The Lotto Factory’s Weekly Spotlight: the Atlantic Wildlife Institute
Global loss of wildlife habitat has had a devastating impact on thousands of animal species and led to a massive decline in biodiversity. Why is this happening? Some would attribute it to the alarming growth rate of the human population over the past decades which has been accompanied by an increasing demand for more space, energy and resources. People are constantly migrating into cities and abandoning the once sought after “tranquil country life”, replacing it with the hustle and bustle of urban areas. Cities in Canada have more than doubled in size over the past century and to make room for this expansion, almost 216,000 square kilometers of forests have been disturbed or cleared. That’s almost three times the size of New Brunswick!
As big cities continue to stretch further into more remote and rural areas they are encroaching on the natural habitat of many wildlife species. Typically, a species will occupy a certain niche within an ecosystem and become adapted to a specific habitat. When this habitat is disrupted or destroyed, (normally due to construction or clear-cutting), animals are left homeless and vulnerable to predators, extirpation and possibly extinction. In Canada, 84% of habitats with a high concentration of at-risk species are inadequately, or completely unprotected. This lack of protection increases the animal’s exposure to multiple threats including climate change, over-extraction of resources, diversion of water from lakes and rivers, and the conversion of natural habitats into industrial or residential areas.
Without designated protected habitat, we could experience extinction rates even higher than they currently are! Surprisingly, wildlife and biodiversity in Canada is also witnessing a major decrease in numbers. From 1970 to 2014, half of Canada’s monitored wildlife populations experienced a decline in abundance. Even in a country that appears to be filled with common foxes, roaming deer and endless space and resources, many animals are still struggling to survive and adapt to these challenging conditions.
Providing protected habitats for at-risk species offers them an opportunity to avoid the devastating impacts of habitat loss. The Atlantic Wildlife Institute (AWI) is a charitable organization operating in Cookville New Brunswick that focuses on the conservation and rehabilitation of wildlife in the area. The Atlantic Wildlife Institute (AWI) is currently the leading wildlife response service in Atlantic Canada, and the only organization licensed to handle injured or distressed migratory birds in all four Atlantic provinces. Their research is focused on assisting displaced wildlife due to habitat loss and attempting to determine the cause of displacement so they can link it to larger environmental issues that need to be addressed.
The Atlantic Wildlife Institute is a private, registered Canadian charity that relies solely on the generosity of donations and volunteer engagement to keep their operations running smoothly. All contributions are put towards providing emergency medical care for injured, orphaned or ill wildlife. Daily care of their wildlife species includes providing them with food, supplements and a suitable habitat. The AWI has been providing these services for over 20 years and has watched the support from their volunteers and community continue to flourish.
In March 2020, the AWI teamed up with The Lotto Factory to launch an online progressive 50/50 to raise funds to support their initiatives. A large portion of what they raise is used to cover the costs of daily operations including staff, utilities, transportation and insurance. Since the online lottery launched three months ago, the organization has had tremendous success using The Lotto Factory platform raising over $15,000!
The Atlantic Wildlife Institute continues to support learning and awareness about the connections between wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and research in Atlantic Canada. With the support from donations, volunteers or fundraising, AWI can keep their operations running and continue make a difference in their area before more irreversible damage is inflicted on precious wildlife habitat. Every bit of help counts, which is why continued support of wildlife conservation in Canada remains even more crucial than ever. It is organizations such as AWI that will continue to make this difference and protect what little biodiversity we have left.
