Collaring a Cougar in Cypress Hills

Sarah Kirkpatrick-Wahl is a volunteer at Nature Canada. She is collaborating on designing and creating a geodatabase for species at risk within Canadian federally protected areas. This summer Sarah took a break from volunteering with us to work with two conservation projects studying the two largest cats in the Americas. Her first conservation project took her to Belize, where she tracked jaguars deep into the jungle. In this post, Sarah shares her story of tracking a cougar family – and capturing a kitten – in western Canada’s Cypress Hills Interprovicial Park.

Spanning the border between Alberta and Saskatchewan is a unique island ecosystem in the prairies, the Cypress Hills. All the top predators were removed from the area 100 years ago by extensive hunting, trapping and poisoning campaigns. In the past decade cougars have started to reclaim their home in the Hills.

I traveled to Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park in May to work with Carl Morrison, a masters student at the University of Alberta working under the supervision of Dr. Mark Boyce. Carl is studying the impact that the seasonal flux of human use of the area has on cougar habitat selection, movement and dispersal.

To study this cougars are captured and fitted with a GPS collar. Capture work is no doubt one of the most exciting aspects of this research, mostly done in the winter when the cougars can be tracked by their prints left in the snow. However I was lucky enough to assist with some capture work this summer – it was a thrilling experience!

Tracking the Ghost Cats

At the end of June we headed to the West Block of Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park to track down SK2, an adult female collared this past winter. Camera traps set around the park showed her with three kittens. Her kittens were born in May 2010, so at just over a year old they were large enough to be fitted with a collar.

I was part of the first team to head out and pin point SK2's location. Since she was already collared we are able to track her using radio telemetry. We started in the area that she had last been heard from, and a morning of thorough searching only proved that she was certainly not in that area. A frustrating morning to be sure, especially since when we met up with the rest of the team we learned they had picked up her signal driving into the park from another direction. No searching at all for them!

The day was really hot, so we waited until late afternoon to head out and get an exact location on SK2 to move in. Lorne Hindbo with South Ram Outfitters brought five hounds for the capture. So many hounds were brought in because we were potentially going after four cougars. We moved into a small patch of bush right between the park and a private residence. I got to lead one of the dogs. She was so excited, and pulled me through the bush to keep up with the pack.

Getting the dogs ready for the capture

We got to the point where Carl could pick up SK2's signal with just the receiver, no antenna or cable, which means that she was very close!

There were a bunch of people out for the capture, and we all lined up on the plateau facing the bush and Lorne walked into the bush with the dogs. I guess the dogs have an easier time picking up the scent on clear track in the snow in winter, because it seemed like they found the cougars bedded down before they even picked up the scent. It was pretty neat to watch. The bush was really quiet, and then an explosion of barking dogs and shaking trees.

It was all over in a few moments. We heard Lorne over the radio letting us know that 2 cats had treed, one being SK2. When threatened cougars climb a tree so that they are out of reach of the threat. This is great for the researchers because we were able to walk right underneath the tree without putting ourselves in a dangerous situation, and the cougars generally feel safe and calm up in the tree.

Collaring SK9

Walking into the bush I was awe struck when I looked up and saw SK2’s kitten – it was the first cougar I had ever seen in the wild. It would be collared and called SK9. He had no problem staring straight into the eyes of the people below and focusing on each of us in turn. It is a pretty intense feeling looking a wild animal in the eye.

Just a little ways off was SK2. She has been through the ringer! Her once perfect face was covered in scars and looked swollen. She was clearly in a pretty serious scrap with another cat. Her rough shape just goes to illustrate the rough reality that these cats face in the wild. But that hasn’t stopped her from caring for three nearly full grown kittens in addition to herself.

Taking measurements of SK9

Carl shot SK9 in the tree with a tranquillizer dart and he fell asleep very quickly. He slid out of the tree as he fell asleep. It was a short fall and we were ready with a strong tarp to catch him in a fireman's catch and slowly lowered him to the ground. The fall really could not have gone more perfectly! Once on the ground we took various measurements including body length, canine length, head size and paw size as well as weight. He weighed 85lbs. His large paws showed that he still has a lot of growing to do. We had bottles of ice cold water to help keep his temperature down, and we were constantly monitoring his breathing, heart rate and temperature. I got to listen to his heart beat which was really cool.

The entire time SK2 was just up in her tree watching us. She seemed very relaxed considering what we were doing to her kitten Carl administered the reversal drugs and, SK9 woke up very, very slowly. We left him when we were sure that he was awake and gaining mobility. It was getting dark by the time we finally finished.
 
A couple of people went out to check on them the following morning. SK2 and SK9 were together, and they had moved somewhat, so we were able to confirm that he was ok. Since the capture we have been receiving GPS data for both SK2 and SK9, and the family is doing very well in the Cypress Hills.

SK9 will now be tracked for a year, in which time we will monitor his movements and visit locations of high activity to determine what he is feeding on. It will be especially interesting to see him reach maturity and disperse from his mother and siblings. Cougars in the Cypress Hills are thriving and enjoy an area mostly devoid of competing predators and an abundant prey base – SK2 and her family are no exception!

Nature Canada's 2010-2011 Annual Report is Now Online

After much anticipation, our annual report for 2010-2011 is now available online, making it that much easier for us to share our conservation successes with you!

What will you find inside the report?

By clicking through the pages of the report, you will find a message from our Executive Director and Chair of the Board of Directors, financial statements, our list of supporters and award winners, and our conservation successes from the past year.

Quick links to each section, the full PDF of the report, and a video message from Ian Davidson, our Executive Director, can be found by visiting our Annual Report webpage.

 We would like to extend our gratitude to all our 2010-2011 supporters - every one of conservation successes is thanks to you!

Tracking Big Cats in Belize

Photos courtesy of Marcella Kelly, Virginia Tech

 Sarah Kirkpatrick-Wahl is a volunteer at Nature Canada. She is collaborating on designing and creating a geodatabase for species at risk within Canadian federally protected areas. This summer Sarah is taking a break from Nature Canada volunteering to work with two conservation projects studying large cats in the Americas. 

Recently I travelled to Belize to volunteer with Bernardo Mesa, a wildlife conservation student at Virginia Tech, on his graduate research project. I had never been to Belize before and was immediately taken with the hot, humid climate, the abundant wildlife, and the diverse people there. I was most excited about the prospect of studying jaguars in a country where there is such a large population still surviving today where a new dynamic to the relationship between humans and jaguars is created as people claim and develop the land that was once ruled by the jaguar.

The project that I worked on was comparing the stress hormone levels of jaguars within protected areas to those outside protected areas. Immediately outside of protected areas there is extensive farm land, providing the recipe for human wildlife conflict to occur. Measuring the hormone levels will give an indication of how the jaguars react within these different landscapes.

Hormone levels are measured in scat, which we locate with the help of a scat detector dog. Scat is a non-invasive detection method as well as an abundant source of information. Extracting the stress hormones from scat is the most effective method for this research as the hormones in scat give an overall picture of the jaguar’s stress levels. In addition to hormone levels, scat can be used to measure parasite diversity, indicate diet through hair and bone fragments present, and provide DNA for analysis and comparison with other individuals. The hormone in the scat starts to degrade within a few days due to environmental effects, so in this project an area is visited once to collect any scat present in the area, and then once every four days to collect fresh scat for hormone analysis.

Our scat detection dog, CJ, was hired for the project from PackLeader in Gig Harbor, WA. CJ is an endless source of energy, which makes him unsuitable as a family pet but ideal for this type of work. When surveying trails we will walk anywhere from 6km to over 12km a day in extreme conditions. It is his job to search the trails which often means exploring off trail in dense jungle. CJ is happy to do all this work because searching for scat is a game for him, and his reward is a few precious seconds with a tennis ball. We will always leave a sample or two on a trail when we search so that CJ is rewarded every time we go out and maintains his enthusiasm, even when there is no wild scat to be found.


Video courtesy of Erica Johnson

The dogs are trained on the scent that they are looking for by associating the scent of the scat with the reward. CJ is an old pro and has worked on projects finding animals such as bats and snakes as well as cats. When CJ came to Belize he was already trained on jaguar and puma, but had to be trained on the smaller cats; ocelot, margay and jaguarundi. CJ is a quick study. See him search for the new scent he has just been trained on and sit by the sample to show his handler where to look.

There are some challenges that need to be considered when working with a dog. It is easy to mistakenly train the dog on the wrong scent. Therefore the handler needs to be careful to only reward the dog on samples that he is sure of. Many of the samples used to train CJ initially were from zoos where the species and gender of the animal could be confirmed. You can see in the video that CJ wears a bell when he is working. This is to let us always know where he is even when we can’t see him searching in the jungle. The bell also lets animals know that we are around so that CJ does not surprise anything which could create a dangerous situation. Most animals want to be left alone and will leave with all the noise that we make as we are hiking through the forest. We do have to watch out for some animals, such as peccaries, which we would not want to tangle with.

One of the biggest considerations is that we have to be careful not to push CJ too hard. His drive and enthusiasm means that we have to be sure to give him breaks for water and a rest. CJ is so excited about searching that it can be challenging to convince him to take a break, even when the humans are excited to sit down for a few minutes. Swimming is an excellent way for CJ to cool off. For this reason we try and find trails with streams to survey along so that CJ can take dip. However, water is getting harder and harder to find as the dry season progresses.

The project started in March and will continue until the wet season begins when the heat and humidity combined with strong rains degrade the hormone samples in the scat much more quickly. I am eagerly anticipating the results of the hormone analysis that Bernardo will conduct when he gets back to the lab in the fall. This study will have implications for jaguar management decisions regardless of whether Bernardo finds that jaguars are more stressed in altered human landscapes, or are not overly stressed in these areas. Working in Belize I have gained a new respect for this charismatic and elusive cat as well as this diverse country.

Join the Wave!

Yesterday (June 8) was World Oceans Day and Canadian Rivers Day is coming up on June 12. What better time to celebrate water?

By taking a moment to "Like" the RBC Blue Water Project on Facebook today, you will be contributing directly to water conservation projects. RBC has already committed $50 million over ten years for fresh water protection, but when you Join The Wave you'll be adding an extra dollar to that fund. 

Help RBC Blue Water Project create a wave of 50,000 people who have joined the campaign by the end of the week!

Tell Canada's Prime Minister: Don't Forget the Environment

Canadians elected Stephen Harper to his first majority government on May 2. As Prime Minister Harper sets his agenda for the future, help ensure that the environment is not forgotten! Send a letter urging the Prime Minister to make the following actions a top priority of his Government:

• Protecting and recovering endangered species and other threatened wildlife
• Preserving natural areas for current and future generations of Canadians
• Protecting Canadians by ensuring environmental disasters like the Gulf of Mexico oil spill do not happen on our shores
• Leading Canadian conservation by coordinating action across Canada to conserve and protect what we hold dear

By sending a letter to the Prime Minister, you’re sending a signal that a healthy environment is important to you, and that it should be important for him too.

Save Our Frogs!

Northern Leopard Frog

We hear them calling at night. They live in our ponds, streams, marshes and backyards. We keep them as pets. Yet we take for granted that frogs and toads will always be around. Today is Save the Frogs Day, a day to celebrate our amphibious friends and raise awareness about their plight.

Around the world frog populations are declining in large part due to human activity. This is very significant – the health of frog populations has long been regarded as a strong indicator of how healthy our wild ecosystems are. Frogs have semi-permeable skin, making them very sensitive to environmental change and excellent “indicator species”. Of the approximately 6000 known amphibian species, it is estimated that 1/3 are at risk of extinction. The main threats to these beautiful creatures are habitat loss and destruction, chemical pollutants in waterways, invasive species, and disease.

Here is a small look at just a few of Canada’s noteworthy frog species:

Blanchard’s Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans blanchardi) – These greenish-brown, red, black or yellow-coloured treefrogs reach a maximum size of 4 centimetres, and can be found in Ontario. They live in marshes, drainage trenches and quarries. Feeding on small insects, these frogs on average live only 1 to 2 years. Pesticide contamination and habitat destruction are the main causes of population decline. Blanchard’s Cricket frog is listed as endangered by the Ontario and Federal Governments.

Great Basin Spadefoot (Spea intermontanus) – This British Columbian species can be found in vernal ponds, semi-permanent alkali lakes, and in arid areas near breeding sites. At 5 centimetres, the frog gets its name from a sharp-edged, horny tubercle on the inside of its hind foot, which is wedge-shaped. Their skin is quite smooth, and they have teeth in their upper jaw. It appears that populations have declined in BC due to threats from recreational vehicles and habitat destruction by cattle.

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) – Even if you’re not familiar with the Spring Peeper, you’ve probably heard its unique repetitive chirping call each spring, which can carry over half a kilometre in range. At 3 centimetres, this frog has a wide range in Canada, and has been found from Manitoba to Prince Edward Island, and even in Florida. One female can lay 800 to 1000 eggs with tadpoles hatching in 6 to 12 days. Even though it is considered relatively stable in most of its habitat, the Toronto area populations have disappeared.

Western (Striped) Chorus Frog (Pseudacris triseriata) – This greenish-grey coloured treefrog can be identified by the 3 dark stripes along its back, and reaches an adult size of only 4 centimetres. This frog is only found in a small part of Canada - in Southern Ontario and along the Ottawa and upper St. Lawrence rivers in Québec.
   
Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens) – With its unique large, light-edged spots adorning its green or brown coloured-body, the Leopard frog can be spotted very easily. It can be found in every province and territory except for the Yukon, and can also be found in the northwestern United States. But the Northern Leopard Frog is found only in Canada. A single female can lay up to 7000 eggs, and the average lifespan for an adult in the wild is 3 to 4 years. The male Leopard frog call sounds like a low-pitched snore quickly followed by low grunts. Although very widespread, there is strong evidence that Western Canadian populations are declining, due to habitat loss and long-term drought.

So, what can be done to help our amphibious neighbours? Here are a few suggestions:

• Nature Canada’s FrogWatch program is a great way to get to know common frog species and contribute to citizen science. FrogWatch provides tips for identifying frogs by sight and sound and encourages people to collect information on frog species and submit that data to help scientists get a better understanding of frog populations across the country.
• Learn about the main threats to frog species living near you and learn how to prevent further damage to our natural ecosystems. Dumping chemicals into our waterways, or releasing non-native species of mammal, fish, amphibian or bird into the wild are two of the biggest threats to Canadian amphibians.
• Take a look at the Save the Frogs Day website to learn about the global initiative to protect, save and educate ourselves about frog and toad species facing extinction.
• Never purchase wild frogs, toads or other amphibians from pet stores or breeders as this greatly affects native wild populations.

Nature Canada would like to thank Michael Berrigan for contributing this blog post.

Protect Canada's Forests in 2011

What would we do without forests?

Forests are essential to human, animal and plant life – they support the majority of the earth’s biodiversity.

As the “lungs of the earth”, forests absorb carbon dioxide, reducing the effects of climate change. Among other things, forests provide wildlife with a place to live, reduce sedimentation and regulate flooding, and help people reduce their energy consumption by shading buildings and screening winds.

Since Canada is home to 10% of the world’s forests – forests cover half the Canadian landscape – Canadians have a key role to play in the global effort to conserve and sustainably manage forests.

We can start by asking the Government of Canada to take five important steps to protect and conserve our forests by:

• Forming an interconnected network of protected areas

• Adopting recovery strategies for species living in forests

• Improving Canadian forestry practices

• Reducing emissions from logging

• Increasing efforts to settle land claims

Take action in this International Year of Forests – Sign the petition now!

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Take the Plunge – Pledge to Save Water on World Water Day

With some of the most beautiful and ecologically important rivers, lakes and wetlands in the world, Canadians have many reasons to celebrate World Water Day. From the mighty Mackenzie River in the north, to the wetlands of the boreal forest, and the Great Lakes, our country lays claim to 60% of the world’s fresh water.

Yet a recent survey found that Canadians use twice as much water as people in France and the Czech Republic. A seemingly limitless supply of this natural resource means some of us don’t think twice before watering the lawn in the middle of a hot summer day, or letting the tap run as we brush our teeth.

But those small actions add up – it’s time for us to let go of the myth of water abundance.

Fortunately, it’s easy to make a few small changes to your water consumption around the house that can make a big difference. Take Nature Canada’s water pledge to use water wisely in and around your home and save 10 gallons (38 litres) a day.

These are some EASY ways that you can save water around the house:

• Don’t run the tap while shaving or cleaning your teeth – save 1 gallon (3.7 litres) a minute

• Add an aerator to any tap – save 1 gallon (3.7 litres) a minute

• Reduce the length of a shower by one minute – save 2.5 gallons (9.5 litres)

• Install a low flow shower head – save 3 gallons(11.3 litres)a minute

• Install a toilet tank displacement device – save.5 gallon (1.8 litres) a flush

• Run the dishwasher only when it is totally full – save 10 gallons (37.8 litres) each saved load

• Water your lawn at night and save 65% lost to evaporation when watering during the day – save 5 gallons (19 litres) a minute

To date, 2,942 people have pledged to save a total of 40,805,540 litres. Take the plunge and make your pledge today!

Have a Happy World Water Day!

Greening the Lower Mainland

Pull ivy at Campbell Valley Park, Langley BC

Want to tackle environmental issues and have fun? If you live in BC’s Lower Mainland, the Lower Mainland Green Team might be the group for you!

They get together once a month to help an environmental group, non-profit organization, charity or city tackle an environmental issue that needs co-operation and teamwork. Gloves and tools will be supplied as well as refreshments! Some of their activities include:

• Pulling invasive plants that are overtaking native flora
• Planting of native plants/trees
• Restoring areas along a stream, river, marsh or shoreline
• Beach/River/lake clean up
• Harvesting organic fruits/veggies
• Trail building/maintenance
• Restoration of wildlife sites

For more information, check out their website: http://www.meetup.com/The-Lower-Mainland-Green-Team or email the Team at lowermainlandgreenteam@yahoo.ca

Nature Canada’s Ian Davidson Appointed to Canadian Arm of International Conservation Body

We're very happy to announce the recent appointment of Ian Davidson, Nature Canada's executive directory, to the Canadian Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The IUCN is one of the world’s largest global environmental networks. Founded in 1948, this leading authority on the environment supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world, and brings governments, NGOs and local communities together to solve some of the planet’s most pressing problems.

As a member of the Canadian Committee of the IUCN, Nature Canada joins a diverse group of people from the Canadian conservation community to help shape policy and decision-making on the protection and conservation of wildlife and habitat.

“In most countries, the IUCN plays a strong and central role in facilitating conservation action and linking domestic agendas with global ones. I think that Nature Canada should be part of the global dialogue on nature conservation and participate in setting the agenda of the IUCN in Canada,” said Ian Davidson.

What makes this committee stand apart from all the others?

The Canadian Committee of the IUCN is a unique group on the national conservation scene – it brings representatives from government, non-profit organizations, academia and Aboriginal groups around one table to talk about conservation issues of global and national concern, such as climate change, biodiversity, and indigenous peoples’ rights and interests. The arctic, both in a Canadian and global context, is an issue that the Committee is eager to address, with plans in the works for a panel session on key events to which participants would be invited.

Nature Canada’s work promotes conversation, engagement and action on all of these issues.

In the coming year, we'll be working with fellow Committee members, including Parks Canada, Environment Canada, Nature Conservancy, Canadian Wildlife Federation and Aboriginal groups, among others, to promote conservation awareness and action on biodiversity in Canada.

“As a member of the Board of the Canadian Committee for the IUCN, we can advance the nature agenda on the national stage and then from there, on the global stage,” said Davidson.

The Committee will also help its members prepare for the 2012 World Conservation Congress in Korea by providing support for conservation forms and committee meetings across the country. The next big push will come this fall – a meeting has been called to bring members together in order to outline their priorities and responsibilities during the upcoming Congress.

The forum, scheduled to take place in September, will provide “an opportunity for the Canadian conservation community to share ideas and offer solutions on behalf of wildlife in this country and beyond,” said Davidson.

Birders want wind energy, but not in IBAs

Near Long Point, Lake Erie, Ontario

In September and early October 2009, Nature Canada carried out a survey to explore Ontario birders perceptions of modern wind energy projects, or “wind farms,” and the impact of these installations on birds. The findings of the survey were published in the December 2010 issue of Ontario Birds, the journal of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Two hundred and sixty four birders from across Ontario and a few beyond completed an online survey. We found that Ontario birders reflect a fairly wide spectrum of interests, income and education, yet share similar concerns about climate change and global warming, and generally see wind energy as an important industry to combat this threat.

The vast majority of respondents (92%) consider it important to reduce consumption of fossil fuels. The concern for global warming appears to translate into strong support for wind energy from approximately 60% of respondents with only 20% not supporting wind energy. Despite the support for wind energy, approximately 60% of the respondents believe that wind energy impacts birds, and an even stronger proportion (70%) believe that wind projects have no place in Important Bird Areas or in avian migratory corridors.

However, we also found that most birders recognize that wind energy in the wrong place can pose a threat to bird populations. The wrong place, in ranked order according to survey participants, includes Migratory Bird Sanctuaries (MBSs), Important Bird Areas (IBAs), National Wildlife Areas (NWAs) and parks. Some birders – over one-third of those sampled – also said they would be discouraged from visiting the iconic birding locations of Point Pelee or Prince Edward Point if wind farms were built near them.

Near Shelburne, Ontario

Nature Canada’s survey comes at a critical time for the future of wind energy in Ontario – with the recent passing of the Ontario Green Energy Act, the number of wind installations in the province will increase dramatically. Wind energy producers are eyeing any location with wind, which of course includes many areas that are well-known for the significance for birds.

In June 2010, the province proposed draft regulations to open up the development of “off-shore” wind farms. The proposed regulations included a five kilometre buffer around all of the Great Lakes shorelines and major islands to protect water intakes as well as important cultural and natural features and functions.

The province already has a mishmash of policies and regulations that can best be described as a “work in progress.” They reflect the conflicting priorities of government agencies, and a continual pressure to adapt to growing local opposition to wind plants, while supporting and promoting the tenets of the Green Energy Act. Once finalized, these regulations will be part of the approvals process of the Green Energy Act, and are designed to lift many of the bureaucratic barriers to developing green energy projects such as wind farms.

Assessment of impacts of wind energy installations has focused on bird mortality, and more recently bat mortality, caused principally by collision with turbine blades. Concerns have also been raised about loss of habitat from installations, which could reduce breeding productivity or reduce survival if birds are displaced from habitat by the presence and construction of turbines, and by the movement of maintenance vehicles, and by the disruption of flight routes caused by avoidance of wind plants.

Gilead Power Corporation, a privately owned wind energy developer, has proposed a wind energy installation, the Ostrander Point Wind Energy Park, inside the globally significant Prince Edward County South Shore IBA near Kingston Ontario, and on provincial Crown land that is also a candidate Area of Natural and Scientific Interest.

The wind park is only a few kilometers from the Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area, the only NWA specifically recognized for its importance for migrating landbirds. Environment Canada has described the site where the turbines are proposed as “one of the best areas for birds in southern Ontario.”

For us at Nature Canada, the Gilead project is a good example of a wind energy project that is being proposed in the wrong place – in fact the worst possible place in terms of risk to birds. If approved, we believe the project is likely to have significant impacts on a very rich breeding bird community and on migratory birds that depend on Ostrander Point’s natural habitats.

Nature Canada, and our Provincial Partner Ontario Nature, strongly oppose the project and have urged the Province and Gilead to withdraw it, but so far to no avail.

Across the country, Nature Canada is calling on federal and provincial governments to ensure wind energy projects do not come at the expense of this country’s birds and other wildlife.While it appears so far that most projects have a very minimal impact on bird populations, in the wrong place, projects could be disastrous.

We are already seeing evidence of this at TransAlta’s Wolf Island Turbines, where casualty rates as much as 10 times that of most other wind plants have been documented, with birds of prey such as the Red-tailed Hawk and aerial insectivores like swallows appearing to be particularly vulnerable.

To get wind power right in Canada, we are urging governments to enact policies and regulations that ensure the following:

• Wind turbines and wind farms should not be located in Important Bird Areas or other areas with particular significance to congregating, migrating or breeding birds.

• All wind farm proposals should be subject to an environmental assessment prior to development to assess their impact on all wildlife, including birds and bats.

• Any wind farms that already exist within migratory corridors or bottlenecks should be subject to the best practices for mitigating their impacts on birds, especially during migration season.

Join Nature Canada in calling on the Government of Canada to enact wildlife-friendly green energy policies – sign the petition to get wind power right!

Read more about Nature Canada’s position on wind energy development.

Nature Canada would like to thank OFO for supporting and publishing “What birders in Ontario think about wind energy in relation to birds”, by Nature Canada’s Ted Cheskey and Ahmed Zedan.

Our bird conservation efforts in the James Bay and Hudson Bay region are supported by The Ivey Foundation.

The EnCana Trial That Wasn't

In 2007, EnCana (now Cenovus) was charged with violating the Canada Wildlife Act by building a section of a pipeline without a permit within CFB Suffield National Wildlife Area.

The trial was postponed numerous times -coincidentally, as EnCana's proposed project to drill more than 1,200 wells in the Suffield National Wildlife Area was undergoing an environmental assessment review. A year ago, the case was stayed temporarily. Now, it turns out that legally speaking it never happened.

The government has yet to make a decision on whether the Cenovus project will be approved and, if so, under what conditions.

Given that the panel that conducted the environmental assessment concluded the project would interfere with the conservation of wildlife, and set a very high bar for any approval, one could speculate that the "disappearance" of those charges are one less thing for the government, and Cenovus, to worry about.

Of course those of us concerned about the enforcement of wildlife conservation laws and the integrity of Suffield National Wildlife Area, have one more thing to worry about. Canadians need to have confidence that their government will uphold and enforce the rules intended to protect this irreplaceable wildlife habitat, including environmental assessment conditions.

Book Review - Sanctuary: The Story of Mary Majka

This book review was written by Nature Canada board member Joan Czapalay. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the story of this inspiring conservationist, Joan!

Sanctuary: The Story of Mary Majka

Author: Deborah Carr
Trade Paperback : 260 pages
Publisher : Goose Lane Editions Fredericton, New Brunswick. (2010)
Language: English
List Price: $19.95
ISBN-10: 0864926243
ISBN-13: 978-086492624

Read this book for entertainment, for inspiration and for truth about what it means to be fully human. Travel with the author Deborah Carr on Mary's life journey thus far, told mainly in Mary's own words and with the use of photographs which are shared with the reader throughout the book. These pictures carry the threads of Mary's memories as a beloved child of privilege to a girlhood of poverty in pre-war Poland, to separation from mother and brother after the loss of a beloved father, to prison and enforced labour in Austria, to the University of Innsbruck to study medicine, and then marriage to Mike and immigration to Canada.

The text, which is carried forward by conversations rather than interviews between Mary and the author, invite us (as the pictures do) into Mary's home and into her private life in a way that no other biography has done for me. We see Mary's parents, her homes, her children, places and projects as the story unfolds.

The author writes beautifully, as in the passage where Mary speaks of the loss of her dear father whom she still mourns, "She stares out the clouded window, glass stained with time and moisture. A thin pane separates here from there. For a moment she watches the weather and the water, perhaps seeking insight, perception. And truth."

Deborah Carr seems to have come as close as another can in finding Mary's truth. An unswerving commitment to conservation of nature and of heritage and a love of people are Mary's trademarks. Mary especially knows the importance of connecting children with nature. When Mary and Mike were raising their two sons Chris and Marc in rural New Brunswick, a young naturalist, David Christie, became part of their family. David later told the author that Mary "was there when I needed her". And Mary could say the same for David. He was co-founder of the St. John Naturalist Club, and a student of science. They became, and still are, a team for conservation and preservation causes. They and other naturalist friends founded the New Brunswick Naturalists, and were active in Nature Canada. The Mary's Point Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve officially opened in August of 1987 thanks to their efforts and in 1989 an interpretive centre was opened.

Obtaining funding has always been a source of difficulty for all conservation causes. Yet Mary and David working together have been able to preserve so much and to educate so many about the importance of the natural world, the inter-relationship of all life forms and the value of our human history.

This is not just a "feel good" book. Part of the truth is that Mary sometimes went ahead with what she perceived as right without considering others. Deborah does not skirt the issues which arose and does not make Mary out to be a saint. Mary Majka is too intense for many people, but history will honour her.

Mary's lifetime love of nature and love of people, especially children and youth, has been translated into action. She told Deborah that after the death of her father "Nature was my support". All who have felt the healing power of the woods and trees, the beach and rocky shore can attest to this. Few of us put our love of nature into action, but this book could change that.

After Mike's death just a few years ago there would be need to find that healing power again. Mike is a background figure in Sanctuary but so important in helping Mary achieve her dreams. He too shared her great love of nature and sense of place. If we are given the right people in our lives when we need them, perhaps we are placed in the right spot.Mary was made for Mary's Point and the upper Bay of Fundy.

Mary and David publish an annual holiday letter with pictures of Chris and Marc, and more recently Nishka, and others in Mary's extended family. I am privileged to have been welcomed to Calidris, the cottage near the beach, and to have been welcomed to the Big House be part of that family. And I have been inspired by Mary's life so well and intensely lived and well told.

Canada's Sahtu Region: Conserving the Land and Waters of the North



Migrating Snow Geese by Stewart Marshall (via Flickr)

A land use plan for the Sahtu Region of the Northwest Territories has entered into its third draft, and with it comes hopes that important cultural and ecological zones will be protected before major industrial development begins.

In comments issued last month, Nature Canada recommended that several ecologically significant spaces, including three Important Bird Areas, be given special status as Conservation Zones.

The need to establish protected areas in the Northwest Territories is all the more important as communities there prepare for the possible advent of the Mackenzie Gas Project – one of the largest, most disruptive projects ever considered in Canada's north.

Important Bird Areas in the Sahtu Region

The Northwest Territories contains 17 Important Bird Areas, three of which are located inside the Sahtu Settlement Area: Lower Mackenzie River Islands IBA, Middle Mackenzie River Islands IBA, and Brackett Lake IBA. All three IBAs are currently designated as special management zones, and Nature Canada has recommended they be redesignated as conservation zones in the land use plan.

These IBAs represent important breeding habitat for significant concentrations of several species that could currently be left vulnerable to disturbance from development. The Lower Mackenzie River Islands IBA is a major stopover along the Western Central Flyway, hosting as many as 112,800 waterfowl and about half a million snow geese in spring.

The Middle Mackenzie River Islands IBA is visited by birds such as the Great White-fronted Goose, Canada Goose, Tundra Swans, as well as many duck species during annual spring migrations. Up to six percent of the global population of Snow Geese congregates here.

Brackett Lake IBA provides excellent breeding habitat for ducks and is used by roughly two percent of the Canadian White-fronted Goose population.

Edaííla and Colville Lake

Edaííla, also known as Caribou Point, is a very important area for the people of Déline, and the NWT as a whole. The area rests on a massive 8,700 square kilometre headland that divides the east side of Great Bear Lake and is a key site during the annual migration of the Bluenose-East herd of barren-ground caribou. The area holds critical cultural and ecological significance for the people of Délįne and other NWT and Nunavut communities and represents important caribou and fish habitats in the region. In fact, Edaííla encompasses the entire Grandin Plains ecoregion, spanning boreal forest, boreal transition and tundra habitat types.

There has long been substantial community interest in permanently protecting both the surface and subsurface areas of Edaííla. In fact, the people of Déline endorsed a failed proposal to designate Edaííla as a National Wildlife Area (NWA). Nature Canada has strongly recommend that Edaííla, in its entirety, be listed as a conservation zone to safeguard the ecological and cultural richness of the area for future generations, while ensuring that proposals to amend the Plan over time will not jeopardize the area.

Nature Canada has also recommended that the Colville Hills area, home to the community of Colville Lake and approximately 120 km northeast of Fort Good Hope, NWT, be designated a conservation zone, given that the region offers critical breeding habitat for a significant number of ducks.

The completion of a land use plan will give Sahtu residents a tool to balance cultural, economic and environmental interests – before major industrial activity begins. The plan will take effect upon approval by the Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated, the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Government of Canada.

Learn more about the Sahtu Region and Nature Canada's recommendations about the latest draft of the land use plan.

Last Chance to Add Your Name to the International Youth Accord on Biodiversity

Tomorrow is the last day to sign onto the International Youth Accord on Biodiversity that will be presented in Nagoya, Japan, at the Convention on Biological Diversity's (CBD) COP10.

The Accord is being combined with other youth statements from around the world to create an International Youth Biodiversity Declaration. Youth will present this document during the high level segment of COP10, where heads of states/governments, relevant stakeholders and international organizations will come together to resolve difficult issues. According to our sources, this type of meeting rarely happens.

These young advocates are keen on making a difference - a difference that sees conserving biodiversity on the priority list of every government!

Add your voice to this Accord, and help our youth get the message through.

Environmental Groups and First Nations take Legal Action Against the Federal Government to Protect Caribou

Yesterday, lawyers representing First Nations (Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Enoch Cree First Nation and the Beaver Lake Cree Nation) and environmental groups (Alberta Wilderness Society and the Pembina Institute) filed two separate applications for a judicial review to require the immediate protection of woodland caribou in the tar sands producing regions of Alberta.

They are going to argue that the federal government, Environment Canada in particular, failed to protect the caribou herds of northern Alberta and that the Minister of Environment failed to issue an emergency order to protect caribou from further development in the area. In addition to this, a recovery plan for caribou under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) is long overdue – it should have been done in 2007.

First Nations, represented by lawyer Jack Woodward of BC law firm Woodward and Company, decided to take legal action after the government failed to address their concerns. In a letter they sent to Minister Prentice on July 15, they wrote that if the government had not ceased to give out development permits and developed an emergency plan for caribou by August 27 they would take legal action. Their letter had also included findings from a study carried out by Stan Boutin from the University of Alberta suggesting that caribou herds were facing extinction.

This is the second time First Nations have intervened this year with respect to lack of caribou protection. Earlier in March the West Moberly First Nations won a case against the BC Government to protect the Burnt Pine caribou herd from a proposed coal mine.

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.

Global Youth Call for Government Action on Biodiversity

The voices of youth all over the world will be heard this October when representatives present a Youth Accord for Biodiversity at the Convention on Biological Diversity's (CBD) Tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) in Nagoya, Japan. These teens and young adults are making it evident that biodiversity conservation is on their agenda, just as much (if not more so!) as it is on the agendas of world governments. They believe that they are the voice of the future and the acknowledge the important role they play in promoting the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Like many of us, this coalition of young advocates, would like to see their governments take action towards conserving biodiversity. The Accord, drafted by youth and signed by over 4,000 young people in 60 countries, calls for actions such as:

- Providing funding for educational programs on the value of and need for biological diversity;
- Setting a defined target date to stop preventable loss of biodiversity; and
- Implementing sustainable development practices in all areas.

There's been great momentum leading up to COP10 this October, mainly due to the fact that 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity, and signing this Accord can only add to that.

We at Nature Canada support the Youth Accord for Biodiversity. Nature Canada would like you to sign our letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper urging the Canadian Government to make significant efforts in protecting biodiversity this year - it is our chance to take action on behalf of future generations.

Pacific Great Blue Heron: A West Coast Warden

Many Canadians are familiar with the sight of this beautiful, tall, and graceful wading bird. With long wings, thin legs and a short tail, it is the biggest heron species in North America. It has blue and grey plumage combined with a black stripe that extends from its eyes to the back of the head. It is easy to identify this large bird fishing along shorelines and even in suburban ponds. The fannini subspecies is actually smaller and slightly darker in colouration when compared to the Great Blue Heron (herodias subspecies) in the rest of North America.

This subspecies lives year round on the Pacific Coast and mostly breeds in the Strait of Georgia. During this time, the fannini gathers in colonies for courtship, nesting and rearing its young in large platform-like stick nests usually situated high in trees. 

The Great Blue Heron fannini subspecies typically hunts a wide selection of animals, but concentrates on small fish during its breeding season. In the winter months it will switch to a diet that includes small mammals.

There are a number of threats to the species' continued survival. Roughly half of the species' global population breeds in Canada. Surveys conducted on bird colonies in British Columbia suggest a significant decline in the species' reproductive rate since the 1970s and that the proportion of nesting pairs that successfully raises at least one fledgling is considerably lower than in the past. Forested areas which provide the herons nesting grounds have declined due to urban growth, and there has also been disturbance and destruction of nesting sites by logging operations and road construction.

What You Can Do

• Participate in Nature Canada's ongoing efforts to protect the habitat of the Great Blue Heron and other birds that are in danger of disappearing in Canada by supporting our Important Bird Area program and our species at risk work.
• Be mindful of protected areas where the Great Blue Heron nests and lives, and find out how you can continue to support and lobby for conservation laws through Nature Canada's monthly eNewsletter.

Read more of the Pacific Great Blue Heron's story, including interesting species facts and additional actions you can take, in our endangered species profile.

Photo: Great Blue Heron on the Cow River by Dave Polster

A Conservation Action Plan for Bicknell's Thrush

Bicknell's Thrush ©T. Brant Ryder/
Vermont Center for Ecostudies

An international alliance of scientists, conservationists and governments plans to protect the Bicknell's Thrush (Catharus bicknelli) across its entire range from Canada to the Caribbean.

With a very small breeding population limited to eastern Canada and New England states, and a wintering population dependent on the mountain forests in a handful of Caribbean countries, Nature Canada believes we have a shared responsibility for this species' conservation.

We have already contributed, through an integrated conservation and development project, to on-the-ground conservation of Bicknell's Thrush wintering habitat in Macaya National Park in Haiti. And we continue to look for opportunities to engage communities in protecting this at-risk species.

Bird Studies Canada, our Canadian co-partner in BirdLife International, has been a key proponent of this project in Canada.

The International Bicknell's Thrush Conservation Group proposes to increase the global population of the species by 25% over the next 50 years, mostly by preventing further loss of its breeding and wintering habitats. The plan establishes specific conservation and research actions over the next 5 years, including:

• Partnering with timber companies and managers of public lands in North America to develop and implement practices that enhance Bicknell’s Thrush breeding habitat, which includes high-elevation forests of Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, New England and New York.
• Conducting scientific research to monitor and predict the impacts of climate change on Bicknell’s thrush habitat.
• Improving the protection of currently occupied winter habitat and develop management plans for key forested areas on Hispaniola, Cuba, Jamaica and Puerto Rico, including restoration of degraded habitats.
• Strengthening links with local partners in the Caribbean and expand funding for on-the-ground conservation projects throughout the winter range.

Bicknell's Thrush has one of the most restricted breeding ranges among the forest birds of North America. Its wintering range is likely to be equally or even more restricted. This medium-sized thrush was originally assessed in 1999 as a species of Special Concern in Canada and is now considered Threatened (COSEWIC).

The species faces range-wide habitat pressures, as it is vulnerable to ongoing and future planned management practices such as pre-commercial thinning in regenerating forests that reduces cover for nests and increases nest predation. Mountain-top wind energy projects on breeding grounds have also reduced the suitable high-elevation habitat for these birds in North America, while removal of forest on wintering grounds in the Greater Antilles has restricted the species almost exclusively to a handful of Important Bird Areas in that region.

For more information on A Conservation Action Plan for Bicknell's Thrush, read the full press release.