Connect with Nature: Join a Christmas Bird Count

Chickadee Photo by Lynn Pady

Did you know that the Christmas Bird Count is the oldest citizen science survey in the world?

In 1900, American ornithologist Frank Chapman asked birders to head out on Christmas Day to count the number of birds they see and submit their results to the first "Christmas Bird Census." Today, over 2200 Christmas Bird Counts take place across Canada, the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean, with the results amassing a huge database that reflects the distribution and number of winter birds over time.

Christmas Bird Counts are organized by local birding clubs or naturalist groups and take place on any one day between December 14th and January 5th. Volunteers follow specified routes through a designated 24km diameter circle or can arrange to count birds at their backyard feeder and report results to a local leader. The great thing about the Christmas Bird Count is that every bird you see counts - whether it's a common backyard bird or an exotic visitor to your neighbourhood. Each count is added to a larger tally that scientists use to identify conservation success stories as well as areas in need of help.

Community events like the Christmas Bird Count are a great way for beginner birdwatchers to learn from experienced birders and enjoy a fun filled day outdoors. Luckily, finding a count close to you is as easy as visiting this database from our Birdlife International co-partner Bird Studies Canada, who administer the program in Canada. 

Are you planning to join a Christmas Bird Count? Let us know in the comments below!

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.

Federal Government Must Prevent Extinction of Sage-Grouse in Canada

The stunning Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus urophasianus) is facing extinction in Canada. It could disappear from Alberta within a year if action for its protection is not taken immediately.

Today, through a legal petition issued on our behalf by Ecojustice, Nature Canada called on the federal Minister of the Environment, the Honourable Peter Kent, to recommend that Cabinet issue an emergency order to prevent further degradation of Greater Sage-grouse critical habitat and take the necessary measures to ensure the survival of this iconic species.

We are joined in this effort by 11 other conservation organizations, including our partners in the Canadian Nature Network, Nature Alberta, Nature Saskatchewan, Grassland Naturalists and Lethbridge Naturalists Society, as well as our US partner in BirdLife International, the National Audubon Society-Rockies.

We're also calling on the public to send letters in support of immediate action to save the Sage-grouse.

The Canadian population of Sage-grouse declined by almost 90 per cent between 1988 and 2006. By 2010, there were only 42 males at 2 active breeding grounds or “leks” in Saskatchewan. In Alberta, there are thought to be only 13 males remaining with the total provincial population estimated at approximately 30 birds in 2011.

The alarming population decline of Greater Sage-grouse demands immediate attention both to prevent the species from disappearing from Canada and because of what it tells us about the mounting habitat degradation in Canada’s grasslands. In Alberta, only 30% of native grasslands remain. Less than 2% of Alberta's grasslands natural region is protected, yet it supports 70% of the mammal, bird, reptile, and amphibian species at risk in that province. Greater Sage-grouse are indicators of the health of Canada’s shrub-steppe and Great Plains ecosystems. Measures taken to protect and restore sage-grouse habitat will benefit many other species at risk including: Burrowing Owl, Swift Fox, Badger, Sprague’s Pipit and Great Plains Toad.

The Greater Sage-grouse has long been the subject of fascination and research because of its elaborate and spectacular courtship displays. In early spring, males congregate in large numbers at areas referred to as leks to perform their annual courtship rituals. The male's notorious "strutting display" is described as a series of forward struts, "wing swishes", inflations and deflations of the throat sac while making popping and whistling sounds, fanning out of its tail and erecting its head plumes while throwing its head back and forth.

Females rear their young on their own with no help from males. The average clutch size ranges from six to nine eggs and the incubation period is 25 to 29 days. The Greater Sage-grouse's young are precocial, meaning they leave the nest soon after hatching.

The Greater Sage-grouse reside in warm, dry, grasslands, as sagebrush, which grows in the described area, is their main food source. Although young and adult birds will feed on other plant species and some insects in the summertime, sagebrush consists of 47-60% of the adult bird's diet in the summer and 100% in the winter.

Sage-grouse need large blocks of unfragmented sagebrush grassland habitat to thrive. Their range in Canada has been reduced to only 6% of its historic extent because of loss and degradation of this habitat. Sage-grouse are now found only in the southeast corner of Alberta and southwest corner of Saskatchewan.

Sage-grouse are highly sensitive to disturbance. Recent scientific research suggests that rapid encroachment of oil and gas development on the areas where Sage-grouse spend the winter, breed, nest and raise their young is the leading factor in their extreme population drop. ­

Alberta and Saskatchewan each have a Wildlife Act and voluntary guidelines for energy development near sage-grouse habitat, but provincial protections are so lax that Sage-grouse continue to decline.

Under section 80 of Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA), the federal Cabinet has the power to make an emergency order to protect important habitat of an endangered species anywhere in Canada. The emergency order can prohibit any activities that may harm the species or the habitat necessary for its survival or recovery. Under SARA, the federal environment Minister has a mandatory duty to recommend that Cabinet make an emergency order if he or she is of the opinion that the species faces “imminent threats to its survival or recovery”.

In addition to seeking federal protection for sage-grouse under SARA, we are calling on the oil and gas industry to voluntarily provide sage-grouse with the protection they need. You can learn more about Greater Sage-grouse, read our petition and send a letter to Environment Minister Peter Kent asking for immediate emergency action to prevent this shameful extinction!

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!

Celebrating Charles Labatiuk’s Life and Legacy

Chuck Priestly, Natalia Labatiuk and Bill Labatiuk at Beaverhill Lake IBA

In celebration of National Philanthropy day in Canada, Jodi Joy, Nature Canada’s manager of legacy giving, shares a story about the legacy of the late Charles Labatiuk.

“I still remember the day of his birth,” said Natalia Labatiuk, “Today would have been his 55th birthday.”

Instead his parents, Bill and Natalia, and myself celebrated Charles’ life and spirit by visiting Beaverhill Lake Important Bird Area (IBA), a place that was so dear and close to his heart. 

On our drive to Beaverhill Lake Important Bird Area, located just outside Tofield, Alberta, I laid eyes on the prairie landscape for the first time, being a Northern Ontario girl myself.  I saw widespread rolling hills and grasslands galore.

Bill, Natalia and I met Chuck Priestly, the Executive Director of the Beaverhill Bird Observatory, at the gate.  We passed by cattle that share this space with shorebirds that migrate through and stop over at the site.  Chuck then toured us through the IBA visiting the “Herrier Highway” where we viewed some juvenile harriers in flight.

Walking past the fence, he remarked on the importance of the fence to ensure protection from the local cow herd that was trampling on nest sites and knocking over nestboxes, thus negatively impacting the success of the nesting birds, and thanked Nature Canada for the funds to erect it.  And we passed by the 200 or so songbird boxes that are maintained and repaired each year.  Next we visited the bird banding station where he updated us on recent monitoring trends.  The lab is over twenty years old and this year's Labatiuk Endowment funds helped repair the roof and upgrade facilities and cabins.

Sitting over lunch we reminisced about Charles' many memories and accolades.  His legacy continues on in the great work being achieved by the volunteers at Beaverhill Bird Observatory.  We wondered about Jeff Howard, the first recipient of the scholarship in Charles' name and Annie Buckton, the 9 year old whose exceptional initiative and volunteerism was also recently awarded, and pondered how this recognition will nurture their own dreams. Bill and Natalia reflected that Charles would be happiest to know that this special space and the birds that depend on it will be protected for others to enjoy for years to come.

What a fitting birthday tribute to Charles. We all hope to be remembered so fondly.

Through a generous legacy gift, the Charles Labatiuk Nature Endowment Fund supports bird conservation work at Beaverhill Lake Important Bird Area, provides an entrance scholarship for a young naturalist for their post-secondary studies in the natural sciences and rewards volunteer excellence.
 

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.

Unlikely Partnership Paves the Way for Grasslands Conservation

Fernando Adauto is a cattle producer in Lavras and a key figure in leading collaborations between cattle producers and conservation groups

Grasslands are arguably the most threatened ecosystem globally. In North America less than 20 percent of native grasslands remain intact. The Southern Cone of South America has seen the conversion to agriculture, plantations or urbanization of around 50% of its grasslands and conversion continues at an alarming rate. Grasslands biodiversity, including birds, and the gaucho culture are at risk.

Cattle born and raised on natural grasslands

But an unlikely partnership between local producers and conservationists is trying to turn this around.

I had the opportunity this past week to participate in the fifth gathering of the Alliance for the Grasslands, known as the Encuentro de Ganaderos de Pastizales Naturales (Gathering of Natural Pasture Cattle Producers) in the town of Lavras do Sul, in southern Brazil.

These unique Encuentros have been bringing together Aves Argentinas, SAVE Brasil, Guyra Paraguay and Aves Uruguay - the BirdLife Partners from the region - with a growing number of landowners, experts, government officials and other groups and individuals interested in the conservation of natural grasslands, biodiversity and the traditional gaucho way of life.

Among the many ambitious and exciting projects of the Alliance is a certification system for beef produced on native grasslands, for which they've agreed on the overall guidelines and are working out the implementation details. The Alliance is also working with rice producers and on recognizing the ecosystem services provided by natural grasslands and providing economic incentives to conserve them.

As it celebrates five years of these Encuentros, the Alliance asked Nature Canada to carry out an evaluation of its progress. I had the opportunity to do this analysis and participate in the V Encuentro to share the preliminary findings and conduct a workshop to gather feedback from participants. I hope that this evaluation will be helpful to the Alliance in identifying gaps, opportunities and in planning its priority actions for the coming years.

I led a workshop with producers to gather feedback on the preliminary evaluation findings where participants identified the need to bring technical expertise to producers so can they improve the productivity of ranches based on natural pastures. The group has proposed creating an international training program to build on and share existing knowledge and know how.

Facilitating a workshop with ranchers from the Pampas of South America

At the same time, the exercise has been a fabulous opportunity to learn about this groundbreaking initiative supported by the BirdLife partnership and for bringing lessons back to North America.

Nature Canada, along with our BirdLife partners National Audubon in the US, and Pronatura in Mexico are looking forward to taking part in a project of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation that seeks to strengthen links in support of healthy ecosystems and communities in the grasslands of North America.

Many of these efforts will benefit the same birds because many of "our" declining grassland birds (including Bobolink and Swainson's hawk, to name but two) migrate to the grasslands of the Southern Cone of South America.

An opportunity still exists to save the grasslands of the Americas, but we urgently need to step up the effort. Despite the many challenges, the Alliance of the Grasslands of the Southern Cone of South America gives me hope that we can do this both in North and South America!

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.

Enbridge’s Northern Gateway Project Threatens B.C.’s Fragile Ecosystems and Coastal Communities

More than two decades ago, the Exxon Valdez ran aground, spilling 40 million litres of crude oil into Prince William Sound and causing irreversible damage. Now, Enbridge Inc. wants to bring the same risk to B.C.'s pristine coastal waters and rainforest with its Northern Gateway Project.

Today, Enbridge Inc. is awaiting approval of a proposed pipeline that would carry oil from the tar sands to a port at Kitimat, British Columbia. After travelling nearly 1,170km through pristine wilderness and First Nations homelands, tar sands oil would be loaded on tankers bound for Pacific markets. To get there, they must first navigate the perilous northern B.C. coast, travelling the same waters where the Queen of the North ferry sank in 2006. An oil spill in this area would:

•    Cause irreversible harm to the livelihoods of many coastal and aboriginal communities
•    Fragment the Great Bear rainforest and the boreal forest, home to birds and other wildlife, including Caribou and Grizzly Bears
•    Expose 28 Important Bird Areas teeming with marine birds, fish and other animals to oil pollution from increased tanker traffic and an impossible-to-rule-out oil spill.

Nature Canada, and many stakeholders from First Nations to Members of Parliament, oppose the project on the grounds that it poses unacceptable risks to the ecosystems and coastal communities of British Columbia’s northern coast. In collaboration with BC Nature, we are preparing for the upcoming hearings on the Northern Gateway Project that will determine whether the pipeline is built. Our primary interest is the potential impacts of the project on wildlife (including birds) and their habitats. As joint interveners in the Joint Review Panel process we will be focusing on potential impacts on terrestrial wildlife and habitat along the pipeline route, with special attention to Woodland Caribou, and on terrestrial and marine birds and their habitat along the pipeline route and in the coastal waters through which the oil would be shipped (including Important Bird Areas).

We have hired three experts with in-depth knowledge and experience on these different aspects who are helping us review Enbridge’s application in order to verify whether it has accurately assessed the potential impacts of its proposed project. Our experts have so far identified many areas where the application is inconsistent, vague or has errors and omissions.

This past August, we submitted our questions to Enbridge as part of the information request step of the process. Enbridge will respond to these requests by October 6, and following a second round of information requests, we will file our written submission with the Joint Review Panel by December 23. In that submission, we will provide our own evidence regarding the project’s potential impact on Woodland Caribou, birds and Important Bird Areas, ensuring the Panel has the information it needs to understand the potential impact of the project on the ecosystems it proposes to alter so significantly.

Further down the line, our evidence will be reviewed by the Panel and our experts may need to defend our evidence when we reach final hearings in the summer of 2012. We will keep you up to date on our progress – so stay tuned! In the mean time, you can participate in the hearings by sending a letter to the Joint Review Panel by March 13, 2012, or making an oral statement at the community hearings (registration ends October 6).

 Want to learn more about the Northern Gateway Project? Visit our website!

Brushing work at Ostrander upsets locals

Significant brushing and habitat disturbance began without public notice in a section of approximately 25,000 square metres of the Ostrander Point Crown Land Block last week. Ostrander Point is a highly controversial naturally vegetated block of land owned by the Province of Ontario, in the heart of the Globally Significant Prince Edward Point South Shore Important Bird Area. It is part of a candidate Provincial Area of Natural and Scientific Interest due to its rare alvar habitat. It has a unique breeding bird community and is on the flight path of hundreds of thousands of migrating birds each spring and fall. Ostrander is the home of at least two federally listed Species at Risk, and was described by an official from the Federal Government as one of the most important spots for migratory birds in Southern Ontario. In 2006, Gilead Power Corporation of Peterborough began its application process to build 12, ninety metre high wind turbine towers with 45 metre long blades attached on this public land, along with a grid of roads and infrastructure to connect them, and a transformer station to link into the provincial grid on this highly significant bird habitat. More recently they submitted their final proposal, which includes 9 turbines, some within 200 metres from Lake Ontario, and supporting studies to the Province of Ontario for an Energy Approval Permit. If granted, this permit would allow them to construct this industrial project on this highly sensitive and signficant habitat.

Last week local guardians, opposed to Gilead's industrial project, noticed workers actively brushing (destroying woody vegetation on strips of land) within the Ostrander Point Crown Land Block. Through questioning, it came out that this work is being conducted by contractors searching for and decommissioning unexploded ordinance from the Department of National Defence, which conducted training on parts of Ostrander Point about 50 years ago. Many believe that this work is really being done to pave the way for Gilead's project.

"All of this seems like too much of a coincidence," says local IBA champion Myrna Wood. "This is in the timeframe of Gilead Power’s application for a turbine project on this Crown land. It has been 50 years since this site was abandoned by the military and the South Shore has never been cordoned off from public use during that time. It seems clear that the reason for the investigation of possible unexploded ordinance is at the request of the MNR due to planned development projects."

Nature Canada, along with provincial partner Ontario Nature and the Prince Edward County Field Naturalists, has requested both the developer (Gilead), and the Province to find another location for this project which has high potential to be very damaging to migrating birds, the local breeding bird community, species at risk, and migrating bats if allowed to proceed.

Emergency Summit: Is it Game Over for the Sage-Grouse in Canada?

Greater Sage-Grouse, courtesy Christyann Olson

In 2011, just 13 male greater sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) were recorded on “leks” in Alberta. Next door, in Saskatchewan, there were only 35. These numbers represent a greater than 95 percent decline since 1968 -- a decline that has continued unchecked despite official designations on provincial and federal species at risk lists. 

The reasons for the collapse of greater sage‐grouse populations are well known by scientists and governments, as is what's needed to reverse the declines. Yet, as an iconic bird species is poised to disappear forever from Canada, two things are quite clear:

1) current efforts are failing to prevent the extirpation of the greater sage‐grouse and protect its habitat
2) there is an urgent need for immediate action and substantive measures if the imminent extirpation of the greater sage‐grouse from Canada is to be prevented.

A panel of scientists and conservation organizations, including Nature Canada, held an emergency summit on the future of greater sage‐grouse in Canada on September 7 and 8, in Calgary. The sense of urgency was palpable, and the desire to spark action was strong.

A public communiqué was issued at the end of the summit, signed by more than a dozen scientists and conservation groups from Canada and the United States. You can read the whole thing on our web site. Here, though, is a partial list of the actions that must occur to save the sage grouse:

•  Designate additional critical habitat as identified on proposed critical habitat maps produced in 2010.
• No new developments in critical greater sage‐grouse habitat. Major concerns are regarding prolonged or expanded industrial development and associated activities in and around critical habitat.
• Restore existing critical habitat, including removal of industrial infrastructure.
• To allow for future recovery, previously occupied range outside current critical habitat must be restored to functionality suitable for greater sage‐grouse.
• Any new development outside of critical habitat but within the identified zone of influence (15 kilometres)must not contribute to the disturbance of the species or destruction of critical habitat.

Read more.

Bedford Biofuels Threatens Kenya's Tana Delta

Aleksey Dorofeev via Flickr

Nature Canada is concerned that a Canadian company – Bedford Biofuels – plans plans to set up a jatropha tree plantation in Kenya's Tana Delta, an area that provides refuge for 350 bird species. When we learned of the Calgary-based company's plans last year, we contacted the company to discuss the potential impacts on biodiversity of the proposed project. The company did not respond to our letter, but recent developments make us hopeful that Bedford Biofuels will abandon this project. The latest news from our BirdLife colleagues in Kenya is as follows:

A Nairobi newspaper reports that, after consideration of the scientific evidence, Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has decided to advise the Kenyan Government to halt the planting of the biofuel crop jatropha within the Coast region of Kenya. Proposed jatropha plantations would do irreparable damage to coastal Important Bird Areas (IBAs), including the Tana Delta and Dakatcha Woodlands.

The reported decision has been applauded by BirdLife Partner NatureKenya, which has been fighting a vigorous campaign against the destruction of woodland and other coastal habitats to make room for biofuel crops. NatureKenya also provided much of the evidence on which NEMA’s decision was based, especially recent research which has cast doubt on the supposed benefits of jatropha as a “green” alternative to fossil fuels. Scientific studies now recommend growing jatropha only as a hedge or living fence.

Even before NEMA’s decision, a company planning to grow oil seed crops on 28,000 hectares of the Tana Delta pulled out after consultations with NatureKenya and other BirdLife Partners, citing concerns over environmental impacts and long-term climate change effects.

In July, two directors of NEMA were suspended after accusations that they had acted irregularly in granting a licence to the Canadian company Bedford Biofuels to grow jatropha on a 10,000 hectare “pilot” site in the Tana Delta. According to the Nairobi press, NEMA’s Chairman, Mr Francis Ole Kaparo, said that the licence had been awarded in spite of mounting scientific evidence which has exposed the claims made for jatropha as false. “There is nothing to prove jatropha is viable. In fact, all evidence shows it has failed,” Mr Kaparo is quoted as saying.

NEMA has advised the Kenyan government to cancel Bedford’s licence, but the company is challenging the cancellation. Bedford’s local representatives have organised demonstrations in favour of the jatropha plantations, which have been described as an attempt to “intimidate” the authorities.

“We congratulate the NEMA Chairman, Mr Francis Ole Kaparo, the NEMA Director General Dr Ayub Macharia, and NEMA technical staff for their wise decision”, said NatureKenya CEO Paul Matiku. “NEMA is on the right path to sustainable development, by using science to avoid irreversible environmental, social and economic costs. We hope the Ministry will follow this advice and cancel Bedford Biofuel’s licence for a ‘pilot’ of 10,000 hectares of jatropha at Tana, and that this wise decision has been made clear to Kenya Jatropha Energy Limited at Dakatcha.”

He added: “Globally, biofuel crops, originally viewed as substitutes for climate-damaging fossil fuels, have replaced food crops and natural habitats, leading to rising food prices and loss of critical wildlife habitats and ecosystem services.”

The Tana Delta has long provided local communities with food and livelihoods. Its value to the nation includes ecosystem services such as water storage, shoreline protection and marine life spawning grounds. It also has huge tourism potential. But as demand for land to grow commodity crops has increased globally, the Tana Delta has become the focus of interest for international speculators and investors.

“Over the last decade, conflicts have been increasing in the Tana Delta as the demands for competing land uses, natural resources, nature conservation and community interests have intensified,” said Paul Matiku. “It is for this reason that NatureKenya and stakeholders, led by the Office of the Prime Minister, are initiating a combination of strategic planning and integrated assessment to develop a long term General Management Plan.”

Bedford Biofuels commented on September 13, 2011:

Recently, articlessuch as this, riddled with misleading errors and false accusations have beencirculating regarding Bedford Biofuels’ 10,000 ha Jatropha biofuel project inthe Tana Delta Region of Eastern Kenya. These articles were published withoutinput from Bedford. Bedford also did not recieve correspondence from NatureCanada before this post was published.

Contrary to what is being reported by Nature Kenya, Bedford’s license to planthas not been revoked. The EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) license wasissued to Bedford on May 25, 2011 by NEMA (National Environment ManagementAuthority)Kenya and remains in effect. Nursery preparations began in July andthe Jatropha seedlings will be transplanted starting in November.

Nature Kenya has also erroneously reported that Bedford intends to plantJatropha in the delta area of the Tana Delta Region, which is causing concernbecause of the delta’s biodiversity and ecological importance. First andforemost, in order to obtain its license from NEMA, Bedford had to complete anEnvironmental Impact Assessment of the Tana Delta Region which includedthorough research pertaining to the wildlife, existing flora and soilconditions. Approval of the EIA License was granted under the condition thatBedford agrees to abstain from planting in the delta.

Second, Jatropha will not grow in flood plains or areas of standing water suchas a delta, it thrives in semi-arid to arid conditions. In order to maximizeour yields, Bedford has engaged the world’s leading experts in Jatropha and hasa team of agronomists experienced in growing Jatropha to advise the optimalgrowing conditions and location for Bedford’s Jatropha project.
Lastly, Bedford is an advocate of conserving the environment and is currentlyworking alongside the Lower Tana Delta Conservation Trust to ensure that thedelta area is preserved and the local community’s standard of living isimproved.

Nature Kenya has also been vocalizing it’s skepticism about the benefits ofJatropha as a “green” alternative to fossil fuels and recommends that Jatrophashould only be grown as a hedge or living fence. This makes sense if you are atrying to prevent a Jatropha project from coming to fruition, but I am certainthe many scientists, multinational organizations and governments around theworld who have invested tens of millions of dollars into the research ofJatropha as a sustainable and viable biofuel feedstock would strongly disagree.NASA, for instance, has flown Jatropha to space to test the impact of zerogravity on its growth; the international airline, Lufthansa, is using Jatrophabased jet fuel on daily commercial flights; China has earmarked 13 millionhectares to grow Jatropha to help reduce their dependence on foreign oil;Jatropha has properties that can be used in the production of pain killers andother medications; and above all, it produces a clean oil that is superior tofossil fuel – an oil that is not derived from a food crop, but from a non-foodbiofuel. This is the evolution of biofuel.

Part of Bedford’s mandate is to educate people about our intentions to employlocals and to bring food security and improved quality of life to the region.We are doing it all by the book and we certainly don’t want to be implicated inallegations of irresponsible management and unfair practices.

Making Flyway Conservation a Reality

To be effective, bird conservation for migratory species should address issues throughout a species' flyway that impact the species survival. In Canada, this should be an imperative to conserving our birds, as about 90% migrate south each year, only to return the following spring.

One initiative to put this flyway concept to the conservation test links the Great Salt Lake in Utah, the most important inland stopover for many species of shorebird, waterbird and waterfowl in continental North America, and an area of global significance for many breeding bird species, with Chaplin Lake in Saskatchewan, and the Marismas nacionales along the Pacific coast of Mexico. These areas share many of the same species, including American Avocet, Wilson's Phalarope, American White Pelican and Franklin's Gull among other species.

The Canadian anchor in this north-south chain, is centred on Chaplin Lake Important Bird Area, but includes a series of alkaline lakes in southern Saskatchewan, including Old Wives, Reed, and Quill Lakes. All sites are recognized as Important Bird Areas and Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) sites.

Last week, I attended meetings in Salt Lake City Utah, on behalf of Nature Canada and the Canadian partners in the Linking Communities Initiative at Chaplin Lake and Nature Saskatchewan. National Audubon and ProNatura, the BirdLife International Partners from the USA and Mexico respectively, as well as staff from BirdLife and from Rio Tinto - Kennecot, the mining company that supports some elements of this project, were also there.

Our focus was looking ahead to where this partnership might go. One of the most inspiring moments happened during a conversation with Wayne Martinson, Important Bird Area Coordinator for National Audubon for the State of Utah. He mentioned how the whole idea of linking communities came to be and who is the visionary behind it. I was so inspired by his story that I asked him to repeat it on video. Here it is:

Cairn Energy Oil Spill Response Plans Now Public

Responding to pressure from environmental groups around the world, Greenland has finally released Cairn Energy's oil spill response plans for public review.

Last month, Nature Canada joined 53 other international organizations – including Greenpeace, the David Suzuki Foundation, and Council of Canadians – in sending a letter to Greenland’s Prime Minister, Kuupik Kleist, expressing serious concern over the lack of transparency regarding Cairn’s operations in this unique and fragile region.

Bizarrely, the Greenland government argued it had been necessary to keep Cairn's contingency plans confidential until now because of the "unlawful actions aimed at the safety measures at oil exploration". Greenpeace has launched a number of protests at Arctic drilling operations over the past year.

Cairn's drilling operations -- which so far haven't yielded commercial amounts of oil and gas -- are a real gamble for the pristine wilderness of the Arctic. Walrus, seal, bowhead whale and polar bear habitats could be disrupted and entire remote communities wiped out if a toxic spill eliminates their means of subsistence living.

A spill in this region could be devastating to arctic seabird colonies feeding on the ice floes at Important Bird Areas along Nunavut’s northern coast, Baffin Island or as far south as Labrador. Ivory Gulls, Northern Fulmars, Black-legged Kittiwakes, Thick-billed Murres and many other seabird or water bird species would be at risk.

Cairn's oil spill response plans are being made public even as Shell has admitted that more than 200 tonnes of oil have entered the North Sea after a leak in a flow line leading to the Gannet Alpha oil platform 180 km off Aberdeen, Scotland.
 
In a wearily familiar refrain, the company had at first vastly underreported the scale of the leak, and as for plans to stop the flow? Apparently, the leak is in an "awkward" place, and there are hundreds of tonnes of additional oil in the pipeline, yet to pollute a world-famous colony of bottlenose dolphins in nearby waters.
 
Canada should heed these events and think long and hard before allowing any new offshore drilling, especially in the Arctic, and enact a plan to end our reliance on dirty, polluting fossil fuels in favour of responsible development of clean, renewable energy.

With each new spill, and each inadequate clean-up response, it becomes clearer that even with preventive measures in place, accidents are certain to occur, so it is important to identify places of great ecological significance and permanently protect them. Establishing a comprehensive system of marine and coastal protected areas is essential before development begins, so that irreplaceable natural habitats aren't lost forever to disastrous industrial accidents. Important Bird Areas and existing Migratory Bird Sanctuaries are good starting points to better protect habitats for birds that, in many cases, Canada shares with the rest of the hemisphere.