“I love these webinars as they are both very educational as well as entertaining. You kind of brought me on a trip with you, a trip I could never afford to take. So thank you.” — Paddling Past Polar Bears Participant
We knew Manitobans were eager for ways to safely connect to nature during the pandemic. But we’ve still been blown away by the response to our Lunch and Learn webinars.
To the more than 3,000 people who have tuned in to the CPAWS Manitoba webinars this year, we want to say THANK YOU!
It sure feels good to be able to help people embrace the refuge of nature during the cold, dark days of the pandemic. And those kind notes you’ve left us are incredibly inspiring.
We’re going to keep working hard to bring you new opportunities to be inspired by nature in your backyards and beyond.
On Fridays at noon, experts will continue to join us for an hour-long nature talk on themes like birding for beginners, wilderness survival, chasing the northern lights and the Seal River Watershed.
You can see the full schedule of events and register on Eventbrite, plus each webinar is recorded and posted to Vimeo. And don’t forget to subscribe to our events newsletter so you stay up to date on upcoming webinars!
The Importance of Online Nature Programs — In Your Words
We could go on and on about the value we see in these webinars — like how people learn new skills to safely and respectfully enjoy the outdoors and are encouraged to appreciate the beauty of our wild spaces. But since that would be a never-ending blog post, we thought we’d let you do the talking!
Here are some responses from past webinar participants.
“I want to explore nature but have been scared of the unknown and my lack of knowledge and experience. This sort of presentation will help by making me more likely to do some nature exploring as my confidence builds.” — Maggie Goertzen, Wilderness Survival
“My special needs foster son was very interested with the birds workshop, and he wants to see and learn more. Because of that workshop, we went out to Birds Hill Park to bird watch.” — Birding for Beginners Participant
“These webinars are so useful, giving a nice balance of information for people who are new to the topic and people who are not so new. I always learn something.” — Stella Morrison, Up Close with Owls
“I always love learning about new gear and seeing options that might be more accessible to people, which is why I find it important to understand what the essentials are so that people don’t feel the need to have all the luxuries to be able to enjoy nature!” — Francesca Espiritu, Warming Up to Winter
“Seeing and hearing from these experts directly is a great way to connect people with nature in a time where we can’t easily connect with each other.” — C-Jae Breiter, Birding for Beginners
“I found some new ideas for helping students and staff with their mental health needs and how connecting to nature is important to accomplish this goal.” — Brenda Gamache, Outdoor Learning
“It was great to hear about ways we can prevent harm to wild animals. I think there is a lack of public knowledge about how you can inadvertently harm animals, and this education is vitally important.” — Ruth, Living Amongst Wildlife
“My kids and I deeply appreciated hearing about Manitoba wildlife. It was an excellent way to get more engaged! I value free opportunities that connect to my homeschooling curriculum.” — Erica McNabb, Living Amongst Wildlife
“These were great ideas to get some learning done outdoors. My daughter was telling my son, ‘Get off your electronics — let’s go outside!” — Candace Kostusik, Outdoor Learning
“The webinar provided a good update on the Manitoba Trails Strategy and how to get involved with trails/trail associations within the province. This was a great way to keep Manitobans informed about the outdoor recreation opportunities in the province.” — J. Bos, On the Right Path
“I plan to integrate some of my learnings into an environment teaching session for youth.” — Rebecca Chin, Citizen Science
“I am very grateful to be able to participate in these types of webinars from home during this pandemic. I think it is imperative that we work together and connect even stronger to nature and begin to have a hand in building it up once again. I have always wanted to take better pictures in nature and about nature to show people who don’t venture out of the concrete jungle what they are missing and what we will all miss if we don’t begin to work together. It gave me permission to give myself an hour on a subject matter that I care deeply about without feeling self-conscious about my level of photography.” — Sasha, Photography 101
“I think it’s important for the general public to understand how to contribute to the scientific database. We all have the ability and the responsibility to observe and document what we experience in nature, so scientists and climatologists have as accurate a picture as possible in order to address environmental and climate change issues.” — Christine Martin, Citizen Science
“I believe my family’s mental and physical health will benefit greatly from nature programming and resources. We will be more active outside and spending time together!” — Colby Hynes, Outdoor Learning
“The webinar provided ideas to encourage grandchildren to become involved with nature.” — Darryl Gervais, Outdoor Learning
“Education is always beneficial, no matter the source.” — Caroline Probizansky, Up Close with Owls
“It gave me a chance to feel hopeful about nature during the Covid-19 lockdown.” — Leesa Carter, Up Close with Owls
“As a student it’s always amazing to be exposed to different experiences and seeing the world through different lenses of culture and tradition. Having an opportunity to learn outside of conventional science and research is something students (at all levels) need more of!” — Paddling Past Polar Bears Participant
Enjoying Nature During a Pandemic
Nature has been here for us during the pandemic.
Our online Lunch and Learn Speaker Series is one way we hope to maintain and grow this positive connection to nature. The more positive experiences people have in nature, the more they will be inclined to spend time outdoors again.
Join us in making deep and meaningful connections to nature by attending one of our upcoming webinars. See the full schedule and register for free on Eventbrite.
This programming was made possible thanks to the support of the Government of Manitoba’s Safe At Home Manitoba program, The Winnipeg Foundation and the Conservation Trust, a Manitoba Climate and Green Plan Initiative delivered by the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation.