Fall 2019

TWS MANITOBA CHAPTER NEWSLETTER Chapter Business

President’s Corner Chapter Business

Presidents Corner 1 Hello Wildlifers! Financial Report 2 Membership Report 2 We would like to extend a warm fall welcome to all our members! As we transition into a new season, I hope we CAC Update 2 can enjoy these seasonal changes together. Summer is Western Update 3 often such a busy time for biologists, but we look forward to catching up with you all and meeting some new faces at one of our three Annual Mixers we have planned this fall. Our Executive has been busy planning new networking events and workshops that will interest both students Events and Learning and professionals. As a member - at any level, we want to hear from you regarding any workshops, wildlife Past Events 4 areas of concern or interest, exciting research or a get Upcoming Events 6 together that you would enjoy. We want you to be involved and get the most out of your membership! This year, we have new merchandise for sale! You can be cozy this fall in your brand new TWS hoodie! All items will be featured on our social media pages and offered Recent News at any of our get togethers. We are very excited to award “The Early Career Help Build TWS 7 Professional Development Travel Grant” and “Student Tribute to a Wildlife 8 Travel Award” to two individuals this month - we want New Clothing 10 to help you succeed in your involvement and Member Feature 11 development within the wildlife community. Recent Articles 12 Job Opportunities 13 Enjoy the season and we will look forward to seeing you soon!

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Financial Report Membership The Chapter is doing well financially. As of October 14th, 2019 our current account balance is $9,261.42. Report The most recent major expense to the Chapter was The Wildlife Society: Manitoba our new merchandise purchase which cost $2,312.97. Chapter currently has a total of 135 The Chapter is proud to provide the option of members. This has decreased by 57 purchasing new merchandise to our long-term members since this past spring. 3 dedicated members, as well as to many of our new members will be expiring this members! The funds from the new merchandise months, so make sure you renew purchase will be brought back to the Chapter your membership if thats you! through the sales of the merchandise and through fundraising events. The Chapter is also proud to Thank you to all our current announce that this Fall 2019 we were able to provide members for your continuous a Student Travel Award of $250.00 to help fund the support. travel of a student to a conference of their choice. As well, the Chapter was able to help fund $1000.00 to the travel of a student to attend the 2019 International Conference of The Wildlife Society and the American Fisheries Society in Reno, Nevada in October of 2019.

Conservation Affairs Committee (CAC) Update The Manitoba Chapter CAC continues to monitor and weigh in on various conservation issues in Manitoba.

This past summer, the Chapter sent a letter to the Wildlife and Fisheries Branch inquiring about the status of both the 2012 - 2017 Report to the Legislature on Wildlife, a legislative requirement under the provincial Wildlife Act, and Big Game Survey updates for 2019. The letter can be found on the CAC website at the following link:

Inquiry on Status of Five Year Report to the Legislature on Wildlife (2012-2017) and Big Game Survey Update for 2019

The Chapter also once again created a list of pertinent term paper topics for post- secondary students studying wildlife management in Manitoba and provided it to members and contacts at universities and colleges across Manitoba for their use:

The list of 2019 wildlife management project ideas can be found here.

If you’re interested in joining the Manitoba Chapter CAC, please contact [email protected] for more info! 2

Fall 2019

Western Update

Sustainable Development staff conducted breeding bird surveys on Ellice-Archie Community Pasture. The pasture was recognized as an Important Bird Area by Bird Studies Canada, due to the globally significant populations of Chestnut-collared Longspurs and Sprague’s Pipits (both federal and provincial species at risk). Ag Canada has been continuing with some interesting work, setting the stage for a new agroecosystem focus research program. The research will focus on incorporating biodiversity considerations into common agricultural management practices through manipulations such as plant species selection and alteration of timing of mow and spray to encourage increased habitat values. The research will also pilot livestock predation risk assessments designed to look at the characteristics of an operation that may increase the risk of predation and put mitigations in place. Ideally it would result in reduced livestock predator conflict, decreasing the number of livestock taken as well as the number of predators killed to protect livestock.

-Allison Krause Danielsen

*Event Alert* We’d love to have you come out and join us for our Westman Fall Mixer! Come out and join us at the MHHC boardroom(930 Victoria Avenue East) in Brandon, MB from 7:00 - 9:00pm on November 14th. There will be presentations of current research going on in Westman with refreshments provided! Looking forward to seeing you!

3 Fall 2019 Past Events

Goose Banding Workshop

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to our Goose Banding event that was held on Thursday, July 4th! It was a great opportunity to get your hands dirty and gain experience banding Canada Geese! Members were given the opportunity to learn about Canada Goose monitoring programs and were able to capture, sex, and band geese. A total of 370 geese were banded, including 5 recaptures with geolocators from previous years. It was the biggest goose banding event ever at Oak Hammock Marsh! Thanks to Frank Baldwin and his team at the Canadian Wildlife Service for helping to organize and co-host the event with the Chapter! It was wonderful to see everyone out there at the Marsh getting involved in local wildlife conservation!

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Past Events

Student Discussion Night - Predator Culling

On October 9th, we held our first student discussion night of the year at the University of Manitoba to continue the success of this new initiative from the previous year. Cody Carlyle (Grad Student Representative) and Hannah Martin (Undergraduate Student Representative) hosted a discussion with 15 other students on “The role of predator control in conservation”. The conversation covered many interesting ideas such as best practices for effective results, complications, combining with other conservation tools, potential alternatives, and the differences between terrestrial and aquatic cases. We hope that everyone involved learned something new or left with a new perspective on the topic. We want to give a thank you to everyone who participated in the conversation and the Clayton H. Ridell Co-op program for providing pizza and refreshments to help fuel the interesting discussion.

5 Fall 2019 Upcoming Events

Western Mixer Winter Getaway We’d love to have you come out and join us for our Westman Our executive is working Fall Mixer! diligently to plan this years Come out and join us at the Winter Getaway! We had a MHHC boardroom(930 blast in Pinawa last year and Victoria Avenue East) in are looking forward to what Brandon, MB from 7:00 - this year holds. Come join us 9:00pm on November 14th. for a weekend of workshops There will be presentations of and good times! current research going on in Westman with refreshments February 7-9 provided! TBD

Looking forward to seeing you!

Annual Fall R Workshop Mixer

TWS :MB will be hosting another R workshop this The Annual Fall Mixer will year. Last year this event be taking place this filled up very quickly so November! Come get make sure you stay tuned for connected and join us for when registration is up! casual networking, presentations, and beer! November 22 University of Manitoba November 7 Little Brown Jug

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Help Build TWS

Our Treasurer, Emily Thoroski is currently a student at the University of Manitoba working on her Master of Environment degree where she is researching the impacts of tools that can be used to help communicate environmental conservation and science to a diverse audience. Emily was able to attend the Joint Conference of The Wildlife Society and the American Fisheries Society in Reno, Nevada in October where she premiered the first showing of her video called ‘Why Do Wildlife Matter?’ If you are interested in viewing the video, please follow the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKkIDXRWBto&t=12s or check out the Media page on the Chapter’s website. Also, feel free to email Emily at [email protected] to get involved in the research!

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TWS-Manitoba Chapter Pays Tribute to a Wildlife Professional

Lawrence John Bidlake (Larry), a TWS member since 1964 passed away on June 28, 2019 at the age of 78. Larry was born in Mayo, Yukon but grew up in Whitehorse, where his father was the head of the Yukon Game Department. Like many local Canadian boys, he loved hockey and hunting the wilds of theYukon.

Larry attended the University of Alaska in Fairbanks (1958 – 1964) graduating with a BSc in Wildlife Management. During summer field employment with the USF&WS in 1963, Larry inventoried waterfowl on the Yukon River Flats in Central Alaska. While on the job, he survived the attack of an aggressive black bear by escaping up a tree, with only a minor injury to his foot.

In June 1965, Larry joined the Manitoba Wildlife Branch, Department of Natural Resources as a wildlife biologist. After a stint in Winnipeg, Larry and his wife Patricia, moved to Brandon, Manitoba in 1971 where he was a Regional Wildlife Manager until his retirement in 2001. Larry trapped and tagged deer in the mid 1970’s. He managed a feeding program when the deer population was in trouble in the 1980’s; He flew surveys for deer, moose, and elk and subsequently recommended hunting seasons for big game, grouse, and waterfowl, throughout his career. He negotiated numerous land purchases for the province to create ‘Wildlife Management Areas’. He would love to travel in SW MB to convince farmers to use wise land practices to benefit wildlife. He negotiated with hunting outfitters and spoke to numerous hunting groups. He was active in starting a chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in Brandon. Larry’s passion for field work caused him to pass up opportunities for advancement to senior administrative positions.

Larry was a passionate hunter of birds and big game. He always had his Labrador Retrievers with him in the field. He will be remembered for his love of family, horse riding, field excursions, annual fishing trips, Scotch whiskey and telling stories. An old train caboose near the Turtle Mountains served him and colleague, Herb Goulden as a hunting cabin and quiet family getaways.

Larry Bidlake has been a part of TWS throughout his career. He was a founding member of the Manitoba Chapter and a member of the Central Mountains and Plains Section (CMPS) and the Canadian Section. He was an active participant; often assuming a

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leadership role in sub-unit activities. He organized the field program for the CMPS August 1992 conference near Riding Mountain National Park. Larry was President of the CMPS section from 1988 to 1990. He was awarded the Manitoba Chapter’s “Conservationist Award” in 1989 for his many contributions to Manitoba wildlife conservation. In 1992, he was awarded the CMPS “Professional Achievement Award” for his steadfast support of the Section. One of his most cherished tributes was the TWS “Distinguished Service Award” presented at the 2013 Annual Conference in Madison, Wisconsin.

After retirement Larry followed his passion for conserving natural areas as a board member of the Brandon Riverbank Committee and the Citizen’s Environmental Advisory Committee for the City of Brandon. He also enjoyed mentoring young hunters through the Delta Waterfowl Mentored Hunt Program.

Larry is survived by his wife Patricia, children Jennifer (Jeff) Schroeder of Calgary AB., and Geoffrey (Sher) Bidlake of Cochrane AB, sister Diane King of Penticton BC and 6 grandchildren.

Manitoba and TWS has lost a passionate advocate for wildlife.

Prepared by: TWS members Daniel J Chranowski CWB® and Herbert D Goulden CWB®

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New TWS:MB Clothing

Come check it out at our next event!

Ball cap Travel Mug

Baseball Tee

Hoodie

10 Fall 2019 Member Feature

Katrina Wilcox President of U of W Student Chapter

My name is Katrina and I am the president of the University of Winnipeg Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society. As a fourth-year student majoring in biology, I understand the importance of field skills and networking opportunities for developing a career in wildlife. Since last year, I have been involved in offering workshops in radio telemetry, bear safety, and animal track identification for fellow students. These workshops are critical for acquiring important skills outside of academia and becoming a well-rounded professional. I have also found it beneficial to attend conferences such as The Canadian Section of The Wildlife Society Annual Conference in Canmore Alberta which was offered this past spring. This conference was an excellent opportunity for networking with professionals and other university chapters of TWS. Field work is an essential component to master in wildlife sciences. I have personally been leading the Cougar Project, which tracks cougar movements as they move across Western Canada and North Dakota into Manitoba. Leading this project has allowed me to help students develop their own fieldwork skills, including trail camera usage, navigation skills, and proper backcountry camping etiquette. In conjunction with the University of Manitoba and the Assiniboine Park Zoo, I have developed a bird-window collision survey at The University of Winnipeg and the surrounding downtown area. The focus of this survey is to monitor the amount of collisions occurring during fall migration and how both government policy and individual actions might reduce the total number of collisions. During the summer of 2019, I received the amazing opportunity to work with Assiniboine Park Zoo on their poweshiek skipperling head-starting program. This allowed me to work closely with a critically endangered prairie butterfly species. It was empowering to see the efforts that the zoo’s research centre puts into releasing these captive-reared butterflies, and solidified my passion in endangered species research. Along with all of these experiences I have also had the pleasure of meeting and become close with many fellow students and professionals with a passion for wildlife stewardship. The Wildlife Society has truly fostered a strong sense of community and I am glad to be involved in such a wonderful organization.

11 Fall 2019 Recent Articles

Bison released into Badlands National Park https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/welcome-home-bison-released-into-new-territory? utm_medium=social&utm_content=species&utm_source=facebook.com&fclid=IwAR3Vehgf9DgrV- ZNwTYq0JZ4LXWmK0tW54vtMh_vhoyHog1xXYYWwYO5O7c

North America has lost 3 billion birds since 1970 https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/bird-population-decline-1.5288454

Grassland birds hurting worse than any other wildlife on Prairies, WWF finds https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/prairie-grassland-birds-at-risk-wwf-1.4289550

Wild pigs on the loose: A pending threat in Manitoba https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/local/pigs-on-the-loose-a-pending-threat-in-manitoba/

Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre unveils state-of-the-art rescue facility https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/wildlife-haven-rehabilitation-centre-new-1.5293448

Why did deer meat from an infected herd end up in Canada’s food chain? https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/cwd-mad-cow-disease-prion-bse-cfia-deer-chronic-wasting-disease- cjd-1.5185795

City to host coyote information session https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/city-to-host-coyote-information-sessions-1.4631132

Working group explores equid management at annual conference https://wildlife.org/working-group-explores-equid-management-at-annual-conference/

Ferrets, foxes and the fringed orchid: species that suffer when grasslands are threatened https://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/m_features/ferrets-foxes-and-the-fringed-orchid-species-that-suffer-when- grasslands-ar

Fox Tales (video) https://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/episodes/fox-tales?fclid=IwAR0GpMuIjx3- pRL66msP1nDAOZLfcnpx6h2DfmjGBPftmFp1HSyOEXKx6c

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Job Opportunities

Executive Direction, Churchill Northern Studies Centre - Manitoba https://churchillscience.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CNSC-ED-OA.pdf

Operations Supervisor, Miller Environmental Corporation - Manitoba https://meia.mb.ca/news/274/

Wildlife Biologist, WSP - Edmonton https://cho.tbe.taleo.net/cho01/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition? org=WSP&cws=59&rid=12534&source=LinkedIn&src=LinkedIn&gns=LinkedIn

Wildlife Ecologist, Shared Value Solutions Ltd. - Ontario http://www.workcabin.ca/listings/wildlife-ecologist/

Habitat Securement Project Coordinator - Manitoba https://www.facebook.com/wildlifesocietymanitoba/photos/a.1614185042197561/2451147105168013/? type=3&theater

Winter Co-op Student

CMB Volunteer Coordinator, CMB Data Coordinator, Lake Winnipeg Foundation https://mbeconetwork.org/winter-2020-co-op-students-lake-winnipeg-foundation/

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