Take the Subway, Discover a New Species

Photo: Lynn Pady, Toronto

How many of us have discovered a new species just while commuting to work? Well, this guy has:

A York University doctoral student who discovered a new species of bee on his way to the lab one morning has completed a study that examines 84 species of sweat bees in Canada. Nineteen of these species – including the one Jason Gibbs found in downtown Toronto − are new to science because they have never been identified or described before.



Gibbs’ expansive study will help scientists track bee diversity, understand pollination biology and study the evolution of social behaviour in insects. It is also much anticipated by bee taxonomists who, like Gibbs, painstakingly examine the anatomy (morphology) of bees to distinguish one type of bee from another. (from York University press release)

Species descriptions of all 84 sweat bees Gibbs examined have been published in the journal Zootaxa.

Sweat bees are named for their attraction to perspiration, and are apparently quite challenging to identify. They're small, less than 4 mm in length, and their physical characteristics are similar to other species. It's also evolved rapidly since first appearing about 20 million years ago. 

Yet it's important that scientists can identify sweat bees. The make up nearly half of bees collected in North American biodiversity surveys and they're significant as pollinators.


More from the press release:

Among the 19 new species of sweat bee identified by Gibbs is one that he collected on his commute from downtown Toronto to York University. When he arrived at his York lab and examined it, he knew he had found a new species, never before identified by science but, as it turns out, quite common in Toronto and throughout eastern Canada and the USA. He also identified and described 18 other species from Canada that are new to science including a cuckoo bee: like a cuckoo bird, it doesn’t build a nest or collect food but it has big mandibles for fighting. This cuckoo sweat bee is believed to invade the nest of another sweat bee species to lay its eggs on the pollen and nectar collected by its host.

Gibbs isn't the only York U researcher with the buzz on bees (sorry). Laurence Packer is a York professor of biology with a new book, Keeping the Bees.

It's billed as love story with a serious social message; Packer reveals the mysterious world of bees and what our world would be like without them -- which is becoming a frightening possibility as bee populations decline planetwide.

The book also opens a window into the strange, and adventurous world of the melittogist, or student of wild bees. Squeamy image of the day: one researcher allowing a stingless bee that feeds on tears to lick his eyeballs -- all in the name of science!

Final Profile of Robert Bateman Art Contest Series

Untitled
Photo by Jan Jansinski

Jan Jasinski, winner in the photography category of the Robert Bateman Get to Know Contest, is a 7^th grader from Sherbrooke, Quebec. He has been interested in photography for the past three years and especially loves taking pictures of aircrafts! He always has his camera at the ready whenever anything interesting crosses his lens. Although his hobby takes patience, he still feels it is something well worth doing and hopes to inspire others to do the same

Nature Canada is looking forward to next year’s new crop of upcoming artists so get outside, get inspired and capture the beauty and essence that is mother nature.

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

Raising A Green Fledgling - Part 3 - Forging an early connection to nature

Hello Readers,

This week I'd like to focus on a couple of indirect ways in which my wife and I are trying to forge our daughter's connection to nature as she grows.

The idea for this post started as I was looking at my daughter's growing book collection. Yes, that's right, she's not even 7 weeks old and we already have tonnes of books. And tonnes of music - but that'll be a later installment in this series. We make sure to read, sing, hum and chat to our little one as much as possible to help her on her way.

Anyway, back to the point: I noticed that the majority of her books and music had some sort of nature theme. This is nothing extraordinary, of course, but I think it says something about the types of environmental values we hope to instill in our family.

I noticed books such as "On The Night You Were Born", by Nancy Tillman; "Baby Beluga", by Raffi and Ashley Wolff; "Panda Bear, Panda Bear What Do You See?", by Bill Martin, Jr. and Eric Carle; "I Like Bugs", by Lorena Siminovich; "Walking With Mama", by Barbara A. White; "Just Me and My Dad", by Mercer Mayer; "The Very Quiet Cricket", by Eric Carle; and of course "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss. There are of course many others I've neglected to list.

Several of these books talk about wildlife as an inherent part of our world - as part of the human experience, while others focus on directly experiencing nature and the countless critters that comprise it. Baby Beluga gives a special nod to a federally-listed species at risk, too. "Panda Bear...", "On the Night..." and "The Lorax" go a step further to deal with conservation themes, quite eloquently and directly in the case of the Seuss book.

These are important messages we want to convey to our daughter. We want her to grow up understanding how we fit into nature and what opportunities we have to decrease our negative impacts on the natural world. There are many ways to do this and so far, it seems we're approaching it indirectly through the stories we share with our daughter. So with any luck, she'll grow up interested in nature and aware that it is both possible - and important - to experience it.

That last point made me think of a book by one of my undergraduate professors, Peter G. Brown, from McGill University's School of Environment. The book is called "The Commonwealth of Life" and though it's a treatise on stewardship economics, Brown discusses the inherent right to exist held by every living thing. He also addresses the moral imperative we have, as humans, to respect those inherent rights. I'm barely scratching the surface here, but I always recall these ideas when I think about why people should care about nature. That's just my take, and my daughter is free to come up with her own. :-)

There are also a couple of very special books I have to mention. My wife and I got these books more for ourselves to enjoy, but we think they hold a number of fun, timeless and valuable messages for our daughter, too. They are: "The World Needs Your Kid" by Craig and Marc Kielburger (of Free the Children fame) and Shelley Page, and "Nelson Mandela's Favourite African Folktales" edited by Nelson Mandela. We love that "The World Needs..." shares inspirational messages and ideas by some of the world's leading promoters of positive social and environmental change, while Mandela's book shares some very real, valuable lessons about life and the world, told through the voices of numerous African cultures throughout the ages. Both books capture some great points about the importance of connecting to and understanding nature.

Well, that's it for now. Thanks for checking out this third installment in the series. And be sure to check back next week for Part 4 on the trials and tribulations of cloth diapering!

NOTE: In searching for links to the books I've mentioned above, I stumbled across a list of children's nature books recommended by Virginia State naturalists. I also found this one from the Massachusetts Dept of Conservation & Recreation. That has me wondering, do other government departments, professional naturalists, naturalist clubs and associations have similar recommended book lists? Please post a comment if you know of one.

Sockeye salmon return to BC in record numbers after last year’s disappearing act

Photo by Chris Pike

The succulent orange-fleshed sockeye salmon is a prized meat and a popular dish to many, and a cornerstone of the North American commercial fishing industry. Last year, a dramatic decline in sockeye salmon in the Fraser River sparked calls for a Commission to investigate the crash. According to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, 9 to 11 million sockeye salmon didn’t returned to the Fraser River in 2009. Now people in the Fraser Valley community of British Columbia are rejoicing, as the salmon returned in droves, hitting a record high not seen since 1913. Current estimates provided by the Pacific Salmon Commission lists the fish population at 25 million.

Sockeye salmon have been off limits to West Coast fishermen for the last four years. “This is the first year we’ve fished sockeye in four years, and we don’t expect to fish for the next three years,” said Phil Eidsvik, spokesman for the B.C. Fisheries Survival Coalition. Salmon have a four-year life cycle. They breed and rear in fresh water until they reach adulthood, then venture out to the open sea where they will grow rapidly (size ranges from 60 to 84 centimetres in length and weight can be between 2.3 to 7 kilograms). The salmon reside for at least one year and then finally return to their native fresh water homes where the cycle begins anew.

Ironically, the Cohen Commission in charge of the federal probe into last year’s decline began touring B.C. communities on August 18 and will continue to do so until October 21 to uncover ‘why sockeye salmon are disappearing’. Public hearing will start on October 25 and continue into 2011 when researchers’ final reports are due next January.

Currently experts can only speculate as to why sockeye numbers are so high this year but were so very low last year. Gail Shea, federal minister of fisheries and oceans, said “she had no idea why the numbers are so high”, but that the commission will need to take this new information into account. She also stated that, “the salmon is not gone” and that she sensed some real hope in an industry which many had feared for some time was coming to an end, “but that couldn’t be further from the truth, obviously.”

Biodiversity Action: The Guardian's 'Biodiversity 100' Campaign

We learned in May that the 2010 Biodiversity Target, to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction in the current rate of biodiversity loss, had been missed.

World leaders are going to meet again in Nagoya, Japan this October and hopefully adopt a new ambitious target for 2020 and a longer-term vision for 2050. Many are skeptical of the new plans and want to see more action and less paper and ink.

The Guardian, a British national newspaper, has launched a new campaign, Biodiversity 100, to pressure governments to take more serious action towards conserving biodiversity. They’re compiling a list of 100 tasks to forward to governments and ask them to sign a commitment to action - before going to Nagoya. The tasks will address the G20 countries given that they have no excuses not to meet their obligations.

The campaign is seeking actions that are aimed at protecting ecosystems or species, backed with strong scientific evidence and that are politically costly or opposed by interest groups. The more specific the tasks the better! For example, stopping a destructive industrial project such as the Mackenzie Gas Project or the Northern Gateway Pipeline, or changing or passing law such as repealing the harmful Schedule 2 of the Metal Mining and Effluent Regulations (MMER).

They’re finalizing their list within a month so make sure Canada is represented and add your suggested actions to their simple form by the end of August. Raise your voice at home by signing Nature Canada’s pledge urging the Canadian government to take five concrete actions to conserve biodiversity during the International Year of Biodiversity.

Canadian Hottie Speaks up for Boreal Forest

I have always been a fan of Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds, who is best known for feature roles in movies such as Van Wilder, Definitely Maybe, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and many others. Oh, and did I mention he was named one of People Magazine's Sexiest Men Alive in 2008 and 2009? Well now I have one more reason to adore him (aside from his notorious six pack). Ryan is an advocate for clean energy and greater investment in renewable energy sources. He realises that the real price of oil isn’t the one listed on the billboard at the gas station, but the one that takes into account the total environmental and human costs of oil production. Ryan recently shot a video for the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) entitled, The True Cost of a Gallon of Gas. In the video Ryan urges the public to petition the American government to pass clean energy and climate legislation. He also reminds us that we face similar challenges in Canada:

I didn't grow up in Louisiana, and I can imagine those who did are even more passionate about cleaning up this mess than the rest of us. I grew up in Canada, where we have a similar tragedy being carried out right now: the ancient boreal forest in Northern Alberta is being destroyed to collect dirty tar sands oil. Oil that generates three times the global warming pollution as regular crude. As a result, entire ecosystems and indigenous communities are being devastated.

You can join our campaign to protect the Boreal Forest by signing a petition and voicing your concerns about the tar sands. Or you can tell Canada’s elected officials what they need to do to prevent an oil spill disaster in Canada.

Study Reveals Massive Oil Plume in Gulf of Mexico

A new study carried out by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts, US, published in the journal Science, has revealed that there is a plume of crude-oil based chemicals that extends 35km from the spill site, is 200m high and 2km wide. Apparently, the plume represents a relatively small amount (0.1%) of the total oil spilled when the BP Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in April 2010.

According to Dr. Chris Reddy, one of the scientists involved in the research carried out by WHOI, the impacts of the plume on marine life are not yet clear. WHOI did, however, find the plume to be degrading slowly, meaning it would remain in the Gulf for some time - and consequently be transported long distances by currents before being degraded.

These findings go against speculations about oil in the subsurface being easily biodegraded and are indicative of the unknown impacts that may arise in the future. They also give reason to caution against offshore drilling in Canadian waters, particularly fragile ecosystems such as the Arctic.

Nature Art, Writing and Photography Contest

RuiLin Guo’s poem, Against All Odds, is one of twelve winning entries in the writing category of the 2010 Get to Know Contest. Ruilin is a 10th grade student living in beautiful Barrie, Ontario. She loves art, poetry, reading, and nature, as well as figure skating and badminton. This calm perfectionist is also an avid birdwatcher and wants to change the world!

Here is an excerpt of Ruilin’s winning entry.

Against All Odds
By RuiLin Guo, age 15, from Ontario

The green plant unfurls
From a crack in grey pavement
Nature still survives

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

Raising A Green Fledgling - Part 2 - Purging 'Pollutants' Prior to Baby's Arrival

Hello again, Readers! Has it already been one week since the first Raising a Green Fledgling post? Sorry for the delay, but things have been busy at Nature Canada - and at home - lately!

As promised, this second part in the series will describe what my wife and I - the "we" in this series - did to create a healthy, harmful chemical-free environment for our baby prior to her arrival, in three steps*. I won't talk about food-borne synthetic chemicals in this post, but check back later.

1. Taking stock. Have you ever looked at what goes into the cleaning, personal care, decorating and maintenance products you use around the house? Several years ago we did a rough inventory of the synthetic chemicals to which we were being exposed in common household products. The list included exotic-sounding chemicals like dioxins, sodium lauryl sulfates, parabens, phthalates and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) flame retardants, among countless others. The David Suzuki Foundation is one of several groups with a list of commonly-used chemicals to which you should limit and/or prevent exposure. These sorts of chemicals are used in anything from product fragrances to product preservatives.

But why limit exposure to them? Well, many of these chemicals are ubiquitous, such as PBDE flame retardants in pillows, furniture and even on children's clothing, and they have been shown to have various negative impacts on human health. These can range from mild skin irritation, to reproductive effects and even cancer - start at Health Canada's website for more information. Given that we were planning to eventually start a family, we also worried about the potential for fetal exposure to chemicals during pregnancy.

2. Making changes. We gradually reduced the number of products containing harmful synthetic chemicals we brought into our home. This meant reading ingredient labels very closely (though many chemicals are unlisted) and choosing more natural alternatives to certain products, like soaps, toothpaste and shampoo. There are a number of companies helping Canadian consumers to choose more natural alternatives to everything from personal care products, to cleaners and even home decorating supplies, including Green Beaver, Nature Clean, Seventh Generation, Burt's Bees, Avalon Organics, Beauti-Tone Natura paints, and many, many others**. We also recycled and disposed of our BPA or bisphenol A-containing plastic products and switched to metal or glass containers for food and drinks.

As the time came to decorate our daughter's nursery, we chose as many healthy, environmentally-benign products as possible, such as low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints, organic fabrics, natural cleaners, rugs made from natural materials and low-VOC plastics.

Now that our daughter is here, we've tried to find as many 'natural' baby care products as possible, too. I'll write about our diapering strategy in the next couple of posts, but for now I'll report that we're using a highly effective natural disinfectant spray to clean surfaces she's exposed to outside the home, such as change tables. We also use small amounts of tea-tree oil to limit offensive odors associated with soiled diapers.

3. Resisting temptation. There is lots of aggressive marketing for products that are not necessarily ideal to have in your home. Lots of "product W leads to result X, saving you Y dollars and bringing you Z satisfaction", with no mention of the harmful synthetic chemicals present in product W. Despite the limited marketing around natural alternatives to common household products, they often work just as well. You just have to do without the excessive perfumes, soapy suds and almost effortless results you get with harsher products.

There's no way to completely avoid one's exposure to synthetic chemicals in modern society, no matter how hard we try. Not to mention, this lifestyle choice still comes at a premium and is not possible for everyone to afford. Then there's the issue of availability - I grew up in a small town, so I understand this aspect very well. The key is really to become more aware of the synthetic chemicals in your home and workplace and to ask whether or not you understand their potential effects on your health and that of the people around you. If not, look for more information and start asking retailers to provide product information to you.

Over time we can all create healthier, more natural environments in which to live, work and play.

Next week I'll be back with a post on thinking about how to gradually connect our little girl to nature as she gets older.


Photos: A. MacDonald

*DISCLAIMER 1: I've provided a general, non-exhaustive overview of some steps I took to reduce levels of synthetic chemicals in my home. This post is for information only and should not be interpreted as lifestyle advice or judgment. I also acknowledge the difficulty in fully explaining all the caveats, concerns and considerations around harmful synthetic chemicals in such a brief post. I welcome any feedback and suggestions on what I've shared and acknowledge that there are many different and equally (and more) successful approaches to achieving the same goal.

**DISCLAIMER 2: The companies specifically named and web-linked above are provided as examples only, based on my personal shopping experience. In no way does my mentioning them in this post represent Nature Canada's endorsement of these companies and/0r their respective products. Readers are encouraged to do their own research into commercially available natural products.

Don't Babysit for Eagles

Member Jim Dubois has been following the lifecycle of a male eagle, dubbed Beethoven, whose chick this season has been making slow progress. The following is his account of a recent evening.

Don't babysit for eagles. They won't pay you. I've been worried about this chick's progress and future, and the parents have been too. They've been extremely attentive, and have both been spending a great deal of time at the nest. Tonight, I guess they felt they needed a break, and went off fishing. When I arrived at the nest, all that was there was the chick and a babysitter.

To my surprise, the babysitter turned out to be a Peregrine Falcon.

They seemed to be getting along nicely, and at one point were even doing a few exercises together.

Suddenly though, the Peregrine seemed to see something unsettling, and it left in a bit of a hurry.

A shadow passed over me, and Mrs. Beethoven appeared out of nowhere, at full throttle.

She banked around in front of the nest tree, hard on the Peregrine's tail, and although she had no chance of catching it, chased it through the trees and out of sight.

The chase finished, and the babysitter gone, she landed on nearly the same spot, and gave her best "And stay outa here!" scream.

She gave a somewhat subdued chick a reproachful glance, almost as if saying, "Now what did I tell you when I left?"

A quick scratch for the mom, and a stretch from the chick, and the pair settled in for the night.

I've been trying to figure out why the mom was so upset, and I think it's because the chick was up past its bedtime. It couldn't have been for inattentiveness, the babysitter was watching the little one like a hawk.

Thanks for sharing this great story, Jim! It made me smile, and I hope it does the same for our readers.

If you want to see more of Jim's photography, check out his website at www.theineleganteagle.com.

Catch the Monarch Butterflies at Point Pelee National Park

Photo by Dave, Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary at Pismo Beach

If you happen to be in the vicinity of Leamington, Ontario make sure to stop in at Point Pelee National Park and catch the Monarch Butterflies as they stop in on their long trek to Mexico. A few weeks ago I was enlightened by a new discovery regarding the monarch’s migratory patterns and I just wanted to remind you all that it’s that time now and if you hurry, you can, as did Kate Barker catch one the most beautiful spectacle of mother nature. Also if you’re an eighth grader remember to bring your Parks Pass so you and your family can enjoy the park for free!

Every year, up to hundreds of thousands of Monarch Butterflies pass through the Point Pelee National Park on their journey down to Mexico. The park is Canada’s second smallest national park and is home to five unique ecosystems. You will find plants and animals here that you wouldn’t find anywhere else in the wild of Canada. Even though this tiny area of the southern Ontario peninsula represents less than a quarter of one percent of the total landmass of Canada, it houses more species than any other place in Canada. Its housemates include more than 50 species at risk, 70 plus species of trees, 20 species of reptiles and thousands of species of spiders and insects.

Point Pelee National Park is also a great place for bird watching as migratory species follow the curve of the shoreline, and Point Pelee happens to be where the shoreline runs out. Some of the majestic migratory species you may encounter here (other than the Monarch of course) include the peregrine falcons, mountain bluebirds, green darner dragonflies and many others.

Create Protected Areas, End Use of Pesticides

Suffield National Wildlife Area
Photo by Andy Teucher

Nature Canada is carrying a grasslands conservation message to an international forum.

North America's native grasslands are rapidly vanishing, along with some of the continent's most endangered species, but concerted action by national governments can turn the tide, we plan to say before an international commission gathering in Mexico this week.

The Montreal-based Commission for Environmental Co-operation (CEC), a body created by NAFTA's environmental side agreement in 1994, is holding its annual meeting on 16-17 August, in Guanajuato, Mexico, where experts will examine ways of improving environmental protection provided by each country.

Nature Canada will be urging the governments of Mexico, United States and Canada to focus the CEC's efforts over the next 5 years on restoring the health of one of North America's most imperiled ecosystems – our native grasslands.

North America's central grasslands extend from the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba in Canada, south through the central, northern and mid-west United States to southern Texas into northeastern and central Mexico, and from western Indiana to the foothills of the Rockies.

The grasses, sand hills, coulees and riverbanks of the grasslands ecosystem sustain hundreds of plant and animal species, including the burrowing owl, peregrine falcon, California condor, northern leopard frog and pronghorn antelope.

About a quarter of the species North America's three nations share, including many at the greatest risk of extinction, breed primarily in grasslands. Yet less than 20% of Canada's native grasslands remain and many of the country's grasslands species are in decline. In less than 5 years, Canada's largest grassland bird, the Greater Sage Grouse, may be extirpated from Canada.

In a presentation scheduled for Tuesday, Nature Canada will call on the CEC's member nations to deliver on two critical and long-overdue actions that only governments can take: creating additional protected areas, and ending the use of pesticides that kill birds and other wildlife.

Less than 3% of the region's grasslands are found inside protected areas. That figure should be at least 10% within each country.

The CEC has already completed an important step by identifying the North American Grasslands Priority Conservation Areas. Also, many organizations in the three countries, including Nature Canada, are working to protect grassland areas on public and private land. The CEC's leadership could leverage these efforts and build the momentum required to achieve the 10% target by 2015.

North America's governments should also move immediately to end the use of pesticides that needlessly harm birds and other biodiversity.

Burrowing Owl

Birds are effective indicators of the health of our environment, and the message we're receiving from grasslands birds is that we're going down a disastrous path.

Among the many factors contributing to bird declines, the use of pesticides is a major culprit. Research by Environment Canada's own scientist, Dr. Pierre Mineau, has recently shown pesticides still kill millions of birds every year.

The good news is that this cause of bird mortality can be directly addressed through government action.

The CEC could coordinate work to identify a list of pesticides of common concern that our governments can then phase out. At the same time, CEC can work on best management practices that support the transition to an Integrated Pest Management approach.

In addition to calling for more protected areas and an end to harmful pesticides, Nature Canada also supports the CEC's proposal to promote best management practices among ranchers, landowners and others who live and work within grasslands ecosystems. Governments should promote their widespread adoption by recognizing and rewarding those who follow such practices.

Robert Bateman Nature Art Contest Profile #10

Red-winged blackbird in the rouge
by Andrew Bonnycastle

The 2010 Robert Bateman Nature Art, Photography and Writing contest has brought about several young promising artists. Andrew Bonnycastle is one of them; with his beautiful painting of a Red-winged blackbird. Andrew is 17 and lives in the Toronto area. He has been taking art classes since the age of 9. Being home schooled has allowed him to pursue his love of art; a love inspired by the wildlife-filled conservation area near his home.

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

Could the Wood Bison be making an Alaskan Comeback?

Photo by Doug Linstrand, courtesy of AWCC

Plans are in the works for the Wood Bison to be reintroduced to Alaska, where it has been extirpated for the last 100 years.

The Wood Bison, northern cousin of the plains bison, is North America's largest land mammal, weighing approximately 10 to 15 per cent more than its counterpart. Its distinguishing features include an enormous head, broad shoulder humps and the shaggy brown fur covering its shoulders and front legs.
The Wood Bison was originally found in much of the boreal forest regions of Alaska, Yukon, western Northwest Territories, north eastern British Columbia, northern Alberta, and north western Saskatchewan. Never as common as its cousin the Plains Bison, its population was estimated at 168,000 in the early 1800s.

Unregulated hunting, the westward expansion of European settlers, disease and the fur trade caused populations to decline to near extinction. In 1893 the population was estimated at 250. The Wood Bison slowly recovered and reached heights of 1500 to 2000 by 1922, but only because governments stepped in to ensure its protection. Such attempts included giving the North West Mounted Police authority and responsibility to enforce the Buffalo Protection Act in 1897 and the establishment of Wood Buffalo National Park. However, the Wood Bison was still regarded as extremely rare by 1940 and it was feared that it had actually disappeared as a subspecies; as a result of interbreeding with Plains Bison.

Fortunately, in 1957 Canadian Wildlife Service biologists discovered a herd of about 200 pure Wood Bison in the Needle Lake, Nyarling River region of north western Wood Buffalo National Park in Alberta. In 1963, 18 animals were captured and released in the Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary in the North West territories and now known as the Mackenzie herd, the world’s largest free-ranging herd of disease-free wood bison. Another 21 wood bison were captured in 1965 and released in Elk Island National Park. The Elk Island herd was used to form the Nahanni herd, which now numbers 400 animals.

In 1988, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) changed the subspecies' conservation status from "endangered" to "threatened". In the US the Wood Bison is listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Currently there are about 4,000 Wood Bison in the wild, and they are all found in Canada.

On June 17, 2008, 53 Canadian Wood Bison were transferred from Elk Island National Park in Alberta, to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) near Anchorage where they have been quarantined for the past two years (to ensure they are free of disease before being released into the wild).

The first group of wood bison were originally expected to be released to their native habitat, Minto Flats, northwest of Fairbanks this year but is now planned for 2012. The delay could be related to Doyon Limited’s concerns that the bison reintroduction would interfere with their plans to drill for natural gas in the Nenana Basin. James Mery, Doyon's senior vice president of lands and natural resources was quoted in an article saying "We're firmly opposed to reintroduction where there may be any conflict with resource development," and would "vigorously oppose" any effort to transplant wood bison to Minto Flats or Yukon Flats.

But for now and if all goes to plan the Wood Bison may be making a comeback to Alaska after having disappeared for more than a century. Keep your fingers crossed and here’s hoping the wood bison will make a permanent return to its ancient Alaskan range!