The Alberta Wildlifer
Fall 2003, Vol. 14, No. 3
Editor: Dave Hobson
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The Alberta Wildlifer |
Fall 2003, Vol. 14, No. 3 |
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Editor: Dave Hobson |
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This has been a sad period. We’ve lost a valued colleague and wildlife advocate with the death of Ian Ross in an airplane crash in Kenya. Ian was proficient at aerial telemetry and animal capture, and many of us benefited from his expertise. He will be sorely missed. Ian has been a prominent figure in ACTWS for several years. He served as President during 1996-97, and was active in a variety of capacities for many years. During our most recent Executive Meeting we elected to name our undergraduate scholarship in Ian’s memory.
Airplane crashes are the most common cause of death for wildlife professionals. I’ve lost 2 former students, my former university advisor, and at least 4 professional colleagues to airplane mishaps. Small planes flying at low altitude, often over rugged terrain contribute to the high risk. To obtain wildlife survey data and for radio telemetry work, flying is essential. Because wildlife survey monitoring is so risky, every precaution must be taken to ensure that these flights are done safely.
Another reason for sadness since our last newsletter is the loss of several thousand acres of Crown native grassland north of Bow Island to irrigated potato farming. Native prairie is a rare and important habitat type in Alberta, hosting 7 of the 9 endangered species in the province. Public Lands (Ministry of Sustainable Resource Development) agreed to a very unfortunate land exchange this spring and the grassland has already been plowed. We believe that appropriate process was not followed in the implementation of this land exchange, and a huge net loss in wildlife value was accepted as a part of the exchange. As President of ACTWS I have requested all documents related to this exchange through a Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy request. The results of the FOIPP will be passed to the Conservation Review Committee for their recommendation. If you have further information about this land exchange, and/or other Alberta conservation issues, please advise the Chair of our Conservation Review Committee, Mike Norton at 780-951-8687 (Mike.Norton@ec.gc.ca).
The Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society will be in Burlington, Vermont during September 6-10. Details about this conference are posted at http://www.wildlife.org/conference/index.cfm. Plans are progressing rapidly for next year’s 2004 Annual Conference to be held in Calgary, September 18-22. This is the first time that an Annual Conference of TWS has been held in Alberta and we are proud to have it sponsored by our chapter. We are grateful to Arlen Todd and other committee members for all of their work on this initiative and look forward to the best ever TWS conference next year.
The Program Committee is chaired by Rick Baydack in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Rick can be reached at baydack@ms.umanitoba.ca (e-mail) or 204-474-9081 (phone). Dan Decker chairs the Council Steering Committee for the 2004 Conference (djd6@cornell.edu; phone: 607-255-2559). Terry Kowalchuk (t.kowalchuk@lethbridgecollege.ab.ca; phone: 403-320-3232) and Arlen Todd (arlen.todd@gov.ab.ca; phone: 403-297-7349) co-chair the Arrangements Committee in Alberta. The Alberta Chapter of TWS is hosting the conference, with the support of many other organizations and agencies including the student chapters of TWS in Alberta.
Other key individuals on the Arrangements Committee include the following members of the Alberta Chapter of TWS:
If you are interested in any of these areas, please contact the individuals identified above, Terry Kowalchuk, or myself for more information. If you are interested in helping out with the conference as it approaches, please contact Volunteers Subcommittee Chair, Jim Allen (403-845-8237; e-mail: James.Allen@gov.ab.ca).
Special thanks to Dave Hobson who has taken over the responsibilities of editing our newsletter from former editors Sue Cotterill and Matt Besko. Thanks very much to Sue and Matt for their excellent service. After weeks of coercion, Christine Found has agreed to serve the Chapter as the Chair of the Education and Information Chair. Please forward ideas and news items to Dave (780-865-8333; Dave.Hobson@gov.ab.ca) or Christine (780-623-5475; christine.found@gov.ab.ca).
Sincerely, Mark Boyce, President
Well, once again I’m the editor of the Wildlifer. You’d think I’d have learned my lesson after the first time. Actually, it was quite easy for this issue, largely because of the response to my request for articles. I’d like to thank Lisa Wilkinson, Kim Lisgo, Brad Downey and Lisa Priestly for their submissions. It’s because of their efforts that there is something interesting to read beyond the President’s message.
I’d also like to thank Dave Ross, Martin Jalkotzy and Jon Jorgenson for their memorium to Ian Ross. Although I didn’t know Ian well, I did feel the loss. I met him originally when he helped us capture some goats on Mount Hamell for transplant. I also served with him on the ACTWS Executive and, after I visited Africa, we shared our experiences there.
Finally, I’d like to thank Wayne Lynch for his wonderful offer of his professional photos to be used in the newsletter, free of charge. Obviously, here is a man as much in love with wildlife as any biologist.
Hopefully, other members will be as forthcoming with articles when the next request comes around.
Dave Hobson
Normally in the September issue of the Wildlifer we announce the upcoming AGM with a call for Papers and Posters. This year, however, due to the TWS conference next year and uncertainty over the date of the ACTWS AGM, we will announce the AGM in the December issue of the Wildlifer.
Members of The Alberta Chapter of The Wildlife Society lost a fine colleague, contributor, and friend when Ian was killed at the age of 44 in a light aircraft accident while radio tracking lions for the Laikipia Predator Project near Nanyuki, Kenya.
Born December 16, 1958 in Goderich, Ontario he was a true outdoorsman from the beginning, running a trapline even during high school. He graduated from the University of Guelph with an honours degree in wildlife biology in 1982. He began his field career working on a variety of wildlife species including snapping turtles and black bears. He soon headed west to Alberta looking for new challenges and spent a short stint working as a beekeeper near Hythe in northwestern Alberta. This was followed by a job as a wildlife biologist with a small Calgary consulting firm where he had his first experiences with grizzly bears, studying the effects of industrial development in an area southwest of Grande Prairie. It was the beginning of an illustrious 20 year career conducting research on large mammals, principally large carnivores in western Canada.
He began work on the Sheep River Cougar Project with Orval Pall and Martin Jalkotzy in the early ‘80’s. Many happy days in the field were spent snow tracking cougars for hundreds of kilometres up and down the foothills of Kananaskis Country. His joy working on the cougar project was prophetically cut short when his mentor, Orval Pall, died in a plane crash while radio tracking bighorns in the Rockies in June 1986. However, the die was cast. Ian and Martin continued the Sheep River Project through 1994. The 14-year-long project became the most intensive study of cougars in Canada and one of the longest running research projects on Puma concolor in North America. This work formed the basis of a new management plan for cougars in Alberta as well as the draft conservation strategy for large carnivores in Canada, a project initiated by WWF Canada.
The cougar attracted much attention and Ian used that attention to foster a thoughtful and effective wildlife conservation message to all those who came out to his many public speaking engagements. His work on the cougar project received national recognition on CBC’s Morningside with Peter Gzowski. Arthur Black of CBC’s Basic Black radio program followed along with Ian and Martin while they radio collared a cougar. Several dubbed it some of the best radio they had ever heard. Ian was also a very, very good writer. He was the senior author on 9 papers in peer-reviewed journals in addition to many other technical reports. He regularly served as a reviewer for peer-reviewed journals as well. In addition, he never forgot the importance of getting the message out to the public and wrote many popular articles on cougars; one was published in the internationally known magazine, Natural History.
Following the cougar project, Ian and his colleague, Martin, continued to work together conducting environmental impact studies in Western and Northern Canada. Of particular note, he recently rewrote the grizzly bear status report for COSEWIC, meticulously documenting current population density and distribution information on grizzlies across Canada. This document will have national significance to the conservation the species.
Ian contributed greatly to many other research projects through his wildlife capture activities, something that he did better than most any other biologist and in doing so assisted many graduate students with their research. Over his career, he captured over 100 cougars, 100 grizzly bears, 800 bighorn sheep, along with countless other black bears, moose, and mountain goats. He conducted his capture work using an exacting professional approach while at the same time retaining an empathy for the wildlife he was pursuing. Last year his capture work was on the Discovery Channel in a piece that showcased grizzly bears. Ian always had a tremendous positive impact on both the projects and with the people he worked.
Many of us in the Alberta Chapter knew Ian personally and professionally. He worked tirelessly with our professional organization as a member and on various committees. He served as President-elect in 1996 and President in 1997. Following his stints on the Executive, he continued his work with the Chapter for many years serving on various conservation and fundraising committees.
However, the environmental assessment process, endlessly mitigating, and judging the significance of cumulative effects was frustrating to him. That work bound him to a desk and away from the field work and research that he truly loved. Ian jumped at the chance to participate in the Liakipia Predator Project, a study of large African carnivores in central Kenya, project designed to find ways and means to allow for the coexistence of hyenas, lions, and leopards and people in the agricultural matrix that exists outside national parks in most of southern Africa. Ian understood that if these predators were to survive in the long run they had to be able to exist outside of the national parks. Ian’s time was largely volunteered. Money was never really an issue for Ian. He was much more concerned with the conservation of wildlife and their habitats.
Ian also spent his recreational time in wild places as much as possible. He, and his wife of 20 years, Sheri, loved to hike the foothills of the Rockies west of Calgary, as well as more far-flung locales. The U.S. desert southwest, the Canadian Arctic, Belize, and Africa were all places he returned to. He loved to hunt elk, deer, and moose for his own table and more recently he enjoyed learning to fly fish both in mountain lakes and in the Gulf of Mexico. At the same time he vigorously opposed the senseless trophy killing of wolves, bears and cougars.
At one time a bit of a loner, Ian had grown to become a committed and emotional friend and family man. He always remembered everyone’s birthdays. Ian’s dry sense of humour was famous. We will never forget his recent letters from Kenya describing the goat stew (scavenged from a lion kill) or the haircut performed by his mechanic.
“Last night I got a haircut. First time since I left Calgary, almost 4 months ago. Only those who remember “The Mod Squad”, or Michael Jackson when he was still black can appreciate what I looked like. My hair was the widest part of my body, and my hat just sort of perched on top of it like a bird dropping. Joe cut my hair. Joe is the mechanic here at the Centre. He’s a good mechanic.”
Having no children of his own he was a hero to his young nieces, nephews and children of friends who thought that his was the most important and exciting job of all.
Two days before his death he was on top of the world having collared his first leopard. Many family members and friends were planning to visit him and he was busy organizing their upcoming visits to the research station in August. On the evening he died Ian was tracking a radio-collared lion from a light aircraft. Searchers located its wreckage the next morning. As he wished, he was cremated and his ashes dispersed in Kananaskis Country where he had spent so much time with his cougars. Ian Ross died at the peak of his career, doing what he loved.
David Ross, Martin Jalkotzy and Jon Jorgenson
REPORT TO: TWS President
FROM: Arlen Todd, Terry Kowalchuk, Co-chairs
Names of Committee Members and Co-chairs: Terry Kowalchuk, Arlen Todd, Dale Eslinger, Joel Nicholson, Laurie Buckland, Jon Jorgenson, Todd Zimmerling, Carol Stefan, Kirby Smith, Elston Dzus, Linda Cerney, Troy Sorensen, Shane Roersma, and Jim Allen.
Committee Charge: Arrangements for Calgary Conference (Sept. 18-22, 2004)
Generalized Summary of Decisions and Progress:
The Alberta Endangered Species Conservation Committee (ESCC) submitted a recommendation to the Minister of Sustainable Resource Development on March 26th, 2002, to list the Grizzly Bear as Threatened. On April 18th, 2002, upon review of the recommendation from the ESCC, the Minister deferred making a decision on the listing pending completion of two documents. Specifically, the Minister requested a review of grizzly bear mortalities and related data in Alberta, and directed formation of a provincial grizzly bear recovery team to develop a recovery plan.
The ESCC recommendation was based on the IUCN criterion that populations containing fewer than 1,000 mature individuals be listed as Threatened. This committee also considered that the small population size of grizzly bears in Alberta is further limited by their slow reproductive rate, limited immigration from populations outside Alberta, and increasing alteration of habitat.
The Alberta Grizzly Bear Recovery Team was initiated by the Minister, on whose behalf the Director of Wildlife Management provides operational guidance and approval. The Team is responsible for preparing and overseeing implementation and evaluation of a recovery plan for grizzly bears in Alberta. The primary responsibility is to coordinate recovery efforts in Alberta through development of a plan outlining recovery strategies and actions. In addition, the Team oversees implementation of the plan by facilitating and encouraging involvement of relevant and interested parties. The Team is also responsible for updating the plan and reporting on the progress of recovery actions.
The recovery plan is designed to be a dynamic document. The initial life span of the plan is five years, during which period the recovery team will meet at least annually to review and update the plan as required. At the end of five years the plan will be reassessed. The plan should be completed by winter 2003/04, and will be made available for public review.
Questions and comments: Lisa Wilkinson, SRD 780-723-8556 lisa.Wilkinson@gov.ab.ca
Lisa Wilkinson
Grizzly bear and cubs
Wayne Lynch
Woodland Caribou throughout Alberta are listed as threatened. Conflicts with land use practices and predation are considered factors for their decline. To address the decline of caribou in west-central Alberta, the West-Central Alberta Caribou Standing Committee (WCACSC) was formed. The WCACSC is an umbrella organization bringing together all stakeholders involved (industry and government) with the purpose of facilitating a self-regulatory process that will integrate caribou conservation and resource development. Although our knowledge of caribou in west-central Alberta has drastically increased during the past 20 years, numerous gaps need to be filled in order for effective management decisions to be made. To address these knowledge gaps, the WCACSC Research Subcommittee developed a research program to study the ecology of caribou, as well as the complex predator-prey system to which caribou belong.
In 1999, the WCACSC, along with the University of Alberta (Dr. F. Schmiegelow, Department of Renewable Resources), developed and implemented a 3-year research plan. The plan examined the responses of caribou to linear development (roads, cutlines), identified critical winter habitat for caribou, and studied the effect of development on predators, specifically wolves. A second, 3-year research phase in now underway. The investigation of habitat selection by caribou (T. Szkorupa) has been expanded to include landscape attributes (e.g. patch size effects, habitat configuration and overall amount of habitat), and to examine variation in habitat selection among caribou ranges (J. Saher, MSc candidate). The effects of landscape condition on caribou mortality (K. Smith, MSc candidate) are also being examined. Wolf research has continued and includes the analysis of winter habitat use based on previously collected data (K. Lisgo, Research Coordinator). Research initiated this summer is to examine the overlap of caribou-wolf habitat use during the calving season, wolf summer diet composition, the importance of linear corridors for wolf movement, and to characterize wolf denning and rendezvous sites (L. Neufeld, MSc candidate). In addition, models are being constructed to describe distinct behavioural interactions between industrial activities, habitat, recruitment, mortality, predation, and ungulate harvest (B. Lessard, PhD candidate). Contingent on funding, the WCACSC intends to expand field research so that a cohesive picture of all elements of a single system, particularly the dynamics of wolves, moose and caribou in a managed forest landscape, is examined over the same time period.
At present, research is directed at 3 herds monitored by the WCACSC: Little Smoky, Redrock-Prairie Creek, and Á la Peche. Each herd is monitored by a combination of GPS and VHF radio-collars for a total of 25 collars per herd. Six wolves are currently fitted with GPS collars in the Little Smoky with more collars to be deployed over the next year. For more information on the WCACSC Research Subcommittee visit www.rr.ualberta.ca/research/caribou.
Kim Lisgo
Caribou and Calf
Dave Hobson
The Alberta Conservation Association and Alberta Fish and Wildlife Division are currently conducting a multi-species conservation project for species at risk in the Milk River Basin. The Milk River Basin Species at Risk Conservation Project identifies important landscape features and processes that are valuable to wildlife.
One of the components of this project is the development of Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) models for selected wildlife management species. The HSI models will be used in identifying significant areas or “hotspots” for wildlife management. In the first year of the project 15 HSI models were created, 5 of which were published in the Year 1 Progress report for the Milk River Basin Species at Risk Conservation Project. All 15 HSI models are currently up for peer review. The HSI models will soon be available to review at the Alberta Conservation Association website
(http://www.ab-conservation.com/whats_new.asp) and the Alberta Fish and Wildlife website (http://www3.gov.ab.ca/srd/fw/). These HSI models are preliminary, and we request any comments you may have on any of the species models. Any comments can be directed to Brad Downey (Resource Technician with ACA) at Brad.Downey@gov.ab.ca before November 30, 2003. We understand that many of the reviewers have busy schedules therefore feel free to review only the models applicable to you. All final models will be published in the Year 2 progress report. The year one report, A Multi-Species Conservation Strategy for Species at Risk in the Milk River Basin: Year 1- Progress Report; can be found on line (http://www3.gov.ab.ca/srd/fw/riskspecies/).
Thank you in advance for your time and contribution to the Milk River Basin Species at Risk Conservation Project. If you have any questions in general about the Milk River Basin Species at Risk Conservation Project feel free to contact Richard Quinlan of Alberta Fish and Wildlife Division (403) 381-5397 or Paul Jones of Alberta Conservation Association (403) 382-4357.
Brad Downey
On a cold dark evening in early April, I look out at the moonlight reflecting off fresh fallen snow. I slip on my winter boots over that thick pair of wool socks my grandma gave me for Christmas. By the time I finish piling on layers of clothing I resemble the Stay Puff Doughboy. I step out into the calm; still night and my expectations are high. First I check my car for the essentials – wool blanket, candles, matches, granola bars, and reflective road markers – and I am off on my adventure.
The drive to the start point takes about a half hour so I listen to the owl recordings on the way. Six species are potentially in the survey area. At the first stop I strap on my headlamp, assemble clipboard, compass, thermometer, ghetto blaster with owl CD and step out into the darkness. The thermometer drops steadily to –7oC, and I write that down on the data sheet along with the start time. I press play on the CD player. All is silent, my ears are straining to hear something, then ‘CRACK’, you jump at the sound, your heart is racing, but it is the tree bark cracking in the cold. Then, in the distance I hear a faint “hoo hoo hoo, hoo hoo”. Pausing briefly, it comes to me “who’s awake, me too”, the call of the Great Horned Owl. Immediately I take a compass reading and estimate the faint sound to be 800 meters away.
Two minutes with no further calls, the CD blares out the Boreal Owl call into the forest. I wait in silence . . . then, above my head a form flies over silhouetted against the night sky. I turn on your headlamp to see a small owl darting into the spruce tree across the road. Then I hear a screech, followed by silence. “Great”, I mumble, “a distress call, I’m not completely familiar with those”. But, just as frustration starts to set in I hear it . . . “toot, toot, toot, toot, toot . . .”. Awesome, a Northern Saw-whet Owl (sounds like a backing up beeper on a truck). Two owls on one station, it’s going to be a great owl night!
Owls are both majestic and endearing, with their ability to see in low light and their soft downy feathers that create silent flight, they are captivating. Many people are drawn to these beautiful raptors, and concerned volunteers across Canada re helping to conserve owls by participating in Bird Studies Canada’s recently established National Nocturnal Owl Survey. The objectives of the nocturnal owl survey are to:
1) obtain information on distribution of nocturnal owls both regionally and in North America,
2) estimate relative abundance of owls regionally,
3) collect information that will lead to estimating population trends of nocturnal owls at regional and provincial scales, as well as contribute to a North America-wide program,
4) determine habitat associations of nocturnal owls,
5) have volunteers learn about, and participate in surveys for nocturnal owls.
Nocturnal owl surveys are being administered regionally in British Columbia, Yukon, Alberta, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Cape Breton. Surveys across Canada are standardized so that data is comparable within regions and between regions.
Here in Alberta, we had 60 routes surveyed in 2003, and 108 volunteers contribute over 130 owl records from all over the province. Survey routes were spread from Manning to Cold Lake to Cypress Hills to Canmore. Barred, Boreal, Great Gray, Great Horned, Long-eared, Northern Saw-whet, and Northern Pygmy Owls were recorded on surveys.
We would also like to express out thanks to the supporters of the 2002 and 2003 Alberta Nocturnal Owl Surveys: Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada Canadian Wildlife Service, Beaverhill Bird Observatory, and Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Alberta Community Development, TD Friends of the Environment, Alberta Ecotrust, Shell Environment Fund, Mountain Equipment Co-op, Alberta Sport Recreation Parks and Wildlife Foundation, College of Alberta Professional Foresters, and the Boreal Forest Research Center (Peace River).
If you would like to learn more about the program, volunteer, or help support this program (through monetary or in-kind donations), please contact me. I am available to travel around Alberta to give talks about owls and how to participate in this survey.
Lisa Priestley is the Prairie Program Coordinator for Bird Studies Canada, a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to advancing the understanding, appreciation and conservation of wild birds and their habitats, in Canada and elsewhere, through studies that engage the skills, enthusiasm and support of its members, volunteers, staff and the interested public. Website: http://www.bsc-eoc.org/bscmain.html
Contact:
Lisa Priestley,
Bird Studies Canada, Rm. 200, 4999-98 Avenue,
Edmonton, Alberta T6B 2X3
Phone: (780) 951-8901,
E-mail:
lisa.priestley@ec.gc.ca
Lisa Priestley
Barred Owl
September 6-10, 2003 / Burlington, Vermont
For more information:
http://www.wildlife.org/conference/index.cfm
Sponsered by the Canadian Council on Ecological Areas (CCEA)
September 9-10, 2003 / Yellowknife, NWT
For more information:
http://www.ccea.org/workshop.pdf
September 25, 2003 / Quebec City, Quebec
For more information:
http://www.certificationwatchconference.org/qc-chair-message.htm
October 1-3, 2003 / Calgary, Alberta.
For more information:
http://www.aaaf.ab.ca/invaders/
October 3-5, 2003 / Lethbridge, Alberta.
For more information:
http://www.urbanrattlesnakes.com/symposium/default.htm
November 3-7, 2003 / Fort Lauderdale, Florida
For more information:
http://www.esa.org/ipinams-emapi7/
February 26-29, 2004 / Calgary, Alberta.
For more information:
http://www.albertawilderness.ca/PCESC/
Please send any references of recently published articles to dave.hobson@gov.ab.ca. Articles of interest include those authored by ACTWS members on Alberta wildlife.
Nielsen, S.E., Boyce, M.S., Stenhouse, G.B., Munro, R.H.M., 2002. Modeling grizzly bear habitats in the Yellowhead Ecosystem of Alberta: Taking autocorrelation seriously. Ursus 13, 45-56.
Nielsen, S.E., Boyce, M.S., Stenhouse, G.B., Munro, R.H.M., 2003. Development and testing of phenologically driven grizzly bear habitat models. Écoscience 10, 1-10.
Reprints or *.pdf files of these paper can be obtained from scottn@ualberta.ca
The Alberta Society of Professional Biologists’ newsletter is available at: http://www.aspb.ab.ca.
Next IssueExpect the next newsletter in your mailbox December 1, 2003. You are encouraged to submit any type of article (letter to editor, research, stories, humor, poetry, conservation issues, etc.) for the next newsletter by e-mailing it to dave.hobson@gov.ab.ca by November 15, 2003. |