More Ways to Win with My Parks Pass

All set to hit the road for the
ultimate My Parks Pass experience

Now that school's out, it's time to start planning your summer vacation! Your My Parks Pass grants you free entry to over 200 amazing destinations across Canada - plus giving a discount to your family, too.

So you've already flashed your pass for a chance to win an iPod Touch or iTunes Cards? While you're planning your trip, send us a photo of the gear you'd take on your ultimate My Parks Pass experience for another entry in our prize draw.

Remember to check out the photo gallery if you need some inspiration for your entry or your vacation. And there will be even more ways to enter all summer long, so keep sharing your My Parks Pass adventures for more chances to win!

The Contest is open to all Grade 8 and Secondaire II students who are residing in these provinces and territories in Canada at the time of contest entry and the Grand Prize draws: Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut. Contest entries will be accepted online from April 15, 2011 at 12:00:01 AM (ET) to September 9, 2011 at 11:59:59 PM (PT) (the “Contest Period”). Read the full Rules & Regulations.

Win Great Prizes with My Parks Pass

Your My Parks Pass can do more than take you to over 200 amazing destinations across Canada – it can also let you win great prizes!

Grade 8 / Secondary 2 students can share their ultimate My Parks Pass experiences for a chance to win an iPod Touch or iTunes Cards. Hundreds of students have already shown us how much they love their My Parks Pass by sending us photos flashing their pass.

Need some inspiration for your photo? Check out our showcase of some of the entries so far!

If you’ve already entered your photo of you with your pass, stay tuned: we’ll be giving you more ways to enter all summer long. You can enter as many times as you like, so keep sharing more of your My Parks Pass adventures for more chances to win!

The Contest is open to all Grade 8 and Secondaire II students who are residing in these provinces and territories in Canada at the time of contest entry and the Grand Prize draws: Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut. Contest entries will be accepted online from April 15, 2011 at 12:00:01 AM (ET) to September 9, 2011 at 11:59:59 PM (PT) (the “Contest Period”). Read the full Rules & Regulations.

Show Your Plaid - Win an Eco-Adventure!

Want to support nature conservation and win an eco-adventure?

We've talked about Keith's Green Initiative in April posts, but for those who might have missed it, the initiative is a way for you to help nature and win great prizes. Alexander Keith's is helping Canadians go green by giving them the chance to win up to $1,000 each to donate to one of four deserving eco-charities.

How can you help?

SHARE the initiative on Facebook and Keith’s will donate $1 to Nature Canada, Waterkeepers Canada, Trees Ontario or NSLC Adopt-a-Stream.

PURCHASE specially-marked 24 IPA packs - and 15 -bottle mixer packs of Alexander Keith’s beer and receive a PIN that unlocks a donation amount between $0 and $1,000. Keith’s will donate this amount on your behalf to Nature Canada or one of three great causes. Enter your PIN on Keith’s Facebook page to reveal your donation and enter to win a Keith’s Eco-Adventure!

Burrowing Owl

How will your donation be used?

By choosing Nature Canada, your donation will help protect wilderness for the Burrowing Owl, Woodland Caribou and more than 600 other endangered species in Canada.

Just over $4,000 has been donated to Nature Canada so far – help us reach $5,000 this Victoria Day weekend!

Thank you for your support!

Robert Bateman Get to Know Art, Writing and Photography Contest Winner Profile #6

Sophie Hoye Pacholek, winner in the writing category of the 2010 Get to Know Contest, is a first grader from Calgary, Alberta. Sophie is very fortunate to be surrounded by nature and wildlife. She lives near the Glenmore Reservoir and the Weaselhead Natural Area. At only six years of age Sophie is already very passionate about nature. She loves to write, draw, sing, and dance. She also loves to go hiking and canoeing.

Below is an excerpt of Sophie’s writing entry.

Red Squirrels (The Red Squirrel)
By Sophie Hoye Pacholek

The red squirrels habitat is in my backyard and forests. It's fun to watch them scatter around the willow trunk, twitching their tails up and down. I named them Cheeky and Squeaky because they are bold and chirpy.

For a complete list of all Get to Know winners please follow this link.

Portrait of a Black-capped Chickadee

The Black-capped Chickadee, an active bird often found hopping around from treetop to treetop is known for hiding its food and being able to remember its location with exact accuracy for up to 28 days. The Black-capped Chickadee is commonly found across Canada from Newfoundland to British Columbia (except for the coastal islands), and into the southern Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories. It is typically a year-round resident but from time to time it will venture south into the United States, but its range is restricted to the northern two-thirds of the continent.

The above picture of the black capped chickadee has been beautifully portrayed by Pamela Williamson age 17 from Victoria, BC. Pamela, art winner of the Get to Know contest, is a self-taught artist with Autism who loves to draw with pencils, computers, and Acrylic paints. Her favourite animal is the penguin, but for the Get to Know Contest she was inspired to draw Canadian animals. Pamela hopes to lead an independent life as an animator and artist when she graduates.

For a complete list of all Get to Know winners please follow this link.

Nature Photography Contest Winner

Kaitlin Lane age 9 from Calgary, Alberta is now a winner of the Robert Bateman Get to Know Photo contest for a second year in a row. She is amongst the twelve talented young Canadians who through their lenses captured the beauty and wonders of our natural world. Kaitlin enjoys taking pictures, drawing and painting. She is currently in grade 3 and enjoys playing squash, golfing, and skiing.


Two of Kaitlin's photos were selected as winning entries in this year's contest: top, Rubber Duckie; bottom, Untitled.

Nature Art, Photography and Writing Contest Winner

As some of you may already know, the winners of the 2010 Robert Bateman Get to Know Canadian Art, Writing and Photography Contest were announced last World Ocean’s day at a special event in British Columbia. Amongst the many talented youths is Nicole Schmidt, currently in grade 5 from Calgary, Alberta.

Nicole loves being outside. Her backyard, the Rocky Mountains, or a sandy beach are her favourite places to be. She enjoys illustrating and photographing deer, rabbits, and birds. She has entered the Robert Bateman Get to Know Contest for several years but this was her first writing entry.

Here is an excerpt from her writing entry.

Mystery (Backyard Species)
By Nicole Schmidt, age 10, from Alberta

Twittering sparrow,
Croaking frog,
Something sitting on that log.

Vibrating moth,
Twitching gnat,
Something resting on the mat.

Scurrying mouse,
Buzzing bee,
Flying close, right next to me.

For a complete list of all winners please follow this link.

One of Many Robert Bateman Art Contest Winners

This week's Robert Bateman Get to Know Contest winner profile is on Quinn Dalgarno from Ontario. For a complete list of all winners please follow the link.

Most of us have always had a deep appreciation for the rain. Such fondness lies with falling asleep to the gentle sound of the rain pounding against the ground or the exuberating feeling of letting go and dancing freely in the rain. But let’s be honest, we do not always appreciate the aftermath of a storm. So thank you to Quinn who has managed to capture the beauty and essence of after a rainfall.

Here is a little bit more about Quinn Dalgarno…

Quinn Dalgarno – Grade 10 – Ontario

Quinn loves to hike and ride his bike every chance he gets, stopping to sketch, paint, or photograph things he notices along the way. Quinn is an active birder and is able to recognize any bird by sound, flight pattern, or appearance anywhere in North America.

The Results are in!

The winners of the 2010 Get to Know Canadian Art, Writing and Photography Contest were announced on World Ocean’s day at a special event held at Summerhill Pyramid Winery in British Columbia. This year, there were 37 winners chosen from over 7000 entries in art, writing and photography categories; 13 winners for art and 12 for the writing and photography categories. The winners range in age from 4 to 17, and come from all across Canada. Each week we will feature different contest winner. This week’s profile is on Hillary Le from Toronto, Ontario. For a complete list of all winners please follow the link.

Hillary Le – Grade 6 – Toronto
Hillary Le has been doing watercolour for five years and loves painting landscapes. Although she loves watercolours, she also wants to learn how to paint with acrylics and oil paints. She enjoys school and a variety of after-school activities such as gymnastics, piano, and guitar.

Winners of the 2010 Get to Know Contest will be awarded various prizes, including Panasonic digital cameras; prize packages from Opus Art and Framing Supplies and Scholastic Canada; and the publication of winning art and writing pieces in the 2011 Robert Bateman Get to Know Contest Calendar. In addition, for the first time this year, all winners over the age of 12 will be invited to the Waterton Glacier International Peace Park, where they will be joined by the winners of the US Get to Know Contest, for a week of outdoor activities and events hosted by Parks Canada.

Less Than 2 days Left to Enter the Robert Bateman Get to Know Contest

Participants are welcomed to submit multiple entries but they must be submitted online or received in the mail no later than 4:00 PM Eastern (1:00 PM Pacific) on May 28, 2010.Hurry up and submit your nature inspired work of art, writing, or photography and you could win a week-long stay at Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, hosted by Parks Canada, gifts from Scholastic, Panasonic, and Opus Framing and Art Supplies, cash prizes, and the opportunity to have their work published in the 2011 Get to Know Contest Calendar. For more information, visit www.gettoknow.ca.