media invited to attend the following photo opportunities:

Trip to the Tip:	1:00 pm Aug 11	Leaving from the Visitor’s Centre, Pt. Pelee Park
Live Raptor Demo:	4:00 pm Aug 11	Camp Henry, Pt. Pelee Park
Ranger Presentations:	1:00 PM Aug. 12	Camp Henry, Pt. Pelee Park

Media Contacts:
Michelle Kanter, Executive Director, Carolinian Canada Coalition, 519-433-7077 , admin@carolinian.org
Bronwen Buck, Outreach Coordinator, Carolinian Canada Coalition, 519-341-3199 , bbuck@carolinian.org