MONTREAL, July 28, 2017 /CNW/ – World Wildlife Fund Canada is celebrating the richness of Montréal’s biodiversity with a five-part eco-art installation by Edina Tokodi, one of the originators of the “green guerilla” art movement and founder of the Mosstika creative studio.

As of July 29, the installation was open to visitors of the “ephemeral library” in Rutherford Park (part of the Promenade Fleuve-Montagne at the entrance to Mount Royal), which runs until Oct. 31. 
The installation is made of engraved plywood panels and vegetable mosses, and showcases native species such as the red fox, map turtle, common milkweed and wild strawberry.

Sophie Paradis, director of Quebec region for WWF-Canada, says: 
“Here in Montreal, our organization works on projects to promote urban biodiversity both on land and in the water, including Biopolis and Blue Montreal. We’re participating in the Promenade Fleuve-Montage to encourage communities to connect with nature in the urban environment. Combining art and ecology is a creative and positive way to educate people about the importance of biodiversity and mobilize them to ‘green’ and ‘blue’ their neighbourhoods.”

Planting biodiversity in five workshops

WWF-Canada will also offer five free public workshops in the ephemeral library in August and September. The workshops are designed to support Montreal’s urban biodiversity by encouraging participants to contribute to the flowering of native species in their communities.

Aug. 11 and 18: The Seed Explosion: Learn to create seed bombs.

Sept. 9, 16 and 23: Wildflower Workshop: Learn how to harvest, sort and bag local wildflower seeds.

For additional details and times of the workshops, stay tuned and follow WWF-Canada en français on Facebook : facebook.com/WWFCanadafrancais

Montreal’s biodiversity by the numbers

1,060 species of vascular plants

359 species of birds

180 species of bees

88 species of fish

13 species of amphibians

Eight species of reptiles

10 wildlife species of special status

The ephemeral library is located on the Promenade Fleuve-Montagne in Rutherford Park on the McTavish Reservoir. It runs from Thursday to Sunday, between July 29 and October 31, 2017.

Source: World Wildlife Fund Canada