British western region ( columbia )
volume 27, number 4, 2006
Never met a kid who doesn’t like to play with bugs
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Video rentals, television, computer games, chatting online or browsing the Internet are what define children’s entertainment today. But will there ever be a better place for a kid than getting muddy and mucky running around a Canadian wetland in search of frogs and birds? Not likely. And the kids themselves demonstrated that comforting truism this spring when Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) volunteers took over 400 Grade 4 school kids on field trips to slosh their way through Watson Slough – a 20-hectare wetland about 20 minutes west of Fort St. John in B.C.’s Peace region. The Project Webfoot field trips (May 24-26) were designed to teach
kids about the ecosystem of ponds, bird identification and many of the other miracles that lie between nature’s many layers. “Field trips are not only great fun for the children, but we also think it’s important for kids to understand the value of wetlands and the role people play in conserving wetlands,” explains Kathleen Fry, education co-ordinator for DUC in B.C. “Through our Project Webfoot program, DUC tries to foster understanding and concern about conservation in children, and we hope they will carry it into adulthood.” DUC’s Project Webfoot kit includes a field guide called Marsh World, wildlife stickers, and a subscription to the children’s magazine, Puddler. The teachers receive lesson plans about wetland ecosystems, posters and videos about vanishing wetlands and the importance of water. These materials support B.C.’s Science curriculum at a Grade 4 level by featuring wetland examples of animal adaptations, life cycles, concepts of habitats and communities, and how human beings have an impact on the environment. DUC volunteer and biologist Brian Churchill, who helped conduct the field trips, says, “Kids don’t always get a chance to get out and get in contact with the natural world. I haven’t had a kid yet that wasn’t interested.” Adds Churchill, “They all have fun playing with the bugs.” Earlier this year Petro-Canada donated $25,000 to DUC to pay for three years of Project Webfoot for school children in the B.C. Peace.
Children from B.C.'s School District #60 on ‘safari’ at Watson’s Slough quickly go to work investigating the myriad of worms, bugs and other delights thriving in the wetland.
Critical wetland habitat secured in B.C. Peace
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With its broad plains, woods and meadows, rolling grasslands and painted skies, the B.C. Peace region is aptly named. It is a place where straw-coloured hillsides are trimmed with groves of aspen in spring and fall, before the brittle beauty of winter emerges with the first snowfall. And yet, in what is an otherwise abundant landscape, many of the B.C. Peace’s historic wetlands have disappeared. Drainage, which for years was used to boost agricultural production, may have been helpful to the local economy, but did less for the migratory waterfowl that depended on those wetlands. Recognizing that with a good management plan and sustainable practices it is possible to foster both agriculture and wildlife, the Pacific Region of Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) aimed to secure and restore 3,000 acres of critical wetland habitat in the B.C. Peace’s Doe River landscape. On March 21, DUC took a big step in that direction when it acquired the 130-hectare (320-acre) Mattson property, a parcel of agricultural land located about 25 km north of Dawson Creek where cattle, forage and hay production are a mainstay. The Mattson parcel is part of a larger contiguous complex of wetlands that sits on benchlands above the steep-sided valley where the Kiskatinaw River flows. With the river so close by, it became easy for people to drain almost the entire area for agricultural use by routing the water through Rose Canyon and into the Kiskatinaw River. Before drainage became common, flocks of pintails, mallards and wigeon regularly used the wetlands in the spring. Waterfowl production dwindled as the wetlands disappeared. With DUC leading the restoration, local surface run-off will be used to reflood those wetlands and restore much of the drained habitat, making way for an increase in waterfowl populations. The Kiskatinaw River is an important wildlife corridor and the Mattson property’s location will provide additional benefits to wildlife using the valley. Several types of raptors, including the golden eagle, nest here. Wild ungulates, including elk, moose,
mule deer and white-tailed deer, routinely use the river valley and also winter along the south-facing slopes. Agriculture will be essential to managing the property for the benefit of wildlife. Working with the agricultural sector, DUC has found ways to use cattle as a tool for managing wildlife. For example, the cattle’s grazing removes excess vegetation. Also, their hooves (in conjunction with the manure they “share” with the soil) have the effect of recycling vegetation, thereby creating patches of habitat. To a large extent this process of pruning the landscape and regenerating soil and vegetation mimics what herds of bison had done in times past, and what natural fires do in modulating growth. But the cattle are especially useful because unlike wild bison and fires, cattle can be managed to exert just the right amount of disturbance required for regeneration and habitat management. So it makes sense that the pasture at Mattson will be converted to a rotational grazing system that will improve the quality of pasture for livestock and give additional cover for wildlife. As well, clean water will be provided to livestock in troughs so they don’t disturb the wetlands for drinking. The hayed areas will be harvested at a time that allows waterfowl to successfully nest and for vegetation to regrow. Riparian buffers around wetlands will be maintained and protected to further maximize the habitat’s value. The entire parcel will be maintained in permanent cover that protects the soil from erosion. The former owners of the Mattson property will continue to be involved in its future management. Their understanding of the land and their appreciation for its values will be important as DUC pursues a management plan that blends the needs of wildlife and agriculture. The Mattson lands constitute a valuable addition to the habitat corridor for the Doe River landscape, adding to the 809 hectares (2,000 acres) that DUC has already succeeded in securing; the others are the Patterson, Donaldson and North Valleyview parcels nearby.
western region (british columbia)
Helicopter survey a new high in DUC partnership with CWS
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This past spring, Ducks Unlimited Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Service, with significant financial support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, undertook what is believed to be the largest waterfowl survey in B.C. history. DUC has often joined forces with the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) to survey waterfowl, but 2006 represented what could be a new “high” in their partnership. Together they conducted a helicopter survey covering over 12 million hectares (120,000 square kilometres) in the central Interior of B.C. For four weeks in May, the DUC-CWS team boarded a helicopter and flew across the central part of the province, from 70 Mile House to Babine Lake, in a series of parallel east-west lines called “transects.” The team not only counted every duck they spotted, they recorded extensive data about the wetlands below. Wildlife biologist Bruce Harrison of DUC, who was part of the survey team, explains that given the rugged landscape of the region, this survey method documents waterfowl populations more accurately and captures a higher quality of data than surveys from airplanes or observations on the ground. Early results indicate that over half a million birds, including over 100,000 mallards, comprise the duck population in the central Interior. It is an impressive number considering that this area is not as well documented for its duck populations as other parts of Canada. While wetlands and lakes are the most common habitats for waterfowl, the science team also found that many ducks, especially mallards, common mergansers and green-winged teals, were using streams and slow-moving rivers as breeding habitats, especially in forests where streams are often flooded by beaver dams.
The data gathered by the team will be used to make computer models that tell biologists which habitats are most often used by birds, enabling them to better estimate population sizes and identify important breeding areas. DUC (l-r): Andre Breault, waterfowl biologist for CWS and biologists also use survey team leader, Steve Goodliffe, pilot for Highland the data to earmark Helicopters, Darryl Kroeker, biologist and habitat priority areas for land manager in DUC’s Pacific Region. securement, to compare ducks’ use of two different habitat sites, and to determine how much habitat is needed to support waterfowl populations. Such information is critical to guiding DUC’s conservation in B.C. “This survey is so useful in terms of science and our conservation plans,” says survey team member and DUC biologist Darryl Kroeker. “But I have to say it’s also the kind of work a wildlife biologist enjoys. The perspective of the landscape from a helicopter is remarkable and quite beautiful.” With the help of its partners, DUC will carry out the same surveys annually in order to gauge future trends and track how waterfowl populations respond to various climatic conditions.
"The perspective of the landscape from a helicopter is remarkable and quite beautiful," say Kroeker.
Burke scores with DUC
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The common wisdom is: when you want something done, get a busy person to do it. And that seems to be the rule of thumb for one of DUC’s high-profile supporters, Brian Burke — former general manager of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Vancouver Canucks, and now general manager of the NHL's Anaheim Ducks. Burke says he travels about 12,000 miles a month on airplanes and has little free time. So there was some excitement when he agreed to be guest speaker at a luncheon hosted by DUC at the Vancouver Club on July 27. The guests, mostly from the B.C. business community, listened to Burke speak with conviction about hockey, conservation and DUC. His dry wit, searing honesty and unique perspective on the national pastime would make great material for a book, a project which Burke has not ruled out. “Games are won and lost with blood, sweat and leadership,” Burke told his audience. Reporters feast on quotes from people like Burke, who has provided enough of them over the years. His take on hockey players and the quixotic nature of hockey fans, whose feelings can shift from hate to adoration and back again, is not only entertaining but enlightening. Burke has long been an active and generous supporter of DUC. Over the years when Burke was still managing the Canucks, he donated tickets to DUC for hockey games, which were used for fundraising at DUC dinners, and getting young Greenwing members to the arena to cheer on the home team. He also recorded public service announcements (PSAs) about wetland conservation for DUC, which were well received.
(l-r) Gordon Stewart, development manager for DUC’s Pacific Region, Brian Burke, general manager of Anaheim Ducks hockey franchise, Ian Barnett, director of operations, DUC’s Western Region.
In fact, some people have their strongest impression of DUC from Burke’s PSAs. Burke is a classic tough guy with a soft heart. He told his audience that if he was not able to pair his charity work with the hockey business he would lose interest in what he does for a living. “Being part of the fabric of the community is very important,” he said. “If the only footprint I left was winning hockey games, I just wouldn’t do it.” Burke says that while he supports other charities, getting people to donate money to wetlands conservation is “an uphill battle” compared with other worthy causes. He pointed out that children’s charities will easily pull the heartstrings of a potential donor, whereas convincing them that conservation is important for the children’s future is a far more difficult “sell.” But he seems up to the task, and then some. “The most fun I have in [my volunteer] work is when I’m working for Ducks Unlimited,” said Burke, adding that if every person who believed in wetland conservation went out and recruited even one new person into Ducks Unlimited, the organization would see tremendous growth. Burke said he believes DUC’s future would be better served by getting more women, young adults, and children into DUC. As he speaks about DUC it is without doubt that he is truly a passionate DUC supporter. “What DUC is doing is phenomenally important work,” says Burke. “I want to see DUC projects a hundred years from now. I want children to have wetland and green spaces a hundred years from now.” Burke had this motto to offer his guests before the luncheon drew to a close: “Win or lose a game, leave the fans entertained.” He did, and they were.
British western region ( columbia )
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 British Columbia: Ellen Baragon 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, 2006 Printed in Canada on 100% recycled paper including 100% post-consumer fibres
Area Contacts Director of Regional Operations Ian Barnett, Edmonton (480) 489-2002 Habitat Programs BC Coastal Les Bogdan, Surrey
(604) 592-5000
BC Intermountain and Peace Brad Arner, Kamloops (250) 374-8307 Fundraising Rory Brown, Victoria
(250) 652-5090
Marketing/Communications Ellen Baragon, Surrey (604) 592-5004 Major Gifts and Feather Society Gordon Stewart, Surrey (604) 592-5008
publication agreement #40064849