What You Can Do

We all can help to protect our city, province, and earth by doing great things at home and in our community.
Here is a short list of ways you can help!

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Bike

Reduce your carbon footprint to fight climate change! 

Reduce plastic waste and re-use items as many times as possible
Buying local is a great way to reduce plastic consumption. Often times, local markets will have less plastic included with produce and other items. Bring your own reusable bag and you can easily make it a plastic-free grocery trip!

Recycle! 
When you can’t re-use an item, make sure you can recycle it. Not everything is recyclable - click here to know more about when to bring items. Take hazardous materials to approved drop off locations. For battery, cell phone, and cork recycling: we partner with Call2Recycle® Canada and ReCORK to make a positive impact. Permanent collection bins are located year-round at Wild Things Unique Gifts at the Zoo entrance and The Pavilion. To learn more about Call2Recycle® Canada, please visit their website.

Walk, bike, or bus when you can
Getting outside has proven benefits for your mental and physical health. This is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint.

Plan a vacation close to home
Reducing travel time and flying not only reduces carbon emissions, but it also leaves more time for relaxing. There are so many great places to explore in our own province, visit Travel Manitoba to learn about amazing experiences close to home.

 
 
Red Panda

Protect biodiversity! 

We’re dependent on biodiversity for many reasons. Biodiversity is key to a healthy environment whether we’re talking about habitat on the other side of the world or our own backyard. For that, it’s important that we protect our native species and places! 
 
Get in touch with nature 
Knowing and appreciating the plants and animals that co-exist with us is a great way to start helping the environment. Going for a walk or hike at local preserves and parks is great for your health and helps by supporting organizations that also work to protect and conserve our environment like Fort Whyte Alive, Parks Canada, and Travel Manitoba.
 
Plant native species in your garden
Native plant species are plants that are known to have historically existed in an area and contributed to the existing ecosystem and habitat. Native plants help local pollinators like butterflies and bees. For example; monarchs are highly dependent on milkweed as this is their primary food source. Having native plant species in your garden increases habitat for beneficial insects that might not exist in cut-grass lawns or with non-native species.
 
Clean and dry your boats
Be sure to thoroughly clean and dry your boats and water toys when travelling between lakes to stop the spread of aquatic invasive species. Plants and animals can attach to boats and be transferred to new locations where they often disrupt ecosystems. Learn more
 
Help conserve species at risk of extinction with Assiniboine Park Zoo! 
Every fall, Assiniboine Park Zoo celebrates International Red Panda Day and International Snow Leopard Day by raising money and awareness for these endangered animals. Stay tuned to the Zoo’s website to plan when to visit for these special celebrations where you can learn how to protect these amazing species from extinction.
 
 
 
IMG_7394

save our birds! 

Window collisions in North America kill up to one billion birds every year and is a leading cause of songbird population declines. Birds that use habitat in Manitoba can be residents that remain in the province year-round or migrants that fly through in Spring and Fall.  

What is the problem?
Birds have a hard time recognizing glass, especially if vegetation is reflected in the windows. Often times nearby trees and plants make windows look like open space that a bird can fly through. Another problem is artificial lights that are left on overnight. These lights are attractive to migrating birds who are drawn to light sources instinctively and often end up hitting windows when trying to navigate through urban areas. 
 
What can YOU do?
You can help save our birds! Here are some easy, cost-efficient solutions to breaking up window reflections.

1. Draw lines on the window with either a bar of soap or a marker. Space the lines approximately two inches apart to ensure birds can see them. 
2. Use dots similar to those on the Park Café patio windows. These dots can be ordered online from Feather Friendly. 

Small changes, like lines or dots on windows, protect the birds that call Manitoba home as well as the visiting birds that pass through during migration. We hope you’ll join us in protecting our feathered friends! 

 
 

researcher

Take part in science!

There are many ways that you can help scientists understand the world around us. Volunteering with environmental organizations or participating in citizen science projects are both great ways to learn about the natural world while helping to collect information for scientists. The Assiniboine Park Zoo has a citizen science project studying Beluga whales near Churchill, MB and you can get involved! Click here to help our research on Beluga. Other platforms like iNaturalist and eBird are also great ways to contribute to data collection and potential research projects. There are so many ways to be involved in science whether you’re helping or learning! Check out the links below:
 
 

Support Us

Help us conserve wild places and wild animals by making a donation to the Assiniboine Park Conservancy's Wildlife Conservation Fund.