British western region ( columbia )
volume 29, number 2, 2008
Guichon Flats among best B.C. places for waterfowl and wildlife
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Now that spring has arrived, it’s time to welcome back all our old friends in the migratory bird world, and the Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) project at Guichon Flats is one of the best places in British Columbia’s southern Interior for this. Adjacent to Highway 5A between Merritt and Kamloops, this scenic marsh sits below a parking area with a spectacular view. So pull out your binoculars to see one of the more productive and diverse marshes around. At this time of year, waterfowl abound – the marsh is one of the first in the area to be ice free – and in addition to familiar birds such as mallards, pintails and teals, you may even spot the occasional long-tailed duck, trumpeter swan or American white pelican. The project consists of two basins. The lower one is a typical “hemi-marsh” with patches of bulrush vegetation interspersed throughout. This 64-hectare basin receives its water via surface run-off and a DUC-installed pumping system that draws from a 330-foot deep artesian well. The entire project is located on private land used for a cattle ranching operation, and in drought years the pumping system is also made available for ranch use. The upper basin in the system is a seasonally flooded meadow that provides habitat for spring migrants, then dries as summer progresses to allow the rancher to graze cattle or cut hay.
Aside from its tremendous wildlife viewing opportunities, the Guichon project is also regularly used for waterfowl banding operations. Most recently, it has been the site of a late-summer banding station jointly run by DUC and the Canadian Wildlife Service of Environment Canada, the federal agency with regulatory authority over migratory waterfowl. The lower basin provides one of the highest duck capture rates in the southern Interior due to its combination of shallow water, easy access, and high rate of waterfowl turnover (the number of ducks that enter and leave the wetland daily during the migration season). In 2004, the wetland was the site of a dedication to the late Laurie Guichon, one of the owners of the ranch, and a great B.C. conservationist. The Guichon family has been a valuable partner with DUC for many years, and they remain committed not just to wetland conservation, but to ranching practices that are compatible with other wildlife as well. For example, for many years the family has allowed their property to be used for a reintroduction program for burrowing owls, a species-at-risk in B.C. The family also operates a “bed, bale and breakfast” at its home site just south of the marsh, where guests and their horses can board and enjoy the scenic surroundings. S
A growing relationship with Banrock Station Wines
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Ducks Unlimited Canada’s (DUC) corporate partners play an integral role in supporting our conservation vision. Banrock Station Wines, one of these partners, is a strong champion and steward of wetlands conservation. At Banrock’s winery property in Australia, in partnership with local conservationists, the company has worked to carefully restore more than 3,000 acres of bushland and wetlands. Recognizing the importance of wetlands has spurred Banrock to look abroad and support wetlands conservation in 10 countries around the globe. Canada is fortunate to be one of those countries. With shared visions for conserving our wetlands, DUC has recently become a “charity of choice” for Banrock in B.C. This special designation has involved Banrock creating awareness and fundraising campaigns in support of DUC including recently providing an opportunity for shoppers to win one of six featured DUC framed prints at select B.C. provincial liquor stores. Again this summer, Banrock plans to donate proceeds from sales of its wines to DUC. These contributions provide much needed funding to Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area, a Ramsar-designated wetland complex in the West Kootenays. This funding has helped to regulate the water supply throughout the valley by creating diked wetland cells. The creation of these wetlands has generated important nesting habitat for waterfowl and other birds. So check out your local B.C. liquor store for a Banrock Station Wine's display and know that in purchasing a bottle of their wine, you are contributing to wetlands conservation in B.C. S
Project Webfoot benefits from SFU co-op program
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This spring Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) took a new approach in providing additional staff for education programs at Reifel Bird Sanctuary and the Serpentine Wildlife Area. Through Simon Fraser University’s (SFU) Co-operative Education program, Cory Lagasse joined the Surrey office, helping to design and deliver school programs in B.C.’s Lower Mainland on a practicum from January to April. As a fourth year environmental science student, Lagasse had the opportunity to explore a career as a nature interpreter with DUC. “Working with Ducks gave me the opportunity to share my appreciation of nature with others, as well as develop my interpretive skills,” he says. “I strongly believe that learning to understand and appreciate our environment is an important part of any education curriculum.” Under the supervision of Kathleen Fry, B.C.’s education co-ordinator, Lagasse helped to give school tours to more than 800 children and lead presentations to youth groups interested in studying the importance of wetlands, like the Girl Guides of Canada. “Cory has an excellent academic record and presentation skills, but also has a natural aptitude for working with children,” says Fry. “He brought some of his own research knowledge into the programs, plus his talent for photography helped expand our collection of wetland and waterfowl imagery.” Sounds like a win-win for Lagasse and Ducks. S
SFU co-op student Cory Lagasse with drake bufflehead
western region (british columbia)
B.C. ranchers head back to school
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School was back in session this past February as ranchers across B.C. attended Rangeland Management School. The daylong interactive workshops were held in Merritt, Tatla Lake, Burns Lake and Fort St. John with the goal of improving the participants’ understanding of plant growth, grazing and rangeland management practices and how these principles can improve a ranch’s profitability. Throughout the day presentations included rangeland plant growth, time and timing of grazing, range nutrition and animal behaviour. All of the sessions provided an overview of multiple rangeland uses and the need for ranchers to interface with all land base users. By implementing the tools presented at the workshop, ranchers could expect to see an increase in the value of their range production. Not bad results for a day of school! Darryl Kroeker, Ducks Unlimited Canada’s (DUC) head of conservation programs for the B.C. Peace, conducted the Time and Timing of Grazing session where the effect of grazing on forages was discussed and the need for ranchers to review duration, intensity and rotation of grazing on their pastures. “For DUC, being involved in rangeland management promotes habitat and watershed health,” says Kroeker. “Providing the ranching industry with the information it needs to improve management and production on their rangelands
promotes greater forage production and a healthier rangeland that can withstand climate changes and industry pressures. All of these benefits also provide a better quality habitat for wildlife and waterfowl.” When grazing practices are properly managed near wetland and riparian areas, the habitat is better able to support waterfowl and a host of other species that rely on wetlands for their existence. Ultimately a healthy rangeland ensures better ground cover, improves wetland and riparian areas, protects soil resources from erosion and provides improved water quality for aquifer restoration and downstream users. And that’s a good thing for everybody! This is the second year of the school and the response was extremely positive. Over 120 participants, the majority of whom came from the ranching industry, attended this year’s program, and many are looking forward to continuing their studies next year. Partnerships drive the success of many DUC projects and this one is no exception. Co-ordinated by the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association (BCCA) with support from DUC, the Horn Levy Fund in B.C., Ministry of Forests and Range (MOFR) and the Beef Cattle Industry Development Fund, each session included presentations by DUC along with MOFR, the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration and Thompson Rivers University. S
Darryl Kroeker discusses grazing practices during recent Rangeland Management School
DUC staff integral in development of B.C. Biodiversity Action Plan
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With increased attention on climate change and the environment, biodiversity has received much more focus as a method for protecting the environment. In B.C., this has led to the development of a Biodiversity Action Plan. The plan will look at the full range of land and freshwater biodiversity in B.C., including species that also live in the ocean environment such as salmon and seabirds. This action plan is facilitated by the B.C. Trust for Public Lands, which is a unique partnership bringing together organizations from all three levels of government and the major non-governmental conservation organizations including Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC). The partnership was initiated in 2004 with an $8 million contribution from the provincial government. As a condition of the funding, non-provincial partners matched the contribution at a 3:1 ratio resulting in over $32 million invested over five years under several categories of conservation: land securement, land management, stewardship, policy and conservation planning. The partnership is supporting biodiversity conservation in B.C. South Arm Marshes, nestled in the Fraser River Delta, is where DUC's by securing and improving the conservation efforts have directly contributed biodiversity in B.C. management of private and public lands as well as developing a comprehensive, science-based biodiversity strategy for B.C. As part of the effort, the agencies committed to the development of B.C.’s Biodiversity Action Plan by 2009. DUC biologists Bruce Harrison and Dan Buffett are members of Biodiversity B.C., the agency developing the plan. Both bring an expertise of wetlands and conservation planning and implementation for which DUC is well recognized. “Biodiversity is an umbrella that brings together partners of different interests that might not ordinarily work together,” says Harrison. Buffett agrees. “As that approach of partnership is similar to the Joint Ventures (JVs) that DUC has been a part of for years, like the Pacific Coast JV and Canadian Intermountain JV”, he says. Earlier this year, Biodiversity B.C. completed a status report that was based on the best scientific information and included experts from several organizations and universities. One of the overarching statements is: “B.C.’s biodiversity is globally significant because of its variety and integrity; however, without immediate action it is vulnerable to rapid deterioration, especially in the light of climate change.” Several of the major findings from the report are consistent with DUC’s conservation program in terms of priority areas (Fraser River Delta, East Coast Vancouver Island, Okanagan Valley, CaribooChilcotin and Peace) as well as priority habitats such as wetlands, grassland and estuaries. These results demonstrate that DUC’s conservation programs are a direct contributor to the conservation of biodiversity in B.C. Next up for Biodiversity B.C. is the completion of an atlas of biodiversity in B.C., which will be released later this year, and the development of the plan that will engage many more partners and build on the partnership developed to date. When the Biodiversity Action Plan is completed by the end of 2009, delivery can begin and allow B.C. to maintain its reputation for significant biodiversity. S
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 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 Director of Regional Operations Ian Barnett, Edmonton (780) 602-3221 Manager of Provincial Operations Les Bogdan, Surrey (604) 592-5000 Manager of Conservation Programs Brad Arner, Kamloops (250) 374-8307 Marketing and Communications Wendy Fister, Surrey (604) 592-5004 Fundraising Rory Brown, Victoria
(250) 652-5090
Major Gifts and Feather Society Gordon Stewart, Surrey (604) 592-5008
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