Quebec/ eastern region ( Atlantic )
Quebec • New Brunswick • Nova Scotia • Prince Edward Island • Newfoundland and Labrador
volume 29, number 2, 2008
DUC Quebec’s boreal forest team members achieve their Master’s degrees
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Last December, Sylvain Ménard and Louis-Vincent Lemelin, both students at l’Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) working for Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC), completed their Master’s degrees. The pair worked under the direction of UQAT’s Louis Imbeau and DUC’s Marcel Darveau, in collaboration with Daniel Bordage from the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS). The key partners for their research projects were the Black Duck Joint Venture (BDJV), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Boreal Initiative and the Department of Natural Resources and Wildlife of Quebec. Ménard’s project was entitled “Régionalisation des habitats humides du Québec forestier méridional” (Regionalization of Wetland Landscapes in the Forested Areas of Southern Quebec). He studied the small-scale distribution of wetlands in the forestdominated areas of Quebec (540,000 km2, or roughly that portion of Quebec which lies south of the 51st parallel, excluding the St. Lawrence Lowlands). Ménard classified the wetlands on 456 eco-forestry map leaflets systematically spread out over the study area. He showed that wetlands and aquatic environments, which represent 10.3 per cent and 11.7 per cent of the territory, respectively, are arranged according to three landscape types: wet, dry and anthropogenic. The “anthropogenic” type reflects the magnitude of the human footprint upon the landscape caused by dams and reservoirs.
Lemelin’s project was entitled “L’habitat de la sauvagine en période de nidification dans le Québec forestier” (The Habitat of Nesting Waterfowl in the Forest-Dominated Landscapes of Quebec). His work can be summarized as follows: The wetlands in the forested areas of Quebec are home to more than 20 species of waterfowl, for a total of 350,000 breeding pairs of waterfowl. In order to examine the relationship between these species and their nesting habitats, Lemelin used data drawn from the aerial inventory undertaken by the BDJV and the CWS, who, since 1990, have done sampling on 156 25-km2 quadrats in the forested areas of Quebec. The locations of 32,000 breeding pairs of waterfowl were examined in relation to the type of habitat. The analysis revealed the importance of small bodies of water and streams for waterfowl reproduction. The research also assessed the local and short-term (approximately four-year) impact of forest harvesting upon populations of cavity-nesting and ground-nesting ducks. In the case of cavity-nesting species, no negative impact was detected, and the forest harvesting appears to have had a positive impact on Canada goose and greenwinged teal, two ground-nesting species. For more information, visit the “Nouvelles et publications” section on DUC Quebec’s website: www.canardsquebec.ca.S
Quebec's boreal forest wetlands were the site of Master's studies by DUC team members.
Waterfowl have a new home in the heart of Charlottetown
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Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC), in partnership with Agriculture and AgriFood Canada (AAFC), recently restored a two-acre wetland complex on the Experimental Farm Property in Charlottetown, P.E.I. “This restored wetland will be used as a demonstration site to illustrate the value of implementing Best Management Practices in the agricultural landscape,” says Wade Lewis, conservation programs specialist with DUC. “Restoring wetlands provides valuable wildlife habitat and improves water quality on the farm.” Nationally, DUC has been promoting the value of restoring wetlands in agricultural areas. Wetlands provide many benefits including increasing biodiversity and filtering water to reduce nitrates and other contaminants. They also act like sponges, taking up water in times of heavy rain or snowmelt and slowly releasing it during drier periods. In co-operation with provincial governments, AAFC has supported wetland restoration by providing funding through its National Farm Stewardship Program. S
A two-acre wetland complex was restored in Charlottetown.
Shubenacadie Sam predicts weather, celebrates wetlands on World Wetlands day
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It was a cold, rainy, icy morning, but it didn’t stop Nova Scotia's Shubenacadie Sam, the first groundhog to predict the weather in North America, from prognosticating. It also didn’t stop a crowd of people from coming to watch or the celebration for World Wetlands Day that followed. Despite the bad weather, Shubenacadie Sam gave everyone hope by coming out of his house and staying out – no chance of a shadow with all the rain – and forecasting that spring was indeed around the corner.
Following Sam’s big moment, those brave enough to come to the park were welcomed inside the Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) Greenwing Legacy Interpretive Centre for warm drinks, crafts, games and lots of fun. DUC and the Province of Nova Scotia teamed up on the event which celebrated World Wetlands Day with the theme Healthy Wetlands, Healthy People. Inside the centre children and adults had a great time making paper turtles, groundhog masks and plaster animal tracks and taking part in a colouring contest. There was also face painting and a fish pond where every attempt won a grab bag. People used the interactive displays in the centre and enjoyed the visit by mascots Gertie the Groundhog and Drake the Duck. Throughout the day people had the chance to go critter dipping under the ice with the help of an ice auger as well as head off on some nature hikes. “It was rainy and cold for most of the day,” says Kelly MacDonald, marketing and communications co-ordinator for DUC Atlantic and one of the organizers of the day’s event. “But people came prepared and were eager to get out and enjoy the wetlands. We were surprised just how many people showed up with such bad weather but it didn’t seem to stop them. They wanted to take part in all of the indoor and outdoor activities.” Since the day fell on a Saturday, celebrations were on until 2 p.m. and the centre remained busy throughout the day with families coming in to see the centre, learning about wetlands and getting active by nature. S Josh Booth coloured wetland animals on World Wetlands Day at the Greenwing Legacy Interpretive Centre at Shubenacadie Provincial Park.
e a s t e r n r e g i o n ( q u e b e c / at l a n t i c )
Alcoa Canada helps support research on wetlands in urban areas of Quebec
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Alcoa Canada joined forces with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and the Quebec-Labrador Foundation to undertake a research project in the fall of 2007 that focused on wetlands in urban environments. The main purpose of this partnership was to enable young people to acquire knowledge through research. Marie-Ève Talbot was able to benefit from three months of practical training with DUC and one month with the Quebec-Labrador Foundation. Every year, Alcoa Canada invests in various communities and supports a number of community undertakings. The donation received by DUC falls within the “conservation and sustainable development” category, which represents 18 per cent of all major donations made by Alcoa Canada to the community. Thanks to Alcoa Canada’s generous donation, DUC was able to launch a program to appraise the ecological goods and services that wetlands provide to the urban community, and to calculate their non-market value. To further the cause of wetland conservation, DUC has developed an “awareness” component and produces tools for elected officials, municipal decision-makers and land-use planners so that they recognize the importance of wetlands and the role these areas play in the operation of a healthy urban environment.
At the end of her practical training period, Talbot produced a report entitled “Valeur des milieux humides en milieu urbain” (The value of wetlands in urban areas), which is available to all interested parties. The report’s main conclusions mention, among other things, that the quality of life for urban dwellers is clearly improved when wetlands can be found on the territory. The value of ecological goods and services provided by these ecosystems is estimated at several millions of dollars annually. Although their value is measured mainly outside of the economic market, the ecological goods and services are no less important to society. They have a bearing on society on a variety of levels ranging from the production of natural resources and the improvement of health to the discovery of new genetic materials, the regulation of water and nutrient levels, and even by providing inspiration for many artistic endeavours. Thanks to support such as that provided by Alcoa Canada, the DUC team is able to advance projects that contribute the seeds of future development for wetland conservation in urban environments. Alcoa’s donation also coincided with the dedication of wildlife habitats in Terrebonne and Montreal, thus allowing DUC to combine research projects with very specific conservation work in the field. S
Cheers to Ducks on the Deck!
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For the second year in a row an innovative event in New Brunswick raised funds for Project Webfoot. Ducks on the Deck is the brainchild of volunteer Kimberly Arseneau. It’s an informal drop-in event that takes place in August on the patio at the Old Town Tavern in St. Stephen, N.B. Admission is free, but silent and sealed bid auctions and raffles run throughout the evening. “I found a lot of people weren’t attending the dinner but were interested in supporting the cause so I came up with this concept,” Arseneau says. “It’s less formal than a dinner but introduces people to what DU Canada does and to the merchandise we have at the events.” The atmosphere at the event is relaxed and jovial. In 2007 about 60 people attended
throughout the evening, with many staying for the whole event. Those in attendance had a good chance to socialize, try to outbid each other in the silent auction and get a bite to eat and some drinks. This year Arseneau also sold “duck heads” for $5 leading up to the event. The funds raised will sponsor two classes. Arseneau and her husband Paul are sponsoring their son’s class, while John and Donna Seifert (the owners of the Old Town Tavern), the Charlotte County Credit Union and Jason Downey of Investors Group are all class sponsors. In all, six classes in area schools will be sponsored because of this event. In total more than $5,000 was raised. S Kimberley Arseneau's idea has helped sponsor Project Webfoot classes.
DUC Quebec mourns loss
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Staff at Ducks Unlimited Canada Quebec were very saddened to learn of the death of Alisa Guérette Montminy (1984-2008), a Master’s student at Université Laval (UL) who was doing her work at the DUC Quebec office. She passed away on Jan. 9, 2008. Alisa was doing her Master’s research under the direction of Steve Cumming (UL) and Marcel Darveau (DUC). Her research topic was entitled “Modélisation de l’utilisation de l’habitat par la sauvagine dans la forêt boréale de l’est de l’Amérique du Nord” (Modelling Waterfowl’s Use of Habitat in the Boreal Forest of Eastern North America). We would like to extend our deepest condolences to Alisa’s family and loved ones, as well as to all her friends and colleagues. S
A Bloomin' good town
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Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) congratulates the Town of Kentville on receiving top honours in the 5,001-to-10,000 population category in the Nova Scotia provincial edition of Communities in Bloom on Nov. 27, 2007. At the ceremony, DUC’s Miner Marsh Project received special mention. A co-operative effort between DUC, the Town of Kentville and the County of Kings, Miner Marsh was constructed to be a multi-use community wetland. Miner Marsh is a property adjacent to the Cornwallis River that was purchased by DUC in 1997. The wetland habitat plays an important role in the local watershed by processing surface run-off, filtering nutrients, recharging the groundwater resource and providing habitat to support waterfowl and other wildlife. When completed, the site will feature a footbridge over the river and trails that will encompass the wetlands. A portion of the site will be wheelchair accessible. An observation deck, dipping platform and signage will be an integral part in the delivery of DUC’s educational programs. “The project would not have been possible without the generosity of companies such as Michelin Tire, numerous local businesses and individuals and the commitment and dedication of our volunteers,” says Ian Ripley, development manager with DUC. “Miner Marsh is truly a wonderful project which will serve the community well for many years.” Communities in Bloom is a volunteer-based, non-profit organization committed to fostering civic pride, environmental awareness and municipal beautification. Registered communities compete in their population categories and are judged on evaluation criteria including tidiness, environmental awareness, community involvement, heritage conservation, urban forest management, landscaped areas, floral displays, and turf and groundcovers. This award marks the second time Kentville has received five blooms at the provincial level since 1999. S
quebec/ eastern Region ( atlantic )
The Flyway newsletter is published by Ducks Unlimited Canada Oak Hammock Marsh Conservation Centre P.O. Box 1160, Stonewall, Manitoba R0C 2Z0 tel (204)467-3000 fax (204)467-9028 toll-free 1(800)665-DUCK Please direct your inquiries to the following: Eastern Region Atlantic: Kelly MacDonald Quebec: Bernard Filion Ontario: Lynette Mader Western Region Prairie-Western Boreal: Marci Dube Pacific: Wendy Fister Flyway production staff Director of Communications and Marketing: Madeleine Arbez Editor: Duncan Morrison Assistant: June Finnson Art Director: Tye Gregg Graphic Designers: Lindsay Pikta-Marie, Aquila Samson, Jeope Wolfe © Ducks Unlimited Canada, 2008 Printed in Canada on 100% recycled paper including 100% post-consumer fibres
Area Contacts Manager of Provincial Operations, Atlantic Tom Duffy (866) 903-8257 ext.234 Manager of Provincial Operations, Québec Bernard Filion (800) 565-1650 ext.15 Fundraising Manager, Québec Jocelyn Landry (877) 551-5757 Fundraising Manager, New Brunswick Barry Burke (888) 920-3330 Fundraising Manager, Nova Scotia James Young (888) 557-5554 Fundraising Manager, Newfoundland and Labrador Kelly Sandoval (877) 243-8257 Fundraising
Miner Marsh is truly a wonderful project which will serve the community well for many years.
Québec (West) Pascal Desmedt
(877) 547-9494
Greenwing Liaisons Kim Votour
(888) 920-3330 ext. 3
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