Sun, 22 Jul 2018
Tags: Wildlife

New Research Into Managing Mange (with photos that will have you saying “awww” instead of “eww”)

You don’t expect to get warm fuzzies from a project about mange, until you receive photos like this:

 

This little lamb is part of a herd of California bighorns were the test subjects in a project testing treatments for Psoroptes ovis, a microscopic mite that’s been causing big problems for some BC bighorns.

The first confirmed case of this highly contagious parasite was in the Similkameen Valley in 2011. Psoroptes ovis, also known as sheep scab or psoroptic mange, is highly irritating to infected sheep, causing ear crusting and in some individuals, itchiness that drives them to rub out their haircoat and develop sores. Psoroptic mange is thought to be at least partially responsible in the decline of the one infested bighorn herd in BC and numerous infested herds in the United States.

Not so cute: a closeup of the crusting caused by psoroptic mange on one of the bighorn sheep study subjects.

Prior to this project being conducted, the only way to effectively treat Psoroptes was through multiple applications of every animal in a herd of an anti-parasitic – hardly a practical solution when dealing with wild animals. The goal of this HCTF-funded project, carried out as a joint effort between the University of Saskatchewan, the Government of British Columbia, and the Penticton Indian Band, was to try to find a treatment that could be delivered in a long acting single dose, greatly reducing both animal stress and costs associated with having to capture every wild sheep in a herd multiple times.

Onesie blindfolds are used to keep the sheep calm while they are weighed and treated.

 

The first drug to be tested was LongrangeTM, an extended-release eprinomectin solution that had shown promise during pilot studies. In the winter of 2017, Adam and his team captured 18 naturally Psoroptes-infested bighorns from Penticton Indian Band lands and housed them in one of two purpose-built wildlife enclosures. While in the enclosures, the sheep were fed, watered and carefully monitored, with sampling monthly to track the success of the treatment. While there, some gave birth to bouncing bighorn lambs. Unfortunately, the LongrangeTM treatment proved ineffective, so Adam decided to try a second drug: fluralaner. In Canada, fluralaner is licenced under the brand name BravectoTM as an anti-tick and flea treatment for cats and dogs. Both topical and oral formulations were trialled and the oral formulation worked! No live mites were found in any ear crust samples collected from orally-treated sheep one month after treatment and ear lesions were also significantly reduced.

This project is also investigating where the infection in the Canadian herd originated and evaluating different methods of detecting disease in asymptomatic carriers to help prevent further spread of this parasite into currently uninfested Canadian herds.

Science in the field

Further research is needed to find out how long Bravecto-treated individuals would be protected from reinfection and to ensure drug safety at different dosages and for different animals before moving forward with administering the drug in the wild, but this project’s findings are a significant step forward in discovering an effective tool for managing – or even eradicating – psoroptic mange in bighorn sheep throughout North America. The bighorn sheep subjects were successfully released back into the wild (mange-free) at the conclusion of the testing.

Bighorn_lamb_bounding

All of the photos were taken by the very talented Darryn Epp. Thank you Darryn and Adam for sharing them with us!

Thu, 5 Jul 2018
Tags: PCAF

Volunteers Wanted: BC American Kestrel Nest Box Program

American_Kestrel_PCAF

One of our PCAF grant recipients is looking for volunteers to help with their citizen science project. The British Columbia American Kestrel Nest Box Program is a Citizen Scientist initiative that involves the installation of nest boxes in BC to help kestrels find safe and secure places to nest and to facilitate observation and monitoring by volunteers. American kestrels, or kestrels for short, are the blue, brown, white and orange birds that are about the size of a Steller’s jay that are often seen perched on power lines hunting for voles and grasshoppers. Kestrels are the smallest falcon in North America and are also a cavity nesting species that readily use nest boxes.

Project leader Mitchell Warne is looking for suitable locations to install the kestrel nest boxes throughout most of BC. The preferred habitat for kestrels is pasture, hay land and orchards. However, the habitat can also be a mix including some agriculture.

If you would like to volunteer to have a kestrel nest box installed on your property and/or to observe/monitor any nest box(es) please contact Mitchell Warne at info@warneinthewild.com. For more information on the program, visit www.warneinthewild.com.

Thu, 28 Jun 2018

Job Opening: Communications Officer

HCTF is looking for a new Communications Officer. This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced communications professional who is passionate about BC’s fish, wildlife and habitat. Check out our Careers page for more details on this position and how to apply.

Tue, 19 Jun 2018
Tags: Education

BC Parks Contributes $30K from Licence Plate Sales to HCTF GO Grants Program

Environment Minister George Heyman announces BC Parks will contribute $30,000 to HCTF's GO Grants program.

VICTORIA – To get more students out of the classroom and into the great outdoors, BC Parks is contributing $30,000 from the sales of specialty licence plates to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation’s (HCTF) GO Grants Program.

“By supporting the GO Grants Program, we are giving youth a chance to experience nature and gain a unique learning experience in some of the most beautiful provincial parks B.C. has to offer,” said George Heyman, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “We hope a new generation of young people will form a lifelong attachment to our province’s diverse and rich natural environment.”

Minister Heyman announces GO Grants funding

The GO Grants Program provides funding for school field trips to provincial parks, and other natural areas, so students can learn about B.C.’s fish and wildlife habitats, as well as biodiversity, while fostering an appreciation for the environment. The trips give youth a chance to spend time outdoors and participate in hands-on learning activities, such as beach seining, releasing salmon fry, nature scavenger hunts, and plant and animal identification.

Last year, licence-plate funding supported outdoor learning in provincial parks for more than 700 students. Up to 2,500 students are anticipated to go on field trips this year, as demand for the program is at an all-time high.

“We want every student in B.C. to have the opportunity to experience first-hand the incredible diversity of animals and plants that are part of their communities,” said HCTF education committee member Ken Ashley. “BC Parks’ contribution will enable an additional 2,100 students to participate this year. Connecting kids to nature helps build a conservation ethic that is critical to protecting B.C.’s biodiversity for future generations.”

Dr. Ken Ashley speaks on behalf of HCTF at GO Grants at Goldstream Provincial Park

The B.C. government is reinvesting all net proceeds from the sale and ongoing renewals of BC Parks licence plates back into provincial parks, to ensure action is taken to protect the environment and achieve conservation goals.

Students from Ecole Margaret Jenkins Elementary School on a GO Grant field trip to Goldstream Provincial Park.

Mon, 18 Jun 2018
Tags: PCAF

2018-19 Approved PCAF Projects

HCTF has just approved grants for 21 community conservation projects under our PCAF program. PCAF (Public Conservation Assistance Fund) provides grants of up to $10,000 for BC fish and wildlife conservation projects with a strong volunteer component. The following projects will receive PCAF grants this year:

 

Project Name Sponsor Project Description
Moberly Lake Moberly Lake Community Association (MLCA) This disturbance assessment project within the watershed that supports Moberly Lake will determine current road crossing impacts and encourage improved erosion control, culvert remediation, and perhaps undertake plantings to improve riparian/stream bank functions and fish habitat, thus reducing sediment loading into the lake.
Spallumcheen Wetland Restoration New Beginnings Benevolent Society The Society is collaborating with Splatsin Yucwmenlúcwu (Caretakers of the Land) to construct a wetland from an ephemeral pond on a one hectare section of farmland. Through educational workshops and activities, the wetland will provide the opportunity for youth to study an enclosed ecosystem – the physical, chemical, and climatic environment, and the processes that control the dynamics of the system.
Enhancing Wildlife Habitat for Birds, Bats and Bees on Salt Spring Island, BC Salt Spring Island Conservancy The Salt Spring Island Conservancy will work with landowners to install and monitor bat, owl, and bee boxes on Salt Spring Island to enhance habitat for rare bat and owl species and pollinators. Volunteers will assist in building, installing and monitoring boxes, which will increase awareness of these rare species and their habitat needs and threats. Experts will also assist with surveying and monitoring of boxes to determine use and assess distribution on the island.
Restless Bight Beach Clean-up B.C. Marine Trails Network Association The project will be a cleanup of shoreline and uplands area on a six-kilometre beach and upland area called Restless Bight. It is located on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island near two provincial recreation sites called Rowley Reefs Peninsula (north and south). The purpose of this project is to remove a large amount of plastics and debris.
Restoring Wetlands and Ecological Function in Dumois Creek, Logan Lake District of Logan Lake Project activities aim to improve water quality in Logan Lake and the habitat of the watershed
BC American Kestrel Nest Box Program Mitchell Warne To implement an American kestrel nest box program in British Columbia (BC) to improve the breeding success of kestrels in BC to help increase their population and public awareness. The nest boxes would be installed this year (fall 2018) for the 2019 breeding season. The plan is to install 270 kestrel nest boxes throughout BC. The different regions will have a variable number of boxes depending on the individual region and habitat availability. These boxes would then be monitored and maintained by volunteers. Nest boxes will be spread out throughout the province with small clusters of boxes in areas with high quality habitat.
Brown Creek Restoration Project Wildcoast Ecological Society Wildcoast Ecological Society has partnered with Stream of Dreams Murals Society to provide a joint program with elementary schools and the restoration of 1000m2 riparian zone and stream.
Bat Maternity Colony Monitoring & Habitat Improvement Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Alliance (OSCA) The Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program is seeking PCAF funds for two related activities aimed at improving “anthropogenic” (human-built) bat habitats. The bulk of the funds will be used to improve pup survival in an apartment attic that houses the largest-known Yuma and Little Brown Myotis bat maternity roost in Penticton. A small amount of project funds will be used for material to make shields for the temperature sensors (to keep bats from roosting against or fouling the sensors and affecting temperature readings).
Northern Red-legged Frog and Wildlife Habitat Protection on Fork Lake Highlands Stewardship Foundation (HSF) The project centres on Northern Red-legged Frog, Tree Frog and Wildlife Habitat Protection. Fork Lake, located in the District of Highlands, Victoria BC, is one of the last regional strongholds for Northern Red-legged Frogs as most of the lakes in
the CRD have been overrun with eastern bullfrogs and have had intensive pressure from human use due to population growth and development. Fork Lake has a strong history of keeping bullfrogs off the lake to ensure the habitat and ecosystem remain in balance. Efforts include ongoing bullfrog management, regular physical measurements, sampling and analysis of physical/ chemical/ biological tests, and recently plant species management, of which growth is likely tied
to climate change and may indicate eutrophication.
Clear the Coast 2018 Living Oceans Society Project to further restore foreshore habitat within Cape Scott Provincial Park. Last year, with the
assistance of PCAF, we were able to work for the first time on the Park’s North Coast Trail, where
substantial accumulations of plastic debris were found to have accrued. This year, we are advised by early reconnaissance that another large pulse of debris has arrived on Vancouver Island’s northwest coast. The project intends to return to both the North Coast and Cape Scott trails, as well as several water-access only areas along the northwest coast.
South Coast Species at Risk Conservation Aimee Mitchell on behalf of Coastal Partners in Conservation Federally endangered and provincially red-listed, the Western Painted Turtle (Pacific Coast population) face many threats including wetland loss and degradation, nesting habitat destruction, predators, poaching, invasive species, human disturbance, and road mortality. While focusing on this charismatic species and incorporating species with already known overlapping occurrences at some sites including; the Western Screech-owl, Little Brown Myotis and Townsend’s Big-eared Bat, the project will conduct threat mitigation, monitoring and outreach throughout the South Coast of BC.
West Kettle Spring Deer Counts Granby Wilderness Society The project counts deer utilizing spring green up along multiple transects in the West Kettle. Counts are completed by volunteers who follow a set protocol each spring. The count information is shared with wildlife managers and other interested individuals upon request.
Health Assessment of Wetlands near Peachland Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance The Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance (PWPA) and other volunteers/NGOs are proposing to undertake wetland health assessments in the upper watershed area near Peachland. Volunteers will be using the newly released Forest and Range Evaluation Program (FREP) wetland protocol. This protocol was developed to allow persons with basic working knowledge of wetlands to evaluate the health of wetland sites in or near industrial and development activities.
Bats of Burvilla At Risk South Coast Bat Conservation Society Citizen scientists will initiate a long-term passive monitoring program a significant bat maternity roost with the goal of elevating the profile of bat conservation in southwest BC and detecting population trends associated with a devastating wildlife disease.
Connected Waters: field work and mapping project Watershed Watch Salmon Society The purpose of this project is to develop a list of priorities for upgrades based on the potential quality and quantity of fish habitat upstream from flood control structures and based on the current function and need for the flood control structures with consideration of required/planned upgrades. All data will be stored on our publicly accessible Connected Waters Atlas hosted by our partners at the Community Mapping Network.
Somenos Ecosystem Stewardship Project Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society The Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society is working with partner organizations and community volunteers to implement the Somenos Ecosystem Stewardship Project which is taking action against invasive non-native species in and around the Somenos Marsh Conservation Area that are causing ecological damage to our native ecosystems.
Growing a Garry Oak Meadow: A rehabilitation project for beautification and pollinator conservation Peninsula Streams Society Peninsula Streams, with partners Pollinator Partnership Canada (P2C) and Saanich Native Plants (SNP) aim to undertake native plant restoration, public education and engagement, and a native bee monitoring project on a 2,000 m2 field adjacent to Blenkinsop Creek and the Lochside Trail by the BC Hydro substation. This parcel is dominated by invasive grasses and forbs, providing little value to native wildlife. The restoration will create a visually appealing site in a high-traffic area along the trail while simultaneously providing value to native wildlife, volunteer opportunities, community engagement, and education.
Elk Valley Stormwater Solutions – Phase I Elk River Watershed Alliance Elk Valley Stormwater Solutions is a multi-phased project designed to develop informed strategies to
reduce the negative effects of stormwater on aquatic, riparian and wetland ecosystems. This project will increase public awareness and education surrounding stormwater, while creating an opportunity to take action in mitigating the effects of altered hydrology and decreased water quality from stormwater being discharged into the Elk River.
Engaging Communities in Bird Conservation Bird Studies Canada Since 1999, Bird Studies Canada (BSC) has operated programs that recruit, train, and coordinate skilled volunteers to monitor these globally and nationally significant concentrations of waterbirds. This project will therefore aim to: a) strengthen the stewardship capacity of communities along Boundary Bay and Tsawwassen; b) increase awareness of Citizen Science monitoring programs and stewardship along Boundary Bay and Tsawwassen; and c) provide educational materials including new signage that incorporates Coast Salish language in coordination with the Tsawwassen First Nation. Through this project, BSC will work with local citizens and the Tsawwassen First Nation, sharing ideas and knowledge around bird conservation in this IBA in danger.
Restoration of riparian habitat around Ellis Creek sediment basin Okanagan Nation Alliance This project intends to restore the riparian habitat area around the sediment basin located near Ellis Creek, Penticton, BC. Riparian vegetation around the sediment basin has been significantly impacted during sediment excavations that are part of flood protection maintenance operations, a process that take place every 5-10 years.
Fishing Forever B.C. Wildlife Federation This fiscal year there are 11 communities who have committed to Fishing Forever events: Williams Lake, Peachland, Nanaimo, South Okanagan, Smithers, Nelson, Parksville, Vernon/Lumby, Lower Mainland, Courtney and Vanderhoof. DFO has offered to wave all need for fishing licenses for these special events. Each event takes place on a unique day in the respective community, from May through August.

You can download a PDF of this list here.

Sun, 27 May 2018
Tags: Fisheries / Land Stewardship

Project Evaluation: Spring Site Visits

Dutch Creek Columbia Lake as viewed from the Hoodoos property
By Kathryn Martell and Christina Waddle

Project evaluation is a core component of HCTF’s grant programs. In addition to a thorough review of proposals and project reports, we conduct more in-depth evaluations of several projects each year. This assessment combines a detailed review of both financial and biological components of a project, ranging from questions about a project’s bookkeeping processes to a field day with the project leader to see the activities “on the ground”. These site visits provide us with an opportunity to better understand a project’s challenges and successes, to evaluate our conservation return on investment, and—best of all—to spend time with our project leaders somewhere outside in wild BC with an opportunity for them to tell us more about the projects they are passionate about.

One of the new interpretive signs funded with an HCTF Land Stewardship grant at NCC”s Dutch Creek Hoodoos property

HCTF staff had the opportunity to visit two of our continuing projects this spring. Our Conservation Specialist Christina Waddle attended the Official Trail Opening Ceremony at the Dutch Creek Hoodoos Conservation Area owned by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). Richard Klafki, Canadian Rocky Mountains Program Director for NCC, showed Christina some of the work that’s been accomplished with the Land Stewardship Grant from HCTF. This project included marking and improving the main loop trail and discouraging use of other informal trails on the property through directional signage and fencing. The other main component of the project was the design and installation of five educational interpretive panels. This will help meet NCC’s management goals for the property which include protection in perpetuity, providing a quality site appreciation experience, while limiting the effects of recreation on native vegetation and wildlife.

Evaluation Manager Kathryn Martell and Finance Officer Jade Neilson headed over to the Lower Mainland to meet up with provincial sturgeon specialist Erin Stoddard and his field crew for a day on the Fraser River. Now in its sixth year, the Lower Fraser White Sturgeon Telemetry Study is conducting long-term monitoring of adult sturgeon to gain a better understanding of movement patterns and habitat use of this Red-listed species in the Lower Fraser, Pitt, and Harrison Rivers. Although White Sturgeon is considered at risk, there is a limited catch-and-release fishery on the Lower Fraser River; a licence surcharge supports a dedicated HCTF fund for sturgeon research and recovery efforts.

HCTF Finance Officer Jade Neilson and project field technician Garrett enjoy some sunshine as they journey from one site to another.

Jade and Kathryn had a great day out on the water, with high flood conditions making it both challenging and interesting to retrieve and re-deploy the data loggers that record movements of individual sturgeon using acoustic tracking devices. It is surprising how little we know about this long-lived, large, prehistoric fish that is so important to local First Nations. This project is the first ever long-term telemetry study of sturgeon habitat use on lower Fraser River White Sturgeon, and it is already providing critical information about over-wintering sites, spawning areas, and development impacts, that is being used to improve fisheries and habitat management. In between hauling heavy equipment in and out of the boat, we had a chance to see some of the critical spawning areas being studied; to understand much more about the project’s study design, and how Erin and his crew have responded to many challenges (such as, what to do when your data logger is buried under 3 tonnes of log boom?) and learn about some of the complications of studying a fish that can live twice as long as humans and travel more than 125 km upstream and downstream each year in the ever-changing conditions of a large river system.

Field technician Garret preps a data logger before submerging in the river. IN the background, you can see an example of the battering some of these frames take from log booms.

Thank you to both Richard, Erin and Garrett for showing our staff the conservation work being accomplished with HCTF grants.