May 28, 2025 – Toronto, Ontario - In an exciting development for conservation efforts across the country, Your Toronto Zoo and the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) have announced a groundbreaking five-year partnership and joint commitment for $3 million dollars and in-kind resources to work on reversing the declines of wildlife. Central to these efforts are commitments to conserve the eight bat species in Ontario and Blanding’s turtles (Emydoidea blandingii).
Building on a successful collaboration that began in 2020, focused on native Ontario bat research and expanding connections between communities and conservation, this new agreement will further biodiversity and conservation science by continuing to bring together experts and leaders across knowledge systems. This announcement demonstrates the continued commitment the Toronto Zoo and the NWMO have working together to ensure that Indigenous Knowledge is considered in the protection of native species and acknowledges Indigenous peoples' inherent responsibility and role in land stewardship to continue protecting their natural environment and habitats.
Pictured: Allan Webster, Vice-President of Regulatory Approvals at the NWMO
|
“Our priority at the NWMO is protecting people and the environment for generations to come as we implement a deep geological repository for the safe, long-term management of Canada’s nuclear waste on behalf of Canadians and Indigenous Peoples," said Allan Webster, Vice-President of Regulatory Approvals at the NWMO. “The NWMO's ongoing partnership with the Toronto Zoo allows us to contribute to meaningful conservation outcomes across Canada and is one of the many ways we work alongside communities to promote environmental stewardship and well-being.”
The Toronto Zoo and the NWMO’s partnership is founded upon sharing expertise and resources to more effectively contribute to saving species than either organization could achieve acting alone and demonstrates how industry partners can contribute to meaningful and lasting biodiversity conservation impact.
“This collaboration with the NWMO is an incredible opportunity to strengthen our dedication to the conservation of Ontario species as Guardians of Wild” said Dolf DeJong, Toronto Zoo CEO. “Thanks to this ongoing commitment and support, your Toronto Zoo has made Reverse the Red pledges to reverse declines for globally and locally endangered species such as Blanding’s turtles and eight species of native bats, including little brown myotis bats. These efforts are bringing us another step closer to our vision of a world where people, wildlife, and wild spaces thrive”
Pictured: Dolf DeJong, Toronto Zoo CEO
|
Through this incredible partnership, your Toronto Zoo and the NWMO are joining forces with Reverse the Red, a global coalition that ignites strategic cooperation and action to ensure the survival of wild species and reverse the negative trend of biodiversity loss. The goal of Reverse the Red is simple and ambitious: humanity needs to stop pushing our environment to the brink and pushing more species toward greater extinction risk, as measured by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species™. The IUCN Red List is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, scientifically-based source of information on the global conservation status of species, and a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity.
Central to Reverse the Red’s local and national strategies is the Reverse the Red Species Pledge, a set of organizational commitments to undertake targeted actions to accelerate the recovery of specific species. By pledging, organizations like your Toronto Zoo, and supported by the NWMO, are making a public declaration of their dedication to save species, while connecting to networks and strategies that create positive impact on a global scale.
Michael Clifford, Reverse the Red Strategy Director said “We know we can recover species with dedicated and focused efforts. To see biodiversity thriving at a global scale, we need more strategic, well-coordinated actions through committed partners like the NWMO and the Toronto Zoo to make it happen. Species are the foundation of biodiversity and biodiversity is the source of all life on our planet. We are ecstatic to be working alongside these conservation leaders.”
Your Toronto Zoo is committed to increasing the capacity for species recovery efforts in Canada and internationally through its role in the Reverse the Red Coalition, and we are excited to have officially joined Reverse the Red as an executive committee member helping advance strategic, recovery-focused actions for threatened species. We join alongside, the Botanic Gardens Conservation International, IUCN Species Survival Commission, Re:wild, Toronto Zoo, World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and Zoological Society of London.
Pledge Facts
- Ontario is home to eight species of bat: big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis), hoary bat (Lasiurus cinerius), silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans), eastern small-footed bat (Myotis leibii), little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus), northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis), tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus).
- Currently, seven of the eight Ontario bat species are endangered provincially, three are endangered federally, and four are described as globally endangered, vulnerable, or near threatened, on the IUCN Red List.
- Toronto Zoo has conducted over 10 years of monitoring and research to support the recovery of Ontario bat species, including acoustic monitoring, capture and release surveys, radio telemetry, and public outreach efforts.
- The Toronto Zoo, NWMO, and Metis Nation of Ontario were invited to share their collaborative approach to saving and protecting endangered bats in Ontario at the 2022 Canada Pavilion alongside the United Nations 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15).
- Blanding’s turtles are listed as globally endangered on the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss and associated population declines.
- Your Toronto Zoo has been using our expertise in caring for ex-situ populations to establish a headstarting program for Blanding’s turtles: collecting eggs from healthy wild populations, hatching and raising the turtles at the Zoo for two years, and releasing them into Rouge National Urban Park, working in partnership with Parks Canada to recover a population that was previously functionally extinct.
- Through our commitment to Blanding’s, your Toronto Zoo is also pioneering research on effective headstarting and other aspects of the species’ ecology to support recovery throughout its range.
About the NWMO
Founded in 2002, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is a not-for-profit organization tasked with the safe, long-term management of Canada’s intermediate- and high-level radioactive waste, in a manner that protects people and the environment for generations to come.
The NWMO has been guided for more than 20 years by a dedicated team of world-class scientists, engineers and Indigenous Knowledge Holders that are developing innovative and collaborative solutions for nuclear waste management.
About your Toronto Zoo
Your Toronto Zoo’s mission is to connect people, animals, conservation science and traditional knowledge to fight extinction and our vision is a world where people, wildlife and wild spaces thrive.
An iconic tourist attraction and conservation organization, the Toronto Zoo boasts a number of leading programs for helping wildlife and their natural habitats – from species reintroduction to reproductive research. A world-class educational centre for people of all ages, the Toronto Zoo is open every day and attracts approximately 1.3 million guests each year.
Toronto Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and has also achieved the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) Certificate of Good Animal Practice® and is inspected by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA)
About Reverse the Red
Reverse the Red is a coalition supporting countries and partners delivering on global biodiversity goals focused on accelerating strategic, recovery-focused action to reverse the negative trends of the IUCN Red List. Reverse the Red brings together a diverse coalition of leading scientists, advocates and partners committed to using a data-driven and science-based approach to assess, plan and act for species conservation. Reverse the Red provides the tools and expertise to empower governments, partners and local communities to set and reach species conservation targets and celebrates and amplifies successful achievements for species. Reverse the Red’s Executive Committee includes: Botanic Gardens Conservation International, IUCN Species Survival Commission, Re:wild, Toronto Zoo, World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and Zoological Society of London. To learn more visit www.reversethered.org or follow on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and Threads.
join ourMEDIA LIST
