Nature V iews · Administration Centre Printing Services 111-2001 Cornwall St Regina, SK S4P 3X9 [email protected] Nature V iews Issue 183 Fall 2015 - a forum for environmental

Humanity in Harmony with Nature

Nature SaskatchewanRoom 2061860 Lorne S treetRegina, SK S4P 2L7

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Nature ViewsIssue 183 Fall 2015

- a forum for environmental discussion - published by Nature Saskatchewan

Table of Content s

2 From Your PresidentA Tribute to Vinessa Currie-FosterOpportunity for Local Societies and

Affiliates

3 From Your EditorsLorne Scott Returns to Nature SaskNestWatch

4 Funding Shortfall for Rare Plant RescueWaldorf RanchCall for Resolutions

5 Fall Meet Itinerary and RegistrationForm

New Nature Saskatchewan Affiliate

6 Saltcoats Spring MeetNew Members

7 Nature Saskatchewan FinancialsSaskHikerGrazing Response IndexPiping Plovers

8 Nature Saskatchewan Awards: Call forNominations

9 2015 BirdathonLMBOYorkton Film Festival

10 Turtle Lake Nature SanctuaryGovenlock Community PastureIBA Website

11 Secrets of Bird MovementsManitoba Atlas ProjectCall for Posters & Presentations

11th Prairie Conservation and EndangeredSpecies Conference

12 Graduate Student Research on TurtlesGreat Horned Owl Rehabilitation

13 Drought Watch Volunteers NeededWhat’s Killing the Honey Bee?

14 Keeping Tabs on Invasive Species

15 DonorsBring the Prairie to Your Yard

16 Upcoming EventsManitoba Expands Protection of

Threatened and Endangered Plants,Animals and Ecosystems

Major W ind Turbine Project Raises Concerns over Bird Safety atChaplin Lake

Information from Trevor Herriot’s Grass Notes Blog, Leader-Post, July 29, 2015, PageA3, and CBC Newsonline, http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/naturalist-opposes-wind-turbine-system-in-bird-sanctuary-1.3172085)

Well-known naturalist, authorand Nature Saskatchewanmember Trevor Herriot haspublicly expressed seriousconcerns about a major windturbine project proposed forChaplin Lake. The Leader Postand CBC News both havereported that this project iscausing environmentalists tograpple with the balancebetween renewable energy andpotential harm to birds.

The Ontario-based AlgonquinPower Co. is in the process ofapplying to the Saskatchewangovernment for a 75-turbineproject four kilometres north of Chaplin Lake. Ontario-based Algonquin Power Company won SaskPower’srequest for proposals to develop and build the wind turbine system. Algonquin is a subsidiary of WindlectricInc.

SaskPower estimates theturbine system will generatean additional 175 megawattsof wind power for theprovince’s power grid. Theproject is expected to befinished by the end of 2016.

Chaplin Lake, 85 kilometreswest of Moose Jaw, attractstens of thousands of birdsevery year, especially as astopover for those migratingnorth for breeding. Herriotnoted that four percent of theglobal population of PipingPlovers nest there. Otherwell-known shorebirds, likethe Sanderling, pass throughthe area at counts of 50,000or 60,000 each spring, hesaid.

“The closest proposed turbine to Chaplin Lake would be a minimum of 4.5 km away. We believe there issufficient scientific literature related to wind turbines and birds to support a low risk determination,” Algonquin’sdirector of project planning and permitting Sean Fairfield wrote in an e-mail to the Leader-Post.

In its initial project proposal submitted to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment in 2013, the companyincluded an environmental assessment hundreds of pages long. Based on literature reviews and area studies,Algonquin concluded that “incidences of collision mortalities are not expected to be large enough to significantlyaffect bird populations.”

The company expects the birds to be unaffected by the noise as well. An indirect effect could be avoidancebehaviour by some species.

cont’d on Page 3

Location of proposed wind farm near Chaplin Lake. Map courtesy ofTrevor Herriot.

Sanderlings. Photo by Trevor Herriot.

Conservation Now...For The Future

Fall 2015 Nature ViewsPage 2

From Your President NATURE VIEWS

Nature Views provides a forum for discussion, a means for the dissemination ofinformation about environmental issues to the people of Saskatchewan and promotesthe aims and objectives of Nature Saskatchewan. Nature Saskatchewan is also knownas the Saskatchewan Natural History Society.

Nature Views is published four times a year by Nature Saskatchewan. Receiving thenewsletter is a benefit from membership in Nature Saskatchewan. Views expressed inNature Views are not necessarily those of Nature Saskatchewan.

Submissions and comments are invited. Send materials to this Nature Viewseditor : Rob Warnock, 3603 White Bay. Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 7C9. Phone: (306)586-2492. Materials can be sent by email to : [email protected]

Layout: Angela DohmsProof reading: Angela Dohms and Rob WarnockFinal proof approval: Rob Warnock

Submission deadlines:Spring issue: January 15 Summer issue: April 1Fall issue: July 15 Winter issue: October 15

Advertising Rates:Full page (14.5" X 10") .................... $400.001/2 p. (7" X 10") .............................. $200.001/4 p. (7" X 5") .................................$115.001/8 p. (3.5 X 5") ...............................$ 65.001/16 p. (3.5" X 2.25") ....................... $ 40.00Classified ads ................................. 50 cents/wordNon-governmental organizations will receive a 10 percent discount on their ads inNature Views. These rates DO NOT include GST or PST.

The editors reserve the right to edit articles for clarity and space limitations.Materials preferably submitted in RTF format or as a text file with images submittedseparately in .jpg or .tif format. More detailed submission guidelines are available on theNature Saskatchewan website (www.naturesask.ca). All material printed in NatureViews may only be reprinted with permission from the author.

This issue of Nature Views has been printed by the Weyburn Review, Weyburn.Circulation: 2200 ISSN: 1207-5450

OFFICE AND PROGRAM CONTACTSExecutive Director Jordan IgnatiukSpecies at Risk Manager Melissa RanalliConservation & Education Manager Lacey WeekesCommunications Manager Ellen BouvierOffice Coordinator Becky QuistHabitat Stewardship Coordinator (Rare Plant Rescue) VacantHabitat Stewardship Coordinator (Oper. Burrowing Owl) Kaytlyn BurrowsHabitat Stewardship Coordinator (Shrubs for Shrikes) Rebecca MagnusHabitat Stewardship Coordinator (Plovers on Shore) Rebecca MagnusSaskatchewan PlantWatch Coordinator Lacey WeekesNatureQuest Coordinator John MurrayInner Nature Jeanne CorrigalLast Mountain Bird Observatory Alan SmithTurkey Vulture Tracking/Birds of Saskatchewan Book C. Stuart Houston

BOARD OF DIRECTORSHonourary President J. Frank Roy Past President Donna Bruce

OFFICERSPresident Tara Sample Vice-president Branimir GjetvajTreasurer Ed Roger Recording Secretary Nicole Dunn

DIRECTORSDean Cattell Joan Feather Hamilton GreenwoodVladimir Kricfalusy Lorne Scott Rob Wilson

EDITORSNature Views Rob Warnock and Angela DohmsBlue Jay Kerry Hecker and Lowell StraussSpecial Publications Anna Leighton

LOCAL SOCIETIES AND AFFILIATES PRESIDENTSChaplin Tourism Committee Clem MillarFort Qu’Appelle Natural History Society Keith StephensFriends of Wascana Marsh Lorne ScottIndian Head Natural History Society Irv EscottKelsey Ecological Society Kathleen PittMeadow Lake Woodlanders (Junior Forest Wardens) Neil MarshNature Prince Albert Carman DodgeNature Regina Dale HjertaasNeudorf Nature Trails & Wild Bird Sanctuary Keith GerstnerSaskatoon Nature Society Inc. Martin StoffelSouthwest Naturalists Norma HainWeyburn Nature Society Val Thomas (Secretary)Wolseley Nature Conservation Society Richard SolbergYellowhead Flyway Birding Trail Association Martin PhillipsYorkton Natural History Society Geoff Rushowick

For more information, please contact Nature Saskatchewan

MAILING ADDRESSRoom 206

1860 Lorne StreetRegina, SK

S4P 2L7

PHONE: 306-780-9273 OR 1-800-667-4668 (in SK only)FAX: 306-780-9263

E-MAIL: [email protected]

WEBSITE: www.naturesask.ca

Income T ax Receipt s

Nature Saskatchewan issues an income tax receipt for each donation.This helps you to have your receipt handy when you need it. Your supportis greatly appreciated! If you have made a donation and don’t receive a taxreceipt make sure you contact our office.

When I started to think about what I wanted to write for this issue of Nature Viewsone word continually sprang to mind. Passion.

It started when I thought about a dear friend of the Society that was so tragicallylost this Spring. Anyone who met Vinessa Currie-Foster could plainly see shewas a force to be reckoned with. I am sorry that I didn’t know Vinessa longer, butI cherish the memories that I do have.

Vinessa was passionately involved with everything that she loved. Fortunately,this Society, what it is and especially what it could be was one of the many thingsVinessa loved. We benefited from her seemingly boundless energy and vision.When I first met Vinessa, she was in the midst of coordinating the Fall Meet atMeadow Lake. I was awestruck by the energy this woman possessed.

She believed that the Society could play an important role in connecting peoplewith nature. This very much included families and providing educationalopportunities for children. Being a woman of action, she and Christie Thompsondemonstrated this commitment by providing a full day of children’s programmingat the Spring Meet at Fort Qu’appelle.

I have been thinking of Vinessa frequently as the board enters a period of strategicplanning. I think many of us will be asking ourselves, “what would Vinessa say?”as we contemplate the future.

Tara Sample

A Tribute to V inessa Currie-Foster

Nature Saskatchewan has lost a trulypassionate, caring, and knowledgeableboard member and friend. Vinessa was theNature Saskatchewan Education Directorand the chair of the scholarship committeeat the time of her passing. Vinessa helpedto organize the Fall Meet in Meadow Lakein 2013 and was a driving force for theupcoming Fall Meet in the Battlefords inSeptember. She brought many positivethings to Nature Saskatchewan and we willbe forever grateful to her for the time shespent with us.

Vinessa was deeply passionate about herfamily, nature, paddling and outdooreducation. She had a well-known outfittingbusiness, Clearwater Canoeing, where shetook folks out to experience the wonders ofthe great outdoors from both the water andon land.

The staff and board of Nature Saskatchewan wishes to extend their most sincerecondolences to her family.

Opportunity for Local Societies and Affiliates toShare Their News and Event s with Nature

Saskatchewan

Nature Saskatchewan likes to promote our Local Societies and Affiliates. Therefore,we encourage submissions from Local Societies and Affiliates to both NatureViews and the Nature Sask e-newsletter. Submissions can range from newsitems to upcoming events and field trips.

If your Local Society/Affiliate has a newsletter and want to share it with NatureSaskatchewan, please pass it on to us as well. Your newsletter may have materialof interest to Nature Saskatchewan members. Currently, only 2 local societies/affiliates share their newsletter with Rob Warnock for possible inclusion of theirnewsletter material in Nature Views.

Please send your submission and/or newsletter to Ellen Bouvier for the NatureSaskatchewan E-Newsletter ([email protected]) and Rob Warnock forNature Views ([email protected]).


The Voice of Nature for Saskatchewan

From Your Editors

Letter to the Editors

A segment of Nature Views is designated for Letters to the Editors. Feel freeto voice your opinion and inform members and the Nature Saskatchewandirectors about issues relevant to our Society. Letters to the Editors providesvaluable comments about Nature Views’ articles, programs and ensures wekeep on track! Letters may be edited for clarity and length.

It has been a dry summer so far, with most storms moving through later thanusual. While the rain is a welcome sight, precipitation levels are still low, andsome areas are in near drought conditions. We hope to see more rain moveinto those areas to relieve some of the dry conditions. Our thoughts also goout to all those affected by the forest fires this summer, and we thank all thoseinvolved in fighting the fires for their dedication and service. Angela had achance to work with a few of the evacuees that were housed at the U of R lastmonth, and heard words of appreciation, not only for those helping them in thecity, but also for those that decided to stay behind. Some of the peoplestayed behind to protect the remaining properties, and to take care of theanimals left behind. It’s amazing to see how people come together, in manydifferent ways, in times of crisis to do what they can to help their family,friends, neighbours, and even strangers.

We welcome Lorne Scott back to the Nature Saskatchewan Board. We wouldalso like to extend a welcome to our new members, and a thank you to all ofour generous donors.

This issue is packed with society news and articles about the Last MountainBird Observatory, Rare Plant Rescue and Turtle Lake Nature Sanctuary. Alsobe sure to check out the latest news from Bird Studies Canada and SaskPrairie Conservation Action Plan (PCAP).

Three out of four of our Stewards of Saskatchewan teams are out in the fieldworking hard this summer and we look forward to hearing about their summerresults. It is unfortunate to see that, due to funding cuts, our Rare PlantRescue team is unable to continue their work at this time. For more information,see page 4.

Please mark your calendar for the next Fall Meet in The Battlefords, September25th & 26th, 2015. Full details on the Fall Meet and the registration form arein this issue. Hope to see you there! Nominations for the Nature SaskatchewanAwards presented at the Fall Meet are now open, and due by August 31st,2015. While registering for the Fall Meet, consider if there is anyone youwould also like to nominate for an award.

Be sure to check out the upcoming events throughout the issue and marksome time on your calendar to participate in the many field trips offered by theSaskatoon Nature Society. Our summer is short, we should get out andenjoy it while we can!

The Nature Saskatchewan Annual Financial Reports are now available. Detailscan be found in this issue and the complete 2014-2015 annual report can berequested from the Nature Saskatchewan office.

We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and friendsof Vinessa Currie-Foster.

We hope you have been enjoying recent issues of Nature Views and wewelcome your feedback (bouquets or bricks), as it is your publication. Have asafe and wonderful summer and fall.

Angela Dohms and Rob Warnock

Major W ind Turbine Project Raises Concerns overBird Safety at Chaplin Lake

(cont’d from front page)The company said in the report it intends to undertake an environmental protectionplan and conduct a monitoring program once the turbines are up and running.

The Ministry of Environment cannot yet make a comment on the project’s expectedeffect on bird populations, said the acting director of the environmental assessmentbranch Brady Pollock. Mr. Pollock says the process is independent, becausethe government conducts an independent analysis.

“It considers all available information, whether it’s info provided directly in theenvironmental statement [provided by Algonquin] or various literature sources outthere, or previous experiences of our own available data on the existing site,”Pollock said.

The government is currently reviewing an environmental-impact statement fromAlgonquin. (That’s different from the initial proposal.)

After that review is complete, the government will solicit comments from the publicon the project before coming to a decision.

Mr. Herriot would like an independent review of the studies that Stantec preparedfor Algonquin for both the EIA and EIS because he has serious reservations aboutthe scientific validity of these studies. He points to a recent study by the USNature Conservancy in Montana demonstrating major negative effects of windturbines on prairie birds (http://www.nature.org/media/montana/wind-report.pdf)

Although Herriot is in favour of more wind turbines in Saskatchewan, he isconcerned for the birds’ safety.

“Yes, we’ve got to deal with climate change and our carbon footprint, but we can’tdo it at the expense of wildlife,” he said.

“There are hundreds of thousands of birds who will pass north of that lake everyyear, and they will go directly through this gauntlet of 75 wind turbines,” Herriotsaid.

Nature groups consulted for the project are torn in both directions, too.

George Wang, a summer student at the Chaplin Nature Centre, said theorganization was “conflicted” when it heard about the proposal.

“I thought it was good, because (of the) clean energy. That’s always somethingwe want to support,” he said.

But the proximity of the turbines to the bird habitat is worrisome, he said. Hewants more information on the project.

Jordan Ignatiuk, executive director of Nature Saskatchewan, also had that “initialconcern of ‘Why that area?’ It seems to be pretty sensitive environmentally to beputting up a wind farm.”

He noted, though, that scientific literature hasn’t provided clear answers yet onturbines’ effects on birds.

Chris Somers, an associate professor of biology at the University of Regina,studies the equilibrium between human interest and ecosystems. He said, “there’sa cost associated with generating any kind of energy, and we really just have tomake sure we get the right balance, and I think that’s what goes into this kind ofdecision.”

He added, “I don’t think it’s quite so cut and dry as, ‘Should the windmills be thereor not?’ It’s the cost of having the windmills there in terms of bird mortality — ‘Isit acceptable to us in exchange for that clean energy?’ — which definitely makeslife complicated.”

Lorne Scott Returns to NatureSaskatchewan Board of

Directors

Lorne has been a member of Nature Saskatchewanfor 50 years and has served on the board in variouscapacities during this time including President andConservation Director. He is a former MLA andSaskatchewan Minister of Environment. Lorneremains very active in many conservationorganizations and continues to farm at Indian Headwhere over 200 acres of wildlife habitat are protectedby a Conservation Easement. He has humblyreceived many awards including the SaskatchewanOrder of Merit and the Order of Canada. Lorne Scott. Photo

courtesy of Lorne Scott.

NestWatch: Cornell Lab Citizen Science ProjectStudies Nesting Birds

Reprinted from American Bird Conservancy March 26, 2015 E-newsletter

Springtime is nesting time, and that means another season of beautiful birdsong,colorful eggs, and downy nestlings. Spring also brings another season ofNestWatch, a free citizen-science project from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.Volunteers have been helping the Lab monitor nesting birds for 50 years, keepingtabs on open-cup nests and actively putting out the welcome mat for species thatprefer a cozy cavity. NestWatch provides an intimate glimpse into the lives ofnesting birds and NestWatch data have been used in more than 130 scientificstudies, yielding valuable information for scientists and land managers, such as:when, where, and how many eggs are laid by certain species across a widerange; how to minimize the effects of forestry and agricultural practices on nestingbirds, and revealing that some species, such as Tree Swallows and EasternBluebirds, are nesting earlier as spring temperatures have risen.



Turning Leaves

Obituaries and T ributes

Readers are welcome to submit memorials for family and friends who wereinvolved in Nature Saskatchewan or one of the Local Societies. Memorialsshould be brief and photos are permitted.

Another Funding Short fall Causes Rare PlantRescue to Go Dormant for the Year

Melissa Ranalli, Species at Risk Manager; Lacey Weekes, Conservation andEducation Manager; and Jordan Ignatiuk, Executive Director

Since 2002, Rare Plant Rescue (RPR) has been working with rural landownersand land managers to conserve Saskatchewan’s rare plant habitat; some of themost beautiful and pristine native parcels in the province. From 2002 to early2015, RPR has worked with 80 participants, helping to conserve over 100,000acres of native prairie habitat through the provision of information and support -truly remarkable numbers. The program has contributed to the downlisting offederally-listed species at risk, and the expansion of known species’ distributions,among other important contributions. Unfortunately, these kinds ofaccomplishments will cease as RPR goes into dormancy in the 2015-2016 fiscalyear.

On June 11, 2015, staff was notified that the Stewards of Saskatchewan (SOS)application to Environment Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program for Species atRisk (HSP) was denied – no explanations or suggestions for improvement couldbe provided. While this is not the first time Nature Saskatchewan has beendenied HSP funds without explanation (it’s the third), it is the first time that aprogram has been cut and a coordinator laid off because of the denial of funding;so it hurts a lot more than past rejections. We hope that RPR will only be put onhold temporarily, however, that is yet to be determined and will depend on futurefunding outcomes.

Nature Saskatchewan members might remember that the SOS programs werefirst denied HSP funding in 2012-2013 after having received this funding for morethan ten years. In 2013-2014, the SOS application was successful, and wasalso initially approved in 2014-2015 in a letter signed by the Minister of Environment,Leona Aglukkaq, before staff was later notified that this approval was anadministrative error and we would not receive HSP funding that year. But theSOS programs are not the only ones that have lost important federal support.

The Last Mountain Bird Observatory has received funding from Environment Canadathrough the Canadian Wildlife Service since 2008 when Nature Saskatchewantook over management of the Observatory. In 2014-2015, Nature Saskatchewanwas denied this funding; again, no explanation was given. We will need to findadditional funding in order to continue this important work.

Fortunately, some new funders have filled some of the funding void, allowing theother SOS programs – Operation Burrowing Owl, Shrubs for Shrikes, Plovers onShore, and the banner program for all other species at risk – to continue on. Newsupport from Vale, the Mosaic Company, and The McLean Foundation could nothave come at a better time, and we thank them very much. We also thanklongstanding funders such as the provincial Fish and Wildlife Development Fund,SaskCulture, SaskEnergy, SaskPower, the Murray and Edna Forbes Foundation,the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act,Elsa Wild Animal Appeal of Canada, and the TD Friends of the EnvironmentFoundation, to name but a few. Without support from these consistent funders,programs would have been cut years ago. Contributions from NatureSaskatchewan’s donors and the Nature Legacy Trust Funds have been equallyimportant and are equally appreciated. Finally, Nature Saskatchewan’sconservation programs would not be possible without the in-kind contributions oflandowners, land managers and keen volunteers.

Nature Saskatchewan and our funding is like a diverse, interconnected ecosystem;a loss or other impact in one area affects the whole. But like a natural system,we also adapt. For example, because Nature Saskatchewan’s funding is diverse,the repeated rejection of major funding like HSP is definitely a stress on ourorganization, but it’s a temporary one that will likely even bring rejuvenation.Nature Saskatchewan will recover, whether this will involve adapting to a newfunding climate, or modifying programming, or likely both. Difficult situationshave often forced people and organizations to become stronger and solve problemsmore creatively. Nature Saskatchewan will be no different. We have a longhistory of serving as the ‘Voice for Nature’ in Saskatchewan and that will neverchange as long as we have a strong adaptable staff and board, and a supportive,committed membership like we do now.

“Close-up” and Personal with the Natural Beautyof Waldorf Ranch

Ashley Fortney, Habitat Stewardship Assistant, Nature Saskatchewan

Stewards of Saskatchewan staff were approached by Amanda Bosiak, withBamboo Shoots (a cleverly named film company), and asked to be a part ofSaskTel MaxTV Magazine for an episode on nature. We were delighted to bethought of for this topic and very grateful to have the opportunity to inspire peoplethrough nature. We were especially excited to spread the word of our Stewardsof Saskatchewan programs and our wonderful landowner participants.

We were asked to think of a steward and location that we thought would be agood fit. Who better to ask than Waldorf Ranch, landowners that are enrolled inall five of our Stewards of Saskatchewan programs: Operation Burrowing Owl,Shrubs for Shrikes, Plovers on Shore, Rare Plant Rescue, and the Stewards ofSaskatchewan banner program for all other rare species in Saskatchewan? Thislarge ranching operation, located near Bethune on Buffalo Pound Lake, is operatedby a family that is passionate about the environment. They have been veryinvolved in the voluntary programs and we are so happy to have them as supporters,both for Nature Saskatchewan as well as simply just for nature itself.

The day of filming took place at the end of May, and although we usually havemore field work under our belt by that time of the year, this was actually our firstday out of the office in 2015. I must admit we started out a tad rusty, and missingthe Rare Plant Rescue coordinator, Kristen Martin, added pressure; but it didn’ttake us long to catch our stride with sightings and identifications.

Darryl, the ranch manager, is such a passionate and skilled birder. It was hard tonot be envious of his job which, among many other tasks that I’m sure are not asenvious, includes driving around Waldorf Ranch checking on the land and thelivestock. This allows him to be able to experience all the birds and other wildlifethat coexist with the daily operations on the ranch. I’m pretty sure that he pointedout more birds than we did during our day of filming, but that will stay between us.

Darwyn and Elizabeth (Betty Jane) Boucher, the ranch owners, were interviewedby the talented Bamboo crew on site, husband and wife team Jason and KristinWood. While we weren’t within hearing distance during their portion of filming Imust say that we were all really touched to hear what the Boucher’s had to sayabout us when the episode aired. They really shed light on the value of partnershipsbetween environmental organizations, researchers, and agricultural producers. Ilove Darwyn’s comments that emphasize how important agriculture is but that itneeds to coexist with wildlife, and that we need to conserve habitat for the nextgeneration; his statement conforms perfectly with Nature Saskatchewan’s visionof “Humanity in Harmony with Nature.” While most of us enjoy the environment,we all rely on it, and agriculture producers know this better than anyone. We areso glad to hear landowners say that they appreciate us and we hope that theyknow how much we appreciate them.

The episode can be viewed through SaskTel MaxTV on channel 48, and is alsoavailable through links on our website at www.naturesask.ca.

Call for Resolutions

The resolutions considered during the Business Meeting at each year’s FallMeet are important expressions of member concerns on environmental issues.The Nature Saskatchewan Board of Directors is responsible for acting on allresolutions that are passed by the members. This includes sending resolutionsdirectly to the responsible government ministry, and pursuing further action and/or meetings with government and others, as deemed appropriate.

Anyone wishing to submit a resolution for consideration at the 2015 BusinessMeeting, to be held on Saturday, September 26th, is asked to send a written draftto the Nature Saskatchewan Office ([email protected]) no later than Wednesday,August 26th. This provides an opportunity to receive feedback from members ofthe resolutions committee that can help to improve your resolution. It also helpsus prepare for the meeting. Please note that resolutions not submitted to theNature Saskatchewan office by 5 pm on Wednesday, September 9th will beconsidered only with the agreement of a 2/3 majority of those attending thebusiness meeting.

Resolution Guidelines:

1. Resolutions must be in keeping with the society’s mandate, bylaws andgoals.

2. All resolutions must be submitted in writing.

3. A resolution is, essentially, an exercise in communication. Simple, clearlanguage and focus on one topic or issue is most effective.

4. Supporting information presented in “Whereas” statements must beaccurate and factual.

5. Resolutions should be no longer than one page, and preferably less.



Join Nature Saskatchewan in The Battlefords,September 25 & 26 th for our Annual Fall Meet

This is an exciting opportunity for all ages to come and explore and learnabout the natural areas of the Battlefords region that we have not visited in anumber of years.

Friday , September 25 th

*You will be on your own for supper*

REGISTRATION5:30pm – 7:00pm“Check-in” at Destination Battlefords (801 River Valley Drive, North Battleford,SK S9A 2X5)*The NEW Battlefords Tourist centre will be open for viewing*Light Snacks and Beverages will be available during registration

PROGRAM7:00pm – 9:00pm

· Welcome from Destination Battlefords· Larry Morgotch Images of Nature Event —-BRING YOUR PHOTOS OF

NATURE on a USB or memory card for viewing· Presentation by Peter Kingsmill from The Redberry Lake Biosphere

Reserve· Outline of Saturday’s field trips

*We will not be competing for the Larry Morgotch Award again this year. This willbe re-framed as an Images of Nature session with an emphasis on sharing yourlove of nature through photography. Bring 10-15 selected photos on a memorystick, disc or card to discuss and show what you’ve caught on film. Thesephotos do not have to be just of Saskatchewan’s natural landscapes and canrange from anything to birds, flowers, exotic animals and world-wide nature.Select your photos carefully to have a couple talking points on them.*

Saturday September 26 th

*You will be on your own for breakfast* (there is a restaurant on site at the Tropical Inn that serves breakfast)

Meet at Tropical Inn at 8:00 amDEPARTURE at 8:30 am

1st stop — Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve(Includes a 2km self-interpretive trail)

DEPARTURE at 11:45 am to Hafford for lunch

LUNCH

DEPARTURE at 12:45 pm from Hafford

2nd stop — Newly converted hog barn in to Waste Management Facility

3rd stop — Saskatchewan’s Crooked Tree site

DEPARTURE for 4:00pm arrival in North Battleford

Evening Events· 4:15pm – Nature Saskatchewan business meeting at Tropical Inn· 6:00pm – Cocktails at Tropical Inn Banquet room· 6:30pm – Banquet (Please specify if you have any dietary restrictions or

allergies when registering)· 7:30pm – Awards presentation· 8:00pm – Presentation from John Murray, silvi-culturalist (Nature Quest

Program Facilitator)

Accommodations

The Tropical InnA block of rooms has been held at The Tropical Inn in North Battleford underthe name “Nature Saskatchewan” for a rate of $110/single and $125 (double).There is a restaurant/lounge on site at the hotel and room service is available.Please call the hotel to make a reservation in your own name under this block ofrooms or if you have any questions regarding the hotel.Contact: (306) 446-4700

If The Tropical Inn does not suit your needs, here are just a few of the otheroptions available to you:

Other HotelsGold Eagle Lodge (306) 446-8877BCMInns (306) 445-7747

Bed & BreakfastShepley House B&B (306) 445-4568

MotelsSuper 8 (306) 446-8888

CampgroundDavid Laird Campground - open May-endof September (306) 445-3552

Nature Saskatchewan 2015 Fall MeetREGISTRATION FORM

— North Battleford —September 25 & 26, 2015

Name(s):___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

E-mail:____________________________________________________________________________________

Phone #:____________________________________________________________________________

FEES

Registered BEFORE September 18th

$90.00 x ________ = $_________

Registered AFTER September 18th

$100.00 x ________ = $_________

Extra Banquet Tickets $30.00 x ___________ = $__________

TOTAL FEES: $______________________________

Dietary requests/restrictions: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Registration Deadline:September 24th, 2015

Make cheques payable to:Nature Saskatchewan

Mail registrations and payment to:206-1860 Lorne Street, Regina, SK S4P 2L7

***If you would like to pay for your registration by credit card (visa/mastercard) you can find the digital version of our registration form athttp://www.naturesask.ca/get-involved/fall-meet Please e-mail our office at

[email protected] or give us a call at 1-800-667-4668.***

Nature Saskatchewan W elcomes a New Affiliate

Ellen Bouvier, Communications Manager, Nature Saskatchewan

We would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest affiliate group, the Friendsof Wascana Marsh (FOWM). As with Nature Saskatchewan’s mission the FOWMalso strive to engage the public in the environment of Saskatchewan, specificallyin the Wascana Marsh area. They have several projects in progress:

- Eliminate and control Caragana in the Habitat Conservation Area with theenvironmentally friendly use of goats. They provide an opportunity for the publicto get in close to the project and ask the goat grazer/biologist about the project.It brings a public awareness of invasive species.

- Western Painted Turtle research project in the Habitat Conservation Area andSurrounding Wascana marsh area. They are funding the salary of a master’sstudent at the University of Regina to research the habits and habitat of thisspecies. The information gathered from this project will be used by the FOWM tohelp conserve the habitat of this species. Opportunities will be made for publicviewing and education over the next two years.

- FOWM members helped in physically pulling Purple Loosestrife in the past fewyears. This has brought awareness to the members of the danger of this invasivespecies in the marsh area. This is a continuing project and the group is pushingWascana Centre Authority to work with the city to bring in beetles to eliminatePurple Loosestrife in the Wascana Marsh area.

- The Wings Over Wascana Nature Festival is in the planning of 10th year. Thisis a two day opportunity to provide free nature based activities to the public. Theyoffer activities for all ages. Over the years, they have had thousands attend theevent. Displays by like-minded nature organizations including NatureSaskatchewan, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada, PCAP,and Nature Regina can access the several hundred members of the public thatattend each year. Knowledgeable volunteers lead the activities each year, providingpublic awareness to the Wascana marsh ecosystem.

The Friends of Wascana Marsh is a non-profit organization that has beenincorporated since 2004. It is run by a volunteer board of 7-12 individuals. Itsintention is to be active for years to come.



Melissa Ranalli, Species at Risk Manager; and Lacey Weekes, Conservationand Education Manager; Nature Saskatchewan

The Ecomuseum for a Day at Saltcoats School on Friday, June 19th provided aunique start to a terrific Spring Meet in Saltcoats. For those who might nothave heard the term before, an “ecomuseum” is a museum without walls, wherecultural and natural heritage objects are mostly left in their natural place (insteadof being collected), and local residents interpret their significance. TheEcomuseum Day allowed local school kids and adults alike to participate inactivities like a plant walk, they learned about how their community served in,and was affected by, historic wars at the cenotaph, they participated in basketweaving, dressed up as a threatened Loggerhead Shrike, and got to experiencea live Burrowing Owl.

Friday afternoon, the Saltcoats and District Community Hall was open to thegeneral public to tour student projects on display, exhibits, raffle and silentauction items, and to see the live Burrowing Owl. After registration, residentsof local societies touched base with Nature Saskatchewan staff and boardmembers while meet attendees socialized during a delicious supper preparedby Joan Wilson, Gerri Knudsen, YFBTA members and other communityvolunteers. Friday evening greetings and welcomes from the Yellowhead FlywayBirding Trail Association (YFBTA), Nature Saskatchewan, and Rob Wilson werefollowed by a fascinating presentation by Dr. Sarah Wood. Sarah highlightedher very timely neonicotinoid research questions regarding bees, and the uniqueperspective a veterinarian such as herself brings to this research. Meet attendeesare now all looking forward to Dr. Wood’s results!

For Tour 2 participants, Saturday morning started with a hay ride and passionatepresentation from a second Dr. Wood, Sarah’s dad Ken. This group learnedabout, and saw the connection between maple trees and beavers, got to see abeaver lodge and dam, and learned about how Ken is rehabilitating somepreviously mistreated land through strategic grazing practices. A StripedCoralroot sighting was also a pleasant surprise for the plant watchers. NancyBird (a biologist in her own right), Ken’s wife and Sarah’s mom (quite the involvedfamily this meet!) also lead Tour 2 participants to a Bald Eagle’s nest, Wildlifelands where another orchid - the Long-bracted Bog Orchid - was spotted, andto St. Basil, a beautiful, small Ukrainian Orthodox church with a history of morethan 100 years. Ringing the old bell was a highlight for all. Ms. Bird’s portionof the tour also involved some unique transportation; riding in a cattle trailer!That was a first for most of us and a lot more fun than one might think. Tour 2got rained on a bit but the storm hit Tour 1 participants a bit harder.

Tour 1 participants, a.k.a. storm chasers, started the day at Arden and DonnaBradford’s farm. We had a wonderful hike through their farmyard and nativeprairie meadow. We saw lots of native plants and birds including three threatenedBobolinks. We continued south to Cut Arm Creek where we saw many waterfowl

and shorebirds. We made a stop at a beautiful property owned by a local whowishes to remain anonymous. We were lucky to spend some time there taking inthe beautiful view of the river valley and watching Western Painted Turtles pop theirheads out of the pond. Our lunch was cut short due to a massive storm that rolledin, and continued to follow us the rest of the day. Tour 1 also made two interestinghistorical stops; an old one-room schoolhouse and an old town site. Participantsthen had coffee and donuts at Morley and Paula Maier’s restored barn loft wherewe had a great view of their farm and wetland. Despite the weather, everyone wasin good spirits and had a great time.

Saturday evening’s events were just as enjoyable. Prior to supper, attendeessocialized and listed all of the bird species they had spotted throughout the day. A“friendly” competition between Tour 1 and Tour 2 participants ended with Tour 1participants spotting an extra dozen or so bird species compared to Tour 2. Tour2 apparently recorded more plants and non-bird species; although I’m not sure ifTour 1 even listed the plants they spotted so perhaps an unfair victory, but a victorynonetheless. A couple of student-created videos of the Ecomuseum Day werealso played for the crowd. The students did a great job and everyone was impressedby their commitment to work through a Saturday in order to create these videos formeet participants. Attendees were once again treated to a delicious meal beforeKatie Morgan; a young, local artist treated everyone to a performance of “LesPoissons”. Next on the billet, retired University of Saskatchewan historian BillWaiser gave an engaging presentation on Saskatchewan’s early settlement, andwhere our province is at now. I think everyone came away surprised by at leastone fact or bit of history that they had learned. For example, it almost cost me $5but I will never forget that Wilfrid Laurier’s first name does not contain an “e”.

On Sunday morning, a few members took advantage of the chance for an earlymorning outing with YFBTA volunteers. Thirty people attended the Annual GeneralMeeting in the Saltcoats and Region Community Hall. The lovely breakfast providedby YFBTA was a great incentive, and very much appreciated! Lorne Scott allowedhis name to stand for election to the board, and he was elected without hesitation.We bid farewell to retiring board member Suzanne Henry. President Tara Sample,Treasurer Ed Rodger, and Conservation Director Dean Cattell presented the annualreport and were happy to respond to a number of questions and comments fromthose present. The board and staff have just begun an extensive strategic planningprocess, so this input from members was particularly timely. After the AGM, a fewmembers took advantage of an opportunity to visit the sand dunes in Good SpiritLake Provincial Park with YFBTA members, and the board met briefly to startorganizing for the year ahead.

Nature Saskatchewan would like to thank the YFBTA, Rob Wilson, and the broaderSaltcoats community for hosting such a great meet and Ecomuseum Day. Thanksalso to Glenn Sutter and the Saskatchewan Ecomuseums Initiative SteeringCommittee, Saltcoats School, and the Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl InterpretiveCentre for their involvement as well. There truly was something for everyone at thismeet, including youth. Meet organizers did a great job at including youth andyouth components in this meet, and we hope that this becomes a trend for futuremeets.

Saltcoat s in the S pring

Tour 1 participants at the Bradford farm. Photo courtesy of Martin Phillips.

Tour 2 participants in a horse trailer. Photo courtesy of Martin Phillips.

Welcome to New Nature Saskatchewan Members

Kelly and Connie BurrowsChristine ChristensenRK ConsultingJohn NewmanMarc SabourinBrooke SkagenAlan TheedeLauren ThompsonAndrea Wilson

New Website and Blog for the Saskatchewan EcoNetwork

The SEN Stories Blog will provide a venue for members to promote their initiatives,events, news, and more! To submit an article to the SEN Stories Blog just send anemail to [email protected] with the subject “SEN Stories Submission” with anarticle and an accompanying picture and it’ll be posted on the blog quickly. Besure to check out their shiny new website too at http://econet.ca/



Nature Saskatchewan Financials

Piping Plovers Nesting in Ont ario

Reprinted from June 26, 2015 Bird Studies Canada E-newsletter

Plovers did not breed in Ontario for more than 30 years, but have been making agradual return at selected nesting locations on Canadian Great Lakes shoressince 2007. Federal and provincial governments and local agencies have beencooperating to protect these Endangered shorebirds and the habitat they need toraise their young.

Volunteer ‘plover guardians’ provide a vital service by monitoring habitat, breedingpairs, and hatchlings. These trained volunteers also help educate beach visitorsabout plovers and efforts to protect them.

Launch of SaskHiker

A new project has been launched that aims to build a community of hikers andoutdoor enthusiasts called SaskHiker. SaskHiker is a website(www.saskhiker.com) that provides locations, tips and recommendations on trailsand adventure locations to visit in the province. SaskHiker was started by anoutdoor enthusiast, Jay Brown, after realizing that there is no community forumfor like-minded adventurers in the province to share locations and what they havediscovered.

SaskHiker is currently looking for SaskHiker Friends who are people that want toshare their own locations in Saskatchewan and to join the community. If youhave a place you’d like to share or would like to reach out to visitwww.saskhiker.com and send a message through the contact us page.

You can also follow SaskHiker to get updates on new locations on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram just search @saskhiker. SaskHiker’s motto is “Go outside.There’s fun stuff out there.” If you agree this is a project that might just interestyou. See you on the trails!

Please be Alert on the Lake


By Canada Day, most Common Loon chicks will have hatched across Canada. Small chicks are surprisingly difficult to see. They are also vulnerable to predation bygulls or ravens – especially if separated from their parents, which can happen when boaters approach too closely.

Grazing Response Index: A Measuring S tick forGrazing Management

Reprinted from Prairie Conservation Action Plan June 2015 E-Newsletter (originallyappearing in May 2015 edition of Beef Business)

The old adage “you can’t manage what you can’t measure” rings true for rangelandand pasture management on the prairies. Thanks to the Grazing ResponseIndex, there is now one more yardstick that ranchers and land managers canuse to measure the status of their native grazing resources.

The Grazing Response Index, also known as GRI, is an evaluative tool that is asimple and useful way to help ranchers determine how and when to graze theirnative pasture. First developed in Colorado for use on native rangeland, the toolhas been well-received in the western US and in British Columbia as a convenientway to measure short-term impacts of grazing. The GRI system does not requirea lot of training for users and can be applied to many different native habitats.GRI may also complement (but not replace) existing monitoring protocols,including rangeland health and inventory assessments. Read the complete articlehere: http://issuu.com/skstockgrowers/docs/beef_business_may_2015_web/28.To view a GRI fact sheet from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, visit: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2014/aac-aafc/A59-22-2014-eng.pdf.



Nature Saskatchewan is now on Facebook and T witter!

Nature Saskatchewan is now on Facebook and Twitter! To find us, search “Nature Saskatchewan” on Facebook, and “NatureSask” on Twitter. There are alsolinks to these pages on our website. We hope you’ll follow us!”

Each year at the Fall Meet, Nature Saskatchewan recognizes outstanding serviceand contributions that Society members, and/or affiliate and partner organizationshave made towards Nature Saskatchewan’s objectives and goals. Recently, theAwards Committee has recommended that the awards be restructured slightly.Clear criteria have been established in terms of purpose, eligibility, and nominationprocedure. This year, we are seeking nominations for three classes of awards –Volunteer Recognition Award , Fellows Award , and Conservation Award .The Volunteer Recognition Award and Conservation Award can be conferred onthe same individual or organization more than once.

The Cliff Shaw Award will also be presented at the Fall Meet. The recipient ischosen by the Blue Jay editors.

Local societies throughout Saskatchewan play an important role in furtheringconservation and appreciation of nature at the local level. There are always thosewho step up to the plate to organize meetings and outings, go the extra mile tohelp others connect with nature, or work silently and tirelessly behind the scenes.It’s time those contributions were recognized. We encourage anyone from a localsociety to consider nominating someone from your local group who is a NatureSaskatchewan member, who deserves recognition for any of these awards. Notethat nominees for the V olunteer Recognition Award and Fellows Awardmust hold a current membership with Nature Saskatchewan.

In the interests of space, we are including the Nomination Procedure only for thefirst award, since the procedure is the same for all three awards. The criteria andnames of past recipients can be found on the website here: http://www.naturesask.ca/what-we-do/awards. The office can also send you a copy bymail, if you prefer.

Nomination Procedure

· Nominations can be made by Nature Saskatchewan members, directors,and staff. Local societies should consider nominating someone from theirlocal group.

· Self-nominations will not be accepted.

· Nominations are to be made in writing and submitted by the publisheddeadline.

· Nominations are to include the following information:

o The nominee’s name, address, and phone number;

o The nominator’s name and contact information;

o Details of the nominee’s efforts.

· The Awards Committee will independently rate the nominations, andconfirm that the nominee holds a current membership with NatureSaskatchewan.

· Chairperson of the Awards Committee will bring the recommendations tothe Board.

· If ratified, the President or his/her delegate shall confer the respectiveAwards to the recipients at the Fall Meet.

The deadline to submit nominations for awards is August 31, 2015.

All Nature Saskatchewan Awards consist of the following:· The announcement of the recipient’s name at the Fall Meet.

· The presentation of a certificate recognizing the contribution.

· An announcement in Nature Views recognizing the distinction.

1. Volunteer Recognition Award

This award was created in 1996 to acknowledge an individual Nature Saskatchewanmember who has devoted significant time and energy to promoting the objectivesof the Society, including contributions made at the local society level. Priority forthis award will be given to a Nature Saskatchewan member whose volunteer workhas helped to enhance the public awareness of the Society (this may includecontributions to a Society conservation project or program). It may be appropriatein some years to have this award shared by more than one person, if they haveworked together on the same project, or on closely related projects.

EligibilityNature Saskatchewan members who have provided valuable time and effort incontributing to the Society are eligible. Local societies are encouraged to nominatesomeone from their local group who is a Nature Saskatchewan member,recognizing that Nature Saskatchewan values their contributions to the overallgoals of the Society. The nominee must be a current member of NatureSaskatchewan. This award can be conferred on the same person more than once.

2. Fellows Award

Purpose of the AwardA motion was passed at the 1987 Annual General Meeting creating a new class ofhonorary membership entitled “Fellows of the Saskatchewan Natural HistorySociety”. This award recognizes an extensive and continuing contribution of timeover many years to the Society and its objectives. Up to five recipients may bechosen annually. Once selected, Fellows hold that title as long as they remainmembers of the Society. It is the highest honour the Society can bestowupon a member .

EligibilityEligible individuals are members of Nature Saskatchewan who have provided anoutstanding time and work contribution to the Society over many years. Thesecontributions have been significant, and may have come in the form of leadership,communication, authorship, social media outreach, research, and other areas.The contributions have been cumulative or ongoing, and represent long-standingservice or commitment to Nature Saskatchewan and its objectives.

3. Conservation Award

Purpose of the AwardIn addition to advocacy and other forms of conservation action, it is important thatNature Saskatchewan recognize, as it has done since 1953, those both withinand beyond the organization who have done “meritorious work in the interest ofconservation in Saskatchewan.”

Nature Saskatchewan’s Conservation Award will be presented to an individual ororganization whose total contribution to conservation is outstanding, whether inrelation to a particular project or in a number of roles over a period of years.

EligibilityIndividuals, affiliate and/or partner organizations, not-for-profit associations,institutions, community groups, businesses, government and non-governmentorganizations that have contributed significantly to conservation in Saskatchewan.This award can be conferred on the same individual or organization more thanonce.

CALLING ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS

The Board has agreed to continue the approach with respect to the Larry MorgotchMemorial Award for photography. Over the past few years, entries for this award,which recognizes excellence in photography, have fallen considerably. To encouragemore people to share their photos, this year on a continuing trial basis we will bestaging the Larry Morgotch Photo Event to acknowledge excellence in naturephotography, as exemplified by Larry Morgotch. The event will celebrate naturethrough photography, without the element of competition. No one will receive anaward; instead, all contributions will be enjoyed and appreciated.

Members attending the Fall Meet are invited to present photos of their choice onFriday evening day that portray any aspect of nature from anywhere. Videos canalso be shown. Just bring your photos or videos on a memory stick or USB flashdrive, or a CD when you come to the Fall Meet. Digital images may be individualfiles, assembled as a Power Point or similar type of presentation, or an executablefile. Name the files so they display in the correct order. Individual files must be inJPG format with the longest dimension no more than 1300 pixels. If yourpresentation was made using a Macintosh computer, try it first on a PC to makesure it runs correctly. Your presentation should be a maximum of 5 minutes.We’ll have a computer and digital projector already set up.

Here’s a chance to showcase some of your favourite images of nature withoutpressure of competition.

Nature Saskatchewan Awards: Call for Nominations



2015 Great Canadian Birdathon

Marla Anderson, Nature Saskatchewan summer assistant

This year’s Birdathon was a fun filled daypacked with activities. It coincided with theopening day of Last Mountain Lake BirdObservatory, and the unveiling of our Flight PlanPartners plaque.

The day started at 9:00 where I took a smallgroup of bird enthusiasts out for a walk aroundthe regional park. As per expected we sawmany American white pelicans and doublecrested cormorants flying overhead and nestingon the island, and few white throated and whitecrowned sparrows. Around 10:00, we had agroup of over fifty scouts, scout leaders, andparents join in the bird watching and bandingactivities. We divided them into groups of threewith Lacey teaching them about bird migration,Al Smith teaching them about banding, andmyself showing them how we extract the birdscaught in the mist nets.

The kids were wonderful and enthusiastic withsome great bird watchers already amongthem. After the nets were closed up for theday, we all headed over to the picnic hall for abig BBQ. With full bellies and happy smileswe watched Lacey present the plaque. Ontop of all these activities, we had a news crewout to record the day and interview us aboutthe Birdathon and Last Mountain MigrationMonitoring station. Once the craziness dieddown, the evening was spent doing more birdwatching. A few enthusiastic birders and Iheaded up to the north end of the lake to addmore species to our list. We added a fewmore and managed to see a LoggerheadShrike, and even a Snow Bunting sitting on apower line. The total count for the day was 63species, not as many as last year but we surehad a lot of fun and got people excited aboutbirds. And isn’t that what really counts?

Please visit our YouTube channel to watch the SaskTel Max video on the 2015Great Canadian Birdathon. Click the YouTube link at the bottom of our websitewww.naturesask.ca.

Al Smith leads a group tocheck mist nets. Photo by TaraGaudet.

Marla Anderson extracts birdfrom a mist net. Photo by TaraGaudet.

Last Mount ain Bird Observatory – PreliminaryResult s - Spring 2015

A. R. Smith, Bander-in-charge, Last Mountain Bird Observatory,E-mail: [email protected]

25th consecutive spring of coverage (24th of standardized coverage).

Migration Monitoring:

First Day of coverage : 9 May.Last day of coverage : 31 May.Total days of coverage : 23 of a possible 23 (100%).

Number of st aff : 2 (Marla Anderson, Alan Smith).Number of volunteers : 5 (Bert Dalziel, Joan Dalziel, Shelly Fisher, Jamie Harder,

Brenda Kramarchuk).Number of person-days effort : 55 (last year 83).Number of visitors : 162 (last year 69).

Observation effort: census, casual and incidental observations.Trapping effort : 13 12mx30mm mist nets for 1486 net hours; 513 birds/1000 net

hours (1992-2014 average: 409).

Number of species observed : c. 100.Number of species captured : 45 (1992-2014 average: 47).New birds captured : 762 (1992-2014 average: 539); returns to LMBO from

previous years included 39 birds of 14 species. A Brown Thrasher bandedas an after second year bird on 25 May 2005 was recaptured on 14 Maythis spring, it was therefore 11 years 11 months old, a new world record!Two Yellow Warblers banded in 2007 were also notable returns. One ofthese was already at least two years old when banded on 28 May of thatyear so its minimum age was a ripe 9 years, 11 months; the other was atleast a year old when banded on 9 August and was at least 8 years, 11months old. The world record age for a Yellow Warbler is 11 years.

Species peak: 14 May, 21 species.Banding peak : 14 May, 182 birds (second highest ever).

Top 10 captures:White-throated Sparrow 134 Lincoln’s Sparrow 42House Wren 68 Swainson’s Thrush 39Yellow-rumped Warbler 68 Least Flycatcher 34Clay-coloured Sparrow 55 American Robin 28Yellow Warbler 50 Chipping Sparrow 22

Comment s: Spring banding highs were recorded for three migrants to the subarcticforests: Gray-cheeked Thrush (21), White-crowned Sparrow (15) and Harris’sSparrow (16). Interestingly, the highs for the first two had been just set last year!Notable observations included a nesting pair of Downy Woodpeckers in the LastMountain Regional Park (LMRP), two pairs of Great Egrets nesting on ConeyIsland off LMRP, and a probable nesting pair of Turkey Vultures north of the Parknear Highway 15. These breeding records were, respectively, the first for the Parkand the National Wildlife Area, the first for the NWA (and only the fourth for theprovince), and (if confirmed) the first local record.

Disclaimer: these are preliminary results and may be subject to revision.

Canada Warbler. Photo courtesy of SOS Productions.

Nature Saskatchewan and Children at YorktonFilm Festival

On Friday, May 22, nearly 100 students from Dr. Brass and Yorkdale CentralSchools in Yorkton descended on the Yorkton Film Festival. Kids’ Day at theYFF, sponsored by Nature Saskatchewan and the Yellowhead Flyway BirdingTrail Association, included a screening of the documentary, All the Time in theWorld, and a Q & A with filmmaker, Suzanne Crocker. After the film, the studentshiked the Ravine Ecological Preserve in Yorkton. They explored three ecologicalregions: meadow, aspen bluff and marshland, looking at birds, identifying plants.What is more they contributed to the environment by collecting litter along theway. It was a great day with great kids and wonderful volunteers! What could bebetter?

Rob Wilson, board member of Nature Saskatchewan and students from Dr.Brass School. Photo by Martin Phillips.



News from T urtle Lake Nature Sanctuary

Darlene Roth, Steward, Turtle Lake Nature Sanctuary

Wow, what a hot summer it has been so far.

The work in the sanctuary isforever on going. In lateJune, I had the pleasure ofMuriel Carlson for company.We had a great three daysat Turtle Lake. I tapped herresources and have finallycaptured what we want onsome of our informationsigns that I am a postingthroughout the sanctuary.Thirteen signs will be ourtargeted start for this year.Photos are mostly taken byBrenda Rutz. You shouldtake the time to visit her siteand see the beauty of theworld through her eyes. Ihave put up some pegs as atest to see, how or if anywildlife interacted with thesepegs. So far so good. Theinformation signs will be upby mid-July. I hope the signswill be the added points ofinterest on our trails.

Yellow Lady Slippers are in full bloom. They are a very pretty flower and are a veryeasy one to spot for our new nature seekers.

The horseflies are in full force making walking the trails a challenge. I can onlysay to the dragonflies, hurray, grow up quickly and take care of these meanies onour pathways.

The mushroom crop is down from other years. The dry weather is so widespreadthis year that we will not be the only ones reporting this.

The beavers have done their routine spring damage on the aspen and white poplartrees on the sanctuary and on the shorelines of the lake. If they would only usethe whole tree they wouldn’t seem to be so destructive. Walking the north lakeshore trail is sometimes sad. On the other hand, harmony balances out if youhave had the chance to watch one of the beavers at work and marvel at their treetimbering skills.

Hikers, photographers, and bikers continue to enjoy the trails. The sanctuary isa calling card for many in the area. This is a cherished piece of land.

For you geo-cache seekers, maybe the sanctuary should be one of your checkpoints!

One of the trails in Turtle Lake Nature Sanctuary.Photo by Darlene Roth.

Environment Canada to T ake Over GovenlockCommunity Pasture

Information from July 29, 2015 Government of Canada Press Release

David Anderson, Member of Parliament for Cypress Hills — Grasslands, on behalfof the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment, Minister of theCanadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Minister for the ArcticCouncil, announced today the Govenlock Community Pasture will be transferredfrom Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) to Environment Canada as part ofthe National Conservation Plan (NCP). The purpose of the NCP is to advanceconservation efforts across the country and enables Canadians to conserve andrestore lands and waters in and around their communities. This plan includes$252 million for environmental initiatives over a five-year period.

Govenlock Community Pasture was part of the Community Pasture Programwhich was a land-management service created by AAFC in the 1930s to conserveland that eroded during droughts. AAFC is transferring the control andadministration of these pastures to Environment Canada, which will work toconserve this grassland ecosystem and habitat for species at risk.

The local community and ranchers who use Govenlock Pasture for grazing areimportant partners in the conservation of this area. Environment Canada willwork with them to develop a strategy to manage the pasture in an economically,socially and environmentally responsible way to support livestock production,wildlife habitat protection and local community interests. Environment Canadahas consulted with local landowners, ranchers and conservation groups, such asSustainable Canada, over the past year, and will announce the official transfer ata later date.

Environment Canada will continue consultations with residents, ranchers, theRural Municipality of Reno #51, First Nations, the Province of Saskatchewan andother conservation groups before finalizing a management strategy for the area.

About Govenlock Community Pasture

· More than 200 km2 in size· Located in extreme southwestern Saskatchewan near Consul· Primarily natural prairie grassland used for livestock grazing, which mimics

traditional disturbance by Plains Bison maintains the health and qualityof native prairie grasslands.

· Supports more than 11 species at risk· Biologically diverse native prairie grassland in the area is widely

recognized nationally and internationally by Bird Studies Canada, theNature Conservancy of Canada and other conservation organizations forits significant concentration of migratory birds.

Govenlock Community Pasture. Photo by Branimir Gjetvag.

IBA Canada Website Goes Mobile


Canada’s IBA Program website is now available in a mobile-friendly format, forconvenient ‘on-the-go’ viewing on your phone or tablet. Like our main IBA website,the mobile site is fully bilingual, and contains all the latest information and mapsfor Canada’s Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas. With advanced functions forsearching by sites, species, and maps, the mobile site is sure to provide hoursof entertainment – and serious data exploration – for casual and advanced users.

Bird Studies Canada thanks Jeremy Hussell for donating his time to develop thisbeta site, and the Ontario Trillium Foundation for supporting the IBA Program.Please visit the mobile site at http://www.ibacanada.org/mobile/?lang=en andprovide any comments you may have to [email protected]. More featuresare planned, so stay tuned!

Your Observations Help Swif ts and Swallows


Please visit Bird Studies Canada’s newSwifts and Swallows webpages (http://b i r d s c a n a d a . o r g / v o l u n t e e r / a i /index.jsp?lang=EN) to learn about aerialinsectivores, and how you can help thesebirds. In an effort to conserve swifts andswallows and their habitats acrossCanada, we’re looking to addressknowledge gaps and identify high-prioritysites for Chimney Swifts, Barn Swallows,Bank Swallows, Cliff Swallows, NorthernRough-winged Swallows, Tree Swallows,and Purple Martins. You can help bysubmitting your casual observations,detailed nest reports, or roost siteinformation to our new Swifts andSwallows data entry portal, at http://www.birdscanada.org/birdmon/ai/main.jsp.

We thank all the volunteers who participated in the recent Chimney Swift NationalRoost Monitoring Blitz. Across the Maritimes and Ontario, 57 roosts were monitoredin 45 communities. We greatly appreciate your efforts! If you haven’t yet had achance, please visit our website to report sightings and submit your ChimneySwift roost count data at http://birdscanada.org/birdmon/ai/main.jsp.

Bird Studies Canada’s Swifts and Swallows project is undertaken with the financialsupport of the Government of Canada.

Barn Swallow. Photo by EmilyPipher.



Secret s of Bird Movement s Revealed

Reprinted from July 17, 2015 Studies Canada E-newsletter

Ground-breaking researchusing the Motus WildlifeTracking System (http://www.birdscanada.org/research/motus) is uncovering criticalinformation to guideconservation. This spring,several thrushes were trackedfrom Colombia to far-flunglocations in Canada and theU.S. The result: amazing newdetails of these birds’ habitatuse at wintering and stopoverareas, and of their migratoryflights.

In March and April 2015, 67 Swainson’s and Gray-cheeked thrushes were outfittedwith radio-transmitters in Colombia. Researchers collected real-time data on theirlocal movements, gaining a phenomenal record of the birds’ habitat use and lengthof stay in specific areas.

Four of these individuals were subsequently detected by Motus stations in Texas,Saskatchewan, and Ontario during their northbound spring migration. A fifth wasdetected on its breeding grounds on the coast of Hudson Bay. In one remarkableexample, a Swainson’s Thrush that left the Colombian study site, a shade-growncoffee plantation, on April 14 was detected in Chaplin Lake, Saskatchewan onMay 18. The thrush made an astounding journey of nearly 6000 km in just 34days, flying at least 175 km per day for a month!

Visit Bird Studies Canada’s website (http://www.birdscanada.org/news/secrets-of-bird-movements-revealed) to learn more.

Motus is a program of Bird Studies Canada. This research was made possiblethrough collaboration with partners SELVA (Research for Conservation in theNeotropics), University of Saskatchewan, Universidad de los Andes, EnvironmentCanada, and Acadia University. This project was undertaken with the financialsupport of the Government of Canada.

Swainson’s Thrush. Photo by NickSaunders.

First Call for Posters & Present ations11th Prairie Conservation and EndangeredSpecies Conference (February 16-18, 2016)

Saskatoon Inn, Saskatoon, SaskatchewanTheme: “Prairie – It’s a Happening Place!”

Join colleagues and meet new people from the Prairies and Northern Great Plainswho are helping to conserve native prairie and to recover endangered species!

We invite you to submit abstracts for oral or poster presentations. Our conferencewill have four sets of concurrent sessions guided by the following four topic areas.There will also be a dedicated room and session for poster presentations.

1. Status, trends, threats, and issues2. Protection and conservation3. Restoration and recovery4. Connecting and motivating people to wonder, care, and act.

For your submission, please send a word document to [email protected] presentation title (less than 15 words), abstract (less than 200 words), list ofauthors and affiliations, and a contact email address for the main author and/orpresenter. Please make sure abstracts clearly address one or more of thesubthemes. Oral presentations are expected to be approximately 15 minuteslong, with additional time for questions. Posters will be up for both days of themain conference program.

Deadline for submissions of abstracts is September 4 (end of the day). You willbe contacted with the results by late October. Please keep in mind thatsuccessful presenters will be expected to work closely with the Editor of theconference proceedings and adhere to their guidelines.

If you have any questions, contact Natasha at (306) 352-0472 or [email protected].

Learn more about our conference atwww.pcesc.ca.www.facebook.com/PCESC16Event Twitter: @PCESC16Event Hashtag: #PCESC2016

Canada Protect s New National Park and MarineConservation Area

Reprinted from July 17, 2015 Studies Canada E-newsletter

Canada has officially granted federal protection to two new areas.

Qausuittuq National Park on Bathurst Island in the western High Arctic is Canada’s45th, and newest, national park. The decision is very good news for SnowyOwls, King Eiders, snow geese, several jaeger and gull species, and other wildlife,including the endangered Peary Caribou. Priceless historic and prehistoric Inuitcultural values also gain protection.

Great Blue Herons, Bald Eagles, and Peregrine Falcons are among the birdbeneficiaries of the new Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area, coveringone million hectares of Lake Superior and adjacent shoreline. The reserve isconsidered one of the world’s largest freshwater marine protected areas. BirdStudies Canada’s President Steven Price participated in the original commitmentto create this new area, in Nipigon, ON, in 2007.

Legislation to establish both of these protected areas came into effect on June24.

Kudos for Manitoba Atlas Project


The Government of Manitoba has recognized the Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas(http://birdatlas.mb.ca/) a 2015 Service Excellence Award in the partnershipcategory. The project was praised for its inclusive approach that brought togethera diverse community to build capacity for environmental monitoring in the province.The 17th annual award ceremony was held in Winnipeg on June 19.

The seven partners who earned this award through joint efforts to make the atlassuch a resounding success are: Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada,Manitoba Conservation, Nature Manitoba, the Manitoba Museum, Manitoba Hydro,and the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

This program has been undertaken with the financial support of the Governmentof Canada.

Prairie Conservation and Urban Growth

The Prairie Conservation and Endangered Species Conference (PCESC), February16-18, 2016, in Saskatoon, is a forum to discuss the latest issues and trends inthe conservation of prairie landscapes, species, and species at risk. Theconference is held once every three years in a Canadian prairie city. It is attendedby approximately 350 participants from across Western Canada and the NorthernPlains states. It attracts a very diverse audience, including producers, policymakers and planners at all levels of government, conservation and other NGOs,researchers and graduate students from a wide array of disciplines. For moreinformation about the conference, go to www.pcesc.ca.

I am alerting you to this call for presentations and posters because we hope thatthis, the 11th PCESC, will attract people interested in the integration of prairieconservation and urban development. As our rapidly growing prairie cities encroachon prairie uplands and wetlands, urban planners and conservation organizationsseek solutions that preserve biodiversity and enhance quality of life while meetingthe demands for infrastructure, transportation, and commercial and residentialdevelopment. We invite you to share your experiences, ideas and questions atthis conference. Although previous PCESC events have made reference to theseissues, this will be the first time that organizers have specially invited proposalsfor presentations or posters on this sub-theme. If this special call generatessufficient interest, we can organize dedicated concurrent sessions around thistopic in the conference sub-themes. I hope you will join us at this event.

Please share this call with colleagues in your community who might be interestedin PCESC 2016.

If you have questions about the Conference as a whole or about this call, pleasedon’t hesitate to contact me for more information.

Joan Feather, Member, Conference Planning Committee, PCESC 2016Saskatoon, (306) 653-3160, [email protected]



Rob Warnock, Margaret Skeel Graduate Scholarship Committee Member withinformation from Royal Saskatchewan Museum (June 5, 2015 Press Release)

Every year Nature Saskatchewan awards the Margaret Skeel GraduateScholarship to a worthy Saskatchewan university graduate student. The SelectionCommittee favors applicants whose research will increase knowledge of all aspectsof the natural world, foster its appreciation and promote its conservation. Theapplicants for the scholarship are judged on their academic qualifications, andextracurricular activities, but are primarily judged on their field of interest andtheir research project, which must be compatible with the aims of the Societyand our Vision and Mission statements.

Our Vision: Humanity in Harmony with Nature. Our Mission: We engage andinspire people to appreciate, learn about and protect Saskatchewan's naturalenvironment.

We are pleased to maintain the amount of the scholarship to $2,000 this year forthe winning applicant. When I say winning applicant I have to say that all 11 ofthe very worthy applicants this year were winners. The selection committeemembers (Nicole Dunn, Branimir Gjetvag and Rob Warnock) are very excited andinspired at the quality, innovation, and creative thinking put into the applicationswe reviewed. The Nature Saskatchewan Office contacted every applicantrequesting further communication and updates, and has encouraged them tosubmit their results for consideration in Blue Jay. If you would like more informationon the projects submitted, please contact our office.

And now, congratulations to the MargaretSkeel Graduate Scholarship winner, KelseyMarchand!

With a strong academic background inenvironmental and conservation sciences(graduated with a B.Sc. Honours fromLaurentian University in Sudbury, Kelseyis endlessly interested in conservation andecology especially of amphibians andreptiles and enjoys educating others. Shehas also earned a diploma in EnvironmentalTechnology, and a certificate in Art andDesign Fundamentals from GeorgianCollege in Barrie Ontario. Kelsey hasassisted a number of amphibian and reptilesurveys, sorted macroinvertebrates, andassisted with radio-telemetry of Elk and witha Black Bear survey.

Kelsey will continue to study turtles as partof her Master’s degree in Biology under thesupervision of Dr. Ray Poulin of the RoyalSaskatchewan Museum and Dr. Chris

Somers of the University of Regina. Her M.Sc. thesis research is on movementsand resource selection by Western Painted Turtles near the northern limit of theirrange in central Canada. This research was developed via a special partnershipbetween the University of Regina, The Royal Saskatchewan Museum, The Friendsof Wascana Marsh, and the Wascana Centre Authority.

We are very pleased to be awarding Kelsey the scholarship and look forward toher presenting her research to our membership!

Both Largest Western Painted Turtle and Invasive Exotic Red-eared Slider TurtleFound in Regina

On June 2, days after a near-record turtle was found, Kelseyand her assistant AlyssaStulberg captured a largefemale Western Painted Turtlewith a shell length measuringan impressive 26.6 cm - a hugespecimen that might be as oldas the province itself. Her teamhas unfortunately also foundinvasive exotic Red-earedSlider turtles in Wascana Parkthat directly competes with thenative Western Painted Turtle.

“As far as we can tell, this isthe largest Western Painted Turtle ever recorded,” Marchand said. “What’s certainis that in a matter of a few days we’ve captured two of the largest Western PaintedTurtles ever found and it makes us hopeful that this is a sign of a healthypopulation.”

“Catching a record-sized animal is always exciting, and the knowledge that canbe gained about a species can be very significant,” Royal Saskatchewan MuseumResearch Scientist Ray Poulin said. “Turtles are long-lived and slow growing,these two big turtles were likely in Regina when the Riders won their first GreyCup back in 1966 and they just may have been here when Saskatchewan joinedConfederation in 1905.”

After careful measurements and DNA samples were taken, both turtles were fittedwith miniature radio transmitters and released back into the marsh at the spotswhere they were captured. The researchers are now able to follow them as theymove about the marsh, mate, lay eggs and find a place to wait out the long prairiewinter.

For more information on the project, including how to support the research andeven adopt a turtle, please visit the Royal Saskatchewan Museum website atwww.royalsaskmuseum.ca/wascanaturtles.

If you want to report a turtle sighting in Regina or from anywhere in Saskatchewan,please email the Museum at [email protected].

Nature Saskatchewan Proudly Support s Graduate S tudent Research on T urtles in Saskatchewan

Western Painted Turtle. Photo courtesy ofRoyal Saskatchewan Museum.

Kelsey Marchand with Olga,captured in Wascana Lake,Regina, and possibly the largestWestern Painted Turtle everrecorded in Canada. Photocourtesy of the University ofRegina.

Joanne NeilsonReprinted from Yellowhead Flyway Birding Trail Association March 2015 Newsletter

Winters in Willowbrook, SK can be unforgiving and brutal. For this Great HornedOwl, starved and barely mobile, I felt a little human intervention was needed.March 2, 2013 from a stump at ground level, Mr. Owl spent the morning passivelywatching me do chores. This prompted a great photo op. At sundown, with theowl facing a frigid night, Jace Hansen and I caught Mr. Owl and brought him intothe house in a cardboard box. Now what? Crucial to this rehabilitation wasadvice from Lil Anderson, who runs Iggy’s Wildlife Rehabilitation in Kenora, Ontario.Adding warmth with hot water bottles wrapped in towels, watering with a syringefrom the side of the beak, feeding warmed raw chicken breast on the end of aknitting needle were highlights of my next 24 hours. Mr. Owl was soon drinkingon his own and in a week was starting to feed himself. Contact was maintainedwith Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment during his rehab. Having some wildbird handling experience, I was allowed to keep the bird for a short period. Mr.Owl had a vet assessment – he was intact, no broken parts but was extremelyunderweight. The diet progressed: 4 no-skin, no-fat chicken breasts; 2 porkchops; some stew meat; mice from my trap line; 2 lovely rats purchased fromPetValu and a couple of donated Fox Squirrels. Mr. Owl thanked me by hissingat me. This was a good sign. After about 2 weeks, Mr. Owl delivered his firstpellet – almost a good sign. Some evenings, Mr. Owl sent out a very forlornseries of hoots.

Meantime, outside ourhome, across the slough,we occasionally caughtsight of and heard Mrs.Owl. Mr. and Mrs. haddiscernibly different pitchedcalls. On March 17,afterthe Magpies had gone toroost and with Mrs. Owlvisible on her perch acrossthe slough, we decided torelease Mr. Owl. Aninteresting event followed.

Flying a few feet above thesnow and calling Mrs. Owlfinally joined Mr. Owl on theground at the slough. She actually called to him and met him. Wow! They flewoff together. Later that summer, we often heard two distinct Great Horned Owlscalling near our house.

Winter is harshest for these birds due to scarcity of prey. Deep or crusted snowtogether with cold temperatures is especially tough for them. It was very satisfyingto rehab a Great Horned Owl. I hope that he is faring better this winter.

Great Horned Owl. Photo by Joanne Neilson.

Great Horned Owl Rehabilit ation



The Agroclimate Imp act Reporter – DroughtWatch Volunteers Needed

The Agroclimate Impact Reporter (AIR) is an online application designed for thecollection and reporting of weather and climate impacts on farm operations acrossCanada. AIR, available on the Drought Watch website (www.agr.gc.ca/air),produces a live impact map and monthly maps used for decision support. Theinformation in these maps enables producers and scientists at Agriculture andAgri-Food Canada (AAFC) to better understand the local and regional effects ofagroclimate conditions and identify emerging risks to the broader agriculturalsector.

Extreme weather events and climatic variability can have significant effects onCanada’s agricultural sector and the economy. Over the past 10 years, drought,flooding and excess moisture have resulted in large costs to the Canadianeconomy. Monitoring the impacts of weather on water, soil, and agriculturalproduction is essential for a region’s ability to adapt, withstand, and recover fromclimatic extremes.

AIR is maintained by AAFC’s National Agroclimate Information Service (NAIS) ofthe Agro-Climate, Geomatics and Earth Observations (ACGEO) Division, Scienceand Technology Branch. NAIS collects data to produce monthly reports onagricultural impacts throughout the growing season. Data are primarily suppliedfrom a network of registered users and supplemented by media reports andanonymous public input. The AIR registered user network is composed of morethan 325 active volunteer reporters across the Prairie Provinces - Alberta,Saskatchewan, Manitoba ,and the Peace Region of British Columbia. Throughoutthe growing season, registered users submit monthly reports on weatherconditions and agricultural impacts via the online AIR application or through phone,fax or e-mail. These are then supplemented by media reports and anonymouspublic input.

On the Drought Watch website, users are able to view counts of the weatherimpacts, display current or archived information as maps, search reports byimpact types, make data queries and overlay other existing or custom geospatialinformation. Maps of monthly conditions are available through an AIR map selectortool on Drought Watch.

AIR maps are regularly used to help define drought-affected areas in Canada aspart of submissions to the North American Drought Monitor. They are also usedin assessments for AAFC’s financial risk management programs for agriculturalproducers, such as the Livestock Tax Deferral Provision and Agri-Recovery.

To further improve the AIR map products, NAIS plans to expand the existinggroup of registered reporters with the ultimate goal of establishing a Canada-wide network.

For more information please contact AAFC’s National Agroclimate InformationService at [email protected] or visit AAFC’s Drought Watch website atwww.agr.gc.ca/drought or contact Madeline Bemrose [email protected] or 306-523-6581.

The map above, ‘Impact of Drought Conditions on Agricultural Operations’ isan example of one of the many maps produced with info provided by agroclimatevolunteer reporters.

What’ s Killing the Honey Bee?

Kathy Morrell, Yellowhead Flyway Birding Trail Association

“This year we were fortunate,” said Sasha Howland, who with her husband DannyWasylenchuk, owns and operates Howland’s Honey, a bee farm located one milesouth of Good Spirit Lake.

“We lost only a few of our colonies over this past winter,” she said. “But the fouryears before that, it was a different story.”

Like other beekeepers across the province, their losses were higher than average.“When we lose our colonies, we know the bees are weaker and their immunity iscompromised,” Howland said. “They just don’t seem to withstand the stresses inthe environment.”

“We can’t pinpoint the exact cause for those losses,” Wasylenchuk said. “Thereality is that a broad spectrum of chemicals may be involved – pesticides,fungicides and herbicides.” Howland and Wasylenchuk said that neonicotonoids,a pesticide commonly referred to as neonics, may be contributing to the decline inbee numbers but they can’t be sure. Both emphasized the need for more researchdone by an entity independent of the chemical companies. More scientific dataseems to be the answer for many involved in the honey industry. On its website,the Canada Honey Council is calling for donations to its research fund, a portion ofwhich is directed towards the effect of pesticides on the bee population.

On May 27, the Canadian Senate’s agriculture and forestry committee released areport calling for more investigation into the effect on bees of neonics and otherstressors such as climate change.

The Canadian government has stated that a ban on the pesticide is not called forat this time. In contrast, the European Union implemented a two-year trial ban onneonics beginning in April of 2014. Theirs was a response to beekeepers concernedabout declining bee populations and evidence that the pesticide was partly toblame.

First, it must be understood that bees are essential to the human food supply andso the decline in their numbers is a problem. Bees pollinate about a third of ourcrops. Without them, supermarket shelves would be bare of blueberries, apples,raspberries, cranberries, tomatoes, peppers, kiwis, pumpkins, strawberries andsquashes. In addition, bees contribute substantially to Canada’s agricultural sectoras producers of honey.

Secondly, Canadians must understand more about this pesticide with the difficultname. According to a Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture website, neonicotonoidsare a group of synthetic insecticides based on naturally occurring nicotine. Theyare the most common insecticide used for seed treatments in crops such ascanola, corn and soybeans. Seed is coated with the chemical, thus killing insectsharmful to the crop, eliminating the need for spraying and reducing fuel costs tothe farmer. Neonicotinoids work on the insect’s neural system. This type ofinsecticide, the Ministry reports, has relatively low toxicity to mammals.

Finally, it is of note that the problem of the pesticide is more serious in some partsof the country than in others. The explanation for this difference seems to be inthe planting process. Corn seeders kick up dust containing neonics, dust thatremains airborne and drifts across the fields, contaminating the environment for allinsects including the honey bee. As a result, bee losses have been heavier inOntario than in Saskatchewan because corn is a crop of importance in BackgroundInformation Ontario. In Saskatchewan, the seeding process for canola is differentand so bee losses, while significant, have been less serious. Less serious or not,there is still concern. “There is a need for farmers and beekeepers to work togetherto reduce the effects of the pesticide on bee habitat,” Wasylenchuk said. TheMinistry of Agriculture repeated the same message in a May 28 media release.As a result of concern about declining bee populations, the Yellowhead FlywayBirding Trail Association sponsored a presentation about the topic of bees andneonicotonoids at the Spring Meet of Nature Saskatchewan held in SaltcoatsJune 19 to 21.

Persons wishing more information may consult the website of Nature Saskatchewan(www.naturesask.ca) or the Yellowhead Flyway Birding Trail Association(www.yfbta.com).

Vancouver , Canada Adopt s Bird-Friendly BuildingGuidelines


Congratulations Vancouver for implementing bird-friendly building guidelines! ABCpublished “Bird-friendly Building Design” in 2011 as a resource for buildingprofessionals, and we’re excited to see cities like Portland, Minneapolis andCalgary develop guidelines specific to their own regions. http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/2015/01/14/vancouver-bird-proofing-buildings



Ahdia Hassan, Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre (SKCDC)Reprinted from Prairie Conservation Action Plan June 2015- E-newsletter

The Saskatchewan Conservation DataCentre (SKCDC) administers a GIS-basedinvasive species mapping & datamanagement tool, iMapInvasives, whichprovides a platform for open data exchangeand communication among regionalinvasive species efforts. By providing acentral data repository for invasive speciesinformation, the SK CDC provides easilyaccessible, up-to-date information for landmanagers and citizen scientists. Data isentered into the database by registeredusers either through quality-controlledonline submissions or through our newlydeveloped bulk data upload forms.

iMapInvasives stores occurrence,treatment, and survey records for non-native plants and animals. In addition tokeeping tabs on where non-native speciesare and how they are being managed, thesystem also has the capability of storingabsence data, where surveys have takenplace, but no target species were detected.For example, iMapInvasives is being used in province-wide early detection surveyefforts for invasive Zebra and Quagga mussels which have not yet been found inSaskatchewan, but are established in neighboring jurisdictions. Survey detailswill be entered into our central data repository by local organizations and viewableby all users.

Request a free user account at http://imapinvasives.org/skimi/login and exploreiMapInvasives.How will iMapInvasives support my work?

· Free access to a province-wide database where you can store and manageyour data

· Stay connected! Keep up-to-date on other invasive species initiatives inthe province

· Perform GIS spatial analyses and query data by species, location,organization, etc.

· Set up email alerts for your area and/or species of interest· Produce customizable maps and reports

The power of this program stems from its ability to promote a collaborativeenvironment - where interested members of the public can engage with provincialexperts and managers to report and control invasive species. The more usersreporting observations, the more powerful this tool becomes. More eyes andears in the field helps us react quickly to new invaders and new infestations ofknown invaders. We’re working on ways to make the system accessible tousers with varying technical abilities and time commitments. We’ve recentlydeveloped bulk data load forms for streamlined submission of datasets and weare also in the process of launching a new mobile app for iMapInvasives, so staytuned!

Visit the Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre’s Invasive Species page forup-to-date links of bulk data load forms, iMap user manuals, provincial non-nativespecies lists, and links to other provincial invasive species initiatives: http://www.biodiversity.sk.ca/Invasives.htm. If you have any questions or commentsabout iMapInvasives, contact the Invasive Species Coordinator [email protected].

Users can enter data from the field. New mobile applications are in the works -stay tuned!

The Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre (SKCDC) administers a GIS-basedinvasive species mapping & data management tool, iMapInvasives, which providesa platform for open data exchange and communication among regional invasivespecies efforts. By providing a central data repository for invasive speciesinformation, the SK CDC provides easily accessible, up-to-date information forland managers and citizen scientists. Data is entered into the database byregistered users either through quality-controlled online submissions or throughour newly developed bulk data upload forms.

iMapInvasives storesoccurrence, treatment, andsurvey records for non-nativeplants and animals. Inaddition to keeping tabs onwhere non-native speciesare and how they are beingmanaged, the system alsohas the capability of storingabsence data, wheresurveys have taken place,but no target species weredetected. For example,iMapInvasives is being usedin province-wide earlydetection survey efforts forinvasive Zebra and Quaggamussels which have not yet been found in Saskatchewan, but are established inneighboring jurisdictions. Survey details will be entered into our central datarepository by local organizations and viewable by all users. The power of thisprogram stems from its ability to promote a collaborative environment - whereinterested members of the public can engage with provincial experts and managersto report and control invasive species. The more users reporting observations,the more powerful this tool becomes. More eyes and ears in the field helps usreact quickly to new invaders and new infestations of known invaders. We’reworking on ways to make the system accessible to users with varying technicalabilities and time commitments. We’ve recently developed bulk data load formsfor streamlined submission of datasets and we are also in the process of launchinga new mobile app for iMapInvasives, so stay tuned!

Visit the Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre’s Invasive Species page forup-to-date links of bulk data load forms, iMap user manuals, provincial non-nativespecies lists, and links to other provincial invasive species initiatives: http://www.biodiversity.sk.ca/Invasives.htm. If you have any questions or commentsabout iMapInvasives, contact the Invasive Species Coordinator [email protected].

Keeping T abs on Invasive S pecies: Saskatchewan’ s iMapInvasives

iMap Invasives being used in thefield. Stay tuned for upcomingapps. Photo courtesy ofSaskatchewan Conservation DataCentre (SKCDC)

Screen shot of online Saskatchewan InvasivesMap. Photo courtesy of SaskatchewanConservation Data Centre (SKCDC)

All Nations Urged to Protect Alliance for ZeroExtinction Sites

Reprinted from American Bird Conservancy March 26, 2015 E-newsletterThe Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity is encouraging nationsto take action to meet Target 11 by protecting Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE)sites and to apply to the Global Environment Facility to support this end. AZE,which is currently chaired by ABC, works to identify and protect the remaininghabitats of birds and other wildlife facing extinction. Country dossiers outliningthe protected area coverage of AZE sites are being developed to help countriesplan for AZE site protection. https://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2015/ntf-2015-027-pa-en.pdf

AZE Update: To save an entire species, all you need is $1.3 million a yearHow much would you pay to save a species from becoming extinct? A thousanddollars, 1 million or $10 million or more? A new study shows that a subset ofspecies – in this case 841 to be exact – can be saved from extinction for about$1.3 million per species per year. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150316160425.htm

Cattle damage to riverbanks can be undone,Springer Science+Business Media, Feb. 19, 2015


Simply removing cattle may be all that is required to restore many degradedriverside areas in the American West, although this can vary and is dependent onlocal conditions, researchers have found after comparing repeat photographs toassess rehabilitation at Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge. Riparian, orriverside, vegetation is particularly susceptible to the effects of grazing. This isbecause cattle tend to congregate around rivers for easy access to water, lushforage and favorable terrain. Their presence can cause woody plants to decrease,riverbanks to erode, streams to become shallower and wider, and a change totake place in the quality and temperature of the water. It is not only important tonote the effects of grazing on the environment, but also to know what happenswhen cattle are no longer present in a particular ecosystem. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150219101459.htm



Thank You to These Nature SaskatchewanDonors

New Life Memberships:Shelly Jefferson and Dale Fisher

Nature Saskatchewan GeneralPrograms:

Christine Pike In memory ofVinessa Currie-Foster

Don ForbesThelma LisselLynn MatthewsLila McDermaidLi McleodPatricia SargentSaskatoon Community FoundationLorne ScottPaul SoronRichard StaniforthHarold Wilkinson

Land Conservation Fund:Vic FriesenLeonard J. HutchisonJim JinksDaisy D. MeyersPatricia SargentCatherine Zeilner

Last Mountain Bird Observatory:Bob GehlertBrian JefferyAndrew JohnsonRebecca MagnusIsobel McLeishDorothy Rhead

Bird Species at Risk Program:Lynne Reeve

Birds of Saskatchewan:Margaret and John Catto

Friends of Wascana MarshAdopt-a-Turtle Program:

Justin AssieBrian BarkhouseMargaret ClarkeRamona ClarkeBarbara DeanTeri DibbleRuth J. EnglundRobert EwartBrenda FiegerAshley Fortney

Friends of Wascana MarshAdopt-a-Turtle Program (cont’d):

Wayne HellquistJoyce InnesJan KindredRebecca MagnusPatricia MartzBernadette McIntyreKathleen PetersonBlair RossPatricia SchuettKenneth Norman SerbuMary-Lynn SputekNancy StenderPatrick ThieleJody TseSarah TurkeliBruce and Wendy Willis

Nature Savings Plan Contributors:Robert AlvoKeith BellLori CaronKristen CatherwoodJoseph and Sylvia ChorneyDr. Yvonne G. CuttleGwen GordonJocelyn HextallIna HillGary HowlandA.R. IversonJohanna and Ken JensenRon and Julie JensenKen KingdonTom LawtonRobert LongRandy LundyJack MacKenzieClifford MatthewsDeena McNicholJonathan MelvilleAlison PhilipsJulianna M. RobinLyle SaigeonCandace SavageJosef SchmutzDanna SchockMargaret SkeelHellen TaylorHendrik VanderpolGuy WapplePattie Wilkinson

Bring the Prairie to Your Yard

Sarah Vinge-MazerReprinted from Prairie Conservation Action Plan June 2015 E-Newsletter

Love native prairie? Why not growa piece of it in your yard to enjoy?Using native plants in your ownyard is a great way to enjoy manybenefits that our province’s diversityhas to offer. Native plant speciesare inherently suited to our growingconditions with traits gainedthrough years of evolution on theprairies and parkland.

Some of the benefits of growingthem include:• Reduced maintenance. Onceestablished, your native plantsshould never need watering or soil amendments/fertilizing. Weeding will still be amust, as with any landscaping project.• Hardiness. Spring frost? Drought? No problem! Many native species canhandle all sorts of prairie weather conditions with no assistance.• Providing habitat. Your native plants can provide both food and shelter for otherprairie critters such as bees and butterflies.• Diversity throughout the season. Can you buy diversity using non-native plants?Sure you can. But you’ll likely need to put more work into maintaining it. Certainnative perennials can bloom as early as March or April (spring weather permitting)and if you structure your species composition correctly, you’ll have an ever-changinggarden of blooms throughout the summer into the fall (some species bloom intoOctober). Native plants know how to proliferate so will spread on their own or self-seed, meaning they’ll be there again for you next year. Never buy annuals from agreenhouse again! And nothing beats a crocus popping out of the receding snowin the spring.• Education. Our native prairie has endured a lot of at the hands of human-builtpressures over the last century, and those pressures still continue today. Helpkeep the diversity of the prairie alive and use your garden to teach others aboutthe importance of prairie conservation! Native plants can provide so much liveliness to your yard, but there are a fewthings to note before you dive into your next project:

• If you are starting from seed,it may take some time(sometimes 3-4 weeks)before seeds germinate, andsome perennials may notflower in the first year. Nativespecies are usually busy atgrowing good root systemsbelow ground before much isseen above. Be sure to addsome annuals to your gardento get some blooms in your first year.• Native plants are good at propagating themselves, whether via seed, rhizomes,or stolons. Get to know the species you want to plant and if you prefer a neatarrangement in your beds, be prepared to remove seed heads and know whichspecies you may want to keep contained in pots. Milkweed, noted for its benefitsfor the monarch butterfly, is one such spreader. In a few years it can take overany space it’s given and is hard to contain, therefore best suited for large pot tocurb its spread.• If you are planting in pots, you will need deep ones. Native plants grow extensiveroot systems.• Some native plants may look like weeds to you when they begin to sprout.Keep seeded patches marked so you’ll know which are weeds to pull and whichare the plants to keep!• As with any yard project, plan ahead of time. You’ll want to have an idea of sun/shade, moisture, soil type, etc. at your site before you select your species. Youmay also want to keep in mind the species bloom time, color, and height. Somespecies, when grown in a garden setting, free from the intense competition of thenative prairie, may grow much larger than usual.• Beware of “wildflower” seed mixes found in conventional hardware and gardencentres. These are often generic mixes and don’t necessarily contain speciesnative to our region. They may even contain some aggressive or invasive non-native species.• Your best sources of native plant stock will be the ones that are closest to whereyou live.

For resources on where to find native species in Saskatchewan, check out theNative Plant Society of Saskatchewan’s website. Some of my favorites are BlazingStar Wildlife Seed Company and Prairie Originals.

Happy gardening!

Native plants grow extensive root systems, evenbefore much of the plant is seen above-ground.Photo courtesy of Sarah Vinge-Mazer.

A third-year native plant garden. Photocourtesy of Sarah Vinge-Mazer.

Largest City in Northern California to Adopt Bird-Friendly Building Guidelines


San José, the capital of Silicon Valley, has become the fourth and largest Californiacity to enact bird-friendly building guidelines. Previously, ordinances were adoptedby San Francisco in 2011 and Oakland in 2013, while guidelines were adopted bySunnyvale in 2014. The implementation of Bird-Safe Building Design Standardsin San José concludes several months of research led by the San JoséEnvironmental Services Department (ESD) and collaborative work with the SantaClara Valley Audubon Society (SCVAS) and the Loma Prieta Chapter of the SierraClub. San José’s guidelines are based on American Bird Conservancy’s BirdFriendly Building Design and will be applied citywide on a voluntary basis.

“We are very excited that the city has taken action to reduce the risk of birdcollision with glass windows and building facades. It shows that nature and birdsare an important part of the city’s sustainable future and are valued by San José’sresidents, leadership, and city staff,” said Dr. Shani Kleinhaus, EnvironmentalAdvocate for SCVAS, who actively worked with city staff on this action. “It isespecially important for San José because we are located in the Pacific FlywayMigration Corridor and as such, many millions of birds move through this areatwice a year.” http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/150305a.html

Humanity in Harmony with Nature


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If you are planning on moving and wish to continue receiving Nature Views and Blue Jay, PLEASE notify the Nature Saskatchewan office in Regina at 306-780-9273 or 1-800-667- 4668 (in SK only) during regular business hours Monday to Friday or anytime by fax at 306-780-9263 or e-mail at [email protected]. It is awaste of money and resources when you don’t as it costs Nature Saskatchewan for all returned mail. Thank you.

Saskatoon Nature Society 2015 Field T rip s

Everyone is welcome to participate in any field trip. Bring your friends. Carpoolingfor out-of-town trips is arranged at the meeting place; there is no charge otherthan to share gasoline costs. Phone the trip leader if you have any questions.Participants are free to depart early if they wish. Check our website atwww.saskatoonnaturesociety.sk.ca for last minute changes or cancellations andto download checklists. Bus Information: 306-975-3100.

Sunday, August 30, 8:00 AM – 11:30 AMWarbler WalkWe plan to look for migrating warblers, vireos and other songbirds in this park.Bring drinking water and a hat.Meet at the north end of the main parking lot at the Forestry Farm.There is a parking fee of $2 per vehicle (bicycles free). No bus service.Leader: Daniel Giesbrecht (306-713-3930)

Monday, September 7, 7:30 AM–10:00 PMLast Mountain Lake Sanctuary VisitWe will arrange carpools to drive to the north end of Last Mountain Lake to lookfor fall migrants and visit the Nature Saskatchewan banding station. Bring lunchand supper.Meet at the NW corner of the parking lot for the Centre at Circle and 8th.Leader: Ron Jensen (306-665-8248).

Saturday, September 12Fall Bird CountJoin us for part or all of the day to survey the Saskatoon district during the FallMigration Period. Novice birders will be assigned to an experienced leader. Toregister for the count, phone Michael Williams by September 10 at 306-242-5383or email [email protected]

Sunday, September 20, 1:30 PM – 6:00 PMFall Picnic at Blackstrap Lake Park.We will drive around the lake looking for waterfowl and then find an eating area inthe park. Bring a picnic supper and warm clothing.Meet at the NW corner of the parking lot for the Centre at Circle and 8th Mall.Leaders: David and Louise Cook (306-955-4764).

Saturday, October 10, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PMWhooping Crane TripWe will drive in search of any reported Whoopers within 100 km of the city. Bringa lunch, drinking water and warm clothing.Meet at the NW corner of the parking lot for the Centre at Circle and 8th Mall.Leader: Michael Williams (306-242-5383)

Manitoba Exp ands Protection of Threatened andEndangered Plant s, Animals and Ecosystems

Reprinted from June 16, 2015 Government of Manitoba Press Release

The Manitoba government is taking steps to protect five animal and plant speciesand two ecosystems in the province by designating them as threatened orendangered.

Under regulatory amendments to the Endangered Species and Ecosystems Act,the following species will be declared threatened or endangered:

· Olive-sided Flycatcher (threatened),· Brown Bat (endangered),· Northern Long-eared Bat (endangered),· Gastony’s Cliffbrake (endangered),· Canada Warbler (downgraded from endangered to threatened).

Manitoba will also be the first province in Canada to designate ecosystems asendangered under the act, a change that will protect at-risk species that rely onthe habitat found within such ecosystems. Two ecosystems will now bedesignated as or endangered:

· Tall-grass Prairie – a complex ecosystem that is host to a vast array ofgrasses, flowers and wildlife. Tall grass prairie has declined from historicalranges by more than 90 per cent.

· Alvar – a plant community of thin soil over limestone in the Interlakeregion. Alvar is globally rare and found only in a few provinces and statesin North America, making it an important habitat for a variety of birds,reptiles, mammals and insects.

In addition to the designation as endangered, the Manitoba government has alsoproposed the creation of a roughly 2,600 hectare Ecosystem Protection Zone(EPZ) for Alvar in the Interlake.

Declaring a species under the Endangered Species and Ecosystems Act confersprotection on the species and its habitat on Crown and private land. Declaring anecosystem confers protection but only within a defined and designated EPZ.These zones are currently being developed and ecosystem protection zones willbe set out on Crown land.

For more information, or to make a comment on the proposal to create anEcosystem Protection Zone, visit www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/wildlife.Comments will be accepted until September 16, 2015.

Documents

Nature V iews · Administration Centre Printing Services 111-2001 Cornwall St Regina, SK S4P 3X9 [email protected] Nature V iews Issue 183 Fall 2015 - a forum for environmental