IBA Caretakers: A Social Network

Anne Murray, Boundary Bay-Roberts Bank-Sturgeon Bank IBA

Last week we heard from Gaston Déry, an IBA Caretaker for Iles-aux-pommes IBA, Quebec. In this post, we return to British Columbia to speak with Anne Murray, IBA Caretaker for the Fraser River Estuary: Boundary Bay-Roberts Bank-Sturgeon Bank IBA.

After speaking with Anne, I was struck by the similarities between the IBA Caretaker Network and the online social networks that are increasingly a part of our everyday lives. The concept of spreading a message through a social network is quite simple. Engage one person with influence and you inform and engage their entire network of friends.

The Important Bird Area Caretakers Network works in much the same way. An IBA Caretaker is someone with ties to the people in their community who care about nature and have an interest in protecting it. Through the Caretaker Network, they connect their community with communities across Canada that care for and protect birds and their habitat.

“It’s like any social network in an organization. We can reach more people that way.” said Anne Murray, past president of BC Nature, “Caretakers are the local people at an IBA who can regularly be in contact with regional and national coordinators of the Important Bird Area program. They’re also the people who spread awareness about the IBA in their community.”

Canada’s IBA Program is a cornerstone in science-based, site-specific conservation for birds and biodiversity. Co-delivered by Nature Canada and Bird Studies Canada, the program has been in place since 1996. Acting with regional conservation partners, Nature Canada has built an exhaustive IBA database, finalized almost 100 site conservation plans and helped communities implement more than 150 local projects.

In 2006, after successfully launching the IBA program in British Columbia with financial assistance from Nature Canada's Communities in Action Fund, BC Nature took the lead in pushing the program even further. Anne Murray, who was on the Board of BC Nature at the time, helped launch the IBA Caretaker Network in British Columbia.

“We wanted to ensure that the Important Bird Areas program was sustainable in the long term and one of the ways I could see of doing that was to set up a network of volunteers who knew the sites and were close to the sites,” said Anne, “The idea was that BC Nature and the other partners would provide Caretakers with information, advice and guidelines on how to monitor, promote and protect an IBA – then we’d let them run with it.”

Nearly six years later, there are close to 200 IBA Caretakers across Canada. This year, with the addition of Caretakers in Ontario and Quebec, there are now Caretakers in every province in Canada. The network’s expansion has been possible with the support of the IBA Caretaker Network’s national sponsor, TransCanada Corporation, who in 2009 committed $1 million over five years.

Anne (third from right) goes birding with the Casual Birding group of the Delta Naturalists Society. Photo: Delta Naturalists Society

Over the years, the network’s success in effectively protecting birds and their habitat comes from the collective efforts of Caretakers across the country.

“People already involved in their site are given help and capacity to do more. That’s what’s been really good about the program,” said Anne, “The regional and national partners of the IBA program provide support, organize meetings with government and get other people involved – that really helps to build the capacity of the program. Being a part of that is very valuable. You’re much more effective when you are part of something bigger than if you’re on your own.”

For Anne, joining the Caretaker Network was a natural next step in her conservation work – she was already actively advocating for the protection of the Fraser River Estuary when the network launched.  As one of the Caretakers for Boundary Bay-Roberts Bank-Sturgeon Bank Important Bird Area, Anne is involved in everything from conducting bird surveys to giving public presentations on IBAs. Her public outreach includes publishing books on the ecology of the Lower Mainland and writing columns on timely conservation issues affecting the Fraser River Estuary in the Georgia Straight, a widely circulated local paper.

Not surprisingly, the proximity of the Boundary Bay-Roberts Bank-Sturgeon Bank IBA to the city of Vancouver presents a unique set of conservation issues. Urban and industrial expansion and recreational pressures threaten to degrade the ecosystems that are arguably one of the most important habitats for migrating and wintering waterbirds in Canada. Western Sandpiper, Black-bellied Plover, Dunlin, Northern Pintail, and many other species of bird and fish need the mudflats and intertidal marshes of the IBA to survive. IBA Caretakers like Anne have brought greater awareness of the challenges facing urban Important Bird Areas and the unique value they hold for wildlife.

Dunlin in flight at Reifel, part of the Boundary Bay IBA. Photo: Delta Naturalists Society

“In the past 20 years, public awareness of the environmental value of Important Bird Areas like Boundary Bay-Roberts Bank-Sturgeon Bank IBA, has slowly increased,” said Anne, “That’s due to the many caring people who advocate for their protection. I hope that my work as an IBA Caretaker helps to contribute to that awareness.”

Are you a member of a naturalist club in your community? If you are actively involved in conserving and protecting natural spaces in your area, joining the IBA Caretaker Network could give you the support and guidance to do more! You can find out more about becoming a Caretaker and explore Important Bird Areas in Canada at ibacanada.ca

Next week, we’ll hear from Josie Osborne, Caretaker for Tofino Mudflats IBA on Vancouver Island. Stay tuned!

IBA Caretakers: Protecting Birds Across Canada – Quebec

Gaston Déry at Ile-aux-Pommes IBA

As an Important Bird Area Caretaker for Île-aux-Pommes IBA, Gaston Déry has been an integral part of transforming what was once a haven for seagulls into an island that supports thriving populations of migratory birds, ducks and other wildlife.

Over the past thirty years, Gaston has worked to restore the island’s bird habitat, turning it into a “paradise for birds”. Over 30 bird species use the island to breed and to refuel on their bi-annual migrations. The island has become such a dependable source of food for migrating birds that Gaston likens it to a tried-and-tested roadside diner along a bird superhighway.

“Imagine you’re on a road trip with your family and you know there’s a restaurant where you can stop and eat. That restaurant is safe, it’s not that expensive and you know that you can always depend on it being there. That’s what Île-aux-Pommes IBA is to migrating birds,” said Gaston, as he described how the island serves the needs of thousands of migrating birds every year.   


Île-aux-Pommes lies 6 kilometres off the south shore of the St. Lawrence estuary, near the town of L’Isle-Verte Québec and 25 km east of Rivière-du-Loup. Surrounded by five islets, the island is just under two kilometers long and 200 metres wide. But for such as small island it does more than its fair share to support nesting and migrating birds.

The second largest breeding population of Common Eider ducks nests on the island every year, with nearly 2,300 breeding pairs recorded last year. Herring Gull and Great Black-backed Gull populations also nest in large numbers on the island. Other birds found on the island include American Black Duck, Common Loon, Double-crested Cormorant, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Brant, Snow Goose, Canada Goose, Plovers, Sandpipers, many species of sparrow such as Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Slate-coloured Junco , American Crow and many species of Hawks and Owls.

Eider duck in flight at Île-aux-Pommes IBA

For Gaston, becoming a Caretaker of Île-aux-Pommes IBA was a natural next step in his commitment to protecting the birds that depend on the island. He’s been an IBA Caretaker for nearly four years, but in many ways, he has been a guardian of the island for most of his adult life.

Île-aux-Pommes has been in the Déry family since 1927. Ownership was passed down from one generation to the next, and in 1980, the land came into Gaston’s possession. In the intervening years, the island had become a hotbed for research, drawing government scientists and university students to the island to study birds. But the number of ducks coming to island had declined, and a colony of 20,000 seagulls had taken up residence. A lot needed to be done to restore the island so that ducks and other wildlife that had historically nested on Île-aux-Pommes would return in greater numbers.

So when Gaston took ownership of Île-aux-Pommes, he was determined to turn things around. Carrying on the tradition of conserving nature instilled in him by his grandfather from a young age, he decided to lay the ground work for a management plan that would ensure the island would be a haven for birds forever. With the help of Ducks Unlimited, Gaston slowly rehabilitated the island by planting conifers and shrubs that are essential nesting habitat for Eider ducks. What was once a barren island and home of a seagull colony, was transformed to the point where thousands of ducks returned to the island, ushering in a new era of vibrant bird life.

A flock of Eider ducks at Ile-aux-Pommes

“IBA Caretakers are part of an important network of people who are not only protecting birds, but protecting the planet. It’s important for our society to give back to nature,” said Gaston.

As an IBA Caretaker, Gaston is the ears, eyes and hands on the ground at Île-aux-Pommes IBA. He visits the island most weekends and holidays, monitoring birds, assessing habitats, and conducting other conservation activities. He’s part of a network of over 200 volunteers who watch over and protect Important Bird Areas across Canada. First launched by BC Nature with the assistance of a Nature Canada Communities in Action Fund, the Caretaker network now spans nine provinces.  Nature Canada and Bird Studies Canada are the national co-partners in delivering the Important Bird Areas program and coordinating the IBA Caretakers Network in Canada.

When Gaston’s not at the IBA, he’s bringing his passion for birds and nature conservation to elementary schools in Quebec. By speaking to children about IBAs and the value of protecting nature, he hopes to inspire young minds to embrace a nature ethic in their everyday lives.

“I love inspiring the next generation to become advocates for nature. It’s a powerful experience for me, and I hope, for them too,” said Gaston. “Just a few months ago, the mother of one of the children who saw my presentation called me to say how her daughter came home talking about the importance of loving and protecting nature. It’s moments like these that keep me going!” said Gaston.

As the national sponsor of the Important Bird Area Caretaker Network, TransCanada Corporation committed $1 million in 2009 to support bird conservation efforts in Canada over the following five years.

IBA Caretakers: People Protecting Birds Across Canada - Saskatchewan

Last week, we heard from two Important Bird Area Caretakers in Alberta, where young naturalists and city dwellers are getting involved in bird conservation.

This week we follow Ted, Nature Canada’s manager of bird conservation, as he heads to Saskatchewan to speak with Lori Wilson, IBA Caretaker for Reed Lake IBA.

Like many Caretakers, Lori has been an avid birder from a young age. She’s also part of a group of local naturalists who regularly monitor birds in the area. Hear Lori talk about her reasons for joining the IBA Caretaker Network and about an innovative project that links communities in Canada, the United States and Mexico through a shared interest in protecting migratory shorebirds.

Lori, already an active birder in her community, brings her interest in bird monitoring and her network of local birders and naturalists, into the IBA program by becoming a Caretaker. They are part of a larger network of volunteers that participate in the IBA Caretakers program. Their work promotes effective bird conservation in Canada.

Do you want to protect your local birds and habitat? Consider becoming an Important Bird Area Caretaker!

You can find out more about becoming a Caretaker and explore Important Bird Areas in Canada at ibacanada.ca.

Stay tuned for our next post where you will hear from a Caretaker in Quebec who owns a very special island in the St. Lawrence.

IBA Caretakers: People Protecting Birds Across Canada - Alberta

In our last post, we heard from Important Bird Area Caretakers in British Columbia. In this post we follow Ted, Nature Canada's manager of bird conservation, to Alberta where he speaks with two Caretakers about the value of the IBA Caretaker Network.

For Judy Boyd, caring for Bearhills Important Bird Area was a good fit with her volunteer work with a young naturalist club in Red Deer, Alberta. Part of what she does as a Caretaker is monitor birds at the IBA – and counting birds is something young naturalists are more than ready to help out with!

In this video Greg Wagner, IBA Caretaker for Frank Lake Important Bird Area, talks about the special features of this IBA, which lies just 50km south of Calgary, Alberta. Greg also explains why he thinks IBA Caretakers can effectively promote bird conservation by talking to local stakeholders.

As IBA Caretakers, Greg and Judy channel their passion for nature and protecting birds by monitoring  birds, assessing habitats, and conducting conservation activities at Important Bird Areas. They are part of a larger network of volunteers that participate in the IBA Caretakers program. Their work promotes effective bird conservation in Canada.

Do you want to protect your local birds and habitat? Consider becoming an Important Bird Area Caretaker!

You can find out more about becoming a Caretaker and explore Important Bird Areas in Canada at ibacanada.ca

Next week, we’ll hear from a Caretaker in Manitoba who has been a passionate birder from a young age. Stay tuned!

IBA Caretakers: People Protecting Birds Across Canada – British Columbia

Across Canada, Canadians are engaging their communities to protect birds and their habitats by becoming Important Bird Area Caretakers.

As a Caretaker, they are part of the Important Bird Areas Caretaker Network, a nationwide initiative involving volunteers who watch over and protect natural spaces that are vitally important for breeding, migrating, staging and wintering birds.

Ted Cheskey, Nature Canada’s manager of bird conservation, recently met with Caretakers from British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

In this blog series, we follow Ted as he makes his way back east and discovers the many ways Important Bird Area Caretakers are making a difference on the ground to protect our birds.

Picking up where the last post left off, Ted pays a visit to the southern Okanagan Valley of British Columbia where he speaks with Doreen Olsen, an Important Bird Area Caretaker for White Lake IBA.

People join the IBA Caretaker Network for a wide range of reasons. For many, a love of birds and wild spaces in their communities drew them to the network and inspired them to become Caretakers. In this video, Doug Brown, a bird bander at Vaseux Lake Bird Observatory in south Okanagan Valley, briefly explains why he was motivated to become a Caretaker for Osoyoos Oxbows IBA.

Conservation of Important Bird Areas is a cornerstone of effective bird conservation in Canada and around the world. Caretakers – the eyes, ears and feet on the ground – make this important work possible. As a Caretaker, they channel their passion for nature and protecting birds by monitoring  birds, assessing habitats, and conducting conservation activities at Important Bird Areas. To date, there are Caretakers in every province in Canada.

Do you want to protect your local birds and habitat? Consider becoming an Important Bird Area Caretaker!

You can find out more about becoming a Caretaker and explore Important Bird Areas in Canada at ibacanada.ca

Next week, we’ll hear two Caretakers in Alberta talk about what makes the Important Bird Areas that they care for so special. Stay tuned!

Are you new to this blog series? Read the latest news on IBA Caretakers and watch more one-on-one interviews with Caretakers.

Important Bird Areas: "Wild Places, Full of Life"

Keith Riding is a retired surgeon who volunteers his time to monitor birds and habitats in remote coastal Important Bird Areas off Vancouver Island. In this short video, Keith joins our bird conservation manager Ted Cheskey on an overcast, windy day at the Boundary Bay Important Bird Area, where he talked about being a Caretaker in these "wild places, so full of life."



Community stewardship of local bird habitat is essential for the health of the Important Bird Area system - and for the birds. These natural spaces are vitally important for breeding, migrating, staging and wintering birds, and the conservation of these sites is a cornerstone of effective bird conservation.

Keith is part of something called the Canadian Important Bird Areas Caretaker Network. It's a nationwide initiative involving volunteers who watch over and protect these special places. BC Nature, with financial assistance from Nature Canada's Communities in Action Fund, launched the first Caretaker Network in Canada. Then in 2009, TransCanada Corporation committed $1 million over five years as a national sponsor of the network, so that today, volunteer Caretakers are in all ten provinces. Nature Canada and Bird Studies Canada co-deliver the program nationally.

Thanks Keith for being a volunteer Caretaker for not one, but four IBAs!

On the Road with IBA Caretakers

Ted Cheskey, our manager of bird conservation, is out on Canada’s west coast meeting volunteer Caretakers who are part of the Important Bird Areas Program. On a visit to the Sidney Channel IBA in North Sidney B.C., Ted had a chance to speak with James Finley, IBA Caretaker, about marine IBAs, being a Caretaker, and his love for the beautiful Bufflehead:



Sidney Channel is a 4 km wide body of water that lies along the extreme southeast shore of Vancouver Island between James Island (and the larger Saanich Peninsula) and Sidney Island.

The Sidney Channel IBA is a terrific place to birdwatch. In one short boat excursion, Ted saw Marbled Murrelet, Rhinoceros Auklet, Herrmann's Gull, Bald Eagle, Brant Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Common Loon, Pacific Loon, and Harlequin Duck, as well as Harbour Seals and Harbour Porpoises. Of particular significance at this site are the large concentrations of Brandts Cormorants during fall migration (just over 1% of the worlds estimated population), and Mew Gulls and Brant during spring migration.

As a Caretaker, James is the eyes, ears and feet on the ground at his IBA. Like other Caretakers, James has been matched to his specific IBA to monitor birds, assess habitats, and conduct conservation activities. He works with local communities, scientists, governments and nature groups to promote Important Bird Areas and to ensure that local conservation ideas are put into action. Hands-on volunteer work from people like James helps build healthier bird communities and more sustainable environments for future generations.

BC Nature, with financial assistance from Nature Canada's Communities in Action Fund, launched the first Caretaker Network in Canada. In 2009, TransCanada Corporation committed $1 million over five years as a national sponsor of the Canadian IBA Caretakers Network, so that today, volunteer Caretakers are in all ten provinces.

BirdLife International began the IBA program in Europe in the 1980s in order to identify, conserve and monitor a network of sites that provides essential habitat for bird populations. Since that time, BirdLife partners in more than 178 countries and territories have joined together to build the global IBA network. Nature Canada and Bird Studies Canada co-deliver BirdLife's IBA Program in this country.

Bufflehead, photo by Vladmir Morozov

This weekend, James and many of his neighbours in Sidney will be celebrating the return of that community’s adoptive bird, the Bufflehead. According to James, who has been observing these birds at Sidney Channel Important Bird Area (IBA) for many years, Buffleheads arrive there and at Shoal Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary on Vancouver Island on the 298th solar day of the year, every year. This timing equates to the 15th day of October (except in Leap Years), and October 15 has come to be known as All Buffleheads Day in recognition of the annual migratory event.

So this weekend, take a moment to consider the Bufflehead and the special place it holds in Canada's natural history. If you happen to be in Sidney, British Columbia, join the celebrations for All Bufflehead Day and the 80th anniversary of the Shoal Migratory Bird Sanctuary at Lillian Hoffar Park.