Quebec/ eastern region ( Atlantic )
Quebec • New Brunswick • Nova Scotia • Prince Edward Island • Newfoundland and Labrador
volume 30, number 1, 2009
Inner-city kids explore wetlands thanks to RBC and Project Webfoot
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In September 2008, 216 students from inner city areas who attend three elementary schools in the Montreal region were introduced to wetland ecology through Ducks Unlimited Canada’s (DUC) educational program Sur la piste du marais (Project Webfoot). With financial support from the RBC Foundation, these fourth-grade students were able to participate in a field trip called La vie cachée du marais (the hidden life of the marsh) designed by the team of naturalists from the Groupe uni des éducateurs naturalistes et professionnels en environnement (GUEPE). As well, nine teachers were provided with DUC’s educational resource kit to organize classroom activities. The field trips took place during the week of Sept. 29 along Bertrand Brook and des Prairies River in the Bois-de-Liesse Nature Park in Pierrefonds. To help students discover marsh life, the naturalists have designed several exciting activities, including the popular “critter dipping” (fishing with a net for tiny invertebrates). To complete their introduction to marsh inhabitants, the students discovered the common snapping turtle and the life cycle of the red-winged blackbird and the mosquito, in addition to visiting a beaver lodge and learning to recognize various species of fish and the noisy serenades of amphibians. To carry out this project, DUC and GUEPE established a new partnership that allows young people to discover the incredible diversity of wetlands and the importance of conservation. GUEPE is a not-for-profit organization that has been promoting education and awareness in the natural sciences and the environment since 1991. Each year, the organization works with 17,000 children in the greater Montreal region by offering workshops, field trips, day camps and activities for the general public in the nature parks of Montreal. Thanks to the RBC Foundation’s donation, GUEPE was able to purchase high-quality educational material for its activity including binoculars, a telescope, mounted animals, species identification guides and fishing nets. On behalf of the 216 students and their teachers, as well as all the stakeholders involved in this project, we would like to thank the RBC Foundation for its great generosity S
From left to right: Bernard Crevier from the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Grade 4 students from an elementary school in Pierrefonds, Sarah Mailhot (GUEPE) and Geneviève Meunier (DUC).
Changing faces for Atlantic staff
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There are many different faces around the Atlantic Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) offices these days. On October 23, 2008 a celebration was held to celebrate Joe Harvey’s career at DUC and to wish him well on his retirement. A mix of family, friends, staff past and present dropped into the Ducks Unlimited Conservation Centre in Fredericton to partake in the festivities. Harvey started his career building freshwater impoundments on the St. John River in 1981 and ended his tenure on in
Adam Campbell is the new conservation specialist for New Brunswick. October overseeing all the conservation program delivery in New Brunswick which included the maintenance program on those projects he originally constructed in the early 1980s.
Harvey worked for almost 10 years with New Brunswick provincial government in both the Departments of Transportation and Agriculture before joining DUC. Long term staff members Barry Burke and Geoff Harding presented Harvey with a gold pitchfork that signified a long standing joke between them. Burke and Harvey figured they had cleaned so much beaver debris from water control structures in over 25 years that they would not get a gold watch from DUC when they retired but a gold pitchfork. “We had to make sure Joe got one” said Burke, DUC's NB Fundraising Manager. Harvey’s replacement, DUC's Adam Campbell began working with DUC on a vegetation management study then worked as a contractor over the summer. Adam and his wife will be relocating to Fredericton, NB. The DUC Atlantic staff is expanding by two employees. Kerri Walton, head of administration and Jodie Hambrook, education specialist are currently on maternity leave. Walton’s position has been filled by Shelley Dixon in Amherst and Hambrook’s has been filled by Colette Cheverie in Fredericton. Dixon lives in Point de Bute, NB where she and her husband have a beef farm and a construction business. She previously was employed for 28 years by Atlantic Wholesalers.
Joe Harvey tries out the gold pitchfork which Barry Burke presented to him in honour of the beaver debris they have cleaned over the years. Cheverie is from PEI and worked as a summer student for DUC for two years as well as doing contract work. She graduated with a BSc and a B.Ed from UPEI. Cheverie is a musician and released her first CD of traditional songs. She will be working with Erin Heeney who delivers the education program at the DU Conservation Centre. Erin’s work term ends in March.
Land donation aids conservation goals
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Without the generosity of landowners, many of Ducks Unlimited Canada’s (DUC) conservation goals would be much more difficult to reach. A notable donation that DUC received in Nova Scotia was from Eldon Pace and Stephan and Dianne Crutcher. Pace, a past manager of the Nova Scotia Wildlife Park, and the Crutchers donated a portion of the St. Andrew’s Marsh in Shubenacadie, N.S., to DUC. Over 18 acres of prime waterfowl and wildlife habitat was donated to DUC, which also includes the property on which the large water control structure and fish ladder were built. St. Andrew’s Marsh was built by DUC in partnership with the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in 1976. It is 234 acres, mostly owned by the DNR. The marsh is part of the Greenwing Legacy Project at the Nova Scotia Wildlife Park, and there is public access to the marsh trail through the park. There is a 1.5 km nature trail to the marsh and an observation tower. “This donation was in direct response to all of the work that DUC completed at Shubenacadie with the building of the Greenwing Legacy Interpretive Centre,” says Deanne Meadus, manager of conservation programs in Atlantic Canada. “This is a great example of a partnership that benefits all parties. The donors get a tax receipt for the market value of the land and we get to preserve high quality wetland habitat in perpetuity.” The St. Andrew’s Marsh adds to the Greenwing Project and it has been a haven for waterfowl and other wildlife. A sandhill crane was spotted flying over the wetlands at the Greenwing Centre last summer – the first sighting of a wild sandhill crane in the park in 25 years and one of only nine recorded sightings of the bird in Nova Scotia. During fall migration between 200 and 300 geese roosted and fed on the marsh in one evening. Providing this valuable habitat wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of these landowners.S Eldon Pace and Stephan and Dianne Crutcher donated part of the St. Andrew’s Marsh to DUC.
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 )
The EHJV: A great partnership for waterfowl
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The North American Waterfowl Management Plan was signed between Canada and the United States in 1986 with Mexico joining the agreement in 1988. In Quebec, the Plan is carried out through the Eastern Habitat Joint Venture (EHJV), and the following organizations are responsible for its implementation: the Quebec Department of Natural Resources and Wildlife, the Fondation de la faune du Québec (Quebec Wildlife Foundation), the Canadian Wildlife Service, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Wildlife Habitat Canada and, since 2003, Conservation de la nature – Québec. The partners recently released the record of their activities over the last 20 years, which focused mainly on the protection and restoration of wetlands along the St. Lawrence, Ottawa and Saguenay rivers as well as the Abitibi lowlands. More than $57 million have been invested in 139 projects. Three-quarters of this amount has been spent on the protection of over 16,000 hectares and the restoration of over 8,000 hectares of wetlands. The success of a major program such as the EHJV rests upon the acquisition of knowledge and of data which, on the one hand, guides the conservation and development initiatives that are to be implemented, and on the other hand, evaluates the consequences of those initiatives to adjust, if necessary, the way we operate. The partners have therefore invested in follow-up and assessment measures for the projects, especially in the forest environment, to evaluate the effects of clear-cutting on waterfowl’s use of the habitat. Waterfowl nesting inventories and research aimed at improving water resource management to increase fish production have been undertaken. Ducks Unlimited has been a key player in the projects delivery. In addition to these traditional interventions, several not-for-profit organizations have taken over the management and promotion of certain sites. These initiatives are an important commitment by the local communities to ensure the future of conservation in Quebec. What does the future hold? The acquisition of key wetlands for waterfowl remains a priority whereas the development of habitats will focus mainly on the restoration of past developments. The published document can be obtained by calling 1-866-248-6936 or the EHJV website (www.qc.ec.gc.ca/faune/pche/pche.html). S
Music for wetlands
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Various secondary school programs encourage their students to engage in volunteer activities to help the charity of their choice. Raynald Dancause’s great commitment to Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) as president of the provincial council of volunteers has paid off. Alexandre Beaulieu-Tremblay, one of his students at Roger-Comtois secondary school in Quebec City, took the initiative to organize a Pink Floyd tribute concert in 2007 to support the conservation of wetlands. The concert was such a great success that Alexandre decided to repeat the experience in February 2008, but this time the concert brought together a variety of songs that everybody loves. With proceeds from both concerts, Alexandre was able to make a $1,050 donation to DUC for the conservation program. Alexandre organized his concerts with the help of two music professors and by recruiting a few student volunteers. This was his first experience as a volunteer to help a non-profit organization and he felt very proud of the outcome. When asked why he chose DUC, Alexandre said, “A small step from time to time could help; each generation has to be responsible for the healthy environment in which they live.” Thanks to Raynald Dancause, DUC’S family of volunteers has welcomed a new young member. The importance of wetland conservation was so well communicated to these young students that they felt they had to be part of this cause. Indeed, it’s as we say: wetlands matter to everyone. A special thank you goes out to Raynald Dancause for his continuing passion for DUC and congratulations to Alexandre Beaulieu-Tremblay for his great success!
Land Rover donated to DUC Auction
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The annual DUC Grand Lake Men’s Dinner and Auction had a unique item this year – a 1971 Land Rover Series III (Classic). The right-side drive vehicle was part of the live auction at the Oct. 17 dinner at the Royal Canadian Legion in Minto. The Land Rover was a generous donation from Steve Appleby. “I live in rural New Brunswick and this is not the type of vehicle everyone wants,” Appleby said. “I was going to sell it, but it’s difficult to sell in this area. One day it just popped into my head to donate it to someone who can use it so I sent an email and Ducks Unlimited was all for it.” The vehicle is not a highway vehicle; it is great for hunting and fishing trips and served Appleby well on many salmon fishing trips. He was in attendance at the dinner to watch it be auctioned off. “I was warned by my wife not to change my mind, buy it back and bring it home.” He got the vehicle after his son found it on eBay. He spent a lot of time working on it and fixing it up. He says he never paid much attention to cosmetics, but mechanically it is sound and most parts are new. As a matter of fact, it was appraised by a Land Rover expert at $15,000 and the appraiser told Appleby that if it was fully restored it would sell for twice that amount. The high bidder was Mike Barton of Chipman, N.B., who got the vehicle for $4,900 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: Deb Menard Art Director: Tye Gregg Graphic Designers: Lindsay Pikta-Marie, Aquila Samson, Jeope Wolfe © Ducks Unlimited Canada, 2009 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 Newfoundland and Labrador Kelly Sandoval (877) 243-8257 Fundraising
This 1971 Land Rover Series III (Classic) was donated by Steve Appleby to be auctioned at the Grand Lake Men’s Dinner.
Québec (West) Pascal Desmedt
(877) 547-9494
Greenwing Liaisons Kim Votour
(888) 920-3330 ext. 3
publication agreement #40064849