Conservator magazine Volume 31, issue 3

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volume 31 number 3

2010

Worth Their Salt

Atlantic salt marshes vital to ducks and people

Lesser Scaup conservation challenges and opportunities in quebec’s boreal forest

questions abound, theories tested and an ongoing mystery

Big Country, Big Heart

country superstar paul brandt’s brandt's passion for the great outdoors

black duck: Denis Faucher

harlequin duck: Brian Wolitski

background: © Garth Lenz

In the boreal forests of La Belle Province – a region twice the size of Texas – Ducks Unlimited Canada faces monumental and unique conservation challenges. More than up for the task, DUC is helping to conserve the vast area’s wetland treasures. by m a r c e l d a r v e au

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hen I started at Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) in 2003, I accepted the challenge of developing a conservation program for the waterfowl in Quebec’s boreal forest. The challenge was both colossal and stimulating, working on the conservation of wetlands and waterfowl in an immense territory of 1.2 million square kilometres – or over 294 million acres.

The early years of Quebec’s boreal forest program focused on research to inform conservation decisions. We asked four major questions: b How are the wetlands distributed on the landscape? c Where are the areas with high waterfowl abundance? d What are the major threats to those areas? and e What are the most appropriate conservation approaches?

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green-winged teal: DU Canada left: Marcel Darveau TUNDRA

BOREAL TAIGA

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set out to answer these questions by first gathering a team of masters students to lead the research, including Louis-Vincent Lemelin, Sylvain Ménard, Marie-Hélène Ouellet d’Amours and Julie Labbé, all of the Université du Québec in Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT). Their advisor, Prof.

Louis Imbeau coordinated the program in collaboration with Daniel Bordage of the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS). DUC staff, particularly Patricia Gagnon and Geneviève Meunier contributed to the conservation projects. Other research partners included Laval University, Sherbrooke University, McGill University and the Quebec government, as well as Ducks Unlimited, Inc. (DUI) which also contributed funding for the research. Other American funding for the research

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BOREAL FOREST

The three large areas of Quebec’s boreal program, from south to north: the area of commercial forests (540,000 square kilometres), the taiga dominated by open forests (650,000 square kilometres) and the Arctic tundra (231,000 square kilometres). The territory of the Northern Plan includes half of the area of commercial forests located on public land and all of Quebec’s taiga and tundra (1.2 million square kilometres).

came mainly from the Pew Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under the auspices of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan’s Black Duck Joint Venture (BDJV). Additional funding came from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la nature et les technologies, their collaborative BMP-Innovation Fund.

The team needed to develop a better mapping and identification process for wetland abundance in Quebec’s commercial forests (map, page 20). Due to the immensity of the area (540,000 square kilometres) and the logistical challenges, we opted to use the existing provincial forestry maps as the base. From there, we used GIS technology to extract our wetlands information.

Given our expectations based on earlier maps, the results were surprising and encouraging. On average, we found that about a quarter of Quebec’s commercial forests are comprised of wetland and aquatic habitats, including small lakes, small rivers, marshlands and peat bogs. Until the 1980s, logs were largely transported in the area by floating from cut areas to the mills through a network of waterways. Nowadays, around ten per cent of dams that were used to do this have been repurposed for flood control, hydroelectric production and recreational activities.

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o identify important areas for ducks and examine the effects of landscape change, we used existing information from sources such as the CWS/BDJV population surveys.These surveys are conducted each spring by helicopter. The data set was impressive with more than 40,000 breeding ducks pinpointed to within 100 metres in Quebec’s forests. Over the 16 years of information, our analysis showed that 40 per cent of waterfowl occurred on small streams, with the next most important habitat type being small lakes of under eight hectares, such as beaver ponds.

We also noted that of the 20 species of ducks and geese identified, most are stable or on the increase. The only exceptions are the eastern populations of Barrow’s goldeneye and the harlequin duck, which are listed as “species of concern.” Their numbers were estimated at less than 4,500 and 2,000 respectively.

Logging is unquestionably having the most visible and large-scale impact on Quebec’s forests. As the harvest of the forest continued, we believed that the lack of nesting habitat for cavity nesting waterfowl may well be affecting waterfowl populations.

We undertook studies to determine local and shortterm effects of logging operations on the waterfowl populations. However, we were unable to detect any

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How should Quebec’s boreal forest conservation be planned?

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o date, our efforts have been focused at the provincial level as well as in more defined forest areas. In 2002, Quebec passed the Act respecting the conservation and development of wildlife to facilitate implementation of a network of protected areas representative of the province’s biodiversity. DUC is working with the Quebec government to ensure that wetlands are included in the development of this protected areas network.To provide input on the process, DUC has become a partner in the Round table on protected areas.

The results from this collaborative work has been colossal.

Barrow’s goldeneye: Françoise Gervais

negative effect of logging on tree cavity nesting species.

As well, there even appeared to be an increase in pair abundance among several ground-nesting species such as Canada geese and the green-winged teal.

We also looked at other possible effects of human activity on waterfowl. Although less visible on the landscape than logging, buildings, homes, cottages, roads and man-made water structures are significant in areas of Quebec’s forests.We found that nesting pairs of common goldeneye and Canada geese are less abundant in areas where there is significant human presence. Conversely, our data shows that in Quebec’s forests the mallard is associated with human activity. This is quite interesting in that the mallard was absent in Quebec at the start of the 20th century. Its first confirmed nesting in southern Quebec dates back only to 1952. Since then, its range has expanded across the entire province. This provides circumstantial evidence that human presence may have facilitated the mallard’s progression northward and into Quebec’s boreal forest.

right: Marcel Darveau

There is a lot to do and many opportunities for action and results for DUC in the Quebec’s boreal duck factory.

black scoter, harlequin duck: DU Canada

DUC volunteer George Wallace (right) with father Blake Wallace

In March 2009, Premier Jean Charest announced that Quebec was protecting 135,326 square kilometres (33,439,783 acres) which amounts to 8.1 per cent of the province, much of it boreal habitats that are vital to waterfowl, with intentions to increase this to 12 per cent by 2015.

During the last Quebec election, Premier Charest also proposed a Northern Plan that was similar to the one announced several months earlier by Ontario’s Premier Dalton McGuinty that proposed to protect 50 per cent of the area located north of the 49th parallel from industrial development.

Several species whose populations reside mainly in Quebec – particularly the black duck, Barrow’s goldeneye, harlequin duck and black scoter – will be DUC’s priority. In short, there is a lot to do and DUC will play an important role in ensuring the future of Quebec’s boreal ducks. A

Left: logged tracts of woodland and a dismantled reservoir symbolize the human presence in western regions of Quebec’s boreal forest, where forestry and hydroelectric development dot the landscape. Above (top to bottom): Barrow’s goldeneye, harlequin duck and black scoter in eastern North America are highly dependent on wetlands in Quebec’s boreal forests.

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he challenge to meet these targets is enormous. It goes without saying that the success of the Northern Plan requires the co-operation of everyone from the outset – and in particular the First Nations and other local communities. As part of the Northern Plan implementation, DUC will continue to pursue our waterfowl conservation objectives for the boreal wetlands and raise awareness among the public and decision-makers about their importance.

Ducks Unlimited Canada President Jack Hole (left) and Bernard Filion, DUC’s Quebec provincial manager, recently presented Quebec premier Jean Charest with an award for his government’s support of DUC.

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Worth Their Salt

Salt marshes act as buffers from hostile weather and provide vital habitat for waterfowl and wildlife. DUC is hard at work in the Maritimes to help re-establish these prized habitats.

Claude Ponthieux

by k r i s ta e l l i ot T

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Later this fall, a once familiar scene will return to the Bay of Fundy landscape. With the sanction of provincial regulators, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) will breach a 150-year-old agricultural dike close to the New BrunswickNova Scotia border to allow the tide to return to nearly 40 acres of agricultural dikeland, effectively restoring the land to its original salt marsh state.

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tlantic salt marshes are unique and productive ecosystems,” says Deanne Meadus, DUC’s manager of conservation programs, Atlantic Region. “They form on stable or emerging coastlines when sediment accumulates in sheltered intertidal estuarine areas, behind spits, bars or islands, and in protected bays. These marshes contain soils that are rich in organic materials and nutrients, and provide upland and wetland habitats beneficial to waterfowl for feeding, staging and nesting.”

Before ducks fly thousands of kilometres to their wintering grounds, they will store a large amount of fat in their body tissues to serve as necessary fuel for the flight. These ducks rely heavily on the food organisms that are nourished by salt marshes. Atlantic Canada’s salt marshes are critical for ducks staging, feeding and resting along the east coast of North America as they make their way from their summer breeding grounds to their winter feeding grounds. In fact, monitoring by DUC staff has shown a strong peak in bird abundance in September, which times with the onset of migration. The flight paths of these waterfowl have evolved over centuries with the need to find suitable marsh habitat at regular intervals along the route. A break in this slender and fragile chain could have negative consequences for ducks, and the restoration of salt marsh habitat can help offset that risk and improve the odds of more ducks safely completing their migrations.

Besides benefiting numerous species of ducks, such as black ducks, green-winged teals, mallards and mergansers, DUC research over the years has shown that estuaries, salt marshes and associated mud flat habitats also benefit shorebirds, great blue herons, ospreys, northern harriers, sharp-tailed sparrows and a wide variety of fish and invertebrates.

According to Meadus, what often is not understood is how salt marshes benefit people. Besides providing recreational opportunities like waterfowling, canoeing and hiking, salt marshes provide nursery habitat for a variety of fish and shellfish. Recreational and commer-

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cial fishing create jobs and income as well as the spinoff benefits from tourism in local communities. Besides providing these recreational opportunities and associated economic benefits, salt marshes act as natural buffers against rising sea levels and storm surges, an ecological service that perhaps will have its greatest payoff in the years ahead.

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e are all aware of reports that clearly state our climate is changing. During the 20th century, sea levels rose about 15 to 20 centimetres, or roughly 1.5 to 2.0 mm per year. The rate at the end of the century was greater than over the early part of the century. Satellite measurements taken over the past decade, however, indicate that the rate of sea level increase has jumped to about 3.1 mm per year. By the year 2100, studies predict a 1.5-metre rise in sea level. With these anticipated sea level rises comes the potential threat to coastal ecosystems and coastal communities.

As sea levels rise, salt marshes will play ever-growing roles in protecting coastlines from erosion caused by rising water and storm surges. The most severe known surges in Canada have been two to three metres high (well over the head of the average person). Such events occurring on high tides or during high lake levels can result in significant flood and wave damage. In the worst scenarios, communities can face destruction and even evacuation.

“Salt marshes and other tidal wetlands appear to have an ability to reduce the impact of storm surges on landward settlements,” says Dann Sklarew, associate director of the Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center and an expert in watershed science and policy at George Mason University in Virginia. “Where they have been removed or seriously impaired, destruction by tropical storms and even tsunamis appear to be much worse, like at the Mississippi Delta and areas of the northeastern Indian Ocean.”

Experts from the United States, particularly those in areas that are susceptible to hurricanes, have long been aware of the positive role that salt marshes play during

intense storms. Estuaries, marshes and wetlands buffer storm surge and flooding.

“Barrier islands and marsh areas are the first line of defence against severe storms coming out of the Gulf,” says Donald Gohmert of the United States Natural Resources Conservation Service. “It is similar to windbreaks in other areas. The tornado takes out the trees, but what is behind the barrier has been protected.

Scientists estimate that for every mile of vegetated marsh, we can dissipate at least one foot of storm surge.

For a category 5 hurricane, that sounds like ‘so what,’ but for many tropical storms it is significant.”

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raditionally, people have used innovation and technology to claim and protect the land from the sea. Centuries ago, Acadian settlers used dikes to hold back the sea and to convert marshland into agricultural property. Remnants of these dikes can be found over much of Atlantic Canada, and dikes are still used today to control water levels and to protect infrastructure and land. However, while dikes have their place, they also have their drawbacks. Dikes are expensive to erect and require a certain amount of ongoing maintenance, depending upon the amount of erosion and other damage they are susceptible to.

“Theoretically, if you had a healthy chunk of marsh when (Hurricane) Katrina hit, that could have mitigated some of the damage,” says Tom Moorman, director of conservation planning for Ducks Unlimited Inc.’s Southern Regional office. “In terms of protecting a city like New Orleans – a city that’s below sea level – storm surge abatement is critical. In theory, if you’d restored the marshes that have been lost, you may have lessened the effects of Katrina a little bit.”

Salt marshes provide a unique opportunity for DUC to promote and use nature’s own solution to hostile weather and sea level rise. Salt marshes adapt to rising sea level by trapping sediment from the water column as they are inundated. Sediment falls out of suspension because hydrodynamic drag is created by marsh vegetation which slows the velocity of the water. Over time this sediment builds up and raises the surface of the marsh. A salt marsh is an adaptive system that becomes a larger buffer over time. And once the salt marsh is established, little to no human maintenance is needed.

“The potential of salt marshes has yet to be fully tapped,” says Meadus. “For so long, they’ve been underappreciated by humankind, and yet, if properly managed and protected, they may prove to be a saviour, as we face the challenges of the future.”

In Canada’s Maritimes, waterfowl species like the black duck (above) rely on coastal salt marshes, estuaries and mud flat habitats.

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science p a g e

Bay of Fundy

Beausejour Marsh

NOVA SCOTIA

Right: DUC’s planned salt marsh restoration site. The lower red line is the dike that will be breached; the upper red line indicates the dike that will remain.

Turning the tide

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he proposed DUC project involves the controlled breaching of two sections of agricultural dikes on the Beausejour Marsh project in Aulac, New Brunswick. Currently, there are two layers of dikes.

New hydrologic models have been developed to predict how and where the water will flow as a result of the breach, resulting in substantial changes to the initial design and plans.

An additional factor is the impressive tide in the Bay of Fundy, which can reach 60 feet, requiring an entirely new level of expertise on modeling water movement. The establishment of the restored salt marsh will protect the remaining dike and the infrastructure beyond (including a CN rail line and the TransCanada Highway) from these tides and also from storm surges.

The project involves a strong commitment to long-term monitoring and research to assess project outcomes. Monitoring

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will begin prior to restoration, and baseline data will be collected from adjacent natural salt marshes and within the restoration area, to establish pre-restoration conditions and to help plan the restoration. Key factors that will be monitored include how quickly the vegetation becomes reestablished, how quickly sediment builds up, bird response, and presence of fish and invertebrates. This research will be done in partnership with faculty and students at Mount Allison University, University of New Brunswick and Acadia University, which will also address DUC’s commitment to fostering future generations of conservationists.

During this project, “best practices” will be developed for future dike realignments and will provide valuable strategic data for any further salt marsh restoration that takes place as a response to the threat of rising sea levels, climate change and aging dike infrastructure. “In Atlantic Canada, 65 per cent of salt marshes have been altered, degraded or destroyed.

In the Upper Bay of Fundy region, this number reaches 85 per cent. The existing threat to salt marshes brings an even stronger significance to this project,” says Wade Lewis, manager of restoration services, Atlantic Region.

The protection and restoration of salt marshes will become even more vital in coming years, to give them time to adapt to rising sea levels.

“Unless the tidal wetlands can build upwards or migrate inland at a commensurate pace with rising sea levels, habitat destruction and loss of this protection is a serious concern,” says Dann Sklarew, a wetland expert from George Mason University. “What’s more, if human settlements pinch potential marsh area from the landward side, or affect other processes which sustain vital sedimentation in the marsh, then the prognosis is even grimmer. Thus, under current climate change scenarios, the mitigating effect of salt marshes on storm surges may be limited in some places by the adverse ecological impact of sea level rise and nearby human activities on those marshes.” A

Narrowing the field on a scaup mystery

W by s t ua r t s l at t e r y

“Why have scaup populations declined and what’s keeping them from recovering?”

This simple question describes one of the biggest mysteries for the waterfowl community in recent times.

right: DU Canada

NEW BRUNSWICK

Starting from over six million birds in the 1970s, scaup numbers have declined by over 40 per cent. Most scaup nest in the boreal forest and migrate to wintering areas as far south as Central America. All along the way, scaup habitat has changed, with altered or drained wetlands, increased disturbance, environmental contamination on staging and wintering areas, or subtle shifts in food webs on boreal breeding grounds due to climate change.With all these habitat changes, how can we know what’s causing the scaup trouble?

While there are many ideas, three main hypotheses have shaped recent discussions: b Climate change, perhaps in combination with industrial activity, may have lowered productivity in boreal breeding areas.

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c Degraded foraging conditions in the upper Midwestern U.S. may prevent scaup from acquiring sufficient fat and protein while on migration. Female scaup use some of this stored fat and protein to produce eggs.

If they are unable to acquire these resources, productivity may be reduced. d Contaminants, specifically selenium, encountered on wintering and migration areas could have reduced hen survival and/or the ability for scaup to reproduce successfully.

While Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) scientists have been helping assess all these hypotheses, let’s focus on the last one. Selenium is a contaminant that has been found at high levels in wintering and migrating scaup. Selenium normally occurs in the environment in low levels and, in fact, is needed by the body. However, when ingested by hens at high levels, they may forgo nesting or transfer selenium to their eggs, which can kill developing ducklings. Fortunately, birds can remove selenium from their bodies through normal metabolic processes, so the question that DUC scientists, in collaboration with scientists from Environment Canada, asked was, “Is there enough time between exposure and nesting for birds to adequately remove selenium?” If so, then we could be reasonably confident that selenium effects on reproduction were not preventing scaup populations from recovering.

To answer this question, we used a combination of laboratory and field studies. In the lab, we simulated exposure to selenium during late spring migration and found no negative effects on female weight, their likelihood of nesting, the timing of nesting, or

their eggs. These results were convincing evidence that selenium was not the culprit.

However, laboratory studies do not always transfer directly to the wild, so we trekked to northern boreal breeding grounds and confirmed lab results. Arriving hens typically had low levels of selenium in their bodies, and we found no evidence of toxicity on their breeding status, nutrient stores, or eggs.

In the end, we were confident that if selenium affected scaup populations, it was only by preventing birds from arriving on breeding areas. Our collaborators at Long Point Waterfowl were able to reject that hypothesis.Together, we narrowed the field of potential reasons why scaup populations remain low, allowing us to focus research on other hypotheses. Our work continues to come up with the right answers and, ultimately, to put conservation actions in place to reverse this troubling trend for scaup. A

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Canadian country music superstar Paul Brandt found time recently to meet with Ducks Unlimited Canada’s Conservator magazine to have his career, conservation experiences and growing love for the outdoors profiled. by du n c a n m o r r i s o n

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and biased, it is because this is really the best place in the world to live.

wice in recent years, Paul Brandt has generously donated his time and talent as part of a waterfowling package auctioned off at the Calgary Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) dinner event. All monies raised for the hunts – which were both co-ordinated by Lloyd Derry, now DUC’s national planned giving manager – were put back toward DUC’s conservation efforts. And both times, Brandt picked up his guitar and entertained the happy group of DUC supporters with an unplugged performance that made the occasion truly memorable.

For his part, on the heels of his performance at the Vancouver Olympics and with a new music compilation and a steady summer concert season ahead of him, Brandt is a busy man. Not only does two-year old son Joe keep Brandt and wife Liz hopping, Brandt is in the process of registering his personal charitable organization called “priceles$.”, working on a new music project comprised of two albums worth of material (working title: Now), planning a national tour for fall 2011, and developing a television show for Country Music Television Canada.

Your performance at the Olympics was enjoyed by Canadians from all walks of life. Tell us why you are a proud Canadian.

It was really exciting to be part of what was going on at Olympics and be part of the national pride.

Vancouver was hosting and they made it about Canada in a huge way. I thought that was really smart to bring all the unique aspects of Canada into the Olympics. We got to be there as part of the Alberta Showcase and I performed at the medal ceremonies at GM Place and to be in front of an audience that big and that huge was a really exciting time for me and the guys in the band. It was a huge honour to be part of it and really fun.

What are your thoughts on Canada’s great outdoor areas?

I’ve had the incredible opportunity to travel across all of Canada and see just about every different aspect of the outdoors from being way up north fishing to hiking in the Yukon, northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba. One of my favourite areas is right here in Alberta near the Crowsnest Pass. For Canadians, to be able to live in a place where you can travel 20 minutes in any direction and not see another person is incredible, and I have learned that in my international travels. This is one of the reasons I came back to Canada. The more I travelled and saw different things around the world, the more I realized it wasn’t because I was from here

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Most Canadians have heard “Alberta Bound” and most of us have seen the video, which features Alberta’s beautiful landscapes and the people who live there. Tell us about your thoughts behind that video as it pertains to our natural areas in Alberta.

The song “Alberta Bound” came to me after a trip home to Alberta when I was living in Nashville. And I was thinking about all the things I love about this place. It was one of those crazy spring days we have here where it was dumping snow and giant snowflakes were falling. I was sitting next to a fireplace strumming my guitar and words for “Alberta Bound” just came to me. I never would have dreamed that song would become the anthem it is.

How did you become aware of DUC?

Above: Paul Brandt and wife Liz share a deeprooted connection with the outdoors. Opposite page: Brandt shows off a trout caught on B.C.’s Fortress Lake.

I had a piece of property west of Cochrane and at the time we were dreaming of living out there.

There were some wetlands and springs at the bottom of the property and I wanted a little bit of advice on what would be the best thing to do. So, I called DUC and met with Lloyd.We walked the property and talked about our mutual passions for the outdoors. This meeting eventually evolved into a duck hunting trip. And we have had a lot of fun with that, raising money for Ducks by auctioning off that trip. I always felt that I got the better of that deal as it was pretty cool to get to meet some of these guys that were as passionate about hunting and fishing as I was. And I got to learn a lot on those trips by being out there with people who did those things much more than I did. It was really a lot of fun and it has been a great partnership over the years.

Do you support conservation groups such as DUC? If so, why?

It’s not something honestly that I have spent a lot of time thinking about. It’s important to be responsible stewards of the land and that spans a lot of different ideas from a lot of different people. I think that it is important to be responsible with what we have been given.

As a father, how important to you is the conservation of our natural habitats such as wetlands for your children and their children?

“It’s important to be responsible stewards of the land and that spans a lot of different ideas from a lot of different people.

I think that it is important to be responsible with what we have been given.”

As a father now, with my young son running around, and thinking about being able to enjoy the outdoors with him as he gets older, I think it’s important to teach things that will help people keep their roots grounded. It’s how to take advantage of the resources we have, those are things that we are losing more and more in our modern society. Those things are becoming a lot more important to me and I think the relationship that I have had with Ducks Unlimited is something that I have spent a lot more time thinking about since my son came along. I really applaud their efforts in trying to keep the link to people to become responsible stewards.

Country music fans have a long tradition of being perceived as being close to the outdoor world and very down-to-earth souls. Can you explain how this closeness to the land that your audiences bring to the table motivates you?

Yeah, I think maybe in a different way than a lot of other country artists. As our world is moving more and more quickly, it has made things get a lot smaller. People talk about the global village and how easy it is to jump on a plane and you fly for 14 hours and you are on the other side of the world. It’s amazing that the world has become that small. The more I think

about that, the more that I think about the roots of country music. It has always been about helping your neighbour out and supporting the people around you that are in your community. Our community now has become a lot bigger and it is easier to reach around the world than ever before. It used to be, yeah, let’s head out to a country fair and have fun. But now we can do things that can change the world. I think what I love most about being a country artist is country fans seem to get that.They understand that it is important to look up every once in a while, look at the people around you, and pitch in and help.

You have said you enjoy waterfowling and fishing.

What are some of your favourite memories?

I have had some really great opportunities to have fun with a couple of television fishing shows.

We did the Bob Izumi show for instance, and I really enjoyed that opportunity. I have also had the good fortune to fish in northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan where I caught my biggest pike on a fly rod. I also have done some great trout fishing at Fortress Lake on the other side of the mountains in B.C. that I did with The Canadian Fly Fisher Magazine and Flymax Films.

As far as duck and bird hunting, my favourite memory was bringing my mom along to one of the DUC hunts.

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Are these outdoor pastimes part of your youth?

If so, can you explain? If not, can you tell us how you began to waterfowl or fish?

The outdoors for me was more going on trips with my uncle. My uncle has always been the guy that moved us into that area. He is a butcher by trade and so he knew all about field dressing the meat and he taught us all that. I always found that standing there on a stream with my uncle fishing and just getting to talk, or sometimes not talking at all, sometimes as a teenager, was a really great experience to have.

Tell me your favourite outdoor story.

“I always found that standing there on a stream with my uncle fishing and just getting to talk, or some times not talking at all, sometimes as a teenager, was a really great experience to have.”

Above: Paul Brandt performs during 2008 Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Showcasing his national pride, Brandt also performed in ceremonies at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver earlier this year.

I think it was one of those trips with my uncle and my dad. A friend had an old cabin just west of Sundre that they gave us the keys to. We went out late fall to do some fishing and bird hunting and got out there and it started to dump snow. We were in this cabin with no heat and we literally had to stay up and feed the fire, it was that cold. We had shot a couple of grouse that day and had dressed them and cooked them over the fire. The next day, we went to do a little fishing but the river had started to freeze up. We were standing there and I looked across the river and there were these wild horses across the water. To be there in that moment, watch the snow and to hear something across the way in the bushes and see a wild stallion staring back… it left an image in my head I will never forget. I feel very blessed to have had some of those experiences.

Anything to add?

I’m looking forward to getting out into the public eye again. I have a few exciting things on the go.

It has been really nice for me to be able to share what I do with my family. We are heading out on the road in the fall of 2011 and we will take my family as well as a grandmother or two to help with the babysitting! A

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Conservator | 31-3 2010

left: © The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

It was something she had always wanted to do, be out on a hunt, and the opportunity was there. I remember getting ready for it and she was like a little kid.We were going to the different sporting goods stores in Calgary getting what she needed and got her all set up. It was just a little bit surreal looking out across and seeing mom hunting with us. She still talks about it quite a bit.

I had a wonderful time and it is a really great memory.