The award recognizes the outstanding work of Marine Conservation Initiative grantees and partners, who have advanced ecosystem-based Marine Spatial Planning as a new approach to ocean management that can reduce conflict and ensure conservation. The Blue Frontier/ Peter Benchley awards acknowledge outstanding achievement leading to the protection of our coasts and ocean and the communities that depend on them. The first Blue Frontier Awards were given at the 2004 Blue Vision Conference in Washington D.C. where Peter Benchley gave the Keynote speech. After his death in 2006, his wife Wendy Benchley agreed to let Blue Frontier rename the award in his honor.  Wendy has been a grass roots environmental activist for many years and she and Peter worked together for most of their 43 years of marriage on ocean conservation issues.

“We’re a national organization with a grassroots focus. Our goal is to work with Canadians who are dedicated to preserve and protect their local environments and ecosystems,” says Annick Laberge, spokesperson for TD Friends of the Environment Foundation in Quebec. “Thanks to the financial support and active involvement of Montreal residents, we’ve been able to make a positive difference in the community for nearly 20 years by supporting close to 250 local environment and wildlife projects.”

Projects recently supported by TD FEF in the Montreal area include:

• A provincial bird inventory by Bird Studies Canada. Hundreds of volunteers went into the field to count and record the number of bird species. Bird species thought to be decreasing in population will be further examined to try and determine the cause of the decrease.
• A project by the Corporation d’initiatives environmentales Lajemmerais introduced recycling and composting in a variety of public daycare and school environments. The significant amount of waste generated by attendees and staff will be recycled or composted, therefore reducing the impact on landfill sites.
• A Jeunes au travail initiative to create a wetland pond with various aquatic plants which will help filter run-off waters. The water will then be used to irrigate adjacent farming fields. Youth participating in this initiative will gain a greater appreciation of the need for clean water, and secondly how run-off water can be re-used safely.

“Every dollar donated to TD FEF goes directly to funding local projects in the community where the donation was made. Donors can be sure that their contribution is supporting environment and wildlife projects in their own backyard,” says Laberge.

The types of projects supported by TD FEF include (but are not limited to):

• Wildlife rehabilitation
• Education programs for children
• Environmental cleanups
• Tree planting campaigns
• Conservation and recycling initiatives
• Urban renewal

Non-profit organizations interested in submitting a request for financial support to TD Friends of the Environment Foundation should visit www.tdfef.com for more information. Funding applications are only accepted online.

Besides applying for funding, there are several ways Montreal residents can get involved with TD FEF:

• Become a TD FEF donor by giving as little as a few dollars per month by donating online at http://www.fef.td.com/donate.jsp or by visiting any TD Canada Trust branch;
• Volunteer with a local TD FEF Chapter Advisory Board: http://www.fef.td.com/advisoryboard.jsp;
• Join the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation fan page on Facebook.