Nature Views - a forum for environmental discussion - published by Nature Saskatchewan

Issue 174 Summer 2013

Table of Contents Heritage Range Lands at Risk: Help Save PFRA Community Pastures 2 From Your President Lorne Scott, Conservation Chair, Nature Saskatchewan 3 From Your Editors Letters to the Editor Issue New Members After 70 years of managing the Prairie Farm Volunteers Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) Community pastures, the Federal 4 Margaret Skeel Scholarship government is turning the management of the pastures over to the Prairie Provinces. 5 2013 Spring Meet & Registration Form The Government of Saskatchewan has said 6 Call for Nominations for Nature Sask it does not want to take over the Awards management of the 62 pastures in the Call for Resolutions province and would offer them for sale or Fall Meet lease to existing patrons. Many patrons have indicated they are not in a position to 7 Gary Seib Receives Prairie buy the pastures. Conservation Award Mary Houston Receives Alumnus of The PFRA pastures are among the best Influence Award managed and contain the largest blocks of native prairie grasslands remaining in 8 Turning Leaves Saskatchewan and Canada. Many see the 2013 Baillie Birdathon disposal of these pastures as the end of Flight Plan Partners the last large tracts of heritage rangelands and the loss of their critical biodiversity Auvergne Creek Wise PFRA Community Pasture sign. Photo 9 PlantWatch values. by Gary Seib. Rare Plant Rescue Background 10 Vulture Tagging · The 62 PFRA pastures in Saskatchewan contain about 1.6 million acres of native grasslands and Turtle Lake Sanctuary aspen parkland landscape. · Some 1,800 patrons graze about 85,000 cow/calf pairs on the pastures. 11 WOW Nature Festival · Managed livestock grazing creates a healthy landscape for our native flora and fauna. Volunteering with NCC · Some 32 known Species at Risk are found across 55 of the provinces 62 pastures. · When livestock are removed from the pastures in the fall, many are open for access by thousands of 12 Upland Game Bird Survey licensed hunters to harvest game birds and animals. Common Loon · The pastures are very important to producers in providing grazing opportunities. LMBO Opens in May · Soaring land prices make it impractical for many smaller producers to purchase the pastures.

13 Need a Quick Boost? Go Outside! The PFRA pastures are among the best managed rangelands in the province, with full-time professional land NatureCity Festival managers operating the pastures, managing the grass and accommodating the needs of patrons while ensuring a healthy landscape for native plants and animals. 14 Life Cycles of Migratory Birds Blue Honey Why are these PFRA pastures so critical to biodiversity? 15 Lichens vs Plants and Birds · Overall, we have lost 80% of our natural Ban Bee-Killing Pesticide landscape south of the forest fringe. We have one of the most modified landscapes 16 Nature Quest in North America. · Close to 50% of our original wetlands 17 Swift Fox are gone. Polar Bears · 20% of our native plants are rare and disappearing at an alarming rate. 18 U of S CCE Tours · Three out of four grassland bird species are declining in numbers, including 19 Donors Burrowing Owls, Sprague’s Pipits, and Submission Guidelines familiar well-known species like meadowlarks and Killdeer. 20 Upcoming Events · Sage Grouse once found throughout the southwest corner of Saskatchewan are now confined to Grasslands National Park with as few as 50 birds now surviving. Species at Risk such as the Swift Fox use PFRA pastures. Photo by R. Bergan cont’d on page 4

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Humanity in Harmony with Nature Page 2 Summer 2013 Nature Views

From Your President NATURE VIEWS

Donna Bruce Nature Views provides a forum for discussion, a means for the dissemination of information about environmental issues to the people of Saskatchewan and promotes the aims and objectives of Nature Saskatchewan. Nature Saskatchewan is also known By the time you read this, the hours that many of us have spent on snow and ice as the Saskatchewan Natural History Society. management recently will be a distant memory – at least I certainly hope so! It’s been an interesting winter, but I think we are ready to leave it behind. The same Nature Views is published four times a year by Nature Saskatchewan. Receiving the might be said for the “interesting” time we’ve had in Nature Saskatchewan over newsletter is a benefit from membership in Nature Saskatchewan. Views expressed in Nature Views are not necessarily those of Nature Saskatchewan. the past few months. Submissions and comments are invited. Send materials to this Nature Views It will take some time for all the accounting to be done for our March 31 year-end, editor: Rob Warnock, 3603 White Bay. Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 7C9. Phone: (306) but in spite of generous (and greatly appreciated!) donations from members in 586-2492. Materials can be sent by email to: [email protected] recent months we rather expect our balance sheet at year end will show a bit of Layout: Angela Dohms a deficit. This is largely the result of the denial of federal funding that we reported Proof reading: Angela Dohms and Rob Warnock to you last fall. We did finally get a response to our request for an explanation – Final proof approval: Rob Warnock they ran out of money. They did encourage us to apply again and we have done Submission deadlines: that, as well as applying to every funder our wonderful staff could think of. The Spring issue: January 15 Summer issue: April 1 staff has also refocused planned activity somewhat as a precautionary measure. Fall issue: July 15 Winter issue: October 15 It is still too early to know how well we will do with funding in the new fiscal year but we are hopeful! [After all, we are very good at what we do!] Advertising Rates: Full page (14.5" X 10") ...... $400.00 1/2 p. (7" X 10") ...... $200.00 At one point we had started to think about cutting back on staff. But then life 1/4 p. (7" X 5") ...... $115.00 “happened” as it sometimes does, leaving our Conservation and Education 1/8 p. (3.5 X 5") ...... $ 65.00 Manager, Deanna Trowsdale-Mutafov on extended sick leave with a rare and serious 1/16 p. (3.5" X 2.25") ...... $ 40.00 Classified ads ...... 50 cents/word cancer. Lacey Weekes has been covering for Deanna as well as maintaining Non-governmental organizations will receive a 10 percent discount on their ads in responsibility for Operation Burrowing Owl. Our Species at Risk Manager, Melissa Nature Views. These rates DO NOT include GST or PST. Ranalli, is preparing for six months leave to join her husband on his sabbatical in Europe, and is also having some health issues; Rebecca Magnus has been 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 submitted covering for her. Rather than cutting positions we’ve been appreciating and hanging separately in .jpg or .tif format. More detailed submission guidelines are available on the on to all of our wonderful staffers to get us through the next few months! Nature Saskatchewan website (www.naturesask.ca). All material printed in Nature Views may only be reprinted with permission from the author. And as if things were not already weird enough, another absolutely tragic death This issue of Nature Views has been printed by the Weyburn Review, Weyburn. happened recently. You may remember a wonderful letter to the editor printed in Circulation: 2200 ISSN: 1207-5450 the Winter 2012 Nature Views, written by Ute Bosley. Ute is the mother of Ellen Bouvier, our Office Coordinator who is currently off on maternity leave. Those who OFFICE AND PROGRAM CONTACTS have attended recent field meets are likely to have met Ute with Ellen and her son General Manager Gary Seib Species at Risk Manager Melissa Ranalli André. She was a wonderfully vibrant woman and the light of her family’s life. Conservation & Education Manager Deanna Trowsdale-Mutafov She was killed in a horse accident, while saving her grandson’s life. Her loss is Office Coordinator Kaytlyn Burrows deeply felt by all who knew her. Habitat Stewardship Coordinator (Rare Plant Rescue) Laurie Johnson Habitat Stewardship Coordinator (Oper. Burrowing Owl) Lacey Weekes Habitat Stewardship Coordinator (Shrubs for Shrikes) Rebecca Magnus So really, we’re all ready for the promise of spring – for returning birds and crocus Habitat Stewardship Coordinator (Plovers on Shore) Rebecca Magnus blooms, for putting canoe on water and boot to trail (without snow!). There is Saskatchewan PlantWatch Coordinator Deanna Trowsdale-Mutafov some comfort to the turning of the season, even though we know more change is NatureQuest Coordinator John Murray coming. General Manager Gary Seib will retire at the end of June after a busy Inner Nature Jeanne Corrigal Last Mountain Bird Observatory Alan Smith and very productive four years. As the recent events I’ve just described would Turkey Vulture Tracking/Birds of Saskatchewan Book C. Stuart Houston suggest, he will have earned it and then some! BOARD OF DIRECTORS I hope you will be able to join us for the Spring Meet in Swift Current and Grasslands Honourary President J. Frank Roy Past President Lorne Scott National Park. It will be a wonderful celebration of the great idea that is now a OFFICERS national park, and an opportunity to be reminded of the splendour of natural President Donna Bruce Vice-president Karen McIver grasslands. It will be a farewell to our General Manager and a welcome for our Treasurer Bill Mackenzie Secretary Arlene Karpan new Executive Director. [Same job, new title.] I hope to see you there! DIRECTORS Vinessa Currie-Foster Joan Feather Branimir Gjetvag Suzanne Henry Lorne Scott Christie Thomson Lorelei Wilson Rob Wilson

EDITORS Wanted: Birders and Banders for Staff and Nature Views Rob Warnock and Angela Dohms Blue Jay Kerry Hecker and Lowell Strauss Volunteer Positions Special Publications Anna Leighton

Reprinted from January 11, 2013 Bird Studies Canada E-newsletter LOCAL SOCIETIES AND AFFILIATES PRESIDENTS Chaplin Tourism Committee Clem Millar Fort Qu’Appelle Natural History Society Keith Stephens Canadian Migration Monitoring Network (CMMN) stations across the country are Indian Head Natural History Society Lorne Scott looking for keen birders and banders interested in gaining the experience of a Kelsey Ecological Society Michael Pitt lifetime volunteering or working with birds. Visit the CMMN webpage at http:// Meadow Lake Woodlanders (Junior Forest Wardens) Neil Marsh www.birdscanada.org/volunteer/cmmn/ for more information about stations near Nature Moose Jaw Rod Moran Nature Prince Albert Carman Dodge you and opportunities offered. Population trends, seasonal abundance graphs, Nature Regina Dale Hjertaas and other CMMN statistics are available from the NatureCounts website at http:/ Neudorf Nature Trails & Wild Bird Sanctuary Keith Gerstner /www.birdscanada.org/birdmon/. Saskatoon Nature Society Inc. Joan Feather Southwest Naturalists Norma Hain Weyburn Nature Society Val Thomas (Secretary) For opportunities at Last Mountain Bird Observatory contact: Yellowhead Flyway Birding Trail Association Martin Phillips Yorkton Natural History Society Geoff Rushowick Al Smith, Last Mountain Bird Observatory Manager Box 154, Avonlea, SK S0H 0C0 For more information, please contact Nature Saskatchewan Phone: (306) 868-4554, E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.naturesask.ca/education_lastMt.php MAILING ADDRESS Room 206 1860 Lorne Street Regina, SK S4P 2L7 Are you Moving? Please let us Know! PHONE: 306-780-9273 OR 1-800-667-4668 (in SK only) FAX: 306-780-9263 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 E-MAIL: [email protected] 306-780-9273 or 1-800-667- 4668 (in SK only) during regular business hours WEBSITE: www.naturesask.ca Monday to Friday or anytime by fax at 306-780-9263 or e-mail at [email protected]. It is a waste of money and resources when you don’t as it costs Nature Saskatchewan for all returned mail. Thank you.

Conservation Now...For The Future Page 3 Summer 2013 Nature Views

From Your Editors Letters to the Editors We hope everyone had a great start to the year. As we write this editorial, we are still waiting for the weather to catch up with the calendar so we can finally start enjoying spring! It is has been a very long winter. Closure of PFRA Shelterbelt Centre deserves a This super-sized 20-page issue is jam packed with Nature Saskatchewan second look news including full details on the Spring Meet including the registration form, the preliminary Fall Meet details, Nature Quest, Last Mountain Bird Observatory, Shortly after attending a talk on tapping Manitoba maples for syrup (PFRA Rare Plant Rescue, Vulture Tracking and a number of other environmental shelterbelt maples) at a Saskatoon Perennial Society meeting, I read Lorne news items including lichens, Swift Fox, Polar Bear, upland game birds and Scott’s comprehensive article in the spring Nature Views “PFRA Tree Nursery at bird migration. Indian Head Terminated” Failure to consult with patrons was mentioned as one shortcoming. As a patron that has planted PFRA trees over at interval of three We express our deepest condolences to Ellen Bouvier and her family on the decades, I realized that the PFRA shelterbelt Centre deserves more public support unexpected death of her mother, Ute Bosley. Ute was an enthusiastic supporter because the tree program is so much more than just providing shelterbelt trees. of Nature Saskatchewan and attended a number of meets with Ellen in recent years. Ellen has written a lovely tribute to her mom and it is on page 8. We Unheralded in the press is the number of trees given to public institutions and also express our condolences to families of other Nature Saskatchewan spaces. As part of a school playground committee we applied for and received members who have passed away recently. hundreds of trees for a multi-row shelterbelt that has benefited the students and staff of Clavet Composite since 1996 and will do so decades into the future. We congratulate Gary Seib on receiving the 2013 Prairie Conservation Award Likewise, a small historic rural cemetery and churchyard has been transformed for Saskatchewan at the Prairie Conservation and Endangered Species to a sheltered attractive area by PFRA trees. In both cases a transformation Conference in Red Deer in February. It is well deserved. Also, we wish Gary all impossible without this publicly funded source of trees and shrubs. the best in his upcoming retirement in July. We have enjoyed working with Gary and look forward to working with the new Executive Director of Nature Then there is the accumulated knowledge, professional resource people, ongoing Saskatchewan. research and international recognition that is an important part of this Centre. In the last few years I have attended interesting talks given by PFRA staff on Two other Nature Saskatchewan members were also recognized with ecobuffers and Seabuckthorn research. This expertise and public education will prestigious awards recently. Mary Houston of Saskatoon received a 2013 be eliminated as well. Alumnus of Influence Award from University of Saskatchewan College of Arts of Science. We did not know she holds the world record for the number of Above all the material that was provided by the Indian Head Nursery was first bandings and recoveries for the Bohemian Waxwing. Joan Wilson of Saltcoats rate. In the 70s and again in the 90s (as part of the Save Our Soils initiative), we was recently named by the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan as a 2013 planted several field shelterbelts. Survival of the material was close to 90%, recipient of the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal. Joan will receive her medal shipping and arrival was well coordinated and timely, nursing stock was in very later this spring and thus we will have an article on this in the next issue. good condition, preparation and planting instructions clear and complete. We Congratulations to Mary and Joan! were not able to water our shelterbelts and still the survival was terrific. Clearly the PFRA Nursery’s methods of growing, harvesting and shipping trees have Please mark on your calendars for the Spring Meet in Swift Current and been excellent. I wish I could say the same for some shelterbelt material that I Grasslands National Park on June 14-16, 2013 and the Fall Meet in Meadow have ordered from commercial private nurseries in order to make our plantings Lake on September 20-21, 2013. Also please consider participating in citizen more diverse. I would like to see all Canadian students of horticulture be able to science projects such as FeederWatch, Plantwatch, Breeding Bird Surveys learn at this first class institution. Why not make use of the existing facilities and Nocturnal Owl Surveys and of course the Baillie Birdathon in May. We and excellent staff for hands-on training and research? We do not have many encourage all eligible graduate students to apply for the $2,000 Margaret Skeel federally supported institutions in Saskatchewan, certainly few that have been Graduate Scholarship (deadline June 1, 2013). We also encourage all Nature so important in conservation, horticultural/agriculture and rural development. I Saskatchewan members to send a letter to Premier Brad Wall regarding the think the Shelterbelt Centre at Indian Head deserves a second life that will benefit need to fully retain all PFRA pastures for their the biodiversity values. all of Canada.

We hope you have been enjoying recent issues of Nature Views and we Bonnie Lawrence welcome your feedback (bouquets or bricks), as it is your publication. Have a Clavet area resident safe and wonderful spring (if it actually comes with better weather) and enjoy nature with family and friends! Note: this fall and winter our shelterbelt Green Ash and then Villosa Lilac provided food to a flock of at least eleven Pine Grosbeaks (October 29 to February 25). Rob Warnock and Angela Dohms

A segment of Nature Views is designated for Letters to the Editors. Feel free to 25th Annual Winter Birding Contest Results voice your opinion and inform members and the Nature Saskatchewan directors about issues relevant to our Society. Letters to the Editors provides valuable Boyd Metzler comments about Nature Views’ articles, programs and ensures we keep on track! Letters may be edited for clarity and length. The 25th Annual Winter Birding Contest concluded on February 28th, 2013. This year there were 2 entries. Guy Wapple of Saskatoon recorded 62 species and Boyd Metzler of Whitewood found 43 species. Even though many birders keep winter bird lists, it seems that few are willing to share their findings with the Nature Saskatchewan Welcomes These New readers of Nature Views. Members

After last years’ personal record of 82 species, Guy returned to a slightly below Angela Boss Marcelo Lince average count of 62 this time. That was in spite of being free to do 9 CBC’s this Kristin Catherwood Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation year. Guy thinks that the cold fall may have driven a lot of half - hardy species Vinessa Currie-Foster Helen and James McPherson south. The highlights of this year included his 143rd all-time winter bird – a Scott Dudiak Dianne Miller willow ptarmigan. (It was also his 338th species for Saskatchewan). Another Kenneth Gilmour Regina Public Library interesting bird included the Saskatoon area’s first ever Eastern Towhee, which Sandy Hass Travis Rosenberry was visiting a feeder on an acreage east of the city. While there were some Teresa and Jack Kindrachuk Colette and Richard Stushnoff other interesting birds seen, there were plenty of “bad” misses too. Some Christine Kulyk Niradha Withana Gamage misses were – Cackling Goose, American Green Winged Teal, Rough-legged Beckie Lawrence Valerie Zink Hawk, Prairie Falcon, Gyrfalcon, Pileated Woodpecker, Black-backed Dave Lepard Woodpecker, Townsend’s Solitaire, Red-Winged Blackbird, Rusty Blackbird and Pine Siskin.

Boyd just toured the local area this year, but he did manage to do 5 CBC’s. There was quite an influx of Northern birds in Eastern Saskatchewan – Redpolls, Nature Saskatchewan Thanks These Volunteers Crossbills, Pine Grosbeaks and Bohemian Waxwings. He found all three accipters – Northern Goshawk, Cooper’s Hawk and the Sharp shinned Hawk. Brian Jeffery for helping to organize and sort books for the Nature Saskatchewan Some he missed that were found in the area were: House Finch, Purple Finch, library. Common Grackle, Ring-necked Pheasant, and a Snowy Owl. This is the first time in 25 years he did not record a Canada Goose or a Golden Eagle, in fact he Guy Wapple for submitting Christmas Bird Counts to Bird Studies Canada. found only 3 waterfowl species whereas Guy found 14. Every year is different and interesting in many ways.

The Voice of Nature for Saskatchewan Page 4 Summer 2013 Nature Views

Heritage Range Lands at Risk: Help Save PFRA Community Pastures

cont’d from front page 4. Preserve the natural landscapes and ecological integrity of the pastures. Preservation of the natural landscapes and ecology of the pastures is important · Many mammal, amphibian, reptile and insect species are also declining at a World level. They contain the largest contiguous blocks of original prairie in our highly developed landscapes. grasslands in the Northern Great Plains. They are home to many indigenous · The prairie grasslands of western Canada contain more Species at Risk species, including 32 species at risk found in 55 of the pastures. than any other region of the country. · The PFRA pastures contain 10 to 15% of our remaining grassland and 5. Protect the cultural and historic significance of these heritage aspen parkland natural landscape and are critical for species diversity rangelands. and survival. The pastures contain significant heritage and archaeological sites, and sacred and ceremonial sites that are still significant in contemporary First Nation International Significance and Métis cultures. They have played a key role in Canada’s agricultural The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reports: “The development and preserve the tradition of working cowboys. The pastures temperate grasslands biome (which includes southern Saskatchewan) is the are part of the history, culture, and vitality of rural Saskatchewan. most endangered, the most altered, and yet the least protected biome on the planet.” 6. Recognize and sustain the investment in the public benefits provided by publicly-owned community pastures. Only 3.4% of this biome has some form of biodiversity protection. The next Through the visionary action taken by key agricultural leaders more than 75 most threatened biome has 8.3% of its natural landscape protected. years ago, public resources were applied to restore degraded land to a state that yielded economic production and environmental benefits year after year. Progress The PFRA community pastures provide one of the best examples of a “‘triple- Thus far the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM), bottom-line” enterprise: they provide an environmental, social and economic Agriculture Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS), Nature dividend to all Canadians. This investment needs to be continued now and in Saskatchewan (NS) and the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation (SWF) have the future. passed resolutions calling on the province to retain ownership of the PFRA pastures. A Strategy Forward A. Work with stakeholders to establish an inclusive Transition Plan. In January, some 250 pasture patrons gathered in Saskatoon and formed the We need a clear and transparent transition plan to manage the changes to Community Pasture Patrons Association of Saskatchewan. The organization is the PFRA community pastures. Participants in the planning should include: working to obtain information and is looking at potential options regarding the governments, pasture patrons, municipalities, First Nations, industries, future of the PFRA pastures. conservation organizations, range managers and others. The goal should be to ensure that the best-management practices developed through the PFRA Nature Saskatchewan and over 30 other provincial, national, and international continue to serve pasture patrons, protect our natural and cultural heritage, conservation organizations have endorsed the following principles regarding our and provide benefits for the people of Saskatchewan. PFRA pastures under “A Vision for the future of Saskatchewan Heritage Rangelands”. B. Take the time to get it right. The decisions from the federal government were made without consultation. The Principles The Saskatchewan government has bought a little time from the federal 1. Keep ownership of the PFRA pastures in the public domain. government to do some review of the situation, but forcing a decision to This is the best way to balance diverse interests, to preserve the integrity of dispose of the first ten pastures by the Fall of 2013, as currently planned, is the pastures, and to ensure that the legacy of the pastures is secured for too rushed. Time is needed for the general public, who are the owners of the future generations. land, and the various stakeholders, to determine what the future of the community pastures will be and how they can be preserved for future 2. Maintain livestock grazing as a priority. generations. Livestock grazing is essential to the management of healthy prairie grasslands and to maintaining cattle and other livestock production now and in the future. What you can do This is a win-win arrangement that benefits producers and preserves the We need people to write a short, courteous letter to the Premier, explaining why natural ecosystems in the pastures. you think the PFRA pastures are important to you and the people of Saskatchewan. Encourage the Premier to retain ownership of these very important lands and 3. Utilize professional pasture managers. manage them for all the people of Saskatchewan, and tell the Premier that you It has taken decades to build up the expertise needed to manage the livestock look forward to his reply. and grazing, the ecosystems, and the habitats for indigenous species and species at risk. Pasture managers are part of a system-wide team that Send your letter to: Honourable Brad Wall, Premier of Saskatchewan, Legislative helps them to improve their individual practices and provides coordinated Building, Regina, SK S4S 0B3, or email the Premier at: [email protected]. support. Pasture patrons have dubbed their PFRA pasture manager as ‘their Please be sure to include your name and full address on all correspondence, and best asset’. ask for a response to your letter.

From all of us concerned about the loss of these heritage rangelands, thank you very much for your support.

Margaret Skeel Graduate Student Scholarship

In the fields of ecology, wildlife management, Application Guidelines biology, environmental studies including · an updated resume and a cover letter social science applied to marketing · a full description of your present and/or proposed research conservation and sustainable use of natural · a transcript of the undergraduate and graduate courses thus far completed resources. and of those currently enrolled in · an indication of what other source(s) of funding you hope to rely on to A $2,000 scholarship will be awarded in 2013 complete your studies to assist a graduate student attending a post- · letters of reference are optional but recommended secondary institution in Saskatchewan. This scholarship must be applied to tuition and If you have any questions, please contact our office by e-mail at associated costs at the named institution. [email protected] or phone 306-780-9273 (in Regina) or 1-800-667-4668 (SK only). The Margaret Skeel Graduate Student Scholarship is awarded to a student pursuing studies in a field that complements Application Deadline: June 1, 2013 the goals of Nature Saskatchewan. Nature Saskatchewan promotes appreciation and understanding of our natural environment, and supports research to protect Please submit your completed application to the Scholarship Committee: and conserve natural ecosystems and their biodiversity. We work for sustainable E-mail: [email protected] use of Saskatchewan’s natural heritage, ensuring survival of all native species Mail: Nature Saskatchewan, 206-1860 Lorne Street, Regina, SK S4P 2L7 and representative natural areas, as well as maintenance of healthy and diverse Phone: 306-780-9273 (in Regina) or 1-800-667-4668 (SK only). wildlife populations throughout the province. We aim to educate and to stimulate “Humanity in Harmony with Nature” research to increase knowledge of all aspects of the natural world. Research that will contribute to resolving current conservation problems have a special priority. Conservation Now...For The Future Page 5 Summer 2013 Nature Views

2013 Spring Meet, June 14-16 - Swift Current – Grasslands National Park

Sunday, June 16th Day’s Inn, Swift Current Breakfast on your own 9:00 a.m. Nature Saskatchewan Annual General Meeting 10:30 a.m. Nature Saskatchewan Board Meeting

Suggested Accommodations Available Accommodations – Swift Current – Val Marie

Days Inn: 306-773-4643 (Please note that gasoline is not 905 North Service Road East currently available in Val Marie) www.daysinn.ca Convent Country Inn Best Western Inn & Suites 306-298-4515 306-773-4660 South side of Val Marie on 105 George Street West Highway 4 www.bestwestern.sk.ca www.convent.ca

Comfort Inn The Crossing Resort 306-778-3994 306-298-2295 1510 South Service Road 5 km South of Val Marie www.choicehotels.ca/cn353 www.crossingresort.com

Members and friends of Nature Saskatchewan will hold their third Spring Meet in Green Hectares Bed & Breakfast Val Marie Hotel Grasslands National Park in mid-June. This meeting will celebrate the 50th 306-773-7632 306-298-4888 anniversary of our 1963 resolution calling for the creation of a grasslands National www.greenhectares.ca Park in southwestern Saskatchewan. Our first meet in the area was in 1969, to celebrate our lease of the Prairie Dog Sanctuary, and we returned for another visit Gramma Bep’s Guest House in 1985. (306) 773-7359 37 Ponderosa Trail North Because there is little accommodation in Val Marie, our meeting will be based in E-mail: [email protected], Swift Current, at the Day’s Inn on the North service Road. Busses will depart http://www.grammabep.com/ early Saturday morning for an all-day excursion to the park. The grasslands bus trip will include tours of the park, a cowboy luncheon out in the park, and an Trail RV Park & Campground evening banquet in Val Marie with Bob Peart as our featured speaker. 306-773-8088 11th Avenue NW Bob Peart is the project coordinator for the Temperate Grasslands Conservation Initiative, a project of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Members may recall that Bob was the manager of the Prairie Wildlife Interpretation 2013 NATURE SASKATCHEWAN SPRING MEET Centre, near Webb, Saskatchewan. Now that he’s working on the world stage, June 14-16, 2012 the focus of his talk: “A Quick Look at the State of the World’s Grasslands” will Swift Current/Grasslands National Park have an international perspective. The Temperate grasslands biome is among the most endangered, the most altered and yet the least protected biome on the Registration Form (Please Print) planet. Currently only 3.4% of the world’s indigenous temperate grasslands have any form of legal protection. This talk will discuss where these grasslands are Name: and the on-going efforts to conserve them in various regions throughout the world. ______The Great Plains of North America will be put into the context of global efforts to preserve this rich and diverse ecosystem Address: ______Despite our 1963 resolution urging the establishment of a grasslands park to celebrate Canada’s Centennial in 1967, the agreement to establish the park was Postal Code: ______not signed until September 23, 1988. With the recent acquisition of the Dixon and Walker ranches, the park has acquired most of the land to reach its ultimate Telephone: ______size. Email address: On Friday evening we’ll have time to socialize, and to celebrate the anniversary ______with a visual presentation by Branimir Gjetvaj and an historical presentation by David Henry and Gary Seib. After spending Saturday in the park, we’ll return to Early Registration (received prior to June 1st), Swift Current for our Annual General Meeting on Sunday morning. We’re working Includes bus, Saturday lunch and banquet: $85.00 each x___ = $______with the Saskatchewan Outdoor and Environmental Education Association (SOEEA) to organize some programming on Saturday for youth, using their Late Registration (received after June 1st), “Growing Up Wild” and “Flying Wild” programs. Includes bus, Saturday lunch & banquet: $95.00 each x ____= $______

SCHEDULE Extra banquet tickets: ______@ $30.00 each $______Friday, June 14th Day’s Inn, Swift Current 5:30 p.m. Registration, displays, book sales TOTAL AMOUNT $______Supper on your own 7:00 p.m. Welcome from Southwest Naturalists Please make your cheque payable to Nature Saskatchewan and send it, Branimir Gjetvaj - Visual presentation along with this form to 206-1860 Lorne Street, Regina, SK S4P 2L7. David Henry/Gary Seib - Historical presentation If you have special dietary needs for the lunch or banquet, please include a Saturday, June 15th note with your registration. Breakfast on your own 8:00 a.m. Bus departure from Day’s Inn for all-day tour of GNP, The following youth may be interested in special programs for young people: Including stops at Visitor Reception Centre in Val Marie, ______Prairie Dog Colony, Bison Viewing Tour ______12:30 p.m. Lunch provided at the Frenchman Valley Coulee Centre 2:00 p.m. Larson Ranch Historic buildings & Prairie Dog colony 3:45 p.m. Prairie Wind & Silver Sage Museum & Book Shop in Val Marie Income Tax Receipts 5:00 p.m. Banquet at Val Marie Hall, featuring talk by Bob Peart 7:30 p.m. Busses return to Swift Current Nature Saskatchewan issues an income tax receipt for each donation. This helps you to have your receipt handy when you need it. Your support is greatly appreciated! If you have made a donation and don’t receive a tax receipt make sure you contact our office.

The Voice of Nature for Saskatchewan Page 6 Summer 2013 Nature Views Call for Nominations for Nature Saskatchewan Fall Meet in Meadow Lake Awards September 20-21, 2013

Each year at the Fall Meet Nature Saskatchewan honours those who by their Neil Marsh, Nature Sask Liaison, Meadow Lake Woodlanders Junior Forest Wardens talents and efforts have made important contributions to the society. These presentations will take place following the banquet. The awards include the The Meadow Lake branch of the Junior Forest Wardens are proud and excited to Natural History Scholarship, the Cliff Shaw award (best contribution to Blue invite you to Saskatchewan’s Northern Boreal Forest surrounding the community Jay), The Larry Morgotch Memorial Award, The Conservation Award, The Fellows and provincial park of Meadow Lake on September 20-21, 2013. The boreal forest Award, The Long Time Service Award and the Volunteer of the Year Award. represents 29% of the world’s forest cover. The largest area of wetlands in any ecosystem of the world is found in the Canadian boreal region, containing more Cliff Shaw Award: One of the persons most active in the formation of the lakes and rivers than any similarly sized landmass on earth. Saskatchewan Natural History Society was Cliff Shaw of Yorkton, who helped to carry on the publication of the Blue Jay after the death of its Saskatchewan’s Boreal Forest: founder Mrs. Isabel Priestley. Following his death in 1959, the Society · Is approximately 410,000 km2 (101 million acres) in size – larger than wished to honour his memory by an appropriate award, and at the Germany. Executive meeting of October 1959, a motion was made that “a Cliff · Comprises 7% of Canada’s Boreal Forest. Shaw Award” be made each year at the Annual Meeting. This award · Is home to more than 50 aboriginal communities. will be presented for an article in the past four issues of the Blue Jay · Stores 5 billion tonnes of carbon in its soils, peat and forests – an amount that merits special recognition as an individual contribution in any branch equivalent to 24 years of Canada’s annual carbon emissions. of natural history. · Contains a portion of the 2,100 km-long (1,300 miles) Churchill River; the vast drainage basin of the river encompasses about half of the province’s Conservation Award: In addition to advocacy and other forms of conservation boreal forest. action, it is important that Nature Saskatchewan recognize, as it has · Is the breeding ground for 70 to 200 million birds of more than 175 species, done since 1953, those both within and beyond the organization who including Yellow Rail, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Bay-breasted Warbler and have done “meritorious work in the interests of conservation in Rusty Blackbird. Saskatchewan.” Nature Saskatchewan’s Conservation Award will be · Supports over 4,000 or 13% of Canada’s threatened boreal Woodland caribou presented to an individual or organization whose total contribution to population, as well as large populations of wolves, bear and other wildlife. conservation is outstanding, whether in relation to a particular project · Features 310,000 km2 (77 million acres) of intact forest, peatland and wetland or in a number of roles over a period of years. habitat free from industrial development, making up 75% of the province’s boreal region. Fellows Award: A motion was passed at the 1987 Annual General Meeting creating a new class of honorary membership, entitled “Fellows of the Junior Forest Wardens is an exciting and educational opportunity for young people Saskatchewan Natural History Society.” This award recognizes an and their families to have fun, develop skills, and get educated in the many and extensive and continuing contribution of time over many years to the diverse aspects of our natural environment. The Junior Forest Wardens have built Society and its objectives. Up to five recipients may be chosen annually. their program foundation using the four components of: Forestry – Ecology – Outdoor Once selected, Fellows hold that title as long as they remain members Skills – Leadership. of the Society. Young people between the ages of 6 – 18 can join a local club, and enjoy age- Larry Morgotch Memorial Award: This award was initiated by the Yorkton specific programming in one of the four appropriate age classes. Parents are Society in memory of Larry Morgotch, one of its former members whose encouraged to participate, with their children, in any aspect of the club program; photographs had appeared in many of the past issues of Blue Jay. from providing their expertise in a leadership or resource role, parent supervision, This award for excellence in photography will be presented to the to learning right along with their kids. member showing the best photographs at the members’ presentation during the fall meet each year. Junior Forest Wardens is an outdoor oriented program, with an emphasis on the experience. The program is committed to providing opportunities to get outdoors: Volunteer of the Year Award: This award was created in 1996 to acknowledge camping, backpacking, canoeing, tree planting and more! And to prepare for an individual who has devoted significant time and energy to promoting adventures like these, education is offered and promoted in wilderness skills the objectives of the Society. Priority for this award will be given to a development, first aid, trip planning and survival. To provide a greater appreciation member whose volunteer work has helped to enhance the public of the natural resources while outdoors, Wardens are taught about tree, plant and awareness of the Society (this may include contributions to a Society animal identification, soil types, weather and water, resource management, threats conservation project or program). It may be appropriate in some years to the environment and our resources and the list goes on… to have this award shared by more than one person, if they have worked together on the same project, or on closely related projects. Come on out for a fun weekend of exploring the boreal with the Junior Forest Wardens and various partners showcasing the wildlife and biodiversity of the north! Volunteer Service Award: This award will be given to volunteers after five and ten years of regular service. Volunteers serving for a longer period of time should be considered for the Fellows award. It will be presented to any volunteer that has completed five or ten years of regular service to the Society during that year. Come Do a Nature Tour and Some Fun Archaeology Too Deadline for Nature Saskatchewan Award nominations is September 1st, 2013. Please send all award nominations to the Nature Muriel Carlson Saskatchewan Office at [email protected]. Summer is a time to walk the hills and enjoy nature, that is, if you live around Herschel: wide open spaces and valleys of flowers not yet identified there yet. I tried to do some last summer, and no doubt identified flowers that had not bloomed in decades. With the snow cover very high again, there may be many more. We want this information for the Ancient Echoes Interpretive Center at Herschel to get Call for Resolutions a better idea of what plants bloom there. I have been working on bird lists. Come and help me. It does not have to be a weekend.

The resolutions presented each year at the Fall Meet are very important Members of the Saskatchewan Archaeological Society will hopefully be there from expressions of the memberships’ concerns on environmental issues. If passed time to time, so that we can map several very exciting archaeological sites for by the membership, these resolutions are sent directly to the responsible posterity. Most work on maps will be done early on before the grass grows. We government ministries. In addition, they provide guidance to the Conservation already have to weed whip many areas to photograph them. This area is part of Director and the other Board members as they meet with the Ministers or the network of early big game hunters’ sites that we call the Avonlea people. We other government officials and conduct other conservation activities throughout will take you on tours when possible, and you can call them in advance for the year. information about whether you may get accommodation or tent space. I will be there, I hope, sporadically to work on other work, mostly air photo analysis to see Resolutions are best handled if they can be written in advance and distributed if we can locate other dolomite rocks that have not been examined for rock art by during the business meeting at the Meet. Therefore if you wish to submit a examining air photos. Our petroglyph near Herschel is actually visible with the resolution to this year’s meet please send them to the Nature Saskatchewan naked eye. Office no later than September 1st. If you require assistance with the content and wording of your resolution please don’t hesitate to contact the office or a Be prepared to bring a lunch and wear suitable clothing and boots. You can get Nature Saskatchewan board member for assistance. coffee almost anytime, as well as some light lunches. Call first so that we know you are coming. See you there.

Conservation Now...For The Future Page 7 Summer 2013 Nature Views Gary Seib Receives 2013 Prairie Conservation Gary Seib’s Many Contributions to Nature Award for Saskatchewan! Conservation

Based on award citation in the March 2013 Prairie Conservation Action Plan E- Lorne Scott, Conservation Chair, Nature Saskatchewan newsletter Like many of his generation, Gary Seib began life in rural Saskatchewan, first on a small farm and later in the town of Lipton. After completing high school, Gary moved to Regina, where he began work at Cherry Film Productions, a small, family run business producing educational, nature, earth science and documentary films.

Films on the proposed Grasslands National Park (long before there was a park), the construction of the Gardiner Dam and an alcohol education film in Frobisher Bay in the arctic were a few productions Gary filmed. A number of these films were produced for the National Film Board.

I met Gary in the spring of 1967, when I moved to Regina to work at the Saskatchewan Museum of Natural History. By chance, Gary and I lived at the same boarding house. We quickly became friends, going on nature outings with museum artist and naturalist, the late Fred Lahrman. We also attended Regina Natural History Society meetings and beginning in the late 1960’s served on the Saskatchewan Natural History Society Board of Directors. Gary has served as Blue Jay Archives Coordinator, Blue Jay editor, President, Member Services Director, Special Publications Director and most recently as General Manager.

Nominators Rebecca Magnus and Lacey Weekes, Recipient Gary Seib and Throughout the years, Gary excelled at photography, both motion pictures and Selection Committee members Natasha Wilkie and Lorne Scott. Photo by slides. Dozens of bird banding expeditions, Nature Saskatchewan field trips, Myrna Pearman. annual meetings and special events were all recorded by Gary. His collection of slides numbers in the thousands and many photos have been published and The Prairie Conservation Award was created in 1989 as a way to recognize others used to illustrate conservation presentations. His photos appear in recipients for significant long-term contributions to native habitat or species at “Wildflowers Across the Prairies” and “The Squirrels of Canada” as well as in many magazines and calendars. risk conservation. This year at the 10th Prairie Conservation and Endangered Species Conference in Red Deer, Alberta three deserving recipients were honoured. Gary’s knowledge of prairie natural history has been most valuable in Nature Saskatchewan Board discussions about conservation issues. His writing skills, Gary Seib, current General Manager of Nature Saskatchewan and now the 2013 editing expertise and verbal presentations greatly added to our ability to be the Prairie Conservation Award recipient for Saskatchewan, has contributed over 50 “Voice for Nature”. During his time as General Manager, Gary has overseen the years of his life to prairie conservation! Through his many accomplishments and publishing of a series of special publications including “Dragonflies and Damselflies in the Hand,” “Ferns and Fern Allies of Saskatchewan,” “Lilies, Irises and Orchids commitments, he has exemplified true dedication to being the “voice of nature”. of Saskatchewan,” “Sedges (Carex) of Saskatchewan,” and “Getting to Know Early in Gary’s career he worked in the film industry, working on nature and earth Saskatchewan Lichens.” science films including a film for Parks Canada on the creation of Saskatchewan’s Grasslands National Park and several other projects for the National Film Board In his spare time, Gary was involved in many local activities, including as a of Canada. An accomplished photographer, Gary’s pictures can be found in member of the Celebrate Canada Committee, helping to organize a celebration books such as “Wildflowers Across the Prairies” and “The Squirrels of Canada”, for Saskatchewan’s Centenary. and while at Nature Saskatchewan, he has published a series of books on nature Gary often chose to work quietly, behind the scenes, with attention to detail and related flora and fauna “Dragonflies and Damselflies in the Hand”, “Ferns and coordination foremost in his mind, to ensure that events and activities surrounding Fern Allies of Saskatchewan”, “Lilies, Irises and Orchids of Saskatchewan”, conservation initiatives and meetings ran smoothly. “Sedges (Carex)of Saskatchewan”, and “Getting to Know Saskatchewan Lichens”, editor of the Blue Jay journal and community events organizer (Celebrate It was very fitting that Gary Seib was recognized recently at the 10th Prairie Canada and Saskatchewan Centenary). Gary’s nominators wanted to recognize Conservation and Endangered Species conference in Red Deer, Alberta where this “behind the scenes” man who has overseen successful and extensive he was presented with the Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Award for a life educational programs and projects. time commitment to prairie conservation. Gary will be retiring as General Manager of Nature Saskatchewan this summer, Previous Saskatchewan recipients include Stuart Houston, Donald Hooper, Dale but we know he will be working behind the scenes to ensure our good work as Hjertaas, Miles Anderson, Greg Riemer, David Gauthier, Lorne Scott and Pat the “Voice for Nature” will continue well into the future. Fargey. The Manitoba recipient for 2013 was John Morgan, and the Alberta award for 2013 went to Ken and Nora Balog. Congratulations on a job well done.

Mary Houston Receives a 2013 Alumnus of Influence Award from the University of Saskatchewan College of Arts and Science

Reprinted with permission from University of Saskatchewan house trail and at colonial bird islands across Arts and Science Magazine, Spring 2013 Saskatchewan. Of particular note are 5,340 Bohemian waxwings; two experts say she has monopolized the Despite her quiet and unassuming ways, Mary Houston has banding and resultant recoveries for a single species more significantly impacted the lives of numerous people, of all ages than any other bander since the practice began in 1921. and from all walks of life. After graduating from the U of S with Her achievements have been recognized with several a BA in 1947and BEd in 1950, Mary began her professional awards, including the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal and career as a teacher. She married Stuart Houston in 1951 and Centennial Medal in 2006 and being inducted into the began raising her family, which eventually grew to four children. Saskatoon Council of Women’s Hall of Fame in 2011. During this time, she was a highly-active volunteer and served on various boards throughout the province. Mary also spent Editors’ note: Mary Houston also received the following considerable time assisting Stuart, a revered medical doctor, Nature Saskatchewan Awards: both the Fellows Award and historian and naturalist—particularly in relation to his work the Larry Morgotch Award for Photography in 1987, the with birds. Whether it was helping Stuart file information, Conservation Award in 2003 and the Long-term Service band birds or help him produce a constant flow of books and Award in 2008. articles, Stuart says without Mary he could not have accomplished half of his life’s work. Since 1951, Mary has banded thousands of birds in her backyard, on her bluebird Mary Houston. Photo courtesy of the University of Saskatchewan.

The Voice of Nature for Saskatchewan Page 8 Summer 2013 Nature Views

Counting Owls is A HOOT! Turning Leaves Owls are elusive, secretive, and very mysterious. The mystique surrounding owls is likely one of the reasons that more than 1,000 Bird Studies Canada volunteers annually track the whereabouts of thousands of owls all across Canada. Ute Bosley Owls are rarely active during the day, which makes counting them quite a challenge! February 3, 1956 – March 11, 2013 To effectively monitor owls, surveys must be conducted when the birds are most active – at night. Data collected by participants in the National Owl Survey provides Ellen Bouvier, 3411 Perry Avenue, Regina, SK S4R 3H9 important information on the health of Canada’s owl populations, and helps to unravel some of the mystery surrounding owls. On March 11, 2013 the world lost someone We are looking for more volunteers to participate in the Saskatchewan Nocturnal very special. Ute Owl Survey (SNOS), so join the fun. No experience is needed - anyone can Bosley passed away participate! Training materials are provided and an answer to your questions is only suddenly at the age of an e-mail or telephone call away. The only prerequisite to participate is a keen 57. interest in owls and the enthusiasm to venture out in the dark in early spring (late March to late April) each year to survey owls. Participants must provide their own She was a wonderful vehicle, GPS and flashlight. and caring daughter to Jutta and Herman If you give a hoot about owls, and would like to participate in SNOS, contact Alan Winterhoff, and loving Smith (306-868-4554, [email protected]). There is no fee to participate. The and loyal wife to SNOS is coordinated by Nature Saskatchewan in cooperation with Bird Studies Douglas, a fun and Canada. great sister to Ellen, the best mother anyone could have Please Join Us for the 2013 Baillie Birdathon at Last asked for to Ellen and Andre, and a truly Mountain Bird Observatory! amazing grandmother to little Andre and Deanna Trowsdale-Mutafov, Conservation and Education Manager, Nature Wren. She was a Ute Bosley with grandson Andre Bouvier. Photo Saskatchewan friend to everyone and courtesy of Ellen Bouvier. a second mother to Come join us on Saturday, May 18th, 2013 to have a lot of fun and help birds at the many. Every day she spoke of how blessed she was to have so many wonderful same time! Nature Saskatchewan’s Last Mountain Bird Observatory (LMBO) is people in her life when it was us who were truly blessed to have her. hosting a Baillie Birdathon event in the Last Mountain Regional Park which is just west of Govan (please call the NS office if you need directions). Plan to get together She was a warrior for our environment and had great respect for everyone and with others on May 18th to enjoy a morning of birding around Last Mountain Bird everything in it. She had a passion for the outdoors and felt it her duty to teach Observatory. It will be fun, challenging, and a great learning experience! Everyone upcoming generations about our natural world. She truly loved life and being in is welcome! We will meet at 8 am at the LMBO banding station and walk around her presence helped you to love life a little more than you thought possible. the park as a group, and have lunch at the park concession. Last year, Bruce Kellett had a total species count of 88 birds at LMBO and area. Another Baillie She was a champion of life. She protected our planet as best she could and Birdathoner at LMBO in 2012 was 12 year old Theodore Kolkman. tried to ensure the safety and comfort of every living creature in it. Someone like this should never have been taken too soon from us but perhaps by her More than 7,000 people from across Canada (and from several countries around last action she taught us all something once again. Perhaps she really was the world) participate in and/or sponsor Birdathons in May of every year. During a an angel and we were all touched by her light every day. 24-hour period, “birdathoners” attempt to find as many bird species as they can, sponsored at a flat rate, or on a per-species basis. She was also a teacher both inside the classroom and out. I know what she taught me. Hug the ones you love not once a day, but all of the time. Say the Help fundraise for the Last Mountain Bird Observatory and become a part of the nice things you are thinking and keep the not so nice thoughts to yourself. 2013 Baillie Birdathon by registering & finding sponsors. You can sponsor yourself, Enjoy nature not by looking out your window but by stepping outside of your a participant, or our Birdathon leader. A tax receipt is issued for all sponsorships of door. Be kind and happy and always try to have fun! If you feel like dancing, $10 or more. do it. If you want to cry, find a shoulder and take comfort in your friends. Work hard but not too hard that you miss out on the good stuff. Love like you never To register for the Baillie Birdathon contact Nature Saskatchewan (1-800-667-4668 thought you could and take care of each other. or 306-780-9273), call Bird Studies Canada (1-888-448-2473 ext.210), or visit BSC at www.bsc-eoc.org to download your Birdathon Participant kit – be sure to name She died a hero and we are forever thankful to her. Her gifts will always be “Nature Saskatchewan” as your sponsoring club on the registration form so that remembered and we will be forever grateful to have known her. funds will go to LMBO (about 60-90%). The remainder supports bird conservation in Canada. Editors’ Note: Ellen Bouvier is the Office Coordinator at Nature Saskatchewan and is currently on maternity leave. Can’t make it to LMBO? You can do your own Birdathon: sign up, find sponsors and get out in May to see as many species as possible in one day at a location of your choice! Go alone or with a friend. Check with your local nature club – a bird Obituaries and Tributes enthusiast may be leading a local Birdathon that you can join (consider sponsoring the leader if you are not planning to sign up for the Baillie Birdathon yourself). Readers are welcome to submit memorials for family and friends who were Thanks and Happy birding! involved in Nature Saskatchewan or one of the Local Societies. Memorials should be brief and photos are permitted.

Flight Plan Partners Campaign Wrapping Up

Gary Seib, General Manager, Nature Saskatchewan The support would allow LMBO to provide training for volunteers to develop the needed skills to engage in monitoring at the Observatory and in other bird survey Nature Saskatchewan is wrapping up its “Flight Plan Partner” campaign to programs. These include Breeding Bird Surveys, Christmas Bird Counts, Monitoring secure the future for the Last Mountain Bird Observatory, and to make LMBO Avian Productivity and Survivorship, Nocturnal Owl Monitoring and Project a leader in western Canada in bird monitoring and education. Some 58 individual Feederwatch. donors and 10 corporate supporters pledged almost $296,000, well above the goal of $250,000. As well as the individual donors who each pledged $500 and the corporate supporters, the Pat Barry Family Fund, and the G. Murray and Edna Forbes Foundation have The campaign was begun as we celebrated Nature Saskatchewan’s 60th provided on-going support. Just this week, someone who is already a Flight Plan anniversary, to further vital monitoring, research and education projects that Partner took out another partnership as a memorial donation. would result in the gathering of new knowledge on birds. The names of all of our Flight Plan Partners will appear on a bronze plaque at LMBO as a permanent record of their support.

Conservation Now...For The Future Page 9 Summer 2013 Nature Views

Tis the Season to PlantWatch Plains Grape-fern Underfoot

Lacey Weekes, Nature Saskatchewan Laurie Johnson, Habitat Stewardship Coordinator, Nature Saskatchewan

What do you do after a long, cold winter Many things come to mind when we think about indoors? Go outside and watch the flowers ferns: tall, lush, spreading fern fronds in the forest bloom of course! PlantWatching is free, it’s understory; spiky horsetails on the edge of a marsh; fun, and people of all ages and skill levels even coiled fiddleheads, drenched in butter in the can participate! Plant watching is a great frying pan. Very few people think of a tiny plant, outdoor activity, and a great way to learn only a few inches tall, hidden in plain sight on the about Saskatchewan plants and climate Saskatchewan prairie. change. By volunteering a small amount of time to watch and record the blooming of common plants, you will be part of a world-wide monitoring effort to document Grape-ferns belong to one of Saskatchewan’s largest genera of ferns and fern biological responses of plants to climate change. allies, Botrychium, but few people are familiar with them. Grape-ferns are very different in appearance than the ferns most people recognize. Our Grape-ferns PlantWatch encourages people of all ages to help scientists discover how quickly are small; most are less than 25 cm tall. They only have one frond arising from a our natural environment is changing. PlantWatch enables ‘citizen scientists’ to short stalk that splits into two parts: the trophophore and the sporophore. The get involved by recording flowering times for selected plant species during the trophophore is sterile, and provides food for the plant through photosynthesis. spring and summer. PlantWatch Saskatchewan has 20 plants to watch, including The sporophore is fertile and bears rows of sporangia: spore-containing sacs that common ones like the Dandelion, Crocus, Lilac and Saskatoon. resemble small bunches of grapes. These grape-like sacs are where Grape- ferns get their name, and they contain thousands of spores that disperse after It’s easy to help! Participants submit flowering dates of the plant(s) that they are ripening to give rise to new plants, if they land somewhere with suitable conditions. observing either by mailing in a PlantWatch datasheet, or entering data on the Up to 60 species of Botrychium exist worldwide, with 21 species in Canada, 12 of website www.plantwatch.ca. The data is looked at for trends or patterns that are which are found in Saskatchewan. developing due to the changing climate. Since plants flower largely in response to the amount of warmth they are exposed to, earlier flowering occurs after warmer The Grape-fern species winters and later flowering occurs after colder winters. targeted by Rare Plant Rescue staff is the Plains Due to our changing climate, your participation in monitoring programs like Grape-fern (Botrychium PlantWatch is even more important than ever! The prediction that the greatest campestre), also known as increases in temperatures will be in Western and Northern Canada is something Prairie Moonwort, or Prairie we all need to be aware of, and your PlantWatch data will help researchers Dunewort. Unlike many ferns discover how common plants are responding to climate change, where changes which are restricted to moist, are taking place in Canada, and at what rate. Our own ecological footprint is shady areas, the Plains something we are in control of – an ecological footprint is a measure of humanity’s Grape-fern has found its demand on nature. It measures how much land and water area a human population niche in the Mixed-grass requires to produce the resources it consumes and to absorb its carbon dioxide Prairie and the Aspen emissions. Parkland. Plains Grape-fern is an erect, fleshy perennial, Be sure to check out the NatureWatch site at www.naturewatch.ca, which includes that when fully grown rarely PlantWatch, FrogWatch, IceWatch and WormWatch. There are many reaches 15 cm in height. PlantWatch Educator Materials, such as the PlantWatch Teacher’s Guide - a Like other Grape-ferns, it has great guide for schools and youth groups. Nature Saskatchewan also has a one frond arising from a short detailed PlantWatch page under Education and Monitoring at www.naturesask.ca. stalk that splits into a There are many items that you can download on this page, including a brochure, sporophore and trophophore; poster, newsletters, data recording sheets, and descriptions of all of the 20 plants it is the shape and length of that are being watched in the Saskatchewan program. these which help distinguish it from other species. In the Contact Lacey at 306-780-9833 (Regina) or 1-800-667-4668 (SK only), or at Plains Grape-fern, the [email protected], for more information or to request any materials at no charge. Here’s a tip for finding Plains Grape-ferns: pack trophophore is once-divided Have a great summer! a lunch! Plains Grape-ferns are so small and into narrow spatula-shaped inconspicuous, that often RPR staff only spot segments with shallow the plant once they’ve sat down to eat, or knelt rounded teeth. The to examine another plant. Photo by Sarah Vinge- sporophore, which bears the Mazer. grape-like clusters of sporangia, is approximately 1.5 times longer than the trophophore. This plant appears in April or May, and disappears by June. The Plains Grape-fern prefers well-drained soils in open habitat of native grasslands or sand dunes. It has few known locations in Saskatchewan, and is considered endangered by the Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre (SRank: S1). Its look-a-likes include other Grape-fern species in Saskatchewan, nearly all of which are ranked S1 and should be reported.

You can help! If you see this plant please report it to Nature Saskatchewan’s Rare Plant Rescue program or to the Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre. Because of their small size, Grape-ferns are easily overlooked, and they could be more common than currently thought. Additional reports can help us learn the true numbers and range of this plant. Contact Rare Plant Rescue at the program office (306) 780-9417, through Nature Saskatchewan’s toll-free line (Saskatchewan and Alberta only) 1-800-667-4668, or by email [email protected].

2013 Great Backyard Bird Count Results Are In!

Reprinted from April 19, 2013 E-newsletter

One-hundred and eleven countries participated in the 2013 Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) on February 15-18, and a whopping 2973 species of birds were reported. Canadians submitted 12,500 checklists and helped document a winter finch irruption, an impressive showing of Snowy Owls, and an absence of waxwings. Please visit the GBBC website at http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/science-stories/ 2013summary to see more 2013 results and highlights.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2013 count. The Great Backyard Bird Count is a program of Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon with Canadian partner Bird Studies Canada.

The Voice of Nature for Saskatchewan Page 10 Summer 2013 Nature Views

Summary of 2012 Saskatchewan Vulture Tagging Program with Rewards

C. Stuart Houston, 863 University Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0J8, E-mail: ACHIEVEMENTS: [email protected]. a) Determined breeding home ranges (47 km2 to 953 km2); b) “Parenting in absentia”; after ~ 10 days brooding, each adult visits young The number of known active for 1 to 3 minutes once each day, one in morning, one in afternoon; night Turkey Vulture nests became so roosts are from 1 to 38 km distant from nest house where the two young large this year, our tenth year, are usually alone all night; that we had no time to visit the c) Wintering ranges, all in Venezuela (54 km2 to 76,731 km2); most distant nests east beyond d) Four vultures, banded as nestlings, have been re-sighted 7 times and are Invermay, Parkerview and Ituna. the 2nd through 5th known vultures of breeding age in North America: The easternmost 100 km, 1 at 6 years, 2 at 7 years, 3 at 8 years, 1 at 9 years, with natal dispersal containing long-term nests distances from 13 to 271 km. [Previously n=1 in Wisconsin, 11 years at extending into the western rim of < 1 km]. Manitoba at Dropmore and Shellmouth, reluctantly could not NEARLY 800 SASKATCHEWAN-TAGGED VULTURES MAY BE ALIVE be visited. Vultures are one of the most long-lived bird species. The patagial tags, manufactured by SunCan in Saskatoon, have proved to be almost indestructible, With the assistance of long-time, with white numbers remaining fresh and legible for ten years. dedicated observers Don Forbes at Porcupine Plain, Orval Beland FINANCES: The herculite wing-tags are manufactured by SunCan in Saskatoon, at Denholm, and Doris Forsyth paid for from donations to Nature Saskatchewan’s Turkey Vulture Tracking Fund. at Edam, and with the sharp The $4000 transmitters are supplied free to us by Dr. Keith Bildstein at Hawk eyes of Marten Stoffel during his Mountain, Pennsylvania. The costs of gasoline, meals and lodging by Brent travels, we added 15 new nest Terry, Marten Stoffel, Harold Fisher and Jared Clarke, are paid out-of-pocket by C. locations, bringing the total to Stuart Houston. 195 deserted buildings that have been used by vultures in ten REWARD: There is a precedent for “reward bands”. For years the US Fish & years. Wildlife Service found that without incentive, fewer than half of US individuals reported a bird band. When the Mallard duck band was marked “reward band” In 2010, 2011 and 2012 we fielded (paying an amount from ten to a hundred dollars), the reporting rate shot up four teams, to 83 nests in 2010 increasingly to nearly 100%. and 85 in 2011. Turkey Vulture. Photo by Jeannette Anyone who photographs a vulture with a legible Saskatchewan wing- In 2012, the guys tagged 153 Pepper. ©Saskatchewan Ministry of the tag, white letters on a green tag, and submits their name, the location young in a record 92 successful Environment and the exact date, can submit the photo to the Vulture Tracking Fund, nests: Nature Saskatchewan, for either a receipt for a $20 donation OR a $20 · Marten Stoffel: (46 successful nests, 71 young tagged); cheque, the finder’s choice. If the tag is six years old or older we will pay · Harold Fisher: (23 nests, 39 young); $100 and ask for help in finding in July that vulture’s nest in a nearby · Mike Blom and Brent Terry (17 nests, 31 young) (Mike came from Peace deserted farm building. (36% of the 14 vultures tagged in the first year, River, AB); 2003, have been sighted and reported to date). Phone Stuart or Mary · Jared Clarke: (6 nests, 12 young). Houston at 306-244-0742, after 7 am and up to 9 pm, ONLY if you have read a tag number or have taken a legible photograph of that wing tag. Thanks At least seven nests failed entirely in 2012. Two nests had 1 young that flew very much. without a tag while the other young was tagged. Three nests had one dead young as well as one live young. Three Turkey Vulture papers are in press in the Gary Bortolotti festschrift issue of Journal of Raptor Research, June 2013: 2012 Assistants: Mike Blom had help from Mark Davie and Shane Metcalfe; Jared Clarke was helped by Lorne Scott; Marten Stoffel was assisted by Moyca Hedlin, E.M., C.S. Houston, P.D. McLoughlin, M.J. Bechard,, M.J. Stoffel, Stoffel, Danny Sawatsky, and veteran bander Paul Gully, with Chris and Shinny, D.R. Barber, and K.L. Bildstein. 2013. Winter ranges of migratory Turkey who flew out from Vancouver for a weekend; Harold Fisher had assistance from Vultures in Venezuela. J. Raptor Research 47(2): [8 pages]. Shelly and Andrea Fisher, Jim Helm, Joe Graumans, and Hank Donkers. Rollack, C.E., K.Wiebe, M.J. Stoffel, and C.S. Houston. 2013. Turkey Vulture SUMMARY: In ten years, we have applied patagial tags to the right wings of 927 breeding behavior studied with trail cameras. J. Raptor Research 47(2): [8 pages]. Saskatchewan nestling vultures at 545 successful nest attempts. This is much the largest study in North America, made possible by the co-operation of nearly Houston, C.S. 2013. Personal reflections on Gary Bortolotti and synchronicity 200 farmers. In addition, nine adult breeding vultures had a bodypack transmitter (Letter). J. Raptor Research 47(2): [1 page]. and a left patagial tag applied while at their nest. Ours are the only adults captured and tagged at their nests in North America. Three other adults of An Update from the Turtle Lake Nature Sanctuary unknown age have been trapped and received only a left patagial tag. Darlene Roth, Turtle Lake Nature Sanctuary Steward Pesticides and Grassland Bird Declines Good day reader. Here is a brief note from the Turtle Lake Nature Sanctuary. Reprinted from Bird Studies Canada March 9, 2013 E-newsletter As most will be reporting, the heavy snow fall in the area will have played havoc A new paper by Canadian scientists Pierre with Mother Nature’s wildlife. We have seen many deer and moose showing Mineau and Mélanie Whiteside identifies signs of fatigue. Hope all creatures get a fair shake to recover from their long pesticide toxicity to birds as an important spell of the white stuff. I will be busy in the Sanctuary posting new trail signs that factor in grassland bird declines. will help our visitors find their way. Grooming the trails will be a continuous task. “Pesticide Acute Toxicity is a Better The big meadow has been mowed so there is a great opening to catch wildlife Correlate of U.S. Grassland Bird Declines grazing. With the closure of our Turtle Lake Lodge we will not be getting our than Agricultural Intensification” was camping crew touring through but if you are getting company and it is not a recently published in the peer-reviewed, perfect beach day bring them down for a stroll through some of Saskatchewan’s open-access online journal PLOS One. finest views and wildlife and bird sightings. The study found that acutely toxic pesticides (rather than habitat loss) were Take a look at this website to have a sneak peak of what you can expect in our the most likely leading cause of the Sanctuary. widespread population declines of

grassland birds in the United States. “The Visit www.tlwi.ca and then select Turtle Lake Nature Sanctuary from their menu data suggest that loss of birds in bar for awesome maps, pictures, etc. agricultural fields is more than an Grasshopper Sparrow. Photo by unfortunate consequence of pest control; Nick Saunders. For a perfect day at the lake I have enjoyed watching the 10 Blue Jays stopping it may drive bird populations to local on our outdoor table to enjoy a feast of peanuts. It is hard to watch the Canada extinction,” said Dr. Mineau in a related American Bird Conservancy media release Geese landing on the frozen lake. However, it won’t take long now to see blue http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/130225.html. To read the open water! full article, select this link: http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/ journal.pone.0057457. Hope to see you on the trails this summer!

Conservation Now...For The Future Page 11 Summer 2013 Nature Views Volunteering with NCC WOW Nature Festival Invades Wascana Marsh! A Way of Life in Saskatchewan This Summer!

Volunteer Week in Saskatchewan lasts all summer for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), Saskatchewan Region. And that’s the plan—combining outdoor Friends of Wascana Marsh Inc, co-hosts of the Wings Over Wascana Nature fun and land stewardship Festival, are excited to launch another great festival this year! The WOW Nature actions—with volunteers Festival is an outdoor festival at Wascana Marsh offering free wetland and wildlife and with NCC staff, teaming activities, entertainment and guided hikes for people of all ages. Everyone is up to get great tasks done! invited to join in this celebration of wetlands and wildlife! NCC Saskatchewan’s This year’s festivities kick off on Tuesday, May 7th, 2013, with the Friends of Conservation Volunteers Wascana Marsh’s Fundraising Dinner. According to Lorne Scott, a Program invites residents of Saskatchewan Environmental Champion, “Wings Over Wascana Fundraising all ages to participate in Dinner has raised thousands of dollars for conservation and environmental NCC property stewardship education opportunities within Wascana Marsh. This urban wetland continues and conservation actions to to be a critical sanctuary for a variety of wildlife species in the heart of Regina.” Conservation volunteers are into discovery…about help protect vital habitat for nature. Photo courtesy of NCC. plants, animals, fish and In addition to a delicious supper, this Fundraising Dinner will feature a presentation wildlife species in southern Saskatchewan. Both species diversity and these by Candace Savage. Candace is a bestselling and award-winning author on a quiet, natural tracts of land are also being conserved for our future generations. variety of subjects including nature and cultural history. She will be speaking about nature in the city. The silent auction and raffle always promises lovely art, NCC’s Conservation Volunteer Program provides volunteers with meaningful, hands- gadgets galore, gift certificates to Regina’s best restaurants, and so much more. on educational experiences in a variety of ecologically significant natural areas. Fundraiser dinner tickets are $50.00/single, $45/FWM member, ($40/student) or By participating as a volunteer, you will explore species’ habitats, catch site of $375.00 for a table of eight. There will also be an opportunity to support Friends rare species and learn from knowledgeable professionals…all as you whole- of Wascana Marsh’s projects. To learn more about Friends of the Wascana heartedly contribute to wildlife conservation. Marsh Inc. and their projects, check out their website www.wascanamarsh.ca. From mammal to bird inventories, to clearing shorelines or removing invasive On Friday, May 10th, 200 grades 4 - 6 students from various schools will attend species, Conservation Volunteer events promise excitement! If you’re moderately the School Day activities, in the tent village just east of Candy Cane Park in skilled as a birder or botanist and in good physical condition, you’ll be a great hit Wascana Centre. With experienced guides and volunteers from a variety of among NCC staff and volunteers. So why not bring your binoculars and books, partner organizations, these students will have the opportunity to learn about the and join NCC staff at any or all of the following locations. wetlands and wildlife hidden in the middle of our beautiful city. A full day of activities is scheduled, including pond dipping, owl pellet dissection, geocaching, Buffalo Valley Bio-Blitz near Dinsmore, June 1st, 2013. native plant planting, bird banding and more. Each student receives a 34 page Edenwold Bio-Inventory around Edenwold, July 13, 2013 nature journal to record their experiences and to use as a resource for the next Reed Lake, Important Bird Area Stewardship Blitz near Morse, July 20, 2013. time they visit the marsh. Old Man on His Back near Climax, August 17, 2013. Maymont 5, Take a Walk on the Wild Side near Maymont, August 22, 2013. The fun continues on Saturday, May 11th where everyone is invited to participate in the Wings Over Wascana Nature Festival and enjoy the eco-activities. The Learning more is easy. Go to: http://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/what-you- festivities will include live animal presentations, guided nature hikes, bird can-do/conservation-volunteers for more detail. You can also contact Joseph Kotlar, programs, face painting and much more! Friends of Wascana March Inc. are natural areas manager with NCC in Saskatchewan, by email: joseph also excited to showcase Cory Sheffield speaking about pollinators as part of [email protected] or by telephone 306.347.0447, x 229. the Prairie Conservation Action Plan speaker series. Volunteers and naturalists will be providing free programming to families and visitors from 9:30 am to 4:00 Signing up as a Conservation Volunteer is even easier: Saskatchewan pm at the tent village just east of Candy Cane Park, in Wascana Centre. A full @conservationvolunteers.ca! schedule of great eco-activities at the Wings Over Wascana Nature Festival can be found at www.wascanamarsh.ca. Cats Kill Billions of Birds Joseph Kotlar, chairman of the Friends of Wascana Marsh Board notes, “The Wings Over Wascana Nature Festival is Regina’s only celebration of Wascana Reprinted from Bird Studies Canada, February 8, 2013 E-newsletter Marsh. With the generous support of our sponsors, partners and members, the Friends of Wascana Marsh provides enthusiastic environmental educational A peer-reviewed study published in the journal Nature Communications reports opportunities to people of all ages.” that outdoor cats are the greatest source of human-caused mortality for birds and mammals in the U.S. Research scientists from the Smithsonian Conservation Wascana Marsh is also an outdoor classroom all year round and Wings Over Biology Institute and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Division of Migratory Wascana Nature Festival is just one opportunity to highlight the natural beauty Birds reviewed 90 previous studies and found that free-ranging cats cause found in Regina. Through the WOW Nature Festival, the Friends of Wascana substantially greater wildlife mortality than previously thought. They estimate Marsh aim to connect youth and other Regina citizens with the natural wonders that free-ranging domestic cats kill 1.4-3.7 billion birds and 6.9-20.7 billion this impressive area has to offer! They hope you will join them at either the mammals annually in the U.S., with about 69% of bird mortality from cat predation fundraiser dinner or the Wings Over Wascana Nature Festival Public Day. If you and 89% of the mammal mortality caused by un-owned cats (rather than owned would like to become involved in the festival as a volunteer or member of the pets). Visit this link http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/cats/pdf/ Friends of Wascana Marsh organization, just contact them at Loss_et_al_2013.pdf to read the article “The impact of free-ranging domestic cats [email protected] or 306-531-9759. on wildlife of the United States” by Scott R. Loss, Tom Will, and Peter P. Marra.

As reported in The State of Canada’s Birds 2012 Report (http:// www.stateofcanadasbirds.org/), outdoor cats kill an estimated 100 million birds each year in Canada. For details, stay tuned to the online scientific journal Avian Conservation and Ecology (http://www.ace-eco.org/) in the months to come. An article about bird predation by house cats in Canada will appear as part of a series of papers on anthropogenic sources of bird mortality. ACE is sponsored by the Society of Canadian Ornithologists and Bird Studies Canada.

The Voice of Nature for Saskatchewan Page 12 Summer 2013 Nature Views

Upland Game Bird Survey Coming to Saskatchewan

Katherine Brewster, Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment

Whether it is the joy of watching the enchanting courtship behavior of sharp- tailed grouse on their dancing grounds at first light or the excitement one feels as they walk up to a dog on point, knowing that the next step is going to flush a Ring-necked Pheasant and a delicious meal will follow, upland game birds are enjoyed by hunters and naturalists, alike. The many social benefits, coupled with the economic benefits realized by license sales and the secondary costs incurred by hunters (e.g. accommodation, fuel), make upland game birds very valuable to the people of Saskatchewan. In fact, Sharp-tailed Grouse is recognized as our provincial bird.

Upland Game Birds in Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is home to seven species of upland game birds, including Sharp- tailed Grouse, Gray Partridge (formerly Hungarian Partridge), Ring-necked Pheasant, Ruffed Grouse, Spruce Grouse, Willow Ptarmigan and Rock Ptarmigan. Sage Grouse is currently not classified as a game species in Saskatchewan. Two Sharp-tailed grouse. Photo by Gary Seib. With the exception of Ring-necked Pheasant and Gray Partridge which were surveys were discontinued in the late 1990’s. Hunter harvest surveys, which introduced to the province, all of these species are native to Saskatchewan. have been used effectively to monitor trends in upland game bird populations, were used to monitor trends in Saskatchewan upland game bird populations Although none of these species are known to regularly migrate, seasonal until 2009, when these too were discontinued. Since this time, the Ministry of differences in habitat use do occur. Sharp-tailed Grouse, for example, are found Environment has relied on anecdotal evidence from stakeholder groups and field in primarily dense herbaceous cover and shrubs during the breeding season, staff. Recently there has been anecdotal evidence suggesting upland game bird while leks (i.e. dancing grounds) are often found on elevated locations, with less species, particularly Sharp-tailed Grouse, Gray Partridge and Ring-necked vegetation than the surrounding areas. During the winter months, this species Pheasant, have suffered significant losses and that current numbers are low often relies on riparian areas, deciduous hardwood shrub draws and deciduous province-wide. Although believed to be the direct result of a severe winter in and open coniferous woods. Similarly, their diet shifts from forbs, grasses, insects, 2010-2011 and the subsequent wet, cold spring of 2011, concern remains that fruits and flowers in the spring and summer to buds, seeds, herbaceous matter these populations may not be rebounding as quickly as expected. and fruits in the fall and winter. Ring-necked Pheasant and Gray Partridge tend to be habitat generalists, capitalizing on agricultural fields, riparian areas, Upland Game Bird Review grasslands, roadsides, shelterbelts, and wooded cover, but still require cover to Prompted by concern that the combination of natural environmental impacts, survive adverse environmental conditions, particularly in the winter, and therefore long-term habitat reduction and liberal harvest regimes could have long-term effects still undergo some seasonal movement. Some of the more northern species, on prairie upland game bird species, the Ministry of Environment conducted a such as Ruffed Grouse, Spruce Grouse and ptarmigan, are generally found in review of the current state of prairie upland game bird populations in surrounding forested areas, with specializations for preferred forest-type (e.g. Spruce Grouse jurisdictions to determine if their formalized surveys supported the anecdotal are closely associated with conifer-dominated forests) and do not necessarily evidence collected here at home. Eight jurisdictions were contacted, including undergo distinct seasonal movements between habitat types, as cover from Alberta, Manitoba, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Nebraska, Minnesota adverse environmental conditions is available year round. and Wyoming, and six of eight jurisdictions also noted declines in one or more upland game bird species, with four of the eight noting declines in all three prairie All upland game bird species have the potential to be highly reproductive allowing species (Sharp-tailed Grouse, Gray Partridge, Ring-necked Pheasant). their populations to rebound quite quickly following significant declines. Breeding Recognizing the need to further understand the decline that has been noted in occurs between March and July and young hatch after approximately 20 to 25 Saskatchewan’s upland game bird populations, the Ministry of Environment will days of incubation. Clutch sizes for Sharp-tailed Grouse (10 to 12 eggs), Gray be implementing methods to monitor these species on an annual basis. Partridge (10 to 20 eggs), Ring-necked Pheasant (7 to 15 eggs), Ruffed Grouse (9 to 14 eggs), Spruce Grouse (4 to 7 eggs), Willow Ptarmigan (4 to 14 eggs) and How Can I Participate? Rock Ptarmigan (3 to 13 eggs) vary, but can be large when favorable environmental In the coming months, the Ministry of Environment will be launching an online conditions persist throughout the breeding season. upland game bird survey for interested individuals to participate. Contributors will be asked to report their observations of upland game birds, including the Reason for Concern? species, number of birds observed, location, time, number of young observed, Over the past 100 years, upland game bird populations, particularly in the south, and additional details related to Sharp-tailed Grouse lek sites. This information are thought to have undergone significant declines. This decline varies by species will be used to better determine the status of upland game birds in the province and region, but much of the decline has been attributed to habitat loss, and will play a role in management of these species going forward. Although the fragmentation and degradation. With that said, the majority of this habitat loss survey is not available at present, interested individuals are encouraged to keep took place decades ago and jurisdictions that have continued to collect data over track of their upland game bird observations this spring and include them once the past decade suggest that the decline has slowed relative to that experienced the survey is accessible. Details regarding the survey will be found on our website in the 30 years prior. The Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment historically at http://www.environment.gov.sk.ca/ once they are available. For more conducted formalized surveys for many species of upland game birds, but these information, please contact Katherine Brewster at [email protected].

Common Loon Reproductive Success in Canada The Last Mountain Bird Observatory Opens in May Reprinted from Bird Studies Canada April 5, 2013 E-newsletter Deanna Trowsdale-Mutafov, Conservation and Education Manager, Nature Bird Studies Canada recently published an article in the journal Avian Conservation Saskatchewan and Ecology summarizing patterns in Common Loon reproductive success between 1992 and 2010 across southern Canada, using data collected by participants in People can visit the Last Mountain Bird BSC’s Canadian Lakes Loon Survey (http://www.birdscanada.org/volunteer/clls/ Observatory (LMBO) every day in May (after May ). The reproductive success of the Common Loon is a good indicator of the health 7th), and during the months of August and of waterways, especially in relation to mercury and acid precipitation. The overall September. Individuals and groups of all ages goal of the study was to indirectly describe the health of lakes in southern Canada are welcome to visit between 9 am and 1 pm each in relation to these pollutants. day (net opening is weather dependent) and see many bird species up close, and observe The authors found that the number of young produced was higher in the western catching, handling and banding techniques. Learn provinces than in Atlantic Canada; was lower in 2010 than it was 19 years earlier; about species identification, bird migration, threats was higher in larger lakes than in smaller ones; and was lower where lake acidity to bird populations, and bird conservation. was higher. These relationships are likely linked to mercury exposure and acid- related reductions in food. The results show that citizen science is powerful for If you have a group that would like to visit for a morning of fun and educational monitoring ecosystem health, and indirectly support action to reduce emissions activities, and learn through being involved with your hands, eyes and ears, then of mercury and the harmful components of acid precipitation. please call Deanna at 306-780-9481 or e-mail [email protected] or [email protected] for more information or to book a date for a visit. Girl Visit the ACE website (http://www.ace-eco.org/vol8/iss1/art1/ to read the full article Guides, Scouts, School classrooms, and groups of all ages are encouraged to by Dr. Doug Tozer, Myles Falconer, and Debbie Badzinski. For a summary of the book a morning of fun and learning at the LMBO! research from BirdWatch Canada, select this link: http://www.birdscanada.org/ download/BWCwi13.pdf.

Conservation Now...For The Future Page 13 Summer 2013 Nature Views

Need a Quick Boost? Go Outside!

Katherine Arbuthnott, Campion College These results indicate that most people know that regular exercise and good nutrition are beneficial to our health. But very few mentioned the simplest action There is growing evidence that having a ‘nature break’ is good for our physical, – spending time in natural settings. Research hasn’t yet compared the benefits mental, and social health. Physically, contact with nature improves our immune of these different activities for health and well-being, and there is no doubt that system function (Li et al., 2008), lowers our blood pressure (Hartig et al., 2003), practices such as maintaining good nutrition, exercise, and sleep are very good and speeds recovery from surgery (Ulrich, 1984). And nature is also good for our for us. But, for a quick and widely-effective pick-me-up we can’t do much better mental health, helping us cope with stress (Hartig et al., 2003; Ulrich et al., than taking a short walk in the park. Or, if it happens to be -40° C when you need 1991), improving our mood (Nisbet & Zelinski, 2011; Bowler et al., 2012; Mayer restoration, even just looking out the window at the beautiful snow-covered trees et al., 2009), and even making us more generous (Weinstein et al., 2009). Perhaps can help. most important for students, time in nature improves our attention (Berto, 2005; Bowler et al., 2010; Berman et al., 2008) and creative problem-solving (Atchley References et al., 2012). Even being able to view vegetation through the windows in our Atchley, R.A., Strayer, D.L., & Atchley, P. (2012). Creativity in the wild: Improving homes and offices improves childrens’ school (Wells, 2000) and adults’ work creative reasoning through immersion in natural settings. PLOS One, performance (Kaplan, 1993; Lohr et al., 1996). (In all of these studies, the effects 7(12), e51474. of nature are contrasted with comparable experiences in urban settings, controlling Berman, M.C., Jonides, J., & Kaplan, S. (2008). The cognitive benefits of interacting for things like the amount of exercise participants receive.) with nature. Psychological Science, 19, 1207-1212. Berto, R. (2005). Exposure to restorative environments helps restore attentional Although actually being outside is best, even looking at pictures of outdoor scenes capacity. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 25, 249-259. can improve our health and cognitive abilities. In the studies mentioned above, Bowler, D.E. Buyung-Ali, L.M., Knight, T.M., & Pullin, A.S. (2010). A systematic ‘contact with nature’ is defined in a variety of ways: looking at nature scenes, review of evidence for the added benefits of health exposure to natural having plants in the room, hiking in urban green spaces, spending 4 days in an environments. BioMed Central Public Health, 10, 456. Outward Bound trip. In these studies, spending more time and being more Hartig, T., Evans, G.W., Jamner, I.D., Davis, D.S., & Garling, T. (2003). Tracking engaged with our nature experiences results in larger effects, but even spending restoration in natural and urban field settings. Journal of Environmental 10 minutes looking at pictures has noticeable benefits. So improving our physical Psychology, 23, 109-123. and mental health through contact with nature can be very quick and easy Kaplan, R. (1993). The role of nature in the context of the workplace. Landscape compared to strategies like regular exercise, good nutrition, and 8 hours of sleep. and Urban Planning, 26, 193-201. And, even better, the benefits seem to be lasting. For example, one research Li, Q., Morimoto, K., Kobayashi, M., Inagaki, H., Katsumata, M., Hirata, Y., et al. team (Li et al. (2009) found that improved immune cell function after a walk (2008). Visiting a forest, but not a city, increases human natural killer through a forest was still evident after a week. activity and expression of anti-cancer proteins. International Journal of Immunopathological Pharmacology, 21, 117-127. For some of these studies, the benefits of nature are measured using subjective Lohr, V.I., Pearson-Mims, C.H., & Goodwin, G.K. (1996). Plants may improve reports, but there are also a wide range of objective measurements including productivity and reduce stress in a windowless environment. J. Environ. physiological measures (number and activity of immune cells, blood pressure), Hort., 14, 97-100. standardized cognitive tests, and records such as mortality rates and length of Mayer, F.S., Frantz, C.M., Bruehlman-Senecal, E., & Dolliver, K. (2009). Why is hospital stays. This means that nature contact has real effects on our bodies, nature beneficial? The role of connectedness to nature. Environment and and that these effects are noticeable both to ourselves and others. But, despite Behavior, 41, 607-643. the fact that we seem to notice these positive effects, we apparently don’t realize Nisbet, E.K., & Zelinski, J.M. (2011). Underestimating nearby nature: Affective that contact with nature causes them. forecasting errors obscure the happy path to sustainability. Psychological Science, 22, 1101-1106. Recently, I asked each of 362 people (182 U of R students and 180 Regina Ulrich, R.S. (1984). View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. community residents) to list 3 things they could do in the next 6 months to Science, 224, 420-421. improve their well-being. The percentage of participants who named each type of Ulrich, R.S., Simons, R.F., Losito, B.D., Florito, E., Miles, M.A., & Zelson, M. goal are shown in the following table: (1991). Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 11, 201-230. Students Community Total Weinstein, N., Przybylski, A.K., & Ryan, R.M. (2009). Personality and Social Number: 182 180 362 Psychology Bulletin, 35, 1315-1329. Exercise 65% 62% 64% Wells, N. (2000). At home with nature: Effects of “greenness” on children’s cognitive Nutrition 44% 40% 42% functioning. Environment and Behavior, 32, 775-795. Work/school 26% 30% 28% Leisure Activities 18% 26% 22% Social Activities 16% 27% 22% Manage Stress 25% 14% 20% Nature 12% 14% 13% Sleep 14% 5% 10%

The Voice of Nature for Saskatchewan Page 14 Summer 2013 Nature Views

Life Cycles of Migratory Birds

Pete Marra. Pete Marra is a Research Scientist with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. He studies the birds throughout their annual cycle. Reprinted from Nature Canada March 28, 2013 E-newsletter

Cycles are everywhere in nature. They can occur over the length of a day, a season, a year, or longer. Physical cycles as important as the rotation of the tilted earth around the sun determine patterns of light and dark, as well as changes in the seasons. The rotation of the earth around the sun influences human sleep and activity patterns and drives the behaviors of trillions of other living organisms. In fact, the timing of Western Sandpiper. Photo by Alan Burger. much of what organisms do on earth, such as breeding and migrating, happens because of The Ruby Throated Hummingbird is so tiny that it is sometimes mistaken for a the power of physical cycles. moth. In earlier times people could not believe that a bird so small could travel all The life cycles of migratory birds the way to South America and back every year, giving rise to the myth that are also driven by the earth’s hummingbirds travel on the wings of Canada Geese flying South. changing seasons and daylight American Redstart. Photo by Frode hours, the latter being a primary As the nesting season draws to a close in June and July, the next phase of the Jacobsen. cue that impels them to begin cycle begins - migration to the nonbreeding grounds. This time, the order of their migrations. departure is reversed, and the young redstarts are often the first to leave. The adults must first replace their feathers in a process called “molting”. Once donned Spectacular flocks of Western Sandpiper, estimated at 6,500,000 individuals in in fresh feathers that will help them make their long-distance flight, they begin some places, migrate along Canada’s west coast on their journey from Central their migrations. Exactly where their journeys take them is unknown, but and South American wintering grounds to Alaska and eastern Siberia every spring. eventually they make it to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and as far south as Colombia. Often, the adults return to the same territories they occupied Each year, billions of migratory birds move across the Western Hemisphere to the previous year. take advantage of flushes of food abundance to the north in spring and summer and to the south in fall and winter. Extra daylight hours during the nesting season American Redstarts spend up to 7 or 8 months on their non-breeding grounds. offer more time to capture prey and feed nestlings. This repeated seasonal Though males and females form tight bonds while nesting, they are independent movement is defined as migration and makes up a small, but critical, part of the of one another the rest of the year. No nests are constructed and no eggs are annual cycle of a migratory bird. laid. They may even be in very different habitats and geographic locations. As April approaches, birds begin to prepare for another northward journey, fattening The American Redstart (Setophaga ruticella) is a model species for migratory up to help them survive the long flight. As American Redstarts return to their birds that travel between most of North America (the Nearctic) and the Neotropics, same breeding sites, the annual cycle is completed. including Central and South America, the Caribbean islands, and southern Florida. From late April until late May, males and females journey northward from the Life cycles such as this are similar for hundreds and thousands of species of Neotropics to their breeding areas. migratory birds worldwide. Although we understand the generalities of annual cycles, our interpretations of bird biology and bird conservation have not been Older males arrive first, establish and defend their territories, and begin singing explored in the context of the complete life cycles. What happens to birds in one in earnest. They spread their tails, flashing the bright orange patches, most period of their cycles influences these same individuals in subsequent periods. If likely for the benefit of female redstarts. Once males and females establish pair an American Redstart starts its journey to breeding grounds with insufficient food bonds, the birds become architects and construction workers to build their nests. and fat stores, it may not complete the migratory flight. Likewise, impacts on the Nest building varies by species. Sometimes both the male and female are involved, breeding grounds, such as habitat loss, may affect a bird’s ability to gain a but in the case of the redstart, it is the female that gathers tree bark, lichens, and feeding territory on the wintering grounds. animal hair and designs a tightly woven nest in the crotch of a tree. When the nest is ready, the pair mates and the female lays eggs. In roughly a dozen days, The beauty of life cycles is not only the fascinating and intricate biology that the nest is filled with ravenous nestlings constantly demanding that their parents proceeds like clockwork year in and year out. It is also that the migratory cycles search the surrounding habitat for insects. If all goes well and the family escapes of birds provide a connection between people, species and their cultures from severe weather, human disturbance, being eaten by a predator, and other factors faraway lands. that threaten their survival, the nestlings will leave the nest. Even then, the parents will continue to feed them for a few weeks.

French beekeepers in Ribeauville abuzz over blue honey

Reprinted from BBC News Online October 4, 2012 The company, which deals with waste from a Mars chocolate factory, said it would clean out the containers, store all incoming waste in airtight containers Bee numbers have seen a rapid decline globally in recent years . and process it promptly, according to a company statement published in Le Monde newspaper. Beekeepers in northeastern France have been alarmed to find their bees producing honey in unnatural shades of green and blue. A spokeswoman for the British Beekeepers’ Association, Gill Maclean, said it was possible that the coloured sugar could have contaminated the honey. The beekeepers believe the source of the problem is a biogas plant close to Ribeauville in Alsace. Bee numbers have seen a rapid decline globally in recent years.

It is thought the bees have been eating the sugary waste from M&Ms, small In the UK, a harsh winter and unseasonally heavy rain this summer has meant chocolates in brightly-coloured shells. that bees have not been able to forage as much, and beekeepers have had to step in, offering sugar syrup, Ms Maclean said. The plant operator said it regretted the situation and had put in place a procedure to stop it happening again. “Bees are clever enough to know where the best sources of sugar are, if there are no others available,” she said. “We discovered the problem at the same time [the beekeepers] did. We quickly put in place a procedure to stop it,” Philippe Meinrad, a spokesman from Agrivalor, As for the blue honey, the beekeepers say it is unsellable. the company operating the biogas plant, was quoted by Reuters as saying.

Conservation Now...For The Future Page 15 Summer 2013 Nature Views

Lichens vs. Plants and Birds Share Your Skills

Bernard de Vries, Emerald Park, SK Do you enjoy sharing your love of nature with other people? Would you be willing to speak to a local society? Lead a field trip? Build birdhouses with When we spot a colourful kids? Offer a nature photography workshop? plant or bird we want to know what it is, and go to Whatever your interests, we’d like to hear from you. We’re compiling a list of great lengths to find out. NS members who are available to share their expertise with local societies and When we spot a colourful other nature-oriented groups (e.g., Guides, Scouts, 4-H). If you’d like to be lichen we might give it a part of this list, please complete the form below and mail, fax, phone or email casual glance and that is your information to the office. When we receive a request from a group, we’ll all. Why? The answer connect them with the appropriate resource people in their area. could be that we are quite familiar with flowering plants Thanks for your interest! and birds and always on the lookout for the unusual, Name______wanting to learn more Address______about them. To assist us Phone______Email______we have many technical Areas of interest/expertise (Please check all that apply): Glypholecia scabra lichen - one of two rare and non-technical literature ____birding Saskatchewan Species. Photo by: Bernard available. The same holds ____plant ID de Vries. for lichens, although ____building birdhouses/feeders technical literature seems to be outweighing the non-technical. However, some ____nature photography excellent field guides for lichens (some including mosses) are available. An ____speaking at a local society outstanding but rather costly manual with superb photography would be: Brodo, ____leading field trips at NS Meets I.M., and S.D. Sharnoff & S. Sharnoff. 2001. Lichens of North America, Yale ____other (please specify):______University Press, New Haven, U.S.A. ______

Other excellent colour illustrated field guides are: Please return your information to: de Vries, B. 2011. Getting to Know Your Saskatchewan Lichens. Nature Saskatchewan, Nature Saskatchewan Regina, Saskatchewan, Johnson, D., L. Kershaw, 206-1860 Lorne St. A. McKinnon & J. Pojar with contributions from T. Regina, SK S4P 2L7 Gowrd & D. H. Vitt. 1995. Plants of the Western Boreal Forest and Aspen Parkland. Lone Pine, Phone: 306-780-9273 or 1-800-667-4668 (toll free in SK) Edmonton, AB., Vitt, D.H. E. & R.B. Bovey. 1998. Fax: 306-780-9263 Email: [email protected] Mosses, Lichens & Ferns of Northwest North America. Lone Pine, Edmonton, AB. These books should enable you to learn more of these fascinating and highly useful organisms

Did you know that of the 500+ lichens known for Groups Say It’s Time to Ban Bee-Killing Pesticide our boreal forest a hundred or so are conspicuous, as European Authority Finds Danger widespread and discussed in the above mentioned literature? Unacceptable

Did you know that a lichen is a composite organism of an intimate relationship Reprinted from Beyond Pesticides, January 17, 2013 between a photosynthetic partner, usually a green alga, but at times a “blue- green alga” better known as a cyanobacterium also containing chlorophyll, thus The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) yesterday presented its report which able to manufacture carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins The other partner is a finds that the neonicotinoid class of insecticides poses unacceptable hazards to fungus which gives structural support to the lichen body, but also to the delicate bees. The report concludes that certain crops treated with neonicotinoid chemicals algae cells by interwoven fungal strands. Although the fungus utilizes some of the -imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam- are of “critical concern” for bee foods produced by the algae cells for its own metabolism, the process is more of health. Beekeepers and environmental activists welcome these recent scientific a mutualism then parasitism on the part of the fungus. findings that they say support a US ban on these chemicals. According to Jay Feldman, Executive Director, Beyond Pesticides, “The EFSA report confirms what Did you know that lichens can reproduce sexually by means of spores formed in we have been asking EPA to recognize. Clothianidin and other neonicotinoids are a lichen fruiting body which then must find a suitable green or blue-green alga cell highly toxic to bees, and should be banned by EPA and removed from the to unite with, forming a new lichen body? environment.” In its investigation, EFSA, which was tasked with assessing the risks associated with these chemicals to bee colony survival and development, Did you know that asexual reproduction occurs when the lichen releases small found that systemic contamination of neonicotinoid-treated crops and contamination powdery or granular bodies which are microscopic lichens, having both the fungus via dust place honey bees and the hives they return to at high risk. Exposure to and algae components? Another method of reproduction is by fragmentation of contaminated dust pose a high risk to honey bees for all three neonicotinoids the lichen body. used on corn and certain other crops, as well as exposure to residues in nectar and pollen. High risks were also identified from exposure to guttation fluid from Did you know that lichens are excellent indicators of atmospheric pollution, corn for thiamethoxam. EFSA considered acute and chronic effects on bee larvae, because they are able to take up moisture directly into their cells, and that they bee behavior and the colony as a whole, and the risks posed through various can dry out without damage to their internal structure, and regaining metabolism exposure pathways e.g. nectar, pollen, guttation fluid, and soil, and found numerous upon receiving moisture? data gaps that do not support the safety of these chemicals. Clothianidin is of particular concern as the vast majority of corn grown in the US is treated with the Did you know that lichens are important in forest ecology and ecosystems? chemical, which is taken up by the plant’s vascular system and expressed through pollen, nectar and guttation droplets from which bees then forage and drink. Like Did you know that lichens are used for medicinal purposes and also make various other neonicotinoids, it has cumulative, sublethal effects on insect pollinators coloured dyes? that correspond to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) symptoms – namely, neurobehavioral and immune system disruptions. Considering recent research Did you know that the name given to a lichen is that of the fungus and that the has indicated that 9.5% of the total economic value of agricultural production for algae have their own scientific name? human consumption comes from insect pollination globally, the EFSA conclusion that neonicotinoids mark an important turning point in the pesticide dialogue. In Much more can be said about these highly useful organisms, so don’t you think 2012, beekeepers, Beyond Pesticides, the Center for Food Safety, and Pesticide these fascinating organism deserve far better recognition? Action Network North America filed an emergency legal petition with the EPA to suspend the use of clothianidin that is linked to honey bee deaths, urging the So next time you are out in the field enjoy all the beauties of nature, whether they agency to adopt safeguards. The petition, which is supported by over one million be plants, birds or lichens. Ask yourself some questions about them, be curious, citizen petition signatures, targets the pesticide for its harmful impacts on honey and learn with guide book in hand, have fun, there will be many surprises. bees. The legal petition cites that EPA failed to adequately review relevant data to support the “no unreasonable adverse effects” standards for pollinators. EPA has Have an enjoyable summer. failed to act.

The Voice of Nature for Saskatchewan Page 16 Summer 2013 Nature Views

Nature Quest Benefits Students

John Murray, Nature Quest Coordinator, Nature Saskatchewan, E-mail: so absolutely thankful to have had the opportunity to come on four Ness Creek [email protected] trips. And I want everyone to be able to do the same. I honestly do not think I’d be in the same place I am in today, or even the person I am today had I not had this chance. The Boreal Forest Learning Centre and Ness Creek is shaping young minds and young lives and that in itself should be worth everything.” - Selina

“I come up here for time to be away from the “civilized” world. Up here there is no stress, no worries, just time to be peaceful. The peacefulness of this place is amazing. Up here you can be able to think clearly. It’s almost impossible to put into words. This place is deserving of the money needed to preserve and keep running.” - Darren

“As an educator from Swift Current, the experience the Boreal Forest provides for these students is extremely valuable.

Most notable is the sense of environmental stewardship they acquire. During their photography and solo time they exhibit a keen sense of pride and accomplishment. They are so proud of their actions in the forest their awareness and their realizations that it changes them as people. They really return to the city with a renewed sense of self, purpose, outlook, and appreciation for nature which they share and promote to others in their life.

Also quite remarkable are the students’ Students at Ness Creek taking in Nature Quest programming. Photo by “Home is a place that we go John Murray. reports of decreased anxiety, and feeling of calm and relaxation. The forest brings to feel safe, to feel at ease. them safety, security, and the feeling of We go home at the end of the In March I asked a group of high school students, to write down some their letting their guards down. When this night to relax and be with impressions of having been involved with Nature Quest and the Saskatchewan happens, self-growth flourishes. The ourselves. We pay more Boreal Forest Learning Centre. They were on a five day winter camping trip on discussions that are generated are the Ness Creek site. I was moved by the depth and sincerity of their writing. reflective, of how they can better attention to our thoughts and Here are comments from six students and one of the teachers. themselves and how they can better the dreams as well as to our world. It is truly remarkable to witness. senses. We feel more, we The Boreal Forest Learning Centre at Ness Creek: Otherwise unmotivated students with low smell more, we hear more, self-esteem become transformed into we taste more. We feel we “The reason I think this place is important is that it brings people closer together individuals who have energy in their can do anything our hearts than they ever would be. It’s like every time I come here I bring something back hearts to do well for themselves, the with me. Not physically but mentally. I think it is important that people keep world, and the world. They gain a sense desire and not be judged by coming up not only for the awesome activities but to individually grow as a of purpose and self-worth. the family, friends, and walls person. It’s pretty much a stress free environment. The only things that you around us. We are true to stress over are the things that you need to stress over. You also get to learn so The idea is to capture this feeling and what we want without the many interesting facts that you normally wouldn’t be interested in learning. Every bring it with you where ever you may go.” distractions of our everyday single person that I have met up here has a super gentle soul and super accepting - Eliza Doyle lives. We are almost always no matter who you are or where you come from. By far the most serene place I have ever been lucky enough to encounter.” - Matt Nature Quest in partnership with The happy and comfortable. Saskatchewan Boreal Forest Learning Home isn’t always near the “Ness Creek is an escape from my life. I suffer from anxiety depression and Centre provides outdoor programming for place your family lives, the various mental stresses, but they all go away when I come here. All my intense about 340 student days each school walls around you to keep you worry about university and money, and food, and friends all disappear into the year. Most of the outdoor high school dry. Home can be the tree in trees never to be seen again until the end of the week. Ness taught me the programs are at the Ness Creek site, 2 the backyard, the park meaning of hard work and that you can enjoy hard work. I make the best friends km west of Prince Albert National Park. up here too. The forest just galvanizes our trust and bonds. I feel motivated and We now own 2 canoes and 10 bicycles. across the street, a friend’s at peace here like I never have in my life. I‘ve learned about culture and nature We hope to increase this to 7 canoes house. The Boreal Forest and how easy and rewarding it is to keep busy and keep warm. I wish everyone and 30 bikes. Some Swift Current Learning Centre offers a had this chance to get away to such an amazing spot. Please keep this students are now gaining work credits home for kids from all over.” experience alive for as long as possible for as many as possible.” - Sarah refurbishing broken bikes at a local bike shop. These bikes will become part of “I liked my time at Ness Creek because I felt I was a bigger part of nature and I the on-site fleet. Maverick High School teacher Ed Doyle of Swift Current has will never forget my experiences here especially my solo time. It was so amazing played a key role in both the bike and canoe programs. There are now about 20 to go off and be one with the world and what is around you.” - Dalton kilometers of trails on the site and these connect with the extensive trail system in the National Park. “Home is a place that we go to feel safe, to feel at ease. We go home at the end of the night to relax and be with ourselves. We pay more attention to our thoughts Programming designed in consultation with participating teachers and students and dreams as well as to our senses. We feel more, we smell more, we hear might include: canoeing, hiking, orienteering, tracking, photography, music, more, we taste more. We feel we can do anything our hearts desire and not be storytelling, writing, drawing, silviculture, forest ecology, biology, games, horseback judged by the family, friends, and walls around us. We are true to what we want riding and time with a trapper. There is a traditional Sweat Lodge and students without the distractions of our everyday lives. We are almost always happy and have opportunities to experience traditional indigenous culture. comfortable. Home isn’t always near the place your family lives, the walls around you to keep you dry. Home can be the tree in the backyard, the park across the All on-site students are supported to spend solo time in the forest - usually about street, a friend’s house. The Boreal Forest Learning Centre offers a home for an hour per day. They usually spend about 1/2 a day working in the forest to kids from all over. I have visited the Ness Creek Site twice now and I feel more offset some of the schools expenses. Some of the work they do is stand tending, at home than I have felt in years. I feel safe and calm every day that I am here tree planting, trail clearing and bridge building. and I am not afraid to be myself. I am not afraid of my past, I am not afraid of my future, for I hope that one day I will be able to live near a place like this, carefree, Students are encouraged to discover the things in nature that most capture their and a strong person inside and out. I love Ness Creek.” - Eva own attention and then to explore these on their own terms. For some the process of self-discovery can be lengthy and because of this we are modifying our programs “The reason I come to Ness Creek is because, let’s face it, growing up is flippen to offer more time per student. hard. My life is crazy in the city, I have three jobs. Ness is a place where I get to relive my childhood in a lot of ways. I get away from all of my regular days worries and relax. I learn so much about the forest, but also about myself. I am

Conservation Now...For The Future Page 17 Summer 2013 Nature Views

Swift Fox in Saskatchewan Discovering Nature…Beyond Your Backyard Fleet of foot fox prefers native prairie habitat Polar Bears – the Bear facts

Reprinted from Beef Business Magazine, January 2013 via February 2012 Prairie Kimberly J. Epp Conservation Action Plan February 2013 E-newsletter The rate of extinction on earth has never happened as drastically as it has since the arrival of man. And yet we as humans survive and thrive while so many other species go extinct. In fact, within the last 100 years we have observed this first hand. Look at all of the species that have disappeared, and are currently disappearing, on our prairie grasslands alone. Female polar bear at Churchill, 1998. Photo by Kimberly Epp. But geographically heading father north into our vast country, the population of our largest mammal, the Polar Bear, has been decreasing at an ever-alarming rate. If Swift Fox family. Photo by Shelley Pruss. ever there was a ‘poster child’ for global warming, this animal, a true Canadian icon, would be it. But before I discuss the reasons behind the Polar Bear’s The Swift Fox is about the size of a jack rabbit or large house cat. Its black- possible population demise, let me bring up some other facts. tipped tail, smaller size and lighter colour distinguish the Swift Fox from the more common Red Fox. It gets its name from its speed. Individuals have been clocked I have always wanted to see the Polar Bears myself and so in 1998 my Aunt Pat at over 60 km/h (37 mph) but its small size gives the illusion of even greater and I went on an excursion, led by Melanie Elliott, to Churchill, Manitoba. Even speed. though there are 19 Polar Bear populations on the planet, 13 of them being in Canada, Churchill is the Polar Bear capital of the world. If you have ever seen a The Swift Fox was once found in dry prairie habitat from the southern Canadian photo of a Polar Bear (such as the one above), the odds are it was taken in prairie to Texas, but the species began to decline during the early 1900’s. Re- Churchill. Churchill is the most accessible Polar Bear site and so it draws in introduction programs during the late 1980’s and 1990’s have resulted in small about 10,000 visitors each year. It is also the most studied Polar Bear site. populations becoming established in the southern Alberta/Saskatchewan border area and in the Wood Mountain/Grasslands National Park Reserve region in The best time to see these bears first-hand is usually in the late fall. During this Saskatchewan. time they are waiting for the sea ice to form in order to hunt their main prey, ringed and bearded seals. This means going for usually five months without a meal. Swift Foxes prefer open, sparsely vegetated, short-grass and mixed-grass prairie, Sometimes they may find smaller amounts of food but nothing can compare to where visibility and mobility are unimpeded. Native vegetation common in such the caloric value of these seals. They may lose up to half of their body weight as grasslands includes buffalo grass, bluestem, and wire grass. As such, native well during this time, and so they try to conserve as much energy as they can. prairie commonly used as grazing land for livestock is a preferred location for this small fox. What is most worrisome, how- Some of the leading threats to this species include: lack of acceptable habitat, ever, with regards predation (by Coyotes, Red Foxes and Great Horned Owls), accidental poisonings, to global warming unintended trapping, and vehicular collisions. Therefore, management practices is the increased to reduce threats are based on controlling or reducing these pressures. wait each year for the sea ice to First and foremost, conservation of large blocks of native prairie is imperative for form. When your the success of this species. Grazing of native prairie is a benefit as well as the main prey is the Swift Fox prefers short vegetation. This can be achieved by rotating moderate to seal, and you go intensive grazing while focusing in the long-term on maintaining healthy native without food for prairie. months, one or two extra days Limiting road development, traffic and vehicular speeds in remote areas of native can be an issue. prairie areas can reduce the number of vehicular collisions suffered by this species, This mostly aff- especially between dusk and dawn when this nocturnal species is most active. ects the females Male polar bear walking towards husky dogs (in background), and their ability to Accidental poisonings through rodent and predator control have been identified not to eat them, but to play with them – really! 1998. Photo rear cubs. While as detrimental to the Swift Fox. If rodent control is necessary, shooting or by Kimberly Epp. on the ice the fumigation is preferred so non-target species are not affected. Also, placing bait Polar Bears mate, directly in rodent burrows can reduce the incidence of ingestion directly by Swift but the females do not become impregnated right away. This is a process called Foxes. Similarly, coyote control by shooting is the preferred method over poisoning ‘delayed implantation’. If the female is at a healthy enough weight upon her return or trapping. If trapping is used, placing traps at the correct height and/or setting to the maternity den, then she may become pregnant at this time. But she must traps to the proper weight limit will reduce unintended trapping of Swift Foxes. be at a healthy enough weight as she will need to first carry the cubs - and then Badger burrows represent potential escape burrows for Swift Foxes, so badger when they are born feed and care for them – all without any food. She may have populations should be left uncontrolled whenever possible. gained hundreds of pounds while feeding on the sea ice. A Polar Bear may lose up to half of its body weight when on land, and then (hopefully) gain it all back Livestock carcasses represent a huge attraction for Coyotes and as such disposal when feeding on the seals. of carcasses should be considered in the preservation of Swift Fox. When disposing of livestock carcasses on upland prairie, using randomly located sites If the break-up occurs one month early, and according to past studies, 75 per rather than one single location and limiting any one disposal site to one or two cent of females may not raise cubs. Although some may not agree, this seems carcasses at a time may reduce the number of coyotes attracted to the area, to be linked with global warming and the accessibility to their main food. Studies thus reducing the predation risk for Swift Foxes. However, it is important to note have shown that the number of cubs produced has been declining steadily, relating that disposal of livestock carcasses is subject to regulation which must ultimately to the amount of time the sea ice exists on the Hudson Bay area. In the past, be followed as by law. Polar Bears have been on the ice until as late as August. They are now forced off the ice as early as June. Of course some Polar Bears have been finding new Ranchers in southern Saskatchewan can have a positive effect on this endangered prey, but that doesn’t mean it is enough to sustain the females with their ability to species. Maintaining large tracts of healthy native prairie will be important in the raise new cubs. If the break-up occurs two months early, it is possible there will long-term success of the Swift Fox population. So the next time you are out on be no cubs produced at all. At this rate, will the Polar Bears still be here in years the prairie in southern Saskatchewan and see a blur that resembles a large to come, for our children’s children to see them in their native habitat? That is a house cat - get out the field glasses and take a second look. It just might be this question for which we don’t know, or maybe just don’t want to know, the true fleet of foot fox! answer.

For more information on the Swift Fox please visit the Government of Canada’s Species at Risk website: www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca.

The Voice of Nature for Saskatchewan Page 18 Summer 2013 Nature Views

Information on U of S Tours

Athabasca Sand Dunes Tour - as of 28/3/2013 there are only 2 spots left!

Polar Bear Ecology Tour- info nights with images from past trips on: May 1 and/or June 6, Williams Building, 221 Cumberland Ave N, Saskatoon.

South America, Nov 10 to 30th, 2013 includes Peru, Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu by train. Fly from Lima to the Galapagos Islands for 8 days on the 16 passenger yacht called The Seaman. We’ll see Galapagos tortoise, mockingbirds, hawks, finches, boobies, sea lions, marine iguanas and penguins. We hike and snorkel daily. And don’t worry about seasickness - your tour guide usually is but patches work just great! Tour Guide: Melanie Elliott.

For info and/or To Register: phone 306-966-5539.

Conservation Now...For The Future Page 19 Summer 2013 Nature Views

Nature Saskatchewan Thanks These Generous Donors

New Life Members: Nature Saskatchewan General Programs (cont’d): Christina Havard Ted and Anna Leighton Isobel McLeish Gary Seib Katie Krueger Royal Saskatchewan Museum Ardythe McMaster David Stirling Bonnie and John Lawrence Rob and Joan Wilson Kathleen Morrell Colette and Richard Maxine Morrison Stushnoff In Honor of Donations: Patti and Tom Nauta Sharon Taylor on In honor of Andrew, Gretchen and Karsten Grace Norgard behalf of husband Anonymous (donation to Last Mountain Bird Observatory) Al Oeming Peter Taylor Douglas W. Pegg Deanna Trowsdale-Mutafov In honor of Ryan Darby Readman C. Wallis Anonymous (donation to General Programs) Doug and Irene Donald A. Weidl Schmeiser Cynthia Welburn In honor of Luouise and Phil Carol Anne Scott Harold R. Wilkinson Anonymous (donation to General Programs) Lorne Scott

Memorial Donations: Margaret Skeel Graduate Student Bird Species at Risk Programs: In memory of Flossie Bogdan Scholarship Fund: Katherine M. Fellner Gilly Liebelt (donation to Last Mountain Bird Observatory) Margaret Skeel Albert Mickey Paul Soron Christine Pike In memory of Ute Bosley Ruth Smith Andre J. and Christina Bouvier (donation to General programs) Grasslands Trust Fund: Bernard Tremblay Monette Bouvier (donation to General programs) Robert Danner Donna Zatylny Kaytlyn Burrows (donation to General programs) Willis E. Hall Club 21 (donation to General Programs) Leonard J. Hutchison Nature Savings Plan Contributors: Nicole Dunn (donation to General Programs) Kathy Meeres Keith Bell Corrine Hydamacka (donation to General Programs) Douglas W. Pegg Lori Caron Brian Jeffery (donation to General Programs) Ralph J. Wang Kristin Catherwood Ruth Meier (donation to General Programs) Catherine Zeilner Joseph and Sylvia Chorney Patti and Tom Nauta (donation to General Programs) Louise and Dave Cook Lorne Scott (donation to General Programs) Last Mountain Bird Observatory: Dr. Yvonne G. Cuttle Gary Seib (donation to General Programs) Anonymous Rev Suzanne Edgar Deanna Trowsdale-Mutafov (donation to General Programs) Joyce Christiansen Gwen Gordon Cynthia Welburn (donation to General Programs) Roberta Cox Christina Havard Doreen Yurkoski (donation to General Programs) Gordon Dash Jocelyn Hextall Patricia Betker (donation to General Programs) Don Delhomeau Ina Hill Mary and Calvin Carter (donation to General Programs) Teresa M. Dolman Gary Howland Marilyn and Michael Fahlman (donation to General Programs) Harold Fisher A. R. Iverson Dianne Lipon (donation to General Programs) Bob Gehlert Johanna and Ken Jensen Saskatchewan Appaloosa Horse Club Inc. c/o Eleanor Porth Martin Gerard Olaf Jensen (donation to General Programs) David and Suzanne Henry Ron and Julie Jensen Terry and Marjorie Thiessen (donation to General Programs) Art Howell Ken Kingdon Andrea Kotylak (donation to General programs) Walter and Martha Karau Tom Lawton Gilly Liebelt Robert J. Long Nature Saskatchewan General Programs: James L. W. McKay Deena McNichol Anonymous Lorna Gaudet Kevin Moore Alison Philips Doug H. Bocking Mike Gollop Douglas W. Pegg Julianna M. Robin Andre J. and Christina Raea Gooding Edith May Shannon Lyle Saigeon Bouvier Dale and Paule Lorraine Wauters Candace Savage Gregg Brewster Hjertaas Rob and Joan Wilson Danna Schock Kaytlyn Burrows Corrine Hydamacka Margaret Skeel Robert Byers Brian Jeffery Nature Legacy Fund: Hellen Taylor Harvey Clarke Louise Krueger Doug and Irene Schmeiser Hank Vanderpol Club 21 Gerald Machnee Guy Wapple Nicole Dunn Edna McCawley Pattie Wilkinson Don Forbes Lila McDermaid Ken Gardner

Attention Photographers- Nature Views No Map, No Problem for Monarchs Submission Guidelines! Reprinted from April 19, 2013 E-newsletter To assist the Nature Views editors with managing photo submissions, please do the following: According to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Monarch butterflies use basic · Do NOT embed photos and other graphic material in text files! Otherwise, orientation and landmarks to find their way as they migrate thousands of kilometres it is more work for the editors. from Canada and the U.S. to wintering sites in Mexico. Select this link(http:// · Send photos and other graphic material as separate files. www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/04/03/1221701110) to view the abstract. Much · Use tiff or jpeg file format of the orientation work and Monarch collection was conducted in collaboration · Minimize file size while maintaining photo quality. This helps keep overall with Long Point Bird Observatory; download LPBO’s 2012 Program Report (http:/ file size down and speed up downloads /www.birdscanada.org/library/LPBOreport.pdf) for a list of collaborative publications. · Use descriptive file names. Generic file names from photo software are not very helpful. The researchers looked at how Monarchs’ flight orientation changed when they were displaced from Ontario to Alberta, and also examined data from Monarchs Supply captions for all photos. Good captions include common names of species, tagged and recaptured throughout North America from 1952 to 2004. Displaced names of people, locations, activities, behaviours and dates and very importantly Monarchs flew in the same general direction as if they were still in Ontario, photo credit. suggesting the absence of an internal compass. The flight patterns and data suggest that they likely use major geographic landmarks (such as coastlines and Your submissions are greatly appreciated and always welcome. mountains) to funnel them to their destination.

Rob Warnock and Angela Dohms, Co-editors, Nature Views

The Voice of Nature for Saskatchewan Page 20 Summer 2013 Nature Views

Upcoming Events

Nature Regina Field Trips Saskatoon Nature Society Field Trips

Please note: Field trips could be cancelled or postponed due to bad weather; if All are welcome to participate in field trips; bring your friends. Carpooling for out- you are in doubt as to whether a field trip will go ahead or not, please call Lauren of-town trips is usually arranged at the meeting place. Participants are expected at 584-1171. We encourage carpooling on field trips. There is no charge other to share gasoline costs and should make arrangements with the driver to do so. than to share gasoline costs. Estimated share of gas is assuming four people There is no other charge. Phone the trip leader if you have any questions. per vehicle; please confirm with your driver. (Note: RSM is the Royal Participants are free to depart early if they wish. Members with CB radios or Saskatchewan Museum at the corner of Albert Street and College Avenue in FRS radios should bring them on out-of-town trips. Check our website at Regina. All Nature Regina events are scent-free events) www.saskatoonnaturesociety.sk.ca for last minute changes or cancellations.

Week of May 12 - Snakes Alive! MVA Trail Bird Walk (every Sunday in May) A number of people have gone to see the snake hibernaculum north of Pelly in These walks are ideal for beginners. recent years. We are repeating that trip again for those who have been unable to 7:00 AM–9:30 AM go in the past and for those who want to go again. At the Fort Livingstone den Meet at the Diefenbaker Centre parking lot on University of Saskatchewan campus. overlooking the Swan River Valley one can see the red-sided garter snakes as they emerge from their winter hibernation. The males wait at the den mouth and Sunday, May 12 Leader: Carol Blenkin (306-244-1927) swarm the emerging females forming “mating balls”. The snakes are at their Sunday, May 19 Leader: Hilda Noton (306-374-0674) peak activity around Mother’s Day. If you would like to go, call Lauren at 584- Sunday, May 26 Leader: Heather Wagg (306-652-7351) 1171. This is to arrange carpooling, given the considerable distance. The date chosen depends on the weather. The share of gas would average about $15-20, Wednesday, 22. May 2013 assuming four people per vehicle. Warbler migration at Cosmopolitan Park We will walk through the park and look for warblers and other songbirds. If anyone has comments or suggestions regarding field trips, please call Lauren Time: 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at 584-1171. Please note there is a shortage of leaders for birding field trips. Place: meet at corner of 16th St. E and Saskatchewan Crescent. Leader: Stan Shadick (306-652-5975) Wednesday, May 15 A. E. Wilson Park Saturday, May 25 We will walk around A. E. Wilson Park to see the spring migration. May Day Bird Count Time: 6:30 p.m. - dusk Participants are welcome to help survey the city and surrounding natural regions Meet at the parking lot just off Ritter Avenue and Dorothy Street on the north side during this bird count during the peak of spring migration. of Wascana Creek Phone Michael Williams at 306-242-5383 by May 23 to be assigned to a group.

Monday, May 20 Wascana Centre (Baillie Birdathon) Let's join Margaret Skeel for a Baillie Birdathon in Wascana Centre on what 16th Annual Shorebird Festival at Chaplin on should be one of the best weekends of the year in terms of species and numbers June 7th & 8th, 2013 of birds seen. This birdathon is to raise funds for Last Mountain Bird Observatory (Nature Saskatchewan). We'll start in the Legislative grounds and do Warbler The Chaplin Nature Centre will be holding the 16th Annual Shorebird festival Alley and the areas around the tennis courts, totem pole, etc. We will then move on June 7th & 8th. over to the Science Centre and do the marsh, Goose Hill Park, and perhaps Faraway Place and the Habitat Conservation Area. Margaret will keep a checklist Special tours will be offered both days. On Saturday June 8th, we will host a of all species seen. You can sponsor Margaret either at a flat rate or an amount supper and fundraiser at 6 pm. Please visit our website chaplintourism.com per species. Let's help her raise lots of money for LMBO. Bring lunch if you wish or contact Clem Millar at 306-631-4621 or the Chaplin Nature Centre (after to go for the afternoon. You can call it a day any time you wish. May 15th) at 306-395-2770 for more information. Time: 8:00 a.m. to noon or mid-afternoon Meet at the parking area in front of the Legislative Building.

Wednesday, May 22 Nature Saskatchewan is now on Facebook and Goose Hill Park Twitter! An evening walk around Goose Hill Park and Quinn Drive back alley to see the spring migration. Nature Saskatchewan is now on Facebook and Twitter! To find us, search Time: 6:30 p.m. - dusk “Nature Saskatchewan” on Facebook, and “NatureSask” on Twitter. There Meet at the Science Centre parking lot are also links to these pages on our website. We hope you’ll follow us!

o Yes, I want to become a member of Nature Saskatchewan. Membership Fee $ ______I wish to make a tax-deductible donation to Nature Saskatchewan to support: o Please renew my membership o Operation Burrowing Owl $______o Grasslands Trust Fund $______o Last Mountain Bird Observatory $______Name: ______o Nature Legacy Fund $______Address: ______o Margaret Skeel Graduate Student Scholarship Fund $______City/ Town: ______o General Society Programs $ ______Province: ______Postal Code: ______TOTAL PAYMENT $______Phone: ______Email: ______Occupation/ Interests: ______I would like to pay by: o Cheque/money order o Visa o Mastercard Category One Year Three Year Five Year (Please make cheques payable to Nature Saskatchewan) Individual o $ 25 o $ 65 o $ 95 Income Tax receipts available for donations over $10.00. Family o $ 30 o $ 75 o $115 Card Number: ______Student o $ 15 Senior >64 o $ 20 o $ 50 o $ 75 Card Name: ______Foreign o $ 30 o $ 75 o $ 115 Institutional o $ 30 Signature: ______Expiry Date: ______Life o $ 600 Summer 2013 Nature Views

Nature Saskatchewan’s Website www.naturesask.ca

Humanity in Harmony with Nature