https://programs.wcs.org/canadanew RSS feeds for Wildlife Conservation Society Canada 60 https://programs.wcs.org/canadanew/Muddy-Boots/ID/21674/Singing-from-the-same-song-sheet-bringing-the-climate-and-biodiversity-agendas-together.aspx#Comments 0 https://programs.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=20118&ModuleID=41427&ArticleID=21674 https://programs.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=21674&PortalID=96&TabID=20118 https://programs.wcs.org/canadanew/Muddy-Boots/ID/21674/Singing-from-the-same-song-sheet-bringing-the-climate-and-biodiversity-agendas-together.aspx By Justina Ray, WCS Canada President and Senior Scientist Earlier this month in Dubai at the COP28 climate talks, the world’s countries finally agreed that addressing the climate crisis will require a “transition away” from fossil fuels. Many different interests have jumped on this declaration to call for countries to act quickly on the spirit rather than the somewhat vague language of the commitment.  A similar scene played out last December in Montreal for the COP15 talks when the parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity agreed on a new Global Biodiversity Framework, with many quickly calling for strong action to make the agreement more than words on paper.    But, in truth, comparing the two events is like comparing a Taylor Swift concert to an appearance by your favourite indie band at the local club.  Even though the issue of saving our climate and reversing biodiversity loss are two sides of the same coin, there is no question that addressing our biodiversity crisis attracts fewer headlines and a lot less public attention.  Yet, both evidence and understanding are mounting that you cannot address one without tackling the other.   First, safeguarding nature will be an essential pillar of climate change mitigation, but one that cannot be taken for granted. Conservation of globally important natural areas in Canada will be a critical tool for preventing the worst impacts of climate change because high-integrity ecosystems like peatlands help cool the Earth’s climate through the accumulation of large quantities of soil carbon over thousands of years.  We can either undermine or enhance these natural climate regulation systems with the choices we make now.  On the flip side of the coin, increasingly rapid climate change is having profound impacts on and ecosystems. Over the course of only one decade, it has shifted from a potential future threat, to one that is actively reshaping the natural systems we depend on for clean air, water, food and cultural connections.    The intertwined nature of climate and biodiversity is something that is fundamental to our work at WCS Canada. We are strongly focused on addressing both sides of the coin: Understanding and preparing for the impacts of a changing climate on natural systems – whether it is an increasingly ice free Arctic Ocean and more fire-prone forests – while also working for effective policy and land use decisions that protect carbon-rich peatlands and forests, free flowing rivers and other intact ecosystems that will be vital for climate regulation and for giving wild species time and space to adapt to rapidly changing conditions.  This is complex and challenging work, but it is also necessary to ensuring the future health of not just wild areas, but of people and planetary life systems. The hallmark of global action on climate change has far too often been delay.  Our field staff see firsthand that climate change is already happening -- in many cases far faster than expected.  We cannot afford further delay -- in fact, we have to catch up with the profound shifts that are already underway.  And we must do so through a society-wide shift in how these issues are addressed through policies and decisions about land and sea use alike, something we highlighted in our input into the drafting of Canada’ s 2030 National Biodiversity Strategy. One way to close the action gap on climate and biodiversity is by working directly with those most affected by on-the-ground changes.  Indigenous peoples across Canada have been drawing urgent attention to how climate change is often the straw that breaks the back of natural systems already under pressure from resource development, roads and pollution.  These communities have deep cultural and sustenance ties to natural landscapes and we are working to support these visions through land use planning and wildlife research initiatives.  Really, the only way to address an issue this big and complex is through collaboration.  Or more simply, by making it a team effort.  That’s certainly our approach at WCS Canada, where our field science staff is supported by a vital behind-the-scenes team that provides everything from budgeting and financial management, mapping and data organization to raising funds to support crucial research, taking care of our workforce or communicating why acting to protect biodiversity matters. You don’t often read about the individuals who conduct this work in our newsletter or blogs because we are focused on telling you about our conservation successes – whether that is the designation of hundreds of new Key Biodiversity Areas or innovative wildlife conservation strategies devised by our scientists – but without them, we wouldn’t be able to continue to expand our work and our reach.  The need for the kind of science that WCS Canada produces is clearer than ever as the world continues to struggle with biodiversity loss and the climate emergency, and helps explain the growing success of this organization.  So does our reputation for turning that science into actionable ideas for how to keep the wild systems we all depend on healthy and intact.   We may not always be the headliners at global events, but we do play an important role in creating a steady drumbeat for climate and biodiversity action.  ____________________________________________________________________________________ P.S. Speaking of our vital staff, we are marking the departure of one of our longest serving hands, Director of Philanthropy, Biz Agnew, in a Muddy Boots blog.  Kristin Rodrigo Thu, 21 Dec 2023 17:54:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:21674 https://programs.wcs.org/canadanew/Muddy-Boots/ID/21665/From-Milestones-to-Memories-Celebrating-the-Remarkable-Career-of-Biz-Agnew.aspx#Comments 0 https://programs.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=20118&ModuleID=41427&ArticleID=21665 https://programs.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=21665&PortalID=96&TabID=20118 https://programs.wcs.org/canadanew/Muddy-Boots/ID/21665/From-Milestones-to-Memories-Celebrating-the-Remarkable-Career-of-Biz-Agnew.aspx By Brad Cundiff, Green Living Communications Apple had just unveiled its first iPhone when Elizabeth (Biz) Agnew heard about a conservation organization just getting its feet on the ground in Canada. Biz had never heard of Wildlife Conservation Society Canada and had never met its co-founder, Justina Ray.  But it didn’t take Justina long to convince Biz that working for WCS Canada was going to be the opportunity of a lifetime. With fewer than half a dozen staff and a modest annual budget, WCS Canada looked like the kind of place Biz could really sink her teeth into.  Not having any particular experience as a fundraiser didn’t stop her either: She knew her passion for the work WCS Canada was doing would more than make up for that.  Seventeen years later and Biz is finally bowing out of her role as our Director of Philanthropy.  WCS Canada now has more than 60 staff and a budget exceeding $10 Million.  But that growth didn’t happen by chance, Biz notes.  In fact she says it largely comes down to one word: “integrity.” WCS Canada made it a habit to not over promise while always delivering important conservation outcomes.  “We stuck to our knitting and that worked for us,” she says. The part about working with WCS Canada that sticks with Biz is that “the people are so bloody smart, but also so much fun.”  That made long hours slogging away on funding proposals worthwhile she notes, although she admits that she never hesitated to jump on any chance to get out of the office and join staff in the field. As someone who has always loved being in nature and is an avid birder, Biz found these field visits inspiring and energizing.  “Seeing the work up close allowed me to look funders in the eye and tell them how important it is,” she explains.  “It doesn’t matter if it is some place in the 416 or the tip of a glacier on Baffin Island, seeing it for yourself is essential to remind yourself what we could lose if we don’t act now,” Biz adds. What inspired Biz about the WCS Canada approach was that the organization never shied away from putting conservation objectives first.  It didn’t matter if a place or species was “sexy” from a fundraising perspective. What mattered was that it fit within the conservation action plan that the organization had used its scientific expertise to develop. “A lot of organizations will go for the low hanging fruit – the easy stuff to fund,” she points out. But WCS Canada turned that approach on its head by drawing funding to often overlooked – but highly critical – conservation priorities.  “We were determined to make this happen,” she says.  And determination is something Biz has in large quantities.  “My Scots-Irish rock breaking roots,” she laughs. Of course, not everything has been trending the right way for climate or biodiversity over the last 17 years and Biz admits that there were times when she would get discouraged.  To counter any sense of despair, she would try to focus on small victories: A recovering whale population or a new Indigenous protected area. Caribou were also a touchstone for Biz over her long career.  “I have seen caribou in a number of different places in Canada and they are so indicative of the places we work.  I always felt that if we could help them, that was saying a lot.” Retirement will definitely mean more trips to find birds, but Biz says she is also looking forward to changing the focus of her days. “I’m excited to see how that goes.” That said, she acknowledges that she will miss being part of “an amazing collection of people making a difference.”  Looking back at the difference she made for this organization will hopefully help with that. Kristin Rodrigo Tue, 19 Dec 2023 18:16:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:21665 https://programs.wcs.org/canadanew/Muddy-Boots/ID/21448/Scouting-for-Sound-in-the-Arctic-Depths.aspx#Comments 0 https://programs.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=20118&ModuleID=41427&ArticleID=21448 https://programs.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=21448&PortalID=96&TabID=20118 https://programs.wcs.org/canadanew/Muddy-Boots/ID/21448/Scouting-for-Sound-in-the-Arctic-Depths.aspx by Brad Cundiff, Communications Consultant, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada The Arctic Team scouting sites to test the Ocean Glider. Photo by WCS Canada. You may have taken a few spins around the lake tubing or waterskiing this summer.  Our Western Arctic team, on the other hand, took to a lake near Whitehorse, Yukon to track the performance of a new listening device – a “glider” that can roam beneath the water’s surface picking up sounds and other ocean state information. The OceanScout glider is shaped like a two-meter long torpedo but is a friendly low-noise device that can be programmed to navigate through the ocean for up to a month independently.  During that time, it will collect acoustic data through its onboard hydrophone while also collecting information on the chemical makeup and temperature of the waters it is moving through.  Dr. Tara Howatt with the glider, a mobile acoustic/oceanographic sampler. Photo by WCS Canada. While the team kept the glider on the equivalent of a rope leash for its lake trials, once it is on its real ocean mission it will swim free and only surface intermittently to communicate with satellites and report its position.  It can move up and down in the ocean depths by shifting its onboard ballast and can be given fresh instructions when it surfaces.  The whole device is battery powered.    Dr. Steve Insley and Dr. Tara Howatt ready to test the ocean glider. Photo by WCS Canada. Dr. William Halliday ready to launch the glider. Photo by WCS Canada. Arctic program scientist Dr. William (Bill) Halliday explains that the glider will be used to “detect vocal marine mammal species, such as bowhead whales and beluga whales, and also measure natural sound levels and noise from ship traffic.” The conductivity and temperature data the glider collects will allow the team to measure oceanographic conditions, “effectively letting us measure the ocean habitat where the marine mammals are present,” he adds.  This innovative piece of equipment has been built from the ground up for exactly the kind of scientific monitoring program our team has had underway in the Western Arctic for a number of years now. That program has helped to reveal a lot about how whales and seals react to ship noise, which is rapidly growing in the previously quiet Arctic Ocean thanks to retreating ice cover.  With more ships moving through Arctic waters every year, it is important to get a good picture of where ships and whales may come into conflict and understand how increased ship noise may interact with an increase in natural background noise caused by loss of ice cover and greater wave action or other climate change impacts.  Our team has already developed recommendations for slowing ship traffic to reduce noise and collision risk and avoiding sensitive areas frequented by whales based on its research to date.    But the Scout will really enhance our team’s ability to assess what is happening over a much broader area compared to the stationary acoustic recorders they have been using to this point.  It can be deployed from a small boat thanks it to light weight (22.5 kg) by one or two people, which also makes it easy to work with.  Stationary acoustic recorders, on the other hand, often have to be deployed from ships in areas far from shore that are out of reach for smaller craft.  The ocean glider will hopefully be deployed in the Beaufort Sea to listen for bowhead whales. Photo by WCS Canada. The test runs the team did with the glider in Little Atlin Lake southeast of Whitehorse went well, Bill reports.  A few more tests are planned for spring of 2024 before the team is ready to drop the glider into the ocean near Tuktoyaktuk and watch it sail away under its own command into the ocean depths.    Kristin Rodrigo Wed, 15 Nov 2023 16:22:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:21448 https://programs.wcs.org/canadanew/Muddy-Boots/ID/21409/Why-We-All-Need-a-New-Plan-For-Nature.aspx#Comments 0 https://programs.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=20118&ModuleID=41427&ArticleID=21409 https://programs.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=21409&PortalID=96&TabID=20118 https://programs.wcs.org/canadanew/Muddy-Boots/ID/21409/Why-We-All-Need-a-New-Plan-For-Nature.aspx by Dan Kraus, Director of National Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada A Northern Spotted Owl. Photo by mayoung01 via iNaturalist. Humans have been causing the loss of wildlife for about as long as there have been humans. From the extinctions of mega-fauna in North America and Australia as people colonized the Earth, to the imminent loss of Spotted Owls in Canada, the cumulative impacts of humanity have resulted in an impoverished natural world.   There have been benefits to the whole scale industrial exploitation of nature. Setting our sights on unbridled economic development has created access to things like vaccines and information and has generated wealth that has helped to improve the human condition for many. We have proven an ingenuity and imagination that no other animal brain has accomplished.   But we are now at a tipping point. The very pillars of ecology that support humanity are weakening as we chip away at the foundation of a healthy environment. Climate instability to the loss of prairie grasslands to wild west proposals to develop the intact forests and peatlands in Canada’s north all threatened not just nature, but our ability to promise the next generation a better future.  We’ve reached a point on this planet and at this time when the exploitation of nature will never benefit as many people as the conservation of nature.  Many groups and cultures have recognized the importance of protecting nature for a long time. It’s my immigrant grandmother telling me I shouldn’t waste water. It’s the efforts of the Wildlife Conservation Society over a century ago to stop the extinction of the Plains Bison. And it’s an inherent part of many Indigenous world views.   Our conservation challenge is not about lack of knowledge, but our ability to act in a modern world. While public support for nature is very high, and more corporations are integrating sustainability onto business, it hasn’t been enough to mainstream conservation. The good news is we are wired to respond to emergencies, and these are urgent times for life on Earth.   The next decade is our last best chance to save biodiversity. But to do so, we need a new plan for nature.  Over the past few months countries around the world have been working on their new plans for nature. The Global Biodiversity Framework is an international agreement that Canada along with almost 200 other countries signed in Montreal last year. It includes goals and targets that are all designed to halt and reverse the loss of nature in our lifetime. This is exciting stuff. Every person alive today has only lived on a planet that is bleeding biodiversity. The next decade is our opportunity to halt and reverse this loss. No future generation will regret our success.  The content and courage in Canada’s new national biodiversity strategy will set the tone for what we value and set a vision of what we all want the world to be. Our new plan for nature can’t be a bureaucratic brief and it can’t just be a government responsibility. Governments need a new plan for nature, but so do businesses, communities, and families. Degradation of nature is a shared risk for society. Restoration of nature is a shared responsibility and an opportunity for all of us to better life on Earth.  ________________________________________________________________________ Learn more here: WCS Canada Submission on Canada's 2030 Biodiversity Strategy Next Steps for Canada: Developing a plan to end biodiversity loss   Kristin Rodrigo Mon, 06 Nov 2023 21:10:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:21409 https://programs.wcs.org/canadanew/Muddy-Boots/ID/21314/Reflecting-on-Canadian-Mountain-Networks-Knowledge-Sharing-Summit-2023.aspx#Comments 0 https://programs.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=20118&ModuleID=41427&ArticleID=21314 https://programs.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=21314&PortalID=96&TabID=20118 https://programs.wcs.org/canadanew/Muddy-Boots/ID/21314/Reflecting-on-Canadian-Mountain-Networks-Knowledge-Sharing-Summit-2023.aspx by Cheyenne MacDonald, BSc, L'nua'tikete'w/Indigenous Relations Associate, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada  Smiling Faces of WCS Staff Cheyenne Macdonald and Chrystal Mantyka-Pringle at the CMN Knowledge Sharing Summit. Reflecting on September’s Canadian Mountain Network’s (3rd annual) Braiding Knowledge Sharing Summit in Parksville, BC, I was in awe of the inspiring leadership and conservation initiatives which I was able to learn about while listening to others from across the country. Out of the conservation leaders in which I had seen and met, some were familiar faces, but a lot were new ones.   One familiar face, Mathieya Alatini (from Kluane First Nation and served as Chief), presented on Bringing Research Home: Reclaiming Research to Tell the Story of Climate Change in the Kluane First Nation Traditional Territory. Mathieya started her presentation with an opening statement that “Reconciliation = Equality and Equality = Money”. I found this opening statement showcased the importance of Indigenous people’s inherent right to self-governance as well as ownership of funding for indigenous-led projects. During Mathieya’s presentation, Mathieya had mentioned in the Yukon Territory the word “bands” is not used as 11 of the 14 First Nations are self-governing. The term “bands” may not be appropriate when self-government agreements are in place. Although I still hear this term being used on the east coast, as the term bands are used to describe an elected council operating under the Indian Act (“Indian Act and Elected Chief and Band Council System,” 2015). This is a testimony to the uniqueness of Indigenous peoples, their landscapes, and agreements across the Country in which we work with and the need to be aware of these unique agreements. New faces for myself included CMN's Co-Research Directors, which are Dr. Murray Humphries (Professor, and Director of the Center for Indigenous Peoples’ Nutrition and Environment at McGill University) & Dr. Paulina Johnson (Sîpihkokîsikowiskwew (Blue Sky Woman) Nêhiyaw (Plains Cree) and Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Alberta). A quote from Dr. Humphries (who also sits on our WCS Canada, Board of Directors) which has stuck with me was “If in our roles as scientists or Academics, all we do is support (Indigenous conservation and peoples), we’ve done our jobs”. I believe this speaks to the perspective on which to take when there is Indigenous-led and co-led conservation, as well as considering values of the 10 Calls to Action to Natural Scientists Working in Canada. Murray had also talked about the usage of the term "geobiocultural", which signifies biocultural but via acknowledging the land which is something I also believe will stick with me as acknowledging the biocultural aspects without acknowledging the land seems incomplete. Dr. Johnson had stated that all our work is rooted in ceremony, and we weren't just there for the conference but also there in ceremony together. I found this to be a good reminder of the sacredness in the work in which we conduct, and the importance it has on the people, the animals, the beings of the land and the land itself. As she had quoted “Shawn Wilson is Opaskwayak Cree from Northern Manitoba and in his book Research is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods, forwards that the Indigenous journey into research and academia is intrinsically tied to kihci-isîhcikêwin, ceremony, as we are forwarding knowledge obtained in ahyaminawin, prayer, and nacinekewin, protocol” (Johnson, 2017). She also spoke that with the work we do, we need to “be okay with getting it wrong, as this is a process of learning”, and expressed that as people are supposed to constantly grow, and without growth there is no learning. She too expressed uncomfortableness is showing growth. This made me think of WCS Canada’s core values of transparency and acknowledging when we have made a mistake or could have done something better or in a different way so we can learn from those mistakes. Paulina, just as Mathieya had discussed how important protocol is to communities and how they are different in each, indicating the importance of learning and listening from others when working together to build relationships and work towards a brighter future for us all. She reminded the crowd that as Indigenous peoples "We are not just the pain and trauma, we are the resilience, the resurgence."  I'd like to conclude with a quote from Dr. Johnson in which I believe will speak to all of us here at WCS Canada, as this is relative to the work that we are so passionate to be doing:"How do we heal a living being if the western world does not see it as alive? We protect it. We be accountable, its not just us at stake, it’s the interconnectedness, its those relationships that are vital." ________________________________________________________________________ I would like to thank Mathieya Alatini, Dr. Paulina Johnson and Dr. Murray Humphries for their review and permission to use their quotes for my own personal reflection of the CMN gathering. I would also like to thank Chrystal Mantyka-Pringle from WCS Canada and Sue Novotny who reviewed earlier drafts and provided generous feedback. ________________________________________________ References Indian Act and Elected Chief and Band Council System. (2015, June 25). Indigenous Corporate Training Inc. Retrieved October 20, 2023, from https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/indian-act-and-elected-chief-and-band-council-system Johnson, Paulina R., "E-kawôtiniket 1876: Reclaiming Nêhiyaw Governance in the Territory of Maskwacîs through Wâhkôtowin (Kinship)" (2017). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 4492. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/4492   Kristin Rodrigo Fri, 27 Oct 2023 14:15:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:21314 https://programs.wcs.org/canadanew/Muddy-Boots/ID/21071/Connecting-with-Rivers-Reflections-from-Moose-Cree-Youth-Ocean-Skye-Phillips.aspx#Comments 0 https://programs.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=20118&ModuleID=41427&ArticleID=21071 https://programs.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=21071&PortalID=96&TabID=20118 https://programs.wcs.org/canadanew/Muddy-Boots/ID/21071/Connecting-with-Rivers-Reflections-from-Moose-Cree-Youth-Ocean-Skye-Phillips.aspx Written by Ocean Skye Phillips, Moose Cree Youth. Ocean Skye Phillips in the field. Photo: WCS Canada  My name is Ocean Phillips. I’m a 20-year-old Moose Cree youth, living in Kapuskasing Ontario. In 2019, I had a chance to join Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCSC) scientists and staff from the Moose Cree First Nation Resource Protection Unit (MCFN) to study lake sturgeon in the Moose River watershed in the far north of Ontario.    But then COVID happened and that changed everything for me. During COVID I ended up developing severe anxiety and struggled with being around other people. COVID also meant we could not go back out on the river the following year and the river was a place I could relax and be happy.  Fortunately, the leaders of the Learning from Lake Sturgeon program from WCSC and MCFN worked hard to keep youth engaged in other ways during the field research shutdown.    Ocean Skye Phillips  on-site back in 2019 . Photo: WCS Canada  When I first joined the project, my friend Denika and I stayed out in the bush for two days with WCS staff. During those two days, we helped the team and learned how to use the equipment, such as temperature loggers that track the water temperature throughout the year. We also got to use a small remote-controlled submarine to try and find one of the underwater receivers that had been lost due to extreme water and sediment changes caused by hydroelectric development on the rivers.  Ocean and Justin netting in 2022 Photo: WCS Canada  The receivers collect signals from sturgeon that have been implanted with special tags so the scientists can track their movements. When I finally got back on the river with the team last spring, I got a chance to watch them implant a tracker into a fish, which I also got to release back into the water later that day with Dr. Connie O’Connor and Jacob Seguin from WCS. It started with me holding the sturgeon with some special gloves that send electricity through the fish and make it go to sleep. This does not hurt the fish in any way and is actually safer than using anesthetic. This was probably one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life!   (L-R) Jacob, Ocean and Justin preparing nets. Photo: WCS Canada  (L-R) Connie helping put e-gloves on Ocean. Photo: WCS Canada  I also got to set up nets with WCS scientist Claire Farrell and Justin Simard – another Moose Cree youth. Some of the nets ended up breaking so the team and I spent a good two hours tying knots to fix the nets so we could go back out on the river and set them again. That’s how it goes when you are working on nature’s rivers.  Nets that Ocean helped set up for field work. Photo: WCS Canada. It takes a lot for me to go away from home and do these trips to the bush to help with the project. But once I actually get out there, all my anxiety goes away and I just focus on the beautiful landscape of the southern part of the Moose River. The only thing that sort of clouds this experience is seeing the changes the hydroelectric generating stations are making to the environment around them. Often, we are working right below the Kipling hydro dam and it’s crazy to see how a dam can affect so many things around it. The one thing I noticed at Kipling is how fast the water level changes because of the station. The water levels get so low that you can walk across to an island that is in the middle of the river, and so high that you can’t even walk on the shore.  The Learning from Lake Sturgeon team in 2022. Photo: WCS Canada  Ocean and  Denika. Photo: WCS Canada  Ocean and  Jennifer, Moose Cree First Nation LFLS lead. Photo: WCS Canada  This project has also offered me some other great experiences, including going out with some other Moose Cree youth in the early spring on the Kapuskasing River to do some water quality testing. In August last year, I got to go on a trip to Sudbury and Oshawa with Claire Farrell and Annie-Marie LeBlanc and a group of five other youth. During this trip we went to Laurentian University in Sudbury to look at their environmental facilities and do some activities with insects that live in the water that you can’t really see unless you look closely. We also learned from some of the university students doing different types of research.   After that, we traveled down to Oshawa, where we got to meet some really incredible people: Keisha Deoraj and Nina Simmons from the Aquatic Omics Lab at Ontario Tech University. Keisha and Nina took us on a tour of the Ontario Tech University and Durham College. We got to sample mucus from small fish and used microscopes to look at fish eggs up close. After we did the science part of the trip, we headed to a bowling alley and huge arcade and spent time getting to know one another.   Ocean releasing a lake sturgeon. Photo: WCS Canada  Getting to do this type of work makes me feel so good and happy inside -- I have never felt so passionate about something. I love all the opportunities that the different experiences come with. I'm so grateful to Claire Farrell and Jennifer Simard for inviting me to be part of this project back in 2019. If it wasn’t for them, I don’t think I would have found my life passion. I’m looking forward to doing more in the future and once I get my degree to be an environmental technician, I hope to come back to work for my band, hopefully WCS, and most importantly for these amazing rivers.  Ocean (third from the left) at water sampling youth program event. Photo: WCS Canada    Kristin Rodrigo Tue, 19 Sep 2023 15:05:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:21071 https://programs.wcs.org/canadanew/Muddy-Boots/ID/20464/Making-a-Home-in-a-Disturbed-Landscape.aspx#Comments 0 https://programs.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=20118&ModuleID=41427&ArticleID=20464 https://programs.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=20464&PortalID=96&TabID=20118 https://programs.wcs.org/canadanew/Muddy-Boots/ID/20464/Making-a-Home-in-a-Disturbed-Landscape.aspx Written by Clara Reid, Avian Field Intern, and Chris Coxson, Avian Field Technician, both with the Northern Boreal Mountains Program based in Whitehorse, Yukon.  Yellow Warbler, found in shrubby habitats in unmined areas and revegetated placer mines. Photo: Chris Coxson  The word “mining” brings certain images to mind: noisy and large machinery, piles of rocks and overturned trees, and stripped away vegetation. These may seem like hostile conditions for wildlife such as nesting birds, but what happens after the mining stops and the dust settles? As vegetation regrows, some bird species may flourish in an old mine while others that were there before mining may not re-establish. Which species are winners or losers in this new environment, and how long does it take for them to return?  This summer, our field crew set out to answer this question in central Yukon near the communities of Dawson City and Mayo. We were looking specifically at placer gold mining, a practice that is common in the region and involves excavating creek valleys to retrieve gold from buried gravel layers. This project is being led by Morgan Brown, Breeding Bird Cumulative Effects Post-Doctoral Fellow, and Chrystal Mantyka-Pringle, Co-Director of WCS Canada’s Northern Boreal Mountains Program. The work is being carried out in collaboration with Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and Nacho Nyak Dun First Nations. Results from this research will inform regional land use planning, by helping to better understand the cumulative effects of disturbance on the landscape.   The study region is a landscape of hills blanketed by boreal spruce forest, with discontinuous permafrost beneath and wetlands dotting the lowlands. Placer mining leaves valleys looking very different from adjacent unmined riparian areas. Depending on mining and reclamation practices and the amount of time since a mine has been active, mined sites may be piles of bare rock, open shrubland, or thick deciduous vegetation interspersed with marshy settling ponds. In comparison, habitats near creeks that have not been mined encompass a diverse mix of carbon-rich wetlands, floodplains and forested hillsides. By comparing the habitat conditions and bird activity in mined sites of various ages to those at sites near unmined creeks, we hope to better understand how placer mining affects where birds make their homes.   Unmined landscape west of Dawson City. Photo: Chris Coxson  A mined landscape in Hunker Creek Valley, southeast of Dawson City. Photo: WCS Canada  Our field crew assessed bird communities across these habitats using sound recorders called ARU’s (autonomous recording units) and in-person point counts (standing in one spot while looking and listening for birds). Nothing can replace standing in the chilly early morning air with dew-soaked pants, intently focused on bird songs from all directions. However, ARU’s can be deployed for weeks at a time and thus enable us to collect more data and detect species we may otherwise have missed. Our crew placed ARU’s at dozens of sites across central Yukon, collecting hours of recordings which will be transcribed in the fall to produce bird diversity data.   Sound recorder (ARU) in a previously mined site near Mayo. Photo: WCS Canada  We visited many placer mines, navigating washed out roads and the boot-sucking mud of settling ponds. On mined sites revegetated in the last few years, grass and shrub habitats often hosted Savannah or Lincoln’s Sparrows singing atop low bushes. On older sites we pushed through dense tangles of willow and alder, home to sweetly singing Yellow Warblers. On some decades-old sites, young mixed forest produced a rich morning chorus including Fox Sparrows, Swainson’s Thrushes and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers. Sometimes we would stumble upon ponds home to families of ducks, or shorebirds such as Spotted Sandpipers and Lesser Yellowlegs very loudly advising us to leave the vicinity of their nests immediately.  Savannah Sparrow, found in open grassy habitats with low shrubs in recently revegetated mines. Photo by Chris Coxson  Swainson’s Thrush, found in mature coniferous forest and younger mixed-wood forest in sites mined decades ago. Photo by Chris Coxson  Spotted Sandpiper adult, found near open water.  Photo by Chris Coxson  Spotted Sandpiper nest in revegetated mine on Sulpher Creek. Photos by Chris Coxson  Unmined riparian sites were harder to get to. Though some were accessible by hiking from the road, our search led us to a highlight of the season – helicopter accessed sites. Being surrounded by large spruce and sphagnum-filled wetlands was quite pleasant, and it turns out that exiting a helicopter into knee-deep water is refreshing on a 30°C day! At our unmined sites we encountered many species familiar to us from mined sites, but also new ones such as Spruce Grouse, Townsend’s Warblers and Hammond’s Flycatchers. As we flew over the Dawson City area and observed extensive machinery trails crisscrossing the hills and mines in many creek valleys, we were reminded of the urgent need to understand how these disturbances are affecting ecosystems, and how we can act to reduce their negative impacts. Chris Coxson hard at work in an unmined riparian site. Photo: Morgan Brown  Helicopter coming to pick up field staff near a riparian site west of Dawson City. Photo: WCS Canada  This summer’s field season was not without challenges. On our first field day, flooding closed the road to the Dawson City area where most of our field sites were, separating crew members for almost a week. Those who could rerouted and headed to sites near Mayo instead. Later, we ran into challenges safely accessing mining claims, which are a mosaic of active and inactive mining operations run by many small companies. An intense windstorm also threw us for a loop when a tree fell on one of our work trucks. We relied on the flexibility of our team to keep going, and are thinking of better ways to approach things next year.   Our work truck had a tree fall on it in a campground during a storm. Photo: Clara Reid  This year’s birdsong chorus is now over, replaced by warning calls from parents as their fledglings find their wings. For our crew, soon it will be time to sit down and figure out which bird species ventured into mines of various ages to make their homes, and which ones preferred unmined habitats. When snow blankets the ground and the forest is quiet, staff will be cozy indoors listening to ARU recordings, relishing in cheerful spring birdsong.  Clara Reid (left), Morgan Brown (middle) and Chris Coxson (right) planning which sites to tackle the following day. Photo: Chrystal Mantyka-Pringle    Kristin Rodrigo Thu, 03 Aug 2023 20:49:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:20464 https://programs.wcs.org/canadanew/Muddy-Boots/ID/19406/Burning-trees-not-a-good-way-to-solve-the-climate-crisis.aspx#Comments 0 https://programs.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=20118&ModuleID=41427&ArticleID=19406 https://programs.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=19406&PortalID=96&TabID=20118 https://programs.wcs.org/canadanew/Muddy-Boots/ID/19406/Burning-trees-not-a-good-way-to-solve-the-climate-crisis.aspx By Donald Reid and Hilary Cooke  For several years, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada scientists based in Yukon have been drawing attention to the ecological and climate impacts of the Yukon Government’s proposed expansion of using wood (aka biomass) to fuel boilers to heat large buildings in Whitehorse and other communities. In June 2023, we submitted the following Letter to Yukon News in response to Yukon economist’s Keith Halliday’s analysis of biomass impacts on Yukon’s economic and climate ledgers. We have modified the content slightly here.  A northern hawk owl. © Michael Quinn. Letter to Yukon News: re Biomass for Institutional Heating  The Yukon Government wants to expand the use of wood (aka biomass) to fuel boilers used to heat large buildings, a plan detailed in its strategy for dealing with energy and climate change called “Our Clean Future.” For the last four years, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada scientists have voiced concerns about plans to increase use of wood to meet Yukon’s energy needs, while drawing attention to major flaws in the argument that such increased burning would be an effective climate solution.  One major concern is the source of this wood. In “Our Clean Future”, the government envisages a Yukon-based industry supplying wood for the 20 boiler systems that it intends to install or subsidize. In recent decades, most commercially harvested firewood in Yukon has been salvaged from burns or areas with beetle-killed trees, and those would seem to be the most likely sources of wood for the new boiler systems.  Adult American three-toed woodpecker feeding juvenile in cavity in three-year old burn. © Trailcamera, WCS Canada. However, there are two big issues with this. First, fire- and beetle-killed trees are increasingly in short supply close to Whitehorse. We cannot “plan” a future supply of such deadwood within economically feasible transportation distances to the main markets (notably Whitehorse).  Second, standing or fallen fire- or beetle-killed trees are not waste wood. They are critical habitat for numerous boreal species that have evolved to depend on such disturbances. While the government has made a positive commitment in its review of the Forest Resources Act to manage harvest of dead wood differently from green wood, there is still a lot of work to be done on standards and regulations. To be ecologically sustainable, salvage logging must face constraints on what, how much, how, when, and where harvesting occurs.  As a result, we face a high risk that the government will permit green wood (standing live trees) harvesting to supply the biomass market it is trying to create. This controversial use of forests happens elsewhere, including in British Columbia and the U.S. In Yukon, new fire breaks will produce some green wood, but this could also supply existing residential heating demands and would not be sufficient to supply 20 new boiler installations over at least 20 years.   A young American three-toed woodpecker waiting to be fed. © Michael Quinn. More widespread harvesting of green wood just for space heating would be a travesty. It would reduce the number and extent of mature trees that are at optimal age for ongoing carbon absorption from the atmosphere and would transfer the carbon in those trees into the atmosphere. It would put mature forest habitats for numerous species (notably caribou) at risk. It would degrade natural viewscapes prized by the tourism industry.  The government argues that biomass energy produces lower carbon emissions than fossil fuels. It has told us that this assumption is justified because the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) considers wood to be a “renewable” energy source (in the same category as solar and wind). IPCC sets the rules by which nations have to report their carbon emissions and has declared that renewables, including biomass, do not produce reportable emissions. So, in its accounting of carbon emissions, the Yukon government gets to claim a reduction by replacing propane (fossil fuel) with wood (renewable), no matter what emissions come from burning wood.  The flaw in the IPCC rules has been repeatedly critiqued internationally by scientists, policy analysts, and some politicians, but continues to be a green-washing shield behind which many jurisdictions hide. Australia recently addressed the flaw by declaring that biomass would no longer be classified as “renewable.”  In the real world of atmospheric physics and chemistry, it takes many decades for young trees to absorb all the carbon lost by burning mature trees in any one winter, no matter the efficiency of the burning. On paper, the government can state that it has reduced emissions. In reality, those emissions will largely continue, at levels that depend on the quality of the wood and how the boiler systems are operated. Also, any harvesting of green wood would produce new carbon emissions that would negate some of the emissions reductions the government claims by replacing fossil fuels with biomass. In fact, the government would be obliged to report these new emissions from clearing forests in its annual accounting under the IPCC rules.   It's important to also note that the new boiler systems commit us to burning wood for at least two decades, thereby pushing the real carbon accounting (including new tree growth) far beyond 2050, by which point Yukon is supposed to be “zero-carbon.”   A three-toed woodpecker peeking out the tree cavity. © Kim Melton Overall, we are very skeptical that increasing the use of wood for institutional space heating will be of any significant or real benefit in mitigating climate change. Instead, the government needs to put more effort into truly low-carbon energy sources, such as wind, solar and micro-hydro that do not perpetually produce emissions. It also needs to encourage more energy efficient heating systems, such as air-source and ground-source heat pumps (which can cut emissions significantly even in Yukon’s cold climate).  Using biomass instead poses a serious threat to the conservation of Yukon’s ecosystems.  Combined with questions raised by others about the economics and simple feasibility of using biomass, we think the case for using wood-fired boilers is weak at best and a climate deception at worse. This letter was originally published in the Yukon News. See original copy below. Kristin Rodrigo Tue, 01 Aug 2023 16:34:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:19406 https://programs.wcs.org/canadanew/Muddy-Boots/ID/19128/Next-steps-for-Canada-Developing-a-plan-to-end-biodiversity-loss.aspx#Comments 0 https://programs.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=20118&ModuleID=41427&ArticleID=19128 https://programs.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=19128&PortalID=96&TabID=20118 https://programs.wcs.org/canadanew/Muddy-Boots/ID/19128/Next-steps-for-Canada-Developing-a-plan-to-end-biodiversity-loss.aspx By Justina Ray Bighorn sheep in the Canadian Rockies. Photo by Richard Paksi (Canva Pro). Helping steer 196 countries to arrive at a consensus agreement for “halting and reversing biodiversity loss” was no small accomplishment for Canadian representatives at the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) negotiations in Montreal this past December.  But now the even more challenging work of implementing the agreement has begun with the official launch on May 15th of Canada’s consultation on a 2030 Biodiversity Strategy for Canada. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) that was agreed to in Montreal replaces the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 (including Aichi Biodiversity Targets) adopted in 2010. The GBF is a new plan for achieving the CBD’s 2050 vision of “People Living in Harmony with Nature.” In a somewhat similar vein to the Paris Agreement for climate which seeks to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels, the GBF has a mission to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. But the agreement also addresses sustainable use of biodiversity along with access and benefit sharing for genetic resources to round out the three objectives of the CBD agreed to in 1992. Given the level of ambition in the GBF and prevailing negative biodiversity trends, it is not surprising that it is a complex document with 23 inter-related targets meant to advance progress on achieving its four goals.  (We’ve put together an explainer piece that looks at some of the actions Canada should consider for addressing each goal and target). This complexity reflects the importance of addressing multiple direct threats to biodiversity while at the same time meeting the needs of people and strengthening the necessary tools and governance processes for effective implementation.  On implementation, the agreement has taken an important step in placing emphasis on concrete and measurable targets along with a monitoring framework that will hopefully result in much more meaningful progress than the largely underachieved Aichi Targets. The GBF also embraces the understanding that the climate and biodiversity crises are deeply conjoined while acknowledging that the health of wild species and ecosystems everywhere in the world is fundamental to human well-being.  Importantly, throughout the framework text there are multiple acknowledgements of the need to respect and protect the knowledge and rights of Indigenous peoples. Signatory countries are expected to immediately get to work on developing National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans that will help determine how the agreement is acted on at national, regional and local levels.  Canada has a big job to do here. Our current biodiversity strategy is almost 30 years old and we still rely on a largely reactive and uncoordinated set of laws and policies more focused on things like resource management and hunting and fishing rules for most biodiversity protection efforts.  Faced with implementing such an ambitious and complex framework, an understandable reaction would be to select a subset of GBF targets on which to focus – perhaps, for example, those that are easiest to measure (like Target 3 aimed at achieving 30% protection of lands and waters) or those that are perceived to be most “achievable.” However, the GBF is structured around the idea that action is required on all targets collectively to reach its 2050 vision, and the targets themselves are intentionally entwined.  So instead of addressing targets one-by-one or cherry-picking certain targets, Canada needs to step back and consider how to bring about a transformative change in our approach and policies to nature that is holistic and coordinated. Developing a national strategy is an important opportunity for Canada, as well as the provinces and territories, to embrace a “whole of government” and “whole of society” approach to protecting and restoring biodiversity.  Right now, it is too often left to the single ministry responsible for environment in each jurisdiction to manage and advocate for nature while other more powerful agencies take actions that continue to perpetuate the loss of biodiversity.  The result is a highly fragmented and ineffective response to a growing crisis that is no match for the growing impacts of cumulative pressures on ecosystems – the combination of everything from climate change and industrial agriculture to urban sprawl and resource development. An effective national biodiversity strategy will require a much more coherent response where all ministries and agencies are “singing from the same song sheet” when it comes to achieving GBF targets .  It is good that the federal Environment and Climate Change Ministry (which is leading development of this strategy) has a mandate that directly aligns with the goal of the GBF -- halting and reversing biodiversity loss – but that objective is going to have to be much more widely embraced across both federal and provincial/territorial governments to ensure success. Also needed will be a much broader recognition across all governments and society of the value and importance of protecting biodiversity, whether it is protecting the genetic diversity of food sources or ensuring healthy ecosystems can contribute to climate resilience for the health of communities. Just as our efforts to address climate change have too often lost momentum after signing agreements, our efforts to address biodiversity loss have followed an ambling path while lacking any real sense of urgency. That, hopefully, has changed with a much greater sense of the scale of the problem and its implications gripping the talks in Montreal and leading to an ambitious and farsighted agreement.  Much greater recognition of the importance of equity and fairness in how global resources are used is also a stepping stone for more enduring progress on issues like addressing the continued degradation of the world’s wild places, as is much greater respect for the leadership of Indigenous communities in natural areas stewardship as a fundamental component of Reconciliation. WCS Canada has been busy laying the groundwork for action on achieving the CBD’s vision through efforts like our Key Biodiversity Areas program and our work to draw attention to the critical natural values of places like the globally-significant Hudson Bay Lowland in Ontario and the boreal mountain environment of northern BC and Yukon.  We have also dived deep into what it will take to better protect species like wolverines, caribou, migratory birds, lake sturgeon and whales, while working directly with Indigenous governments and organizations  to advance Indigenous-led conservation and Guardians. Halting and reversing biodiversity loss is not going to be an easy or straightforward task.  But just as with climate, it is vital that we reset our relationship with the natural world before it is too late. Kristin Rodrigo Wed, 31 May 2023 13:22:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:19128 https://programs.wcs.org/canadanew/Muddy-Boots/ID/19033/Big-Boots-to-Fill-The-remarkable-WCS-Canada-career-of-Dr-Don-Reid.aspx#Comments 0 https://programs.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=20118&ModuleID=41427&ArticleID=19033 https://programs.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=19033&PortalID=96&TabID=20118 https://programs.wcs.org/canadanew/Muddy-Boots/ID/19033/Big-Boots-to-Fill-The-remarkable-WCS-Canada-career-of-Dr-Don-Reid.aspx By Hilary Cooke, Chrystal Mantyka-Pringle and Justina Ray Don Reid in the field trapping an Arctic lemming. Photo: WCS Canada. When Dr. Don Reid set up shop in Whitehorse, Yukon in 2004 as the founding member of what would grow to become WCS Canada’s Northern Boreal Mountains team, this versatile -- and well-versed -- scientist also brought an expert knowledge of the wildlife and wild places of one of Canada’s most globally important areas – the wild region spanning Central B.C. and southern Yukon.  In the almost two decades since arriving at his northern post, Don has touched on so many different aspects of this amazing area that it is hard to remember what his scientific efforts have not touched in some fashion. There’s his work on the ecology of river otters and their interactions with beavers; the effect of different landscape scales of forest harvesting on the population dynamics of snowshoe hare and lynx; the importance of open water to wildlife in winter; the cumulative effects of landscape change on northern mountain caribou; and how beneficial agricultural practices can improve habitat for bird and bat Species at Risk. His interests and commitment to conservation also led him to explore diverse topics, ranging from the potential for air ships to avoid new mining roads in remote areas; methods for quantifying the amount of carbon in the region’s soils and plants; emerging risk of disease in Arctic and subarctic wildlife associated with climate and other anthropogenic change, and potential spillover to humans; and, modernizing the legislation regulating Yukon’s antiquated mining regime. He testified to the Yukon legislature on the impacts of fracking and changed the public discourse on development of new hydro projects through a careful analysis of impacts to fish and aquatic ecosystems. He undoubtedly influenced the outcome of both issues: a fracking moratorium and no new hydro dams. "An Otter's Point of View". A short film part of Don's work on the natural history of river otters in a boreal forest region. Footage taken mainly with Bushnell remote cameras in a study area in south Yukon. One of Don’s most important accomplishments is his work on stickhandling the conservation assessment for the pristine Peel Watershed in a ground-breaking land-use planning process, setting the stage for bold recommendations to protect 80% of the watershed.  The scientific rigour of the assessment helped to ensure that despite changing governments, court challenges and heavy industry pushback, the final Peel plan calls for 55% of the watershed to be immediately protected and another 28% to be put under interim protection. Don’s work has never shied away from calling for big paradigm shifts in keeping with the scope of the wild landscape he was working within. He understood both the facts on the ground and the big picture, and did a brilliant job of bringing them together in commentary on government policies, news pieces and reports. Don at an otter latrine -- counting and collecting scat is one of  his many field talents! Photo by Kim Melton. Don was no desk jockey.  Even with a growing team in Whitehorse, he made it a point to get out in the field and get his boots muddy.  He brought back insights from mountain valleys, lakeshores and the high alpine to help frame WCS Canada’s vision of how to maintain an intact wild landscape in one of the few places on the planet where that is still possible. But once back at his desk, he also steadily churned out well-received papers on multiple issues -- something like more than 50 academic papers, along with major conservation reports and easy to understand media pieces. Don also made time to support and mentor the next generation of conservation scientists -- facilitating discussions, inspiring ideas, and drawing on the breadth and depth of his knowledge to provide insightful and detailed advice to many Northern Boreal Mountain Weston Fellows since 2009 and over 10 Whitehorse based staff.  On top of all that, from 2006-2010, Don coordinated an International Polar Year project assessing the effects of a changing climate on the Arctic tundra food web in north Yukon. The work focused on lemming winter ecology, the competitive interactions of Arctic and red foxes, the timing of nesting in birds, and the population biology of raptors.  It all went into The Arctic Biodiversity Assessment published in 2013, under the auspices of Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) -- the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council. Don setting up a camera trap. Photo by WCS Canada. Don was also the lead author of the ‘Mammals chapter’ of the Assessment, which detailed what was known about significant changes in the distribution and abundance of Arctic mammals over the past 50 years. And he co-led, and co-wrote, a synthesis of Drivers of Landscape Change in the Northwest Boreal Region of Yukon, NWT, B.C. and Alaska. So it seems like Don has earned his retirement, but he will be leaving big boots to fill.  The biggest legacy he leaves as he steps out the door one last time is his drive and vision for a place he loves and his relentless pursuit of better conservation outcomes for this special place. But we know our Yukon team will work hard to fill those big boots every day, inspired by Don’s example.   Kristin Rodrigo Mon, 01 May 2023 16:35:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:19033