Species Survey a Real “HOOT”

ISSUE #36 SPRING 2012 Species Survey a Real “HOOT” Western Screech Owls. Photo by Jared Hobbs. This past September (Populus trichocarpa) are often used for this will elicit the response of any resident Julie Tyrrell, Nature Trust Field Operations nesting cavities, while both deciduous Screech owls in the area. Coordinator for the Kootenay Region, had and coniferous trees are used for Throughout September, a total of the opportunity to conduct call-playback roosting. A combination of limited range, 131 surveys were conducted within surveys for Western Screech owls specialized habitat requirements and suitable screech owl habitat. The fall throughout the Flathead and Elk River ecological threats has resulted in the surveys resulted in one new Screech owl drainages with Becky Phillips from the BC federal designation of this subspecies detection in the Flathead River drainage. Conservation Foundation. as Endangered by the Committee on the An additional four detections occurred The BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada; during informal follow-up surveys by Natural Resource Operations (MFLNRO) provincially the subspecies is restricted to MFLNRO staff. These Flathead detections initiated these formal surveys in response Southern Interior BC and is red-listed by represent a significant range expansion for to a Western Screech owl detection made the BC Conservation Data Centre. the species in Canada. Increased spring by MFLNRO biologist, Jared Hobbs, in the The owl’s territorial call, or vocalization, is surveys will be conducted to locate new summer. His detection represented the commonly described as the “bouncing ball” individuals and confirm breeding through first confirmation of the species in the BC call which consists of several consecutive the detection of juvenile owls. portion of the Flathead Valley. staccato hoots that speed up towards Funding for this project was provided Western Screech owls (Megascops the end. Call-playback surveys involve by the Great Northern Landscape kennicoti macfarlanei) favour riparian broadcasting a pre-recorded “bouncing ball” Conservation Cooperative. For more areas dominated by deciduous hardwoods. call from a male Western Screech owl using information about Screech owls, contact Cavities in mature Black Cottonwoods an MP3 player and a megaphone. Generally, [email protected] Turning the Tide Scout Island of Species Loss Transforms Lives Doreen Olson and Jim Bryan present cheque to Nick Burdock and Carl MacNaughton Naturalists’ Donation Carl MacNaughton and Nick Burdock of The Nature Trust of BC received a special holiday gift from the South Okanagan Naturalists’ Club: a cheque for $2,414 for Twin Lakes property the Twin Lakes property. Burgoyne Bay and “We are very excited since this is by far the largest single donation our club and its members have made to a single Twin Lakes Complete! organization,” said Doreen Olson, the We are delighted to announce Twin Lakes is a 810 hectare (2,000 acre) Naturalists’ club representative. the completion of two conservation property located 30 miles south of The South Okanagan Naturalists’ Club projects—Burgoyne Bay and Twin Lakes. Penticton and adjacent to The Nature is celebrating its 50th anniversary in The Burgoyne Bay property on Salt Trust White Lake Biodiversity Ranch. It 2012. It was formed to help stem the Spring Island is a 22 hectare (55-acre) is important for grassland and riparian loss of important habitats in the Valley. acquisition to conserve rare Garry oak habitat and ranked as a top priority To learn more, visit their website at and Coastal Douglas-fir. Surrounded by the South Okanagan Similkameen southokanagannature.com by Provincial Parks and an ecological Conservation Program. Thanks to BC reserve, this property is the last piece Conservation Foundation, Ducks Unlimited of the puzzle and completes protected Canada, Habitat Conservation Trust areas of the entire Burgoyne Bay. We Foundation, Ministry of Transportation wish to thank the property owner, BC and Infrastructure, Okanagan Similkameen Ministry of Environment, individual Parks Society, South Okanagan Naturalists’ donors and Government of Canada Club, many individual donors and through the Natural Areas Conservation Government of Canada through the Natural Program as facilitated by the Nature Areas Conservation Program as facilitated Conservancy of Canada who made this by the Nature Conservancy of Canada for outstanding achievement possible. making this acquisition possible. Celebrate at Twin Lakes! On May 17th at 10:30 am The Nature Trust of BC invites you to join us to celebrate Moorecroft Property the securement of the Twin Lakes property near Penticton. We will organize a hike We are continuing to fundraise for in the area so bring a bag lunch, water, and your hiking boots. Refreshments will Moorecroft, an outstanding piece be served. Register at www.meadowlarkfestival.bc.ca Map: http://g.co/maps/pmqpa of forested waterfront in Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island. Special For people who would like to attend from the Lower Mainland and Vancouver thanks to the Moorecrofters and Island, we are organizing a trip to the South Okanagan May 16th and 17th for the friends for spreading the word and Twin Lakes Celebration and more! For information, please contact John Keller at 604-969-3250 or e-mail [email protected] collecting donations. 2 { The Nature Trust of British Columbia 1-866-288-7878 { www.naturetrust.bc.ca www.naturetrust.bc.ca { 1-866-288-7878 The Nature Trust of British Columbia { 23 Turning the Tide of Species Loss in Georgia Basin Ecosystems By Dr. Peter Arcese efforts aimed at conserving landscapes with high native species diversity, and restoring mature Douglas fir forests to old growth Early European explorers to the Georgia Basin described status over the coming decades. But we will need to do more than a verdant and varied landscape of large, old fir forests, oak and acquire land, because much evidence shows that “stewardship” arbutus woodland, and bracken and camas-filled meadows extending will be just as important to achieving these objectives. along the southeastern coast of Vancouver Island, throughout Why? It is well-established that humans affect plant and animal the Gulf Islands, and at low elevation on the adjacent mainland populations directly via habitat conversion. But it is now also clear coast. Sheltered by the rain-shadow of the Olympic mountains and that the “indirect effects” of humans arising via exotic species warmed by the temperate waters of the Pacific Ocean, this area’s introductions or by facilitating “human commensal species” at the Mediterranean climate and abundant natural resources sheltered expense of vulnerable native species, can be just as detrimental. First Nations peoples for thousands of years, and more recently have Familiar examples include the introduction of mosquitoes to become among the most desirable places to live in our small world. Hawaii, resulting in the extinction of 28 bird species. Closer to This is where The Nature Trust of BC comes in. Today, conservation home, many biologists now point to the rise of urban and rural biologists recognize the “Coastal Douglas Fir Zone” as among the populations of small-bodied predators, such as raccoons, as most biologically unique and rich areas in western Canada, but also threats to the persistence of many vulnerable bird and reptile among its most imperilled ecosystems. species. Small-bodied predators increase when humans eliminate large predators from landscapes, because wolves, cougars and other large predators can limit their population size. Our removal It is well-established that humans of once abundant cougar and wolf populations from the CDF has affect plant and animal populations similarly resulted in the “release” of black-tailed deer populations, directly via habitat conversion. particularly those restricted to islands. As a consequence, biologists have identified high deer density as a threat to the persistence of many species, including iconic members of coastal Not large to begin with (~2,561 km2), this seasonally dry forest Douglas fir and Garry oak woodlands. As examples, many plants and woodland ecosystem is now 49% converted to human use once abundant in forest and woodland habitats, such as great with less than 3% of its original “old growth” cover of 145+ yr-old camas, fawn and chocolate lilies, onions and brodea, are now forest, and less than 10% of historic oak woodlands remaining. becoming scarce, particularly in the Southern Gulf Islands where As a consequence, the CDF zone now provides uncertain habitat cougars and wolves are largely absent and hunting has become a for 117 “Species at Risk” and 29 red-listed plant communities. lost art. Stewardship will therefore be needed to prevent indirect Surprisingly, however, the CDF has yet to see a sustained, human effects from reducing further the natural values that have coordinated effort by government, non-profits and private land drawn so many humans to the region. The Nature Trust’s focus on owners to insure that relatively “intact” examples of our most the Coastal Douglas Fir Zone is aimed at turning the tide of species treasured native landscapes are conserved for future generations. and habitat loss in the region, and at building on our history of The Nature Trust of British Columbia, an early leader in land acquisition and stewardship in cooperation with you. We believe acquisition in the region, is now helping change that fact. We are the problem of species

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