Irony, or does the left hand not know what the right is doing?

The Endangered Henslow's Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) is one of the rarest birds in Ontario. During the Atlas of Breeding Birds of Ontario 2001 to 2005, there were only 8 possible records of the species in the entire province. For years, a breeding population of this tiny sparrow has persisted in upper New York State, not far from Prince Edward County, near the east end of Lake Ontario. The New York population could well be the “source” population for re-colonization of nearby areas like Prince Edward County.

Henslow’s Sparrow just happens to be one of a few Endangered Species identified by Stantec as a priority for their preconstruction surveying for Gilead Power Corporation. Gilead is applying to build a wind energy plant with nine 140 metre tall turbines in the Ostrander Point Crown Land block in Prince Edward County, Ontario. In the Environmental Review Report of 2009, Stantec reported the following:


An assessment of the Study Area for potential Henslow’s Sparrow breeding habitat was completed. No optimal habitat was identified (Section 3.5.3 of Appendix C1). Three relatively small patches of marginal habitat for the Henslow’s Sparrow were the subject of playback surveys. No Henslow’s Sparrows were detected. The species has experienced significant decline in Ontario, and it should be considered absent from the Study Area.

On the surface, this seems like a reasonable conclusion right? I’m not so sure.



Potential Henlow's Sparrow habitat at Ostrander Point
could become site for 140-metre tall wind turbines. Photo: Ted Cheskey

 In 2010, Gilead applied for a permit to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources – the Ministry responsible for management of the Crown Land Block – to “kill, harm and harass Blanding’s Turtle and Whip-poor-will as well as damage and destroy habitat of Whip-poor-will” as part of their operational plan for the wind plant. As objectionable as this seems, I question why Henslow Sparrow was not on this list also. Here is why.

In the conservation plan that William Wilson and I wrote for the Prince Edward County South Shore Important Bird Area, with the support of a strong local committee, including the local Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources District Ecologist, I learned that a restoration plan for the Henslow's sparrow was written for Ostrander Point Crown Land Block that included brushing and prescribed burning in the late 1990s. It was never made clear if the plan was implemented or not at the time.

It was not until very recently, when reading through the Recovery Strategy for Henslow's Sparrow from Environment Canada that I learned that Henslow's Sparrows were present on Ostrander Point in 1999 and 2000 as a direct result of the implementation of this recovery action! In the Recovery Strategy, this example was used to illustrate how restoration activities could lead to positive results. The MNR supported this restoration work on their land!

Something stinks about a process when we have a government agency, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, invest in successfully restoring the habitat of an endangered species, then turn around a few years later and offer up its habitat for a small and unnecessary industrial wind plant. Why is this process moving forward? Why has it gone this far? Why was it even conceived of in the first place?
 
The turbines are not built yet. Once they are, no longer will this be Henslow's Sparrow habitat, or Whip-poor-will habitat, or Blanding's Turtle habitat, but it will be a serious risk to all birds, including the river of hawks, owls and songbirds that stream through Ostrander Point every fall.


Over this Christmas period, my wish is that the Province or the developer recognizes that this is the wrong place to build a wind farm, and withdraws it before it goes any further. Wind energy should be about good ideas in good places, and this isn't it.

Aren't They Worth It?

Did you know that over 600 species are at risk of extinction in Canada?

The polar bear is one of them. Last month, thanks in large part to thousands of letters sent by Nature Canada supporters asking Environment Minister Peter Kent to take fast action to protect polar bears, the polar bear was listed as a species of special concern under the Species At Risk Act.

Unfortunately, the polar bear is not alone. Other species threatened by human activities and facing declining numbers include the Boreal Woodland Caribou, Burrowing Owl, Greater Sage-Grouse and Wolverine.

In our watchdog role as an advocate for endangered species, Nature Canada closely reviews recovery strategies for species at risk to ensure the best possible protective measures are included. Over the past year, our recommendations helped improve recovery strategies for four species, including the Loggerhead Shrike, one of 27 endangered birds on the Species At Risk list.

This holiday season, help us reach our goal of raising $64,000 to protect endangered species - that's $100 for each listed species. Aren't they worth it?

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!

Polar Bear Listed As Species of Special Concern

Thanks in large part to letters you sent, the federal government has officially declared the Polar Bear a species of special concern under the Species at Risk Act. 

Nearly 63,000 Nature Canada supporters asked the federal government to take action for polar bears. You asked for these three things:

• List the polar bear in law,
• Complete the required management plan ahead of the three-year legal deadline and
• Take action on climate change to protect polar bear habitat

Today, Nature Canada supports the government’s decision to recognize the perilous condition of Canada’s Polar Bear population by listing it under the Species at Risk Act (SARA).

The listing in law officially recognises the at-risk status which the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) has assigned to the polar bear since 1991. This important milestone means that, by law, a plan must be devised within three years to prevent the species from becoming endangered or threatened.

During the public comment period for the proposal to list the Polar Bear as a species of special concern, 99% of the comments received by the government supported the proposal. The vast majority of comments called for official designation under SARA and fast action on climate change.

The message was clear: listing the polar bear, coupled with action on climate change, are necessary to save one of Canada’s most iconic species.

With nearly 15,000 polar bears, Canada accounts for 60 per cent of the world's polar bear population. But dramatic changes, caused by global warming, are taking place in the Arctic that threaten the survival of this spectacular species.

Climate change is causing polar ice caps to melt, robbing the bears of the ice floes they need to hunt prey. If the Arctic ice cap continues to melt sooner and form later, Polar Bears will become too thin to reproduce and many scientists predict they will become extinct by the end of this century.

Thousands of Nature Canada supporters asked the federal government to act now before it’s too late – and  much work still needs to be done to protect the Polar Bear.

Nature Canada urges the federal government to take fast action on climate change to prevent the extinction of this spectacular species, and strongly recommends that a management plan – mandated by law – be completed in advance of the three-year deadline.

We Need Your Voice: Help Protect the Boreal Woodland Caribou

Nicknamed ‘grey ghosts’ for their shy, elusive nature, Boreal Woodland Caribou can't elude encrouching industrial activity that's destroying its habitat.

Back in August, the federal government released a proposed a recovery strategy to boost the Boreal Woodland Caribou’s numbers. The Caribou is threatened by industrial activities that have caused some herds to be critically endangered – and the rest are under increasing pressure.


While it's an important step in the right direction, we need a strong strategy to ensure a return to vibrant Boreal Woodland Caribou populations across the country -- and this plan isn't it.  

The recovery strategy is available online and the public can comment until October 25. You can visit the Species at Risk Public Registry's web site to post your comments, or go our site to send a letter asking Environment Minister Peter Kent to take these measures:

1. Strengthen the goal

The proposed strategy allows a 40% chance that herds will continue to decline – this is an unacceptably weak threshold. Make it a strategy for recovery, not continued decline.

2. Protect more habitat

The proposal would keep, at most, only 65% of the caribou’s range intact, and as little as 5%. Much more than 65% of habitat needs to remain intact for self-sustaining caribou populations to thrive.

3. Don’t kill wolves instead of protecting caribou.

Indefinite killing of wolves, moose, and deer is not an acceptable alternative to protecting caribou habitat. This is not a sustainable solution – protecting intact habitat is the solution.

I strongly encourage you to speak up on behalf of the Boreal Woodland Caribou and ensure stronger measures are taken to protect this iconic species.

Plight of the Piping Plover

Last week Canadians learned that in parts of Atlantic Canada the endangered Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus melodus) is not recovering as well as expected. Numbers from the 2011 International Piping Plover Census in the region revealed that numbers declined 7% since 2010, leading to an overall decline of 14% since the early 1990s. This puts the Atlantic melodus population below the 2011 recovery target of 510 individuals, or 255 pairs. A total of 427 individuals was recorded throughout the region in 2011.



The Piping Plover is actually represented by two subspecies in Canada: the melodus subspecies on the Atlantic coast, and the circumcinctus subspecies in the mid-western interior of the continent. On the Atlantic coast the melodus population faces a number of threats including loss and degradation of nesting habitat, human disturbance (direct and indirect), harassment by domestic pets and recreational vehicles on beaches, increased predation, severe weather and abnormal tides, among others. Visit the Species At Risk Act Public Registry to learn more.



Several years ago I managed a recovery and stewardship program for Piping Plovers in southwest Nova Scotia. That program has evolved and continues today (picture above) as part of a province-wide effort coordinated by Sue Abbott at Bird Studies Canada (our Canadian co-partner in BirdLife International).



Earlier this summer my family vacationed in southwest Nova Scotia and had an opportunity to visit some of the Piping Plover nesting beaches found in the area (picture to left). It was a wonderful opportunity for me to see the real benefits of about 20 years of effort to recover the species and educate people about its plight. That effort was put in by many individuals and organizations, including many dedicated volunteers across the region. But as last week's report indicates, the increase in Piping Plover numbers in southwest Nova Scotia was not mirrored in other parts of the region.



Revisiting some of southwest Nova Scotia's plover nesting beaches reminded me of the many complex threats faced by species at risk. It underscored for me the importance of effectively stewarding and/or protecting the remaining habitats - especially the critical habitats - of these species and finding ways to restore those habitats throughout the species' historic range, whenever possible. Imperiled species such as the Piping Plover especially need to be free of human disturbance and other threats that 'piggy-back' on us - like pets roaming on beaches, coastal development, litter, etc. - so they have a fighting chance to deal with the many threats they naturally face, like predation and severe storms. And that leads me to a piece of great news in this otherwise unsettling story.



On August 6th the Nova Scotia Nature Trust announced the acquisition and protection of 33 acres of coastal lands at Crow Neck Beach, a beach in southwest Nova Scotia that supports more pairs of Piping Plovers than any other beach in the province. Crow Neck Beach (picture to right) is also part of the nationally significant South Shore (Roseway to Baccaro) Important Bird Area, which is also a key stopover site for thousands of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds. This is excellent news for Piping Plovers and other feathered friends!



All photos by A. MacDonald

Note: My Piping Plover photo was taken at a safe distance using optical + digital zoom.

White-headed Woodpecker needs BC Ponderosa Pines Protected

The White-headed Woodpecker (Picoides albolarvatus) is a small woodpecker that relies on coniferous forests throughout its range. In Canada, they are found exclusively in old growth Ponderosa Pine stands in southern British Columbia. White-headed Woodpeckers use these trees for nesting and feed on their cones.

The White-headed Woodpecker is listed as ‘Endangered’ under the Species at Risk Act. This law obligates the Environment Minister to prepare a Recovery Strategy for species listed as Endangered or Threatened and identify critical habitat, to the extent possible based on available information.

There is relatively little knowledge about this species in Canada. The population of White-headed Woodpecker is thought to be no larger than 100 individuals and was recently estimated at only 10 individuals. There have been very few observations in the past ten years.

One thing that is known, however, is that habitat loss is a major threat to the survival and recovery of this species in Canada. The draft Recovery Strategy sets out the studies needed to understand and protect the species and its habitat and also describes measures to address the effects of past habitat loss. Pending these studies no critical habitat is identified, but plans to do so in an action plan are proposed for 2016.

Nature Canada, in collaboration with the David Suzuki Foundation, recently commented on the government’s draft Recovery Strategy. We have encouraged the government to be more precautionary in their approach by:

1. Protecting remaining ponderosa pine stands while the research is completed and critical habitat is formally identified;

2. Addressing ongoing habitat loss and degradation so that the remaining critical habitat doesn’t disappear before it can be identified and protected under the law; and

3. Adjusting the proposed timelines so that the identification of critical habitat and the completion of an action plan occur no later than a year after the final recovery strategy is published, which should happen soon, once the government has reviewed the comments received during this public consultation on the draft strategy.

Learn more about the White-headed Woodpecker and read our comments.

Court victory for caribou in Alberta!

Boreal Woodland Caribou are listed as Threatened under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). A recovery strategy, including the identification of critical habitat, was due in 2004. The herds in Alberta are particularly endangered as their habitat continues to disappear and degrade due to tar sands development. Fortunately, a court last week ordered the Minister of Environment to protect Woodland Caribou. The court concluded the minister's decision to deny emergency protection under the SARA had no basis and set a Sept 1st, 2011 deadline for Minister Kent to release a draft recovery strategy for the species.

This court decision was the result of lawsuits brought by Ecojustice on behalf of the Alberta Wilderness Association and the Pembina Institute, and by the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, the Beaver Lake Cree Nation and the Enoch Cree Nation. Read more about the case here and here.

This is one more in a series of court decisions ordering the government to implement the Species at Risk Act. Let's hope no more court cases are needed; we need urgent action to protect caribou and other species at risk.

Piping Plovers Return to Sauble Beach for Fifth Season

Photo: Brendan Toews

Nature Canada supporters and volunteer Piping Plover guardians, Kim and Brendan Toews, have been providing us with updates on the return of Piping Plovers to Sauble Beach in Ontario for several years. Here is their update for the 2011 season:

Without question, Piping Plovers are one of the most glorious birds and worthy of every conservation effort. The Piping Plover is the rarest of Ontario's four breeding plover species.  There really is something special about seeing an endangered species in its natural habitat.  Piping Plovers have faced many threats in the past 45 years which have led to its endangered status.  Significant contributing factors to its decline are accidental destruction of nests by pedestrians and vehicles; the disturbance of nesting birds; predator species such as Merlin, gulls, crows, foxes, raccoons and skunks; high water levels from the mid 1970's, to the 1986 peak levels, either flooded or remodeled much of the suitable beach habitat in the lower Great lakes.  This extensive habitat loss coincided with the timing of the extirpation of the Piping Plover from the lower Great Lakes.  Additional threats to the Piping Plover include daily beach grooming, oil spills, hurricanes, boats and West Nile virus.  The Piping Plover was declared an endangered species in Ontario in 1977, and in Canada, by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), in 1985.

Mid April

North nest:
Our fifth field season officially began.  The first banded male in full alternate plumage arrived on the beach.  This male was a returning plover from the 2010 season.  It hatched in 2009 at Port Inland, Michigan.

Late April

North nest:
The male plover called vigorously while scraping a shallow depression with his feet in the sand.  The female inspected the scrape while the male stood in the depression with partially outstretched wings and a fanned tail. 

South nest:
A second banded male arrived on the beach.  In 2009, this male hatched at Platte North 4. In 2010, it had two nesting attempts at Tawas, Michigan but lost both nests to flooding.

Early May - Two nests this season.

North nest:
With the aid of my spotting scope, I observed one pale buff coloured, black-speckled egg in the scape (nest).  Once the full clutch of 4 eggs was laid both adults shared incubation duties.

Mid June

North nest:
The first 4 Piping Plover chicks of the year hatched.  Within an hour of hatching and drying off, the downy, young Piping Plovers left the nest and were carefully guarded by both parents.  Plover chicks are precocial, so the parents do not have to provide food for their young.  The newly hatched chicks moved around and pecked at things almost immediately.  During the first couple of weeks the chicks sought refuge and warmth under the adults due to the cold, wet weather.

Early July

North nest:
Observed two chicks and both adults were around to care for them.  A Merlin is a medium-sized falcon, and as suspected, they were the biggest challenge this season.  Day time disappearance of two chicks.  It is likely that the cause of this disappearance was predation. Merlins nested nearby and were observed hunting on the beach.  These predatory birds flew along the beach just above the sand spooking shorebirds into flight.  The two remaining chicks were active, foraging up and down the beach. Plovers walk with their feet turned inward, leaving a distinctive footprint in the sand.  The chicks were banded and very healthy.

South nest:
Three tiny, downy chicks hatched.  Within hours of hatching the chicks were on the run, scurrying about at speeds that made it challenging to follow them with a spotting scope or camera.  To keep warm, the chicks brooded often under the adults.  One egg was presumably not viable since the adults were no longer incubating it.  The egg was collected by an Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources species at risk biologist.

Mid July 

North nest:
The female had abandoned the family to begin her southward migration, leaving the male to care for the two chicks as they built up strength and ability to migrate to the Gulf coast for the fall and winter.  The young plovers were beginning to stretch their wings and jump up into the air.  Later in the week they attempted their first short flights and are now able to fly proficiently.  The predatory nest exclosure and perimeter fencing were removed from the site.

Late July
It was a banner season and a tremendous success to have five fledged and healthy young result from two nestings which added to the Great Lakes population.  The success of these birds was a tribute to the great skill of the four adult plovers.  They have all begun their migrations to the Gulf Coasts where they will feed in small flocks until next April, when my Mom and I will be watching the beaches for their return.

Photos by Brendan Toews Photography ~ btoewsphotos.zenfolio.com

Participate in Survey on Proposed Marine National Wildlife Area

Tufted Puffin

Environment Canada is asking for your participation in a survey that looks at how Canadians value the Scott Islands marine ecosystem, and their attitudes and beliefs toward marine conservation in general. The survey, conducted by a graduate student at Simon Fraser University, may also be used by Environment Canada’s Canadian Wildlife Service and its partners in their work to establish the proposed Scott Islands marine National Wildlife Area.

The proposed Scott Island National Wildlife Area is expected to encompass more than 11,000 square kilometres of ocean around the Scott Islands, a group of five small islands and numerous islets off the northern tip of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. They support the highest concentration of breeding seabirds on Canada’s Pacific coast – forty per cent of the seabirds that breed in British Columbia nest on these islands. This includes about half of all Cassin’s Auklets in the world and 90% of the Tufted Puffins in Canada, as well as 7% of the world’s Rhinoceros Auklets. The rich waters around the Scott Islands also attract five to ten million migratory seabirds every year, including globally at risk birds such as the Black-footed Albatross and the Sooty Shearwater. In Canada, two other species that depend on the Scott Islands are listed under the Species At Risk Act: Short-tailed Albatross and Pink-footed Shearwater.

Protecting this marine ecosystem, which is also an Important Bird Area, is an important part of ensuring these birds have the food and breeding sites they need to survive. By participating in this survey, you will be helping researchers better understand the value of this marine ecosystem to people and birds.

Advancing Nature Conservation in the North

Earlier this month, Nature Canada was officially recognized as a Partner in the Northwest Territories Protected Areas Strategy (NWTPAS).

As a partner, Nature Canada joins a group comprised of Aboriginal organizations, federal and territorial governments, environmental non-governmental organizations, and industry that oversee a conmmunity-based process to establish a network of protected areas across the Northwest Territories.

Using the best available traditional, ecological, cultural, and economic knowledge, the NWTPAS aims to identify and protect special natural and cultural areas and core representative areas within each of the 42 ecoregions of the Northwest Territories. Since the Strategy was signed in 1999, six new National Wildlife Areas have been proposed in the Northwest Territories through this process.

“The NWTPAS is an invaluable forum for identifying and advancing landscape conservation goals in the North,” said Alexander MacDonald, Nature Canada’s manager of protected areas. “We are honoured to participate in this process as an official partner. Our hope is that together, we can ensure National Wildlife Areas are established where they are most appropriate for wildlife and northern communities through a balanced approach to conservation and economic development.”

The most recent National Wildlife Area proposal calls for the protection of a largely aquatic area on the north arm of Great Slave Lake, called Kwets'oòtł'àà. The proposed National Wildlife Area lies about 50 km west of Yellowknife, and overlaps with the globally significant North Arm of Great Slave Lake Important Bird Area where Tundra Swan, Canada Geese and other waterfowl, as well as at-risk Wood Bison, Boreal Woodland Caribou, Wolverine, Rusty Blackbird and Common Nighthawk live. Kwets'oòtł'àà is also the northernmost known breeding area for Caspian and Black Terns.

Following the proposal for a candidate National Wildlife Area from the Tłįcho Government last year, Environment Canada is applying for a five-year interim withdrawal of surface and subsurface lands in the study area this summer.

Once approved, this will ensure that among other limitations no new mining or oil and gas rights can be established for the land beneath the proposed Kwets’oòtł’àà National Wildlife Area during the planning process for the protected area.

National Wildlife Areas are sites that contain “nationally significant” habitat for migratory birds, support wildlife or ecosystems at risk, or represent rare or unusual wildlife habitat for a given biogeographic region. They also perform important natural services – they filter and store fresh water, and limit the effects of climate change.

National Wildlife Areas are established and protected under the Canada Wildlife Act and managed by Environment Canada or another designated department or organization, including First Nations and Aboriginal organizations. Due to the increased pressure the Northwest Territories has faced in the past decade to develop northern resources, establishing National Wildlife Areas is one way to ensure the wildlife, habitat, and cultures of this area are protected and sustainably managed.

Nature Canada’s new role as an NWTPAS Partner reflects our ongoing work to advance the conservation value of National Wildlife Areas in Canada. In addition to national parks (Nááts’ihch’oh and Thaidene Nene) and territorial protected areas, the new National Wildlife Areas proposed in the Northwest Territories form part of an important core of northern protected areas that will preserve ecological and cultural values in perpetuity.

“We are inspired by the NWTPAS vision, ‘the land takes care of us, we take care of the land…’, and are enthusiastic about forging new relationships and learning through this important conservation planning initiative,” said MacDonald.

Taking Strides to Protect Habitat for the Piping Plover

Photo: Brendan Toews

We’ve talked about the Piping Plover quite a bit over the past few years. Many of you will remember the inspiring story of Annie Buckton – her fundraising efforts to protect the Piping Plover, a bird she grew to love during summer vacations on Sauble Beach, earned her the Nature Canada 2011 Charles Labatiuk Volunteer Award.

Here at Nature Canada, we have been working alongside Annie to protect this migratory bird. In our latest effort, we submitted comments on the proposed Species at Risk Act (SARA) Action Plan for the Ontario population of Piping Plover to the Canadian Wildlife Service at Environment Canada.

The Plover, like 84% of Canada’s at-risk species, is threatened with extinction because of loss of habitat. It is also one of Canada’s most studied birds with two distinct populations – one which ranges from Alberta to Ontario (Charadrius melodus circumcinctus), and the other along the Atlantic coast and Gulf of St. Lawrence (Charadrius melodus melodus). Unfortunately, Piping Plover breeding habitat often overlaps with popular areas for human recreation and is often destroyed by activities such as sunbathing, boating, and ATVs, as well as cottage and resort development.

Piping Plover populations living in Atlantic Canada and those living in the prairies, and around the Great Lakes are classified as endangered under SARA. The Act requires a recovery strategy and an action plan to be prepared for each species legally listed under SARA. The list is compiled using recommendations from the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), an independent body of experts responsible for assessing and identifying species at risk.

After combing through the proposed Action Plan (AP), we concluded that while it is generally good, it could be strengthened to better respond to the apparent expansion of the Piping Plover population in the Great Lakes region. As this Great Lakes population increases, the long term goals of the Plan should be updated to reflect the change in the Piping Plover’s distribution. However, we also agree with Environment Canada that not enough is currently known about the growing Great Lakes population – and so we suggested that yearly surveys be conducted to collect new breeding information in places like Manitoulin Island.

For more on Nature Canada’s comments on the proposed SARA Piping Plover Action Plan, read our letter to the Canadian Wildlife Service at Environment Canada.

Show Your Plaid - Win an Eco-Adventure!

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

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

How can you help?

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

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

Burrowing Owl

How will your donation be used?

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

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

Thank you for your support!

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.

Hope for Prothonotary Warbler in Canada

Photo courtesy of Allan Woodhouse

The Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) is a small migrating songbird. Its name evokes the yellow robes worn by the Roman Catholic Church officials known as protonotarii. In Canada, this beautiful warbler breeds only in a few sites of Carolinian forest along the shores of Lake Erie, nesting in tree cavities like no other warbler.

The Prothonotary Warbler is declining at a continental level. In Canada, where it is at the edge of its northern range, we have seen it decline from an estimated 40 plus pairs in the 1980s to approximately 10 pairs now. The key threats identified are the loss and degradation of its habitat, both in its breeding grounds (in Canada and the U.S.) and wintering grounds (southern Mexico through Central America and northern South America).

This songbird is one of 27 bird species listed as Endangered under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). Nature Canada has been monitoring the implementation of SARA for the survival and recovery of Prothonotary Warbler, since it was assessed by COSEWIC as Endangered in 1996.

Once listed as Endangered, the Prothonotary Warbler and its residence gained automatic protection through SARA, which prohibits harming or taking individuals of the species and destruction of its residence. The Act also requires the government to prepare a recovery strategy, followed by an action plan and to identify and protect the species' critical habitat. A recovery strategy was due in June 2006, but has only now been completed.

We are cautiously encouraged that the final Recovery Strategy has incorporated some of the recommendations we have provided on two drafts subject to public consultations, first in September 2007 and recently in December 2010. Notably, the Recovery Strategy sets a scientifically credible recovery goal: to recover the population of 40 plus pairs in the long term and to increase it to 15-20 pairs by 2015. Also of great importance, the Recovery Strategy identifies critical habitat based on available scientific information in 11 sites within the municipalities of Chatham-Kent, Essex, Hamilton and Norfolk.

We are disappointed, however, that while the Recovery Strategy claims to take a precautionary approach, as required by SARA, an action plan will not be produced until 2015. An action plan is needed to spell out the specific measures that will be taken to achieve the recovery of the species, and specify roles and responsibilities around those actions. How will the goal of 15-20 pairs be achieved by 2015, if the action plan will only be completed in the same year? Without an action plan, there's no guidance for those interested in contributing to the recovery of Prothonotary Warbler, nor is there a mechanism for accountability.

Prothonotary Warbler has suffered a 50% decline since 2007. At this pace, instead of recovery we might see the extirpation of this songbird in Canada before an action plan is implemented. This delay is anything but precautionary and we hope the Government of Canada produces the action plan at a much earlier date.

Why does Nature Canada do this work?

Canadians care about birds and other biodiversity. Nature Canada believes the Species at Risk Act can help recover species if it is adequately implemented. That is why we are committed to a watchdog role on SARA implementation. However, with 631 species listed as at risk in Canada (including those considered Extinct, Extirpated, Endangered, Threatened and of Special Concern), this is obviously a huge task that we can't tackle alone. Fortunately, we work closely with other organizations like Ecojustice and the David Suzuki Foundation. As Canadian co-partner in BirdLife International, Nature Canada is committed to monitoring implementation by the federal government with respect to birds at risk, while our colleagues in these and other organizations focus on other species.

Our SARA watchdog work involves detailed review of government actions with respect to each species, from the moment COSEWIC recommends that it be listed under the Act. We follow the listing process, we review draft recovery strategies and action plans or management plans, and watch for other actions required under the Act. Our main objectives are to ensure the Act is effectively implemented and that the best available science is the basis for any decisions on actions to save or recover species. Many of these decisions pose challenges from a socioeconomic perspective, but it is important for society to make those decisions based on science. In carrying out our watchdog role, we are very aware of the challenges faced by those developing and implementing these strategies on the ground.

There is a significant backlog of recovery strategies, management plans and action plans. Over the past year, Nature Canada participated in many public consultations on SARA implementation documents, including providing comments on proposed recovery documents for Burrowing Owl, Loggerhead Shrike, Cerulean Warbler, King Rail, in addition to Prothonotary Warbler. As the government continues to tackle this backlog -- and sadly as more species are added to the list of species at risk --  Nature Canada will continue to ensure the Act is effectively implemented to give these species a chance.

The Great Southern Exodus

“Imagine your lawn crawling north away from your house at a speed of about five and a half feet per year.”

It’s a powerful image Dr. Lawrence Smith uses to describe the impact of climate change in his recent book, The World in 2050: Four Forces Shaping Civilization's Northern Future, which has garnered him media attention.

After a bit of searching, I found numerous credible sources citing scientific papers that back up his startling prediction. It falls in line with research findings that have been years in the making. I might add that to understand the full impact of Smith’s analogy, you’d also have to imagine that your south-facing backyard is shrinking, drying up, and losing lustre. 

But we’re not just talking about your lawn and backyard vegetable patch. Smith paints a picture of a very real and extensively documented phenomenon that will have wide-ranging effects. As global temperatures rise, plants and animals will be pushed north and up in to higher altitudes.

Animals and plants are sensitive to changes in temperature, with several studies showing that some have adapted to regional warming by shifting their range to the north. Global-scale models predict a continuous northerly shift in both plant and animal distributions. 

But keep in mind that even if species have the flexibility to adapt and keep up with a changing climate, physical barriers such as mountains and human settlements could stand in the way. Other factors like food availability and soil types could also prevent a range shift.

Animals and plants that are already under considerable stress are least likely to make the move north, a point that is highlighted in an assessment by the European Environmental Agency.

In a recent interview with Bob MacDonald, host of CBC Radio’s Quirks and Quarks, Dr. Smith updated his original analogy to something a bit more dramatic in scale. 

“It's five and a half feet per day," Dr. Smith told host Bob McDonald. "And this number refers not to the spread of agriculture, but to the mass migration of biological life that is already happening on our planet and has been for several decades. On average the world's plants and animals have been moving northward to higher latitude at a rate of about six kilometres per decade."

New fact unveiled about Monarch

Photo by Nancy Balharrie

Can a sick Monarch medicate itself or its young one to ward off infection? That was the questions Jaap de Roode, Assistant Professor at Emory University, was trying to answer. With the aid of a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, Jaap de Roode delved his researched into the wild to explore the relationship between the protozoan parasite, and the monarch.

The protozoan parasite (Ophryocystis elektroscirrha) invades the caterpillar gut and persists right into the monarch’ adulthood, the now adult monarch subsequently passes the infection onto its young ones (larvae). It is a known fact that caterpillars ingest toxins to which they are immune but that in turn make them toxic to others warding off predators. Jaap de Roode and his team have now established that the monarch not only uses cardenolides, chemical found in milkweed, to ward off predators, but to fight the infection too.

Jaap de Roode was quoted in Discovery News saying,

“We have shown that some species of milkweed, the larva’s food plants, can reduce parasite infection in the monarchs. And we have also found that infected female butterflies prefer to lay their eggs on plants that will make their offspring less sick, suggesting that monarchs have evolved the ability to medicate their offspring. We believe that our experiments provide the best evidence to date that animals use medication."

Jaap de Roode, discusses his latest findings in this video.

The monarch's sel-medicating behaviour is trans-generational, meaning that while the mother is expressing the behaviour, only her offspring benefits.

Caterpillars have no preference over a less or more toxic type of milkweed, only the adult monarch, more specifically only the infected adult monarch.

New discoveries such as this one help pave the way for potentially beneficial breakthroughs for human and non-human species. And it's a timely reminder that we can learn so much from species, common and rare, which makes conserving such biodiversity so important.