Wildlife Conservation Society Canada

A tiny gem hidden on a High Arctic island takes the spotlight

admin admin — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 13:28:00 GMT

In a steep gully at the head of a fiord on Ellesmere Island grows a moss that forms small brilliant green colonies that have a distinctive “sparkly” appearance. It’s called Porsild's Bryum (Haplodontium macrocarpum or ijju nunami/ᐃᔾᔪ ᓄᓇᒥ in Inuktitut). This moss is designated as "threatened" by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).

Photo: Porsild’s Bryum, by René Belland

The few locations where the moss can be found is within Quttinirpaaq National Park, which is the northernmost location currently known for it. Quttinirpaaq means “top of the world” in Inuktitut. Here the moss finds the moist conditions and fine sandy soils it needs to form its brilliant colonies.

“The importance of even the smallest and delicate organisms, like this moss, to maintaining biodiversity is undeniable. The designation of this site as a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) recognizes that importance,” says Darrin Reid, Resource Conservation Manager for Parks Canada, Nunavut. “Within a large protected area like Quttinirpaaq National Park, there are some very special places and thanks, in part, to the presence of Porsild's Bryum, this is one of them.”

“The rareness of this moss and its adaptation to high Arctic conditions here provided the impetus to recognize that this site deserves special conservation attention,” adds Reid. “With climate change and increased human visitation even in such a remote location adding to the challenges for these delicate organisms, we need to pay close attention to places like this.”

The fiord where the moss is found also contains many small cliffs and waterfalls within a sparsely vegetated landscape that is typical of Ellesmere’s cold, dry climate.

The KBA Canada program highlights sites that play an outsized role in maintaining globally and nationally significant biodiversity. To earn this designation, a site must meet strict scientific criteria. These include a site's importance for threatened species or ecosystems, seasonal concentrations of migratory animals, or being among the best examples of intact and healthy ecosystems.

Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCS Canada) put Quttinirpaaq National Park forward for KBA status, with support from Parks Canada.

Other notable species found in the area include Arctic Hare (Lepus arcticus), Peary Caribou (Rangifer tarandus pearyi), Muskox (Ovibos moschatus), and Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus).

This location within Quttinirpaaq National Park is one of over three sites across Canada that have newly gained KBA status, as announced by KBA Canada this month.

A new Management Plan for Quttinirpaaq National Park was recently tabled and approved in the House of Commons. The Nunavut Wildlife Management Board (NWMB) approved this plan pursuant to the Nunavut Agreement Section 5.2.34c.

National Parks in Nunavut are jointly managed with Inuit and the Quttinirpaaq Joint Park Management Committee was in support of the Key Biodiversity Area designation and additional protection measures in the new Management Plan for Porsild’s Bryum.

See all sites: KBA Home (kbacanada.org)

About KBAs:

KBAs are sites that contribute to the persistence of biodiversity nationally and globally.
KBAs support rare and threatened species and ecosystems, as well as key natural processes. They range in size from small patches of habitat to large tracts of land or water.

KBAs are designated based on specific, measurable criteria.
The designation does not give the site a particular management prescription or legal status.
KBAs may encompass private or public land, sometimes overlapping, partially or entirely, with legally protected sites.
In Canada, KBAs are identified in consultation with local communities and experts.

About KBA Canada

Canada has one of the world’s first comprehensive national programs to identify KBAs and was the first country to adapt the Global KBA Standard to a national context.
The KBA Canada initiative was launched in 2019 to help Canada meet protected area targets and other targets agreed to in the Convention on Biological Diversity.
This work is led by the KBA Canada Coalition, a collaborative initiative involving non-governmental organizations, governments, Indigenous partners, academic institutions, experts, and knowledge-holders that are engaged in the work of identifying, delineating, and reviewing KBAs.

Southwestern Ontario’s “backyard” gets national recognition as stronghold for wildlife

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 18:52:00 GMT

Despite centuries of agriculture and urban development, two natural areas in southern Ontario have gained national recognition for their importance to nature: the Nith River south of Kitchener, and Wainfleet Bog near Niagara Falls. A cooperation between Six Nations Wildlife and Stewardship Office and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada led to the recent acceptance of these sites as Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs): places that play an outsized role in maintaining globally and nationally significant biodiversity.

“Wainfleet Bog and Nith River are important areas for so much more than just the species at risk that live there, and having these sites designated as KBAs will help highlight the importance of these sites for providing services such as water storage and filtration, carbon storage, climate change mitigation”, says Six Nations of the Grand River Wildlife Stewardship Management Assistant Lauren Vanderlingen. “The preservation of these sensitive sites represents a cultural duty to the Six Nations people and safeguarding the Indigenous history and use of these areas is just as critical.”

The Nith River is one of only 6 rivers where the Rapids Clubtail dragonfly has ever been found in Canada. It is believed to have disappeared from at least one of these rivers, giving the Nith River an outsized importance in the survival of this species in the country.

Wainfleet Bog is the largest remaining peatland in southwestern Ontario and is one of the last remaining sites with habitat for the rare Massasauga rattlesnake. The bog is also home to other species and risk such as Blandings turtle, and bog plants like carnivorous sundews. It is of special importance to First Nations in the area.

To become a KBA, a site must meet strict scientific criteria. These include a site's importance for rare or threatened species or ecosystems, seasonal concentrations of migratory animals, or being among the best examples of intact and healthy ecosystems.

“KBAs are nationally and globally important natural places, and the best way to identify them is by working together with from people who are on-the-ground and have an intimate knowledge of these places”, says Peter Soroye, KBA Canada Assessment and Outreach Coordinator with WCS Canada . “Wainfleet Bog and Nith River are some of the last places in the country where we can find animals like Massasauga rattlesnake and Rapids Clubtail, and they’re right here in the backyard of hundreds or thousands of Canadians in southwestern Ontario.”

Wainfleet Bog and Nith River are two of over fifteen sites across Canada that have newly gained KBA status, as announced by KBA Canada this month.

Wainfleet Bog is on Six Nations Treaty land, stated in the 1701 Nanfan Treaty, and it is a traditional hunting and harvesting territory for Haudenosaunee people. The site is also covered by Treaty 3 Between the Lakes Purchase territory between the Mississaugas of the Credit and the British Crown.

Nith River is located in Treaty 3, 1792 and Haldimand Treaty territory. It is the traditional territory of Six Nations, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Anishinabewaki, Haudenosaunee, Attiwonderonk (Neutral), and Mississauga First Nations.

See all sites: KBA Home (kbacanada.org)

About KBAs:

KBAs are sites that contribute to the persistence of biodiversity nationally and globally.
KBAs support rare and threatened species and ecosystems, as well as key natural processes. They range in size from small patches of habitat to large tracts of land or water.
KBAs are designated based on specific, measurable criteria.
The designation does not give the site a particular management prescription or legal status.
KBAs may encompass private or public land, sometimes overlapping, partially or entirely, with legally protected sites.
In Canada, KBAs are identified in consultation with local communities and experts.
The KBA Canada initiative is jointly led by Birds Canada, NatureServe Canada, and WCS Canada.

About KBA Canada

Canada has one of the world’s first comprehensive national programs to identify KBAs and was the first country to adapt the Global KBA Standard to a national context.

The KBA Canada initiative was launched in 2019 to help Canada meet protected area targets and other targets agreed to in the Convention on Biological Diversity.
This work is led by the KBA Canada Coalition, a collaborative initiative involving non-governmental organizations, governments, Indigenous partners, academic institutions, experts and knowledge-holders that are engaged in the work of identifying, delineating and reviewing KBAs.

About WCS Canada

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada’s mission is to save wildlife and wild places through science, conservation action, education, and by inspiring people to value nature. WCS Canada plays a unique role in the conservation landscape of Canada. We work at the nexus of biodiversity, climate change, and health in priority landscapes where we have had a long-term field presence, and where there is great potential for durable conservation gains. We have strategic national programs to complement and expand our geographically focused work that addresses issues of Canadian and global concern such as Key Biodiversity Areas, climate change, and mentoring the next generation of conservation scientists. WCS Canada is a member of the global Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) working across the globe in more than 60 countries to save wildlife and wild places.

About Six Nations

Six Nations of the Grand River reserve is located in Southern Ontario, it is the most populated reserve in Canada. Currently Six Nations reserve makes up less than 5% of the total land promised to them in the 1784 Haldimand Proclamation, which sets out 6 miles on either side of the Grand River from source to mouth for them and their posterity to enjoy forever. Six Nations territory is some of the most highly developed lands in Canada, The cumulative effects of this intense development has contributed to significant environmental degradation and, as a result, Six Nations has experienced severe impacts on our ability to exercise our Aboriginal and Treaty Rights that are not only set out in the treaties themselves, but are also recognized and affirmed in Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.

Bats need homes, but they need the right homes

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A new guide to bat houses says bats need a variety of housing approaches to meet their needs.

New report shows Canada’s trees in growing trouble

Lynsey Grosfield — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 01:39:00 GMT

Almost one-quarter of tree species now at risk

Photo: Swamp cottonwood by Matt Reala (iNaturalist).

Almost one in four Canadian tree species is now at risk in Canada according to a new assessment by the Wildlife Conservation Society Canada as part of its ongoing SHAPE of Nature initiative to track the health of Canada’s wildlife and wild places.

“For a country so closely identified with forests, this is alarming news,” says Dan Kraus who led the assessment for Wildlife Conservation Society Canada using data from NatureServe Canada and the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.

Threats to trees ranging from introduced pests and diseases to the rapidly growing impacts of climate change and land development are rapidly reshaping the diversity of tree species in Canada’s forests. Of the 57 tree species at risk in Canada, half are also considered to be of global conservation concern.

Whether it is white ash in urban forests that are declining because of the introduced emerald ash borer, the loss of forests in southern Ontario that once supported black gum and cucumber tree, or high-alpine Yukon lodgepole and whitebark pine that are being squeezed out of the landscape by climate change, threats to trees are widespread and growing.

“Trees are the foundation of forests and many other ecosystems, providing food, shelter and nesting or denning sites for wildlife. Losing the diversity of trees is devastating for the ecosystems and the species that depend on them. In less than one generation we’re seeing the richness and diversity of Canada’s trees slipping away,” Kraus explains.

“We released these results on the International Day of Forests to help raise awareness about the plight of Canada’s trees,” Kraus points out. “There are still many actions we can all take to help protect the diversity of Canada’s trees – from increasing the diversity of species in tree planting projects to stopping the spread of invasive species to identifying Key Biodiversity Areas that harbor our most imperiled trees.”

Some of these at risk trees exist in only small pockets of Canada, such as Pacific Bayberry or Murray's Birch. With 234 species of trees, Canada has rich arboreal diversity but this diversity has taken an especially hard hit in places like southern Ontario and southern BC where forest clearing has left only tattered patches of woodlands. These are also some of the most “tree diverse” regions of the country.

“Trees are important to people in a multitude of ways beyond just being a source of products like maple syrup or lumber,” Kraus points out. “They cool our urban areas, clean our air, filter our water and stabilize our soils. Just as importantly, being in the presence of trees makes us healthier both physically and mentally as a number of studies have now shown.”

“For a country with a maple leaf on its flag, we have to do a better job of standing by our trees,” Kraus concludes.

Background

How can we better protect Canada’s trees?

There are lots of ways we can help trees.

Identifying and recognizing the habitats of rare trees and supporting conservation and stewardship efforts in these places including through the Key Biodiversity Areas program.
Replanting a wide variety of native species can help us build back beneficial tree cover everywhere from urban centres to farms.
Supporting work to collect genetic material from individual trees that are more resistant to pests and pathogens can set the stage for reintroductions of species that are currently being lost, like ash or American chestnut.
And finally, we need to start thinking about how to help trees adapt to climate change, including by planting species outside their existing ranges and protecting climate refugia areas.

A list of specific measures is included in the assessment.

Resources

Read more about the State of Canada’s Trees.

Interview opportunities

Dan Kraus, Director of National Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada
Cell: 647-299-2425
dkraus@wcs.org

Press and media contact

Lynsey Grosfield, Conservation Communications Manager, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, lgrosfield@wcs.org

About Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada

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A tiny natural treasure buried deep beneath a mountain

Lynsey Grosfield — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 19:26:00 GMT

In Banff National Park, Castleguard Cave becomes one of the first sites in Alberta to be recognized as a globally significant Key Biodiversity Area (KBA).

Researchers exploring the cave. Image: Colin Magee

(Banff, January 30, 2023) — Deep in a remote cave system in Banff National Park is a tiny, largely transparent creature that looks something like a miniscule shrimp. Despite its tiny size, this freshwater amphipod crustacean, known as the Castleguard Cave Amphipod (Stygobromus canadensis), has been very influential in driving the process of designating the entire 21-kilometre long Castleguard Cave System as a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA). And that’s because this amphipod occurs nowhere else in the world.

Scientists still don’t know a great deal about this particular amphipod, which has somehow survived for millennia in this cold, nutrient poor and frequently flooded environment, but its uniqueness made this site a prime candidate for KBA status. It is not just the rarity of this species that is drawing conservation interest to Canada’s largest known cave system, however. It is also what it tells us about life in an underground chamber that is believed to have remained intact and ice free for more than 700,000 years. Formed by meltwaters from the Columbia Icefield glaciers that lie above the cave, this subterranean habitat gives us a window into life before the last ice age.

The KBA program works with governments, local conservation organizations, citizen scientists, and Indigenous Nations to collaboratively identify the places that are most critical to conserve to avoid losing a species or ecosystem from Canada or the world. Sites are recognized based on meeting strict quantitative criteria, whether that is related to the significant presence of highly unique species such as the Castleguard amphipod or the retention of large, intact areas of habitat that support a wide variety of species. Because KBAs are identified through a scientifically rigorous process, they are a broadly trusted tool for ramping up our conservation efforts in the face of accelerating climate change and disappearing wildlife. While KBAs are not designed to provide any legal protection, they are an excellent way of identifying places in protected and unprotected areas where conservation and stewardship efforts can have a large impact on halting and reversing the loss of nature. Identification of the Castleguard Cave system as a KBA, for example, can help ensure that greater attention is paid to a unique underworld that may see more flooding from glacial meltwaters due to climate change or other changes.

With more than 70 sites now officially listed as KBAs across Canada and more than 850 more under consideration, this program is picking up momentum just as Canada signs on to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework following the Convention on Biological Diversity meeting in Montreal last month.

Parks Canada administers one of the finest and most extensive systems of natural and cultural heritage places in the world. Castleguard Cave is located in a special preservation zone in Banff National Park, the highest level of protection offered in national parks, and cave exploration in a national park is illegal without a special permit. Castleguard Cave is in a restricted area 20 km from the nearest road and can only be explored in winter. It has numerous unique characteristics, from the tiny Castleguard Cave amphipod found nowhere else on earth, to highly unusual, nearly cubical “cave pearls” found in few other places in the world.

The Castleguard Cave amphipod is found in this site alone. Image: Greg Horne

Wildlife Conservation Society Canada scientist, Michael Rudy, worked with Parks Canada to develop the KBA proposal for the Castleguard Cave KBA and can speak to the process of how other exceptional sites for biodiversity are being recognized across Alberta and Saskatchewan. Wildlife Conservation Society Canada scientist, Peter Soroye, can speak to the purpose and achievements of the KBA program and how it is helping to conserve unique places like the Castleguard Cave across Canada.

Watch this video of Parks Canada Species of Concern Ecologist, Anne Forshner, speaking on the Castleguard Cave KBA and why Parks Canada is excited about the KBA designation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17iF6fONlrEYJKO1rFZvgIK01FY_Ul-W5/view?usp=sharing

Learn more about the Castleguard Cave KBA at the KBA Canada website here: https://kbacanada.org/site/?SiteCode=AB130

Key facts 

Castleguard Cave is a limestone cave located in Banff National Park, AB. Featuring over 21.3 km of surveyed passages, it is currently Canada's longest known cave system. It is believed that the cave's interior has remained intact and ice-free for at least 700,000 years. It is the only known cave in the world to be found under glacial ice and the best-known Canadian cave internationally.
The Castleguard Cave Amphipod (Stygobromus canadensis) is an entirely blind and unpigmented freshwater amphipod crustacean found only in the subterranean environment of Castleguard Cave, where it is believed to have survived since before the glaciation of the surrounding landscape during the last ice age.
Apart from its unique biological diversity, the cave also includes one of only five known examples in the world of highly unusual nearly cubical 'cave pearls'.
KBAs provide an opportunity to collaborate with experts, traditional knowledge-holders, citizen scientists and Indigenous groups to recognize some of the most critical natural areas in the province that allow biodiversity to persist on the planet and raise awareness of these unique species and ecosystems.

Interview opportunities 

Anne Forshner, Species of Concern Ecologist, Parks Canada, LLYKMedia@pc.gc.ca
Michael Rudy, Alberta and Saskatchewan Regional KBA Coordinator, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada
Peter Soroye, KBA Assessment and Outreach Coordinator, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada

Press and media contact

Lynsey Grosfield, Conservation Communications Manager, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, canadamedia@wcs.org

About Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada 

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Lake Sturgeon in deeper trouble than previously thought

Lynsey Grosfield — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 21:59:00 GMT

Northern Ontario is one of the last strongholds for a species now considered endangered worldwide

15 December 2022, Montreal — As CoP15 negotiations continue in Montreal around actions to address the global biodiversity crisis, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has issued some bad news on one particular species. In a recent update, the IUCN has announced a change to the global Red List status of lake sturgeon, from “least concern” to “endangered.” This puts the lake sturgeon in the same category as many better-known threatened wildlife such as the mountain gorilla, sea otter and African savannah elephant.

Learn more on SHAPE of Nature

This jump in the odds of extinction for one of the planet’s oldest fish species is a reminder of how much is at stake in the negotiations in Montreal. For lake sturgeon, the rivers in the far north in Ontario may hold some of their last best chances for survival. Assessed as a species of “special concern” in the far north in Ontario, Lake Sturgeon thrive in intact rivers flowing into Hudson and James Bay. Living here are some of the last remaining abundant populations of Lake Sturgeon globally.

However, these same rivers may be impacted by new mines, roads or hydropower developments and without care and planning we could see a similar slide toward extinction for Lake Sturgeon in northern Ontario, and the rest of Canada where populations remain.

According to the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), the Canadian range of lake sturgeon stretches from the North and South Saskatchewan rivers in Alberta in the west, to the St. Lawrence River estuary in the east, and from various rivers that empty into Hudson Bay in the north to several boundary waters (e.g., Rainy River, Great Lakes) in the south.

The recent update the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has now classified 221 species found in Canada as at risk of globally extinction, and an additional 107 species as ‘near threatened’. WCS Canada has been undertaking field-based research on Lake Sturgeon in Ontario for a number of years and is working closely with the Moose Cree First Nation on stewardship efforts for the ancient fish. WCS Canada is working to conserve Canada’s Red List species across the country in our field programs and through the efforts of KBA Canada to identify and map the habitat for our most threatened species.

Interview opportunities

Dan Kraus, Director of National Conservation, is an expert on endangered species and can speak to the sudden change in global status for Lake Sturgeon and what this tells us about our failing efforts to protect species at risk and how these need to be improved as well as about WCS Canada’s efforts to ensure survival of healthy populations in Ontario.
Claire Farrell, Associate Conservation Scientist at Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, works with our Learning for Lake Sturgeon program, which is in partnership with the Moose Cree First Nation, and can speak to the science behind lake sturgeon conservation, as well as community stewardship of lake sturgeon populations.

Media contact

Lynsey Grosfield, Conservation Communications Manager, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada lgrosfield@wcs.org, (647) 372-0309

Resources

Enclosures

About Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada

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Media Availability: What Canada can do at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) to address the nature crisis

Lynsey Grosfield — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 19:47:00 GMT

Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCS) Canada scientists seeing this crisis on the ground while working on solutions from coast-to-coast-to-coast

(MONTREAL, December 6, 2022) — The numbers are stark: up to one million species at risk of extinction worldwide, natural ecosystems that have lost half their global area, the biomass of wild animals plunging by 82 per cent, all according to the landmark report released by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in 2019.

Canada, despite its vast wild spaces, is far from immune from this biodiversity crisis. Our national list of species at risk has doubled since it was first created in 2002 and few listed species are on the road to recovery. A newly released report on the status of wild species in Canada has identified thousands of species that could disappear under the status quo. In our southern most populated regions, wetlands and woodlands have been reduced to small fragments, while resource development continues to spread deeper and deeper into more northern regions threatening to impact some of the planet’s largest and most intact forests and peatlands.

WCS Canada is a leader in developing science-based responses to this crisis, from the identification of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) to providing technical support to land use planning and species recovery. Our scientists are actively working on ways to protect vulnerable wolverines and lake sturgeon, save bats from a deadly disease, and to reduce the impact of growing ship noise on Arctic marine mammals.

Our research takes place on Indigenous lands and waters. We are committed to reconciliation through research and conservation of wildlife, lands, and waters with Indigenous Peoples, and recognize and support that Indigenous-led conservation is one of the most effective tools in the fight against biodiversity loss and climate change.

Canada has a critically important role to play in addressing the global biodiversity crisis because of its huge land mass, tens of thousands of lakes and rivers, the world’s longest ocean coastline, provides breeding habitat for billions of migratory birds, and jurisdiction over parts of three oceans. But, the fact that this country still has globally important intact wild areas is really a result of Indigenous stewardship, and the sheer size rather of the land on which we live, rather than forward-looking planning from our governments as we continue to develop through the scarce remaining spaces remaining for nature

WCS scientists are increasingly seeing the impacts of a changing climate on wildlife and wild spaces across Canada and we are working hard to ensure that climate solutions and our transition to a green economy are developed with the least possible impact on wild areas that are critically important for carbon storage and sequestration. A number of WCS scientists are available to comment on what needs to be achieved at the COP and how Canada can respond to the biodiversity crisis that they see accelerating here:

Dr. Ciara Raudsepp-Hearne, Key Biodiversity Areas Director, 514.966.6047, craudsepp@wcs.org, WCS Canada’s Director of Key Biodiversity Areas is based in Montreal, and is bilingual in English and French. She leads a national initiative to identify sites that are crucial to the retention and recovery of biodiversity. Her previous research and consulting work focused on ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, and social-ecological resilience, across Canada, in Latin America, Sweden, Southern Africa and Southeast Asia. Ciara served as the coordinator of the Sub-global Assessment Working Group of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.
Dr. Lorna Harris, Forests, Peatlands, and Climate Change Lead, 514.577.3390, lharris@wcs.org, Lorna is an ecosystem scientist with an interdisciplinary skill set, working from the local to global scale to assess the ways ecosystem structure and function may be impacted by global climate warming and other disturbances. As a dedicated research scientist with an industry and policy background, she has worked to improve our scientific understanding of wetlands and peatland ecosystems for over 17 years in both the UK and Canada. Dr. Harris has extensive research experience in a range of wetland, peatland, and forest ecosystems across Canada, including the Hudson Bay Lowland where she completed her PhD research. She has published several papers on peatland carbon cycling and greenhouse gas fluxes. Lorna has also worked to create stronger links in science and public policy for peatlands in both the UK and in Canada, with a recent paper identifying research and policy gaps for peatlands across Canada.
Dan Kraus, National Director of Conservation, 647.299.2425, dkraus@wcs.org. Dan Kraus has over 25 years of conservation experience in the public, private and NGO sectors and is an expert on Canadian biodiversity and conservation. Dan has authored reports on topics ranging from Canada’s ‘crisis’ ecoregions to the natural capital value of forests. Dan is a member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission and Canada’s Nature Advisory Committee. He leads WCS Canada efforts to report on biodiversity and conservation in Canada through WCS Canada’s new SHAPE of Nature website.

WCS Canada President Dr. Justina Ray will be part of the official Canadian delegation at COP 15, where she will be contributing to Canada’s leadership in developing ambitious new goals and targets for the Convention on Biodiversity.

Check out the Wildlife Conservation Society News Statement from the opening of the COP.

Press and media contact

Lynsey Grosfield, Conservation Communications Manager, lgrosfield@wcs.org, (647) 372-0309

***

About Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada

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The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Montreal has shared public domain images and b-roll of the event:

Video: https://vimeo.com/showcase/10023453
Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/150988932@N04/albums

Wildlife Conservation Society Canada’s Justina Ray wins 2022 Conservation Leadership Award

Lynsey Grosfield — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 16:12:00 GMT

SEATTLE—The Wilburforce Foundation announced today it is presenting one of four 2022 Conservation Leadership Awards (CLA) to Dr. Justina Ray — President and Senior Scientist of Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada — for her ongoing work on science-based conservation policy and partnerships with First Nations across northern Canada.

“Justina sets a powerful example for bringing science to policymakers in compelling, accessible ways that leads to conservation of critical areas,” said Paul Beaudet, executive director of the Wilburforce Foundation. “Her humble leadership has made a difference in the literal landscape of the northern regions and across Canada.”

Established in 2000, the Conservation Leadership Award recognizes groundbreaking leaders protecting wildlands and wildlife in North America. The CLA comes with a cash award for both the individual winner and their organization they represent.

Dr. Ray has led WCS Canada since its founding in 2004 as a Canadian organization. with a long affiliation with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Global Conservation Program, starting as an intern in 1987, followed by years of research in both African and Asian tropical forests. Since being established, WCS Canada, has become a leading resource for conservation efforts that have impacted millions of square kilometers across the country.

WCS Canada strongly supports Indigenous-led conservation, and Dr. Ray has been a strong advocate for conservation through reconciliation.

In recent years, WCS Canada science has had positive impacts on land-use planning throughout western Canada, as well as in the Hudson Bay Lowlands of northern Ontario, Manitoba, and Quebec, where peatlands hold critical storehouses of carbon, which if developed could release significant amounts of carbon and methane, contributing to consequential climate-warming.

A powerful voice for conservation in Canada, Dr. Ray served for almost a decade as a member of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), responsible for assessments for terrestrial mammals, and has been on numerous governmental science advisory panels.

Her vision and service also extend across the globe, including membership on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Taskforce on Biodiversity and Protected Areas. Additionally she’s worked with the Canadian delegation to the Convention of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which supporters hope will culminate in a successful and transformative new agreement for nature and people at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) in December.

The author or editor of three books, Dr. Ray has also contributed significantly to research and conservation of wolverine and caribou, while also mentoring the next generation of conservation scientists as an adjunct professor at both Trent University and University of Toronto.

“I am humbled to receive this recognition of my work, but more importantly, recognition of the work of our amazing team at Wildlife Conservation Society Canada,” Dr. Ray said. “We’ve outgrown the muddy boots we started with almost two decades ago, becoming a force for conservation action home and abroad, with more than 50 staff across the country, a growing community of research fellows, and a devoted network of thousands of regular Canadians who support our science simply because they love wildlife and wild places. We are also part of a powerful global family of WCS country programs with a shared and wonderful purpose: to continue setting the bar for wildlife science, conservation action, and education.”

“This is a critical moment for nature conservation, and a critical moment for us as a species to reconcile our fractured relationship with the natural world. I am grateful to the Wilburforce Foundation for helping elevate what we at WCS Canada — and all the other awardees — are doing for nature. We all do what we do out of love for our communities and for this planet, and it’s that love that will sustain us, and make us successful,” she said.

About WCS Canada

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About Wilburforce Foundation

Wilburforce Foundation is a private philanthropic organization that supports land, water and wildlife conservation efforts in western North America. We invest in natural and social sciences to advance conservation, working with our grantees to defend and use policies that protect our natural world.

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Contact:

Chris Nelson
cnelson@pyramidcommunications.com
206-940-1605 (mobile)

Lynsey Grosfield
Conservation Communications Manager, WCS Canada
lgrosfield@wcs.org
(647) 372-0309 (mobile)

Canada’s Emissions Reduction Plan confirms commitment to peatlands

Mon, 16 May 2022 02:50:00 GMT

Canada’s Emissions Reduction Plan reaffirms a commitment to “Investing in nature and natural climate solutions” through a $780 million fund to “conserve, restore and enhance Canada’s vast and globally significant endowment of wetlands, peatlands and grasslands to store and capture carbon.” In this article, President and Senior Scientist Justina Ray comments on peatlands as one of the greatest carbon capture systems on Earth.

10 Years of WCS Canada-Weston Family Foundation Fellowships!

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 18:07:00 GMT

With generous support from The Weston Family Foundation, WCS Canada has awarded annual fellowships to graduate students for the past ten years! This report summarizes the impact of the WCS Canada - Weston Family Foundation Fellowships since 2009.

COVID-19 and conservation: Planetary health has never been more important to human health

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 08:59:00 GMT

Learn about what WCS Canada is doing to get to the root cause of zoonotic diseases like COVID-19.

Tiny Songbird Makes Record Migration, U of G Study Proves

Tue, 19 Mar 2019 14:09:00 GMT

For the first time, University of Guelph biologists have tracked an annual migration of up to 20,000 kilometres made by the 12-gram blackpoll warbler, one of the fastest declining songbirds in North America.

Across North America and the Atlantic, Documenting an Enormous Migration Journey for a Tiny Songbird

Tue, 19 Mar 2019 14:08:00 GMT

AMHERST, Mass. – Blackpoll warblers that breed in western North America may migrate up to 12,400 miles roundtrip each year, some crossing the entire North American continent before making a nonstop trans-ocean flight of up to four days to South America. Now a new study led by first author Bill DeLuca at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and project lead Ryan Norris at the University of Guelph, Ontario offers details of the feat.

Culture Revolution: Scientists Developing Probiotic Cocktail to Combat Deadly Bat Disease

Thu, 26 Oct 2017 14:07:00 GMT

(TORONTO - October 26, 2017) – Researchers in Canada are developing a new preventative treatment to combat a deadly disease that is decimating bat populations by taking a cue from human probiotics.

Think yogurt for bats.

The new treatment, which is being developed by Dr. Naowarat Cheeptham of Thompson Rivers University, Dr. Cori Lausen of Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada and Dr. J.P. Xu of McMaster University, uses the principle of probiotics - introducing “good bacteria” that are helpful to the body - in order to prevent the fungal infection that causes white-nose syndrome (WNS).

The probiotic “cocktail” is not ingested, however. Instead, it will be placed in powder form that is contacted by the bats as they crawl in and out of their summer maternity roost.

”Here in western North America, bats behave differently in winter than they do in the east, and so we are working on a disease treatment that will work in the west, but help bats across the continent,” says Dr. Lausen.

The 3-year project is funded in part through a $150,000 grant from the Bats for the Future Fund, a competitive grant program that supports the development of treatments for WNS to promote the survival of bats in North America.

Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the pathogen responsible for WNS, was first found on hibernating bats in New York in 2006. Known simply as Pd, it has since spread to 33 states and five Canadian provinces, and killed more than 6 million bats.

Pd thrives in cold, damp places, which makes the caves and mines where bats hibernate a perfect climate for its spores to grow. The fungus irritates the bats much in the way that athlete’s foot irritates a human, causing them to wake and use energy that they need to survive the winter hibernation period. In the colder months, with food scarce, foraging in the cold often means death from starvation and exposure for these bats.

Probiotics fight off disease-causing microbes in humans and the scientists feel they can apply the same principle to bats. “To date, my lab has isolated 14 bacteria that inhibit the growth of the fungus,” says Dr. Cheeptham. “These microorganisms already occur naturally on some bat’s wings.”

”Unlike in eastern caves, where large numbers of bats overwinter together, western caves and mines are largely inaccessible in winter, and most have been found to house few bats,” says Dr. Lausen. “So we are taking a unique approach to treat bats before they leave their summer roosts, many of which are in buildings widespread across the west.”

The research team will work with the South Coast Bat Conservation Society in observing bats prior to and after the prophylaxis/inoculation begins. With help from Microgrants for Microbats, a probiotic applicator will be developed and deployed at a maternity roost in Vancouver. As WNS moves into the city (as is expected within the next year or two), the scientists will monitor the survival of Vancouver’s treated bats versus that of bats from the surrounding untreated roosts.

For more information on this and other western Canada bat projects, visit [https://www.wcscanada.org/Wildlife/Bats.aspx]

**NEWS FROM WCS CANADA**
CONTACT: CORI LAUSEN: (1-250-353-8204; clausen@wcs.org) or NAOWARAT (ANN) CHEEPTHAM (1-250-377-4364; ncheeptham@tru.ca)
Newsroom
@WCSNewsroom

Bighorn Backcountry of Alberta: Protecting Wildlife and Precious Waters

Wed, 14 Jun 2017 13:59:00 GMT

MEDIA RELEASE

CONTACT:

JOHN WEAVER cell: 406-274-7825; jlweaver@blackfoot.net

JUSTINA RAY: cell 416-795-1636; jray@wcs.org

Bighorn Backcountry an Alberta gem that needs to be safeguarded

· Area critically important for wildlife and water

Edmonton, Canada (June 14, 2017) – A new scientific analysis by Wildlife Conservation Society Canada has identified a conservation gem nestled beside the two crown jewels of the Rocky Mountain national park system. The area, known as the Bighorn Backcountry, lies just east of Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta and represents one of the most ecologically important areas in the province’s Eastern Slopes region.

Based on findings aboutthe importance of this region to wildlife, clean water and recreation, WCS Canada is calling on the Alberta Government to designate the area as a Provincial Wildland Park in keeping with its recent commitment to conserve at least 17 percent of the province’s land base.

“The area west of the Forestry Trunk Road #734 and east of Banff has a high concentration of vital habitats for vulnerable species like grizzlybear, wolverine, bighorn sheep and bull trout,” says Dr.John Weaver, Senior Conservation Scientist for WCS Canada who carried out the study.

The area also lies in the headwaters of the North Saskatchewan River, a critically important water source for north-central Alberta, including Edmonton. Dr.Weaver points out that with projections of warming of 2°- 4° Celsius over the next 50-100 years, protecting the “water towers” located in the Bighorn that feed this major river will become even more important.

Protecting the diverse habitat and topography of the region, which ranges from broad river valleys to snow-covered mountain peaks, will also be important for wildlife in the face of a changing climate.

“Designation of a Wildland Provincial Park for the Bighorn Backcountry would help safeguard these vulnerable species and treasured waters to be enjoyed by people today and generations yet to follow,” Dr.Weaver says.

Dr.Weaver synthesized data on four key wildlife species (grizzly bear, bull trout, bighorn sheep and wolverine) provided by Alberta government and university scientists to produce detailed maps of habitats for each species. He also assessed the value of the major rivers in these headwaters as likely movement corridors that fish and wildlife could use in response to warming temperatures. Based upon this analysis, a Wildland Park spanning approximately 68 percent of the Provincial lands there would conserve 93 percent of the most important habitats for these vulnerable fish and wildlife.

“A Wildland Park in this area would protect spawning habitat critical to bull trout (Alberta’s provincial fish); cliffs and slopes used by bighorn sheep, especially during the tough winter period; secluded areas for grizzly bear females that can be killed or displaced from prime feeding sites near secondary roads; and denning habitat for wolverines, which may increasingly need to move to higher altitudes to find deep snow,” Dr.Weaver explains.

“These high conservation values, the presence of important headwaters, and the proximity to two major national parks makesthis an excellent place to start with meeting Alberta’s new protected area commitments. The Bighorn Backcountry is a real treasure and its value will only increase as our climate changes and Alberta’s population grows,” says Dr.Weaver.

For high res photos and map, click here

[Read More...]

MEDIA RELEASE

CONTACT:

JOHN WEAVER cell: 406-274-7825; jlweaver@blackfoot.net

JUSTINA RAY: cell 416-795-1636; jray@wcs.org

Bighorn Backcountry an Alberta gem that needs to be safeguarded

· Area critically important for wildlife and water

Based on findings about the importance of this region to wildlife, clean water and recreation, WCS Canada is calling on the Alberta Government to designate the area as a Provincial Wildland Park in keeping with its recent commitment to conserve at least 17 percent of the province’s land base.

“The area west of the Forestry Trunk Road #734 and east of Banff has a high concentration of vital habitats for vulnerable species like grizzly bear, wolverine, bighorn sheep and bull trout,” says Dr. John Weaver, Senior Conservation Scientist for WCS Canada who carried out the study.

The area also lies in the headwaters of the North Saskatchewan River, a critically important water source for north-central Alberta, including Edmonton. Dr. Weaver points out that with projections of warming of 2°- 4° Celsius over the next 50-100 years, protecting the “water towers” located in the Bighorn that feed this major river will become even more important.

Dr. Weaver synthesized data on four key wildlife species (grizzly bear, bull trout, bighorn sheep and wolverine) provided by Alberta government and university scientists to produce detailed maps of habitats for each species. He also assessed the value of the major rivers in these headwaters as likely movement corridors that fish and wildlife could use in response to warming temperatures. Based upon this analysis, a Wildland Park spanning approximately 68 percent of the Provincial lands there would conserve 93 percent of the most important habitats for these vulnerable fish and wildlife.

“These high conservation values, the presence of important headwaters, and the proximity to two major national parks makes this an excellent place to start with meeting Alberta’s new protected area commitments. The Bighorn Backcountry is a real treasure and its value will only increase as our climate changes and Alberta’s population grows,” says Dr. Weaver.

For high res photos and map, click here

###

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada was incorporated as a conservation organization in Canada in 2004. The mission of WCS Canada is to conserve wildlife and wild places by understanding the issues, developing science-based solutions, and working with others to carry out conservation actions across Canada. WCS Canada is distinguished from other environmental organizations through our role in generating science through field and applied research, and by using our results to encourage collaboration among scientific communities, organizations and policy makers to achieve conservation results. WCS Canada is independently registered and managed, while retaining a strong collaborative working relationship with sister WCS programs in more than 55 countries. Visit: www.wcscanada.org

MEDIA RELEASE

CONTACT:

JOHN WEAVER cell: 406-274-7825; jlweaver@blackfoot.net

JUSTINA RAY: cell 416-795-1636; jray@wcs.org

Bighorn Backcountry an Alberta gem that needs to be safeguarded

· Area critically important for wildlife and water

High resolutionimages

Edmonton, Canada (June 14, 2017) – A new scientific analysis by Wildlife Conservation Society Canada has identified a conservation gem nestled beside the two crown jewels of the Rocky Mountain national park system. The area, known as the Bighorn Backcountry, lies just east of Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta and represents one of the most ecologically important areas in the province’s Eastern Slopes region.

For high res photos and map, click here

MEDIA RELEASE

CONTACT:

JOHN WEAVER cell: 406-274-7825; jlweaver@blackfoot.net

JUSTINA RAY: cell 416-795-1636; jray@wcs.org

Bighorn Backcountry an Alberta gem that needs to be safeguarded

· Area critically important for wildlife and water

High resolutionimages

Edmonton, Canada (June 14, 2017) – A new scientific analysis by Wildlife Conservation Society Canada has identified a conservation gem nestled beside the two crown jewels of the Rocky Mountain national park system. The area, known as the Bighorn Backcountry, lies just east of Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta and represents one of the most ecologically important areas in the province’s Eastern Slopes region.

For high res photos and map, click here

[Read More...]

MEDIA RELEASE

CONTACT:

JOHN WEAVER cell: 406-274-7825; jlweaver@blackfoot.net

JUSTINA RAY: cell 416-795-1636; jray@wcs.org

Bighorn Backcountry an Alberta gem that needs to be safeguarded

· Area critically important for wildlife and water

Based on findings about the importance of this region to wildlife, clean water and recreation, WCS Canada is calling on the Alberta Government to designate the area as a Provincial Wildland Park in keeping with its recent commitment to conserve at least 17 percent of the province’s land base.

“The area west of the Forestry Trunk Road #734 and east of Banff has a high concentration of vital habitats for vulnerable species like grizzly bear, wolverine, bighorn sheep and bull trout,” says Dr. John Weaver, Senior Conservation Scientist for WCS Canada who carried out the study.

The area also lies in the headwaters of the North Saskatchewan River, a critically important water source for north-central Alberta, including Edmonton. Dr. Weaver points out that with projections of warming of 2°- 4° Celsius over the next 50-100 years, protecting the “water towers” located in the Bighorn that feed this major river will become even more important.

Dr. Weaver synthesized data on four key wildlife species (grizzly bear, bull trout, bighorn sheep and wolverine) provided by Alberta government and university scientists to produce detailed maps of habitats for each species. He also assessed the value of the major rivers in these headwaters as likely movement corridors that fish and wildlife could use in response to warming temperatures. Based upon this analysis, a Wildland Park spanning approximately 68 percent of the Provincial lands there would conserve 93 percent of the most important habitats for these vulnerable fish and wildlife.

“These high conservation values, the presence of important headwaters, and the proximity to two major national parks makes this an excellent place to start with meeting Alberta’s new protected area commitments. The Bighorn Backcountry is a real treasure and its value will only increase as our climate changes and Alberta’s population grows,” says Dr. Weaver.

For high res photos and map, click here

###

MEDIA RELEASE

CONTACT:

JOHN WEAVER cell: 406-274-7825; jlweaver@blackfoot.net

JUSTINA RAY: cell 416-795-1636; jray@wcs.org

Bighorn Backcountry an Alberta gem that needs to be safeguarded

· Area critically important for wildlife and water

High resolutionimages

Edmonton, Canada (June 14, 2017) – A new scientific analysis by Wildlife Conservation Society Canada has identified a conservation gem nestled beside the two crown jewels of the Rocky Mountain national park system. The area, known as the Bighorn Backcountry, lies just east of Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta and represents one of the most ecologically important areas in the province’s Eastern Slopes region.

For high res photos and map, click here

MEDIA RELEASE

CONTACT:

JOHN WEAVER cell: 406-274-7825; jlweaver@blackfoot.net

JUSTINA RAY: cell 416-795-1636; jray@wcs.org

Bighorn Backcountry an Alberta gem that needs to be safeguarded

· Area critically important for wildlife and water

High resolutionimages

Edmonton, Canada (June 14, 2017) – A new scientific analysis by Wildlife Conservation Society Canada has identified a conservation gem nestled beside the two crown jewels of the Rocky Mountain national park system. The area, known as the Bighorn Backcountry, lies just east of Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta and represents one of the most ecologically important areas in the province’s Eastern Slopes region.

For high res photos and map, click here

[Read More...]

Securing a Wild Future for Yukon's Boreal Mountains

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 13:58:00 GMT

**NEWS RELEASE**

CONTACT:
JUSTINA RAY: ((office)1-416-850-9038 x22; (cell) 416-795-1636; jray@wcs.org)
HILARY COOKE: (1-867-393-2447; hcooke@wcs.org)

World Environment Day on June 5th is an opportunity for territory to plan for a wild future.

Yukon can play globally significant role in protecting biodiversity
Region boasts large landscapes with thriving ecosystems with iconic mammals such as grizzly bears, caribou, and wolves
Valley bottoms seen as key to conservation Liard River Floodplain


cr: Hilary Cooke Frances Lake	Cr: Hilary Cooke

High Res photos available here.

Whitehorse, Canada (June 5, 2017) – In celebration of World Environment Day today, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCS Canada) has released, “Securing a Wild Future: Planning for Landscape-scale Conservation of Yukon’s Boreal Mountains,” —a report mapping how best to conserve the globally important wild areas of Yukon’s Boreal Mountain region.

“Yukon is one of the few places remaining on the planet where large wild areas with fully functioning ecosystems and intact predator-prey systems continue to thrive,” said WCS scientist and report author Dr. Hilary Cooke. “We have a tremendous opportunity to get it right when it comes to preserving our planet’s natural wealth.”

The WCS study found that creating a conservation network of large, undisturbed landscapes covering at least 50 percent of the Boreal Mountain region, which spans the southern half of the territory, is the best way to ensure that Yukon’s biodiversity and natural areas are kept healthy now and in the future.

“We explored multiple scenarios for conservation networks that combine the most undisturbed watersheds with areas large enough to sustain big natural forces, such as wild fire. From this set of thousands of potential conservation networks, we zeroed in on the best ones for conserving the full extent of natural biodiversity in the region,” Dr. Cooke explains.

The WCS Canada study is an important tool for conservation in this region, where mountainous terrain and high-elevation plateaus combine with more northerly latitudes to add a whole new dimension – and many unique ecosystems -- to the boreal forest that stretches across northern Canada.

Unlike much of the rest of the world, the region has also gone relatively undisturbed by human infrastructure and development and therefore still supports healthy populations of our largest mammals, such as caribou, grizzly bears, and wolves, plus over 200 bird species and one of the longest salmon runs in North America.

“We know Yukoners value our natural areas, fish, and wildlife, and want to keep these things healthy for future generations. That’s why we have identified and mapped gaps, opportunities, and priorities for conservation in the region,” Dr.Cooke explains.

A key finding of the study was the urgent need to prioritize valley bottoms for conservation, because these are where both human development pressure and biological values, such as wildlife habitat, are often highest.

It is expected that the Yukon government, in conjunction with First Nations, will resume regional land use planning in the near future. The WCS Canada study is meant to inform this work by examining different scenarios for a network of large, intact conservation areas.

“We need to be proactive in planning for conservation before important and unique natural areas, like valley bottoms, are eroded by the cumulative impacts of unplanned development,” stated Dr. Cooke, adding, “Of course, conservation networks will only work if we also take care to manage our activities on the rest of the landscape in a way that minimizes our ecological impact. We need to carefully manage things like mines, roads, and forestry to ensure that landscapes remain ecologically healthy even outside dedicated conservation areas.”

“Canada has a tremendous natural wealth that should be protected for its inherent value, but also for the social, cultural, and spiritual values it provides for Canadians. We have a unique opportunity and responsibility here in Yukon to pro-actively conserve an ecologically unique and globally significant region,” Dr. Cooke concludes.

The study, including maps of priority areas for conservation, is available at wcscanada.org This work was generously supported by The W. Garfield Weston Foundation.

###

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada was incorporated as a conservation organizationin Canada in 2004. The mission of WCS Canada is to conserve wildlife and wild places by understanding the issues, developing science-based solutions, and working with others to carry out conservation actions across Canada. WCS Canada is distinguished from other environmental organizations through our role in generating science through field and applied research, and by using our results to encourage collaboration among scientific communities, organizations and policy makers to achieve conservation results. WCS Canada is independently registered and managed, while retaining a strong collaborative working relationship with sister WCS programs in more than 55 countries.

The W. Garfield Weston Foundation is a Canadian charitable trust, established by Garfield and Reta Weston and their nine children in 1958. It was the belief of the founders that since it was the hard work of Canadian employees that made the Foundation possible, that its charitable funding should be directed to the benefit of Canadians. The mandate of The W. Garfield Weston Foundation includes neuroscience, land conservation, education and research in Canada’s North.

Big Bat Find in Alberta’s Boreal Forest

Thu, 16 Mar 2017 13:56:00 GMT

***PRESS RELEASE***

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Big Bat Find in Alberta’s Boreal Forest

• Alberta’s largest-known hibernation site outside of Rocky Mountains discovered
• Hundreds of endangered bats roosting in cave
• Site information vital as disease devastating bats moves west

Higher resolution images of the photos below are available at:https://www.wcscanada.org/Portals/96/images/Alberta Hibernaculum Discovery Photos.zip
Please ensure photos are properly credited as noted in file names.

A cluster of Little Brown Myotis bats in the newly explored Alberta cave. Unlike in eastern caves, most hibernation sites in northern and western regions contain only a few hundred bats at most. Credit: Dave Hobson / Alberta Environment and Parks

Crawling through the sulphuric waters in the cave required dry suits and care to protect eyes and mouths. Credit: Dave Critchley / BatCaver - WCS Canada

The researchers placed ultrasonic sound detection equipment as well as temperature and humidity loggers in the cave. Credit: Dave Hobson / Alberta Environment and Parks

Access to the cave is extremely tight and it proved challenging to explore its narrow passages. Credit: Dave Hobson / Alberta Environment and Parks

(Alberta – March 16, 2017) The Wildlife Conservation Society Canada and Alberta Environment and Parks announced today the discovery last month of the largest Alberta bat hibernation site (based on estimated bat count) ever recorded outside of the Rocky Mountains.

The newly-discovered cave is being used as a hibernaculum by at least 200 Little Brown Myotis bats, listed as Endangered under Canada’s Species at Risk Act. Formed by weak sulphuric acid dissolving bedrock, conditions in the narrow, muddy cave make it impossible to fully inspect hand-sized pockets, cracks and fissures that compose roosting sites. “This means population numbers could be significantly higher,” suggests Dave Hobson, Senior Wildlife Biologist of Alberta Environment and Parks.

Said Dave Critchley of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), who co-coordinates WCS Canada’s BatCaver program in Alberta, and was one of the cave explorers: “Finding a cave in Alberta’s boreal forest inhabited by several hundred bats is a real breakthrough. It demonstrates that this kind of bat habitat may well exist in other non-mountainous areas throughout the boreal forest.”

Said Shannon Phillips, Minister of Environment and Parks: “This is a fascinating and important find. Understanding where Alberta’s different bat species are living is a crucial part in preventing the spread of white-nose syndrome and in protecting sensitive habitats.”

The discovery of hibernation spots has become extremely urgent in western Canada since the 2016 discovery of white-nose syndrome (WNS) in Washington State. Bats with WNS are infected with a fungus that wakes the individual bats and forces them to burn through their precious stored winter fat long before the return of insect season. It spreads throughout hibernation sites and can kill more than 90 percent of resident bats. WNS has devastated bat colonies in Eastern North America and could be about to erupt in the West.

Said Greg Horne, who is co-leading the BatCaver efforts in Alberta: “Cavers are helping to locate hibernacula so that more can be learned about the bats before the disease arrives.”

The four-person crew that explored the Alberta cave collected DNA and guano samples for analysis. In addition, they placed ultrasonic bat detectors along with temperature and humidity loggers in the cave to learn more about this newly discovered bat colony, including when the bats are entering and exiting the cave and more about their behavior during hibernation.

Said WCS Canada Associate Conservation Scientist and bat specialist Dr. Cori Lausen: “Bats are the No. 1 nocturnal consumer of insects such as mosquitos. Losing vast numbers of the night-feeders will have cascading impacts for backyard enthusiasts and ecosystems, and for industries such as forestry and agriculture. It’s urgent we develop plans for protecting bats and ensuring they are in a position to eventually recover should WNS hit the western provinces.”

For more information, contact:
Dave Critchley
Alberta BatCaver Coordinator,
BatCaver
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
(780) 471-7660
Dcritchl@nait.ca

Dave Hobson
Senior Wildlife Biologist,
Alberta Environment and Parks
(780) 723-8518
Dave.hobson@gov.ab.ca

Cori Lausen
Associate Conservation Scientist and Bat Specialist,
Wildlife Conservation Society Canada
(250) 353-8204
Clausen@wcs.org

Brent Wittmeier
Press Secretary,
Alberta Environment and Parks
(587) 985-5104
Brent.wittmeier@gov.ab.ca

The exact location of the remote Alberta cave is not being disclosed given the presence of an endangered species and the inhospitable environment in the cave, which requires special equipment for exploration.

WCS Applauds New International Agreement to Protect Polar Regions

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 13:55:00 GMT

New “Polar Code” will help minimize effects of development on wildlife in changing Arctic and Antarctic waters

New standards will help safeguard wildlife, and for the Arctic, the local communities that rely on them for food security

New York (January 19, 2017) – WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) commends the International Maritime Organization and partners for the development and implementation of the “Polar Code,” a binding international agreement that will help ensure the safety of mariners operating in polar waters, and the protection of both the Arctic and Antarctic’s marine environment from the risks of vessel activities.
After over two decades in development by a variety of working groups, the Polar Code came into force on January 1st of 2017.
“The Polar Code is very good news for the Arctic marine environment,” said Dr. Martin Robards, Director of the WCS Arctic Beringia Program. “The reduction of threats to these expansive and remote areas from vessel discharges, or risks from spills due to accidents, is essential for the health of wildlife and the food security of the local indigenous communities.”
Polar regions, including the waterways of the Arctic and Antarctic support a vibrant diversity of avian, mammal, and other species, that in some areas come together in incredible aggregations. The seas, coastal areas, and straits of Arctic Beringia, for instance, serve as migratory corridors and destinations for approximately 17,000 bowhead whales, more than 150,000 walruses, and many other marine mammals.
The new agreement will help ensure that ships traveling in the Arctic and Antarctic are adequately constructed for the demanding conditions of polar waters. The code will help establish a safer operating environment for vessels traveling in the polar regions while minimizing the possibility of accidents at sea, a critically important factor in regions where the capacity to react to events such as oil spills is limited. The code will also prohibit or strictly limit the discharge of garbage and fluids from vessels in polar waters.
The WCS Arctic Beringia Program works with a wide assemblage of federal, state, and indigenous partners in the Arctic in an effort to help minimize the effects of development on the region’s wildlife populations. For example, researchers from WCS are working with local partners to assess the overlap of marine mammal feeding or migration areas and the vessel routes that may traverse them. The documentation of this information can help inform the voyage planning of vessels as required under the “Polar Code.” This is particularly important at “choke points,” areas where marine mammals and vessels are constrained in space and time, such as Bering Strait or the Northwest Passage routes across northern Canada.
“The Polar Code provides opportunities to plan vessel operations in such a manner that they minimize the risk of fatal collisions with the large numbers of whales that traverse this region during summer, especially in biologically vital corridors such as the Bering Strait” said Dr. Howard Rosenbaum, Director for WCS’s Ocean Giants Program.
Plan Link: http://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/HotTopics/polar/Pages/default.aspx
Suggested Tweet:https://twitter.com/WCSNewsroom/status/822156013352714242
WCS Newsroom

Mapping a Future for Ontario's Caribou

Tue, 13 Dec 2016 20:51:00 GMT

**NEWS RELEASE**

CONTACT: SHANNON D’ARCY: (1-416-850-9038 Ext. 26; sdarcy@wcs.org)

MAPPING A FUTURE FOR ONTARIO’S CARIBOU

WCS Canada Launches “Caribou Story Map”

Interactive conservation web tool shows changes to caribou ranges over time, illustrates mining claim footprints in northern Ontario

Toronto (December 13, 2016). Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada has released “The Caribou Story Map”—a web-based interactive tool that provides users with locations of mining claims and information on the potential effects of mining exploration activities on caribou habitat in Ontario’s Far North.

The information available in the map (found here) will be critical to decision-makers in the management of this species at risk, particularly in areas identified as having overlap of conservation and mining interests.

Great potential mineral wealth, including world-class mineral deposits of chromite in the Ring of Fire, has resulted in Ontario’s Far North becoming the fastest growing area of mineral exploration in the province. Resulting threats to caribou in Ontario’s northern regions include cumulative habitat disturbance and loss of access to critical areas for calving or feeding.

“Boreal caribou habitat is being increasingly degraded and industrial activity must be carefully planned and limited if it is not to risk more damage to caribou populations, particularly in the Far North, a current stronghold for this threatened species in Ontario,” explains Dr. Justina Ray, President and Senior Scientist of WCS Canada.

Although the province is committed (through the Caribou Conservation Plan) to track disturbance within caribou ranges in Ontario, such information and how it is used to make decisions about exploration and mineral development is not publicly available.

The Caribou Story map helps provide a “big picture” understanding of the extent and potential impacts of this type of development on caribou populations in the region, and facilitates access of hard-to-reach data to inform and promote more meaningful public engagement on exploration permit applications.

Among the specific features the Story Map provides is a hands-on mapping interface where users can find information about mining claim ownership, the status of exploration permits, and links to the different types of approved exploration activities. In addition, users can monitor where different types of exploration activities are scheduled to occur or where they are already occurring on the landscape relative to boreal caribou ranges.

WCS Canada’s GIS Analyst Meg Southee, who developed this tool, said, “When we first began to track mineral exploration claims in boreal ranges, it became clear how impossible it would be for the average person to get a complete picture of how mineral exploration disturbance may be changing Far North landscapes. This tool changes that by bringing the pertinent information together in one place and we are sharing it with members of the public so they might be engaged in the permitting process.”

Boreal caribou are considered threatened in Canada under both the Federal Species at Risk Act and Ontario’s Endangered Species Act; the Far North of the province serves as a current stronghold for this species, which has lost ground in southern boreal forests across Canada over the past century. With boreal caribou likely to become endangered if adequate steps are not taken to address threats directly affecting them, this Story Map provides a means for people to learn more about the challenges they face so they can be involved in their conservation.

- 30 -

Auditor General Slams Ontario’s Outdated Environmental Assessment Act – Groups Urge Government to Act

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 20:46:00 GMT

Toronto, 1 December 2016. – In the wake of yesterday’s damning report by Ontario Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk in which she directed harsh criticism at the province’s environmental assessment (EA) program, environmental organizations are encouraged by Environmental Minister Glenn Murray’s commitment for ‘substantive reforms’ to modernize Ontario’s environmental assessment process.

As noted by the Auditor General: “Ontario’s environmental assessment process needs to be modernized and aligned with best practices in Canada and internationally. Because the Act is 40 years old— and is, in fact, the oldest environmental assessment legislation in Canada—it falls short of achieving its intended purpose.”

Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA), CPAWS Wildlands League, MiningWatch Canada and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada agree with both the Auditor General and Minister Murray and say that it is time to fix Ontario’s broken EA program. They recently released a roadmap to help the government get it right.

“The Auditor General's report provides an excellent compilation of the major problems that continue to plague Ontario's EA program,” said CELA lawyer Richard Lindgren. “We call upon the provincial government to implement the Auditor General's well-founded recommendations as soon as possible.”

The Auditor General is not the only independent watchdog that is critical of Ontario’s EA program. The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario has warned – not once, but twice – about the “vision lost” within the EA regime, and has recommended that the government “restore” the vision through a public review of the Environmental Assessment Act and related regulations. Over 10 years ago, the Minister’s own EA Advisory Panel produced strong recommendations that were never fully implemented.‎

A revitalized EA program will help Ontarians address our changing climate and the need to transition to a prosperous, low-carbon economy. This is because the major projects subject to EA – such as landfills, provincial highways, and infrastructure projects – often involve releases of greenhouse gases or affect carbon storage.

Ontario’s Climate Change Strategy aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050,” said WCS Canada scientist Dr. Cheryl Chetkiewicz. “Yet, the province’s Environmental Assessment Act and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change’s recent draft guide on climate change are unlikely to deliver on addressing the serious nature of climate change in Ontario”.

Strengthening and expanding EA requirements is also appropriate in the mining sector, particularly since Ontario has over 4,400 abandoned mine sites. As the Auditor General previously observed in 2015, this legacy poses significant environmental and financial risks to Ontarians. ”While Ontario is the largest mineral producer in Canada, it remains the only jurisdiction in the country where mines are not automatically subjected to a provincial EA and public consultation process,” said MiningWatch Canada program coordinator Ugo Lapointe.

“With the federal government hosting public hearings on its own EA review, the timing is perfect for Ontario to do the same,” said CPAWS Wildlands League director of conservation planning Anna Baggio. “We can repair the EA system in Canada’s most populous province and set us on the path to true sustainability. The best time to do that is now.”

The groups recently published a roadmap to reform Ontario’s environmental assessment regime: Need for Environmental Assessment Reform in Ontario.

For additional information contact:
- Richard Lindgren, Counsel, Canadian Environmental Law Association, 613.385.1686
- Anna Baggio, Director, Conservation Planning, CPAWS Wildlands League, 416.453.3285 mobile
- Ugo Lapointe, Canadian Program Coordinator, MiningWatch Canada, 514.708.0134 mobile
- Dr. Cheryl Chetkiewicz, Associate Conservation Scientist & Landscape Lead, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, 807.285.9125

New Bat Habitat Discovered in Western Alberta

Thu, 25 Feb 2016 16:26:00 GMT

**NEWS RELEASE**

New Bat Habitat Discovered in Western Alberta

Resident species confirmed as endangered Northern Myotis and Little Brown bats

Central Alberta (February 25, 2016) WCS Canada announced today the discovery of two bat hibernacula —places where bats hibernate during winter months—in the Alberta foothills. The discovery was made recently during Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada’s ongoing research as part of the BatCaver program (www.batcaver.org).

In all, 103 bats were counted in the hibernacula and the presence of two species, little brown bats and northern myotis, were confirmed. Both species are endangered in Canada.

A previously known cave confirmed as a hibernaculum in 2013-2014 was re-visited by Alberta Environment and Parks bat specialist Dave Hobson and BatCaver coordinators Greg Horne and Dave Critchley, along with Nate DeBock, BatCaver, volunteer and member of the Alberta Speleological Society. In early February 2016, the species of the bats were confirmed and the first accurate bat count was completed for this cave.

Northern myotis were observed as single bats, but the little browns were in clusters of up to 42 individuals. Northern myotis tend to tuck away into rock crevices, so it is likely that more exist in the caves than were counted.

When asked about the significance of this finding, Dr. Cori Lausen, Bat Specialist with WCS Canada, responded, “This is an exciting discovery because it puts us one step closer to understanding critical habitat needs for these environmentally important animals – and hopefully one step closer to being able to prevent or reduce the drastic population declines that might be just around the corner.”

During the same trip, the BatCaver coordinators were alerted to another cave in the area, which was also confirmed to be a bat hibernaculum. A roostlogger – equipment used to record bat ultrasound – was placed near three hibernating bats (two northern myotis and possibly one little brown). Although this cave has the potential to house more bats in the winter, it remains largely unexplored. Acoustic recordings will be used to determine whether further exploration of this cave is warranted.

These two confirmed hibernacula are likely to be just the start of a large number of such discoveries by WCS Canada’s BatCaver program as spring arrives and bats start to emerge from hibernation. The BatCaver program has deployed over 50 bat detectors underground across western Canada. As access opens to these remote sites at high elevations, the data from the detectors will start to fill critical knowledge gaps about where bats in western Canada hibernate in winter.

”Even hibernacula with small numbers of bats give us new information about the type of winter habitat each species requires,” says Lausen. “Bats disappear underground for a significant amount of time each year, and with the help of cavers, each new discovered location puts us one step closer to solving the mystery of what our many species of bats do each winter.”

WCS Canada research into bats in western Canada aims to prepare for the arrival of White Nose Syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease that is wiping out bats in eastern Canada. WNS strikes bats while they hibernate in winter, and this program seeks to address gaps in understanding about the behaviour and ecology of up to 14 species. One of the newly-explored caves is being used by commercial guided caving groups during the summer. Discussions with stakeholders are taking place to ensure that precautions are taken to avoid introducing the fungus that causes WNS into the cave and to educate cavers on how important it is to avoid disturbing bats during winter hibernation.

The BatCaver program has been generously supported by the BC Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, BC Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Eden Conservation Trust, Environment Canada, Golder Associates, the R. Howard Webster Foundation, and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.

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Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada was incorporated as a conservation organization in Canada in 2004. The mission of WCS Canada is to conserve wildlife and wild places by understanding the issues, developing science-based solutions, and working with others to carry out conservation actions across Canada. WCS Canada is distinguished from other environmental organizations through our role in generating science through field and applied research, and by using our results to encourage collaboration among scientific communities, organizations and policy makers to achieve conservation results.

WCS Canada is independently registered and managed, while retaining a strong collaborative working relationship with sister WCS programs in more than 65 countries. Visit: www.wcscanada.org.