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14TuesdayApril92013OttawafundswhoopingcranebreedingprogramEnvironmentWildlifeByRENEFRANCOEURAcaptivebreedingpro-gramfortheendangeredwhoopingcraneattheCal-garyZoohasreceivedaboostfromthefederalgov-ernmenttohelprevivethespeciesthatisslowlyincreas-inginnumbersafterbeingonthebrinkofextinctioninthe1940s.Aone-yearfundingar-rangementof20000fortheprogramwasannouncedlastThursdaybyEnviron-mentMinisterPeterKent.Effortstoestablishocksofcaptive-bredwhoopingcranesliketheprogramhereattheCalgaryZooarecriti-caltohelpensurethepersis-tenceofthespeciesKentsaidinapressrelease.Wearepleasedtoworkwiththezootobringbackthisiconicspecies.TheCalgaryZoosCentreforConservationResearchestablishedin1999tode-velopconservationinitiativesandtoprotectandrestoreen-dangeredspeciesandtheirecosystemsinpartnershipwithveterinaryexpertsfromthezoosDevonianWild-lifeConservationCentreisoneofonlythreeNorthAmericangroupsdevotedtowhoopingcraneconser-vation-breedingefforts.Astheonlybreedingfa-cilityinCanadaparticipatinginthereintroductioneffortsfortheseamazingbirdsweareproudofthecontributiontheCalgaryZoohasmadeoverthepasttwodecadesto-wardssecuringafutureforwhoopingcranesinNorthAmericaClmentLanthierzoopresidentandCEOsaidWoodBuffaloclosetobecomingDarkSkyPreserveByRENEFRANCOEURTheThebachaandWoodBuffaloAstronomicalSocietyTAWBASispreparingforanexcitingyearastheyneartheendofthenearlytwo-yearlongprocessofestablishingWoodBuffaloNationalParkasanofcialDarkSkyPre-serveDSPsite.Everythinghasbeensub-mittedthingslookgoodandnowwerejustwaitingtohearbackwhetherornotwevebeenacceptedMikeCouvrettenewlyelectedforhissecondtermasTAWBASchairtoldTheJournal.Heplanstohavetheofcialnewswithinacouplemonths.AccordingtotheRoyalAs-tronomicalSocietyofCanadaaDSPisanareainwhichnointherelease.Thissupportfromthefederalgovernmentwillhelpcontinuethisim-portantwork.Lowegghatchingsuccessisamajorobstaclethecen-treroutinelyencountersitswebsitestates.Thesenewfederalfundswillgotowardscontinuedresearchindevelopingwaystoimprovehatchingsuccess.Researchersarecurrentlygatheringreproductivedataandotherinformationbyusingspecially-developedtelemetriceggsoreggswithsensorsplacedinthemothersnesttomeasuretemperature.Theyarealsofocusedonstudyinghowtooptimizetheincubationprocessbylookingateggshellcharac-teristicsandmicroclimatestheenvironmentinsidetheeggexperiencedbywhoop-ingcranefetusesinarti-cialversusnaturalincu-bationenvironments.Thebehaviourofparentingandnon-parentingcaptiveadultbreedingpairsinbothlargeandsmallenclosuresisalsobeingprobedatthezoo.WhoopingcraneeggsbredattheDevonianWild-lifeConservationCentreknownasthezooranchinCalgaryareputintooneoftwoprogramstheWhoop-ingCraneEasternPartner-shipWCEPortheDirectAutumnReleaseDARiftheeggsareidentiedaseligible.WCEPeggsareshippedtothePatuxentWildlifeRe-searchCenterinMarylandwheretheyarehatchedandreareduntiltheyare45daysold.Heretheyaretaughttoimprintonanultralightaircraftthatwillleadthemintheirmigration.TheyarethensenttoNecedahNationalWildlifeRefugeinWisconsinandwhenmigrationtimear-rivestheadolescentwhoop-ingcranesfollowtheaircrafttotheirwinteringgroundsateithertheSt.MarksRef-ugeortheChassahowitzkaNationalWildlifeRefugeinFloridalearningthemigra-toryroutesotheycandoitontheirownthenextyear.DAReggsaresentdirectlytoNecedahandthenindivid-uallyreleasedintoexistingWCEPocks.AccordingtotheDevonianWildlifeCon-servationCentrethiswaytheexistingpopulationsofwhoopingcranesarecon-tinuallysupplementedbynewarrivals.Canadaishometotheworldslargestmigratorypopulationofwhoopingcranes.TheockwintersintheAransasWildlifeRefugeontheGulfofMexicoinTexasandsummersinWoodBuffaloNationalParkintheNorthwestTerritories.AccordingtoEnvironmentCanadatherearealmost300birdsinthemigratoryWoodBuffaloNationalParkock.ItwasestimatedbytheInternationalCraneFoun-dationthatonly16whoop-ingcraneswereleftontheentireplanetin1941-1942.WhoopingcranesweredesignatedasendangeredinCanadaintheyear2000.ThebirdsareprotectedintheUnitedStatesbytheMi-gratoryBirdTreatyActandtheEndangeredSpeciesAct.ScienceTechnologyAstronomyarticiallightingisvisibleandactivemeasuresareinplacetoeducateandpromotethereduc-tionoflightpollutiontothepub-licandnearbymunicipalities...andskyglowfrombeyondthebordersofthepreservewillbeofcomparableintensityorlesstothatofnaturalskyglow.ForusitsabigdealCou-vrettesaid.Thereare14ofthesesitesinCanadabutnonethisfarNorth...Theresalsoaninternationaldesignationfordarkskypreserveswhichwewillprobablystarttoseekaswelldowntheroad.TheofcialdesignationisslatedtoarrivejustbeforethesocietyhostsitssecondannualDarkSkyFestivalatPineLakeonAug.24-26.FulloftelescopeworkshopsandoutdoorfamilyactivitiesthisyearsfestivalwillalsoboastaplanetariumshippedupfromtheTelusWorldofSciencecentreinEdmontonthankstoasponsor.Theplan-etariumis12feethighandmeasures20feetindiameter.Themoviesitpresentswillrun30-40minuteslong.Stargazingactivitiesaboundin2013TAWBASisalsogearinguptocelebrateitsownSun-EarthDayNASAsSun-EarthdaywasMar.21inconjunctionwithParksCan-adasEarthDayfestivitiesonApr.21atMissionParkinFortSmith.WellhaveourtelescopesoutpointoutsomesunspotsjustexplorethesuncloseupasweretolditisthepeakofthesolaractivitycyclearoundthistimeLarryNixonTAWBASvicechairsaid.TAWBASrecentlyac-quiredtwonewtelescopestohelpgarnermoreparticipa-tionatitscommunityevents.Acelestron85CtelescopewasdonatedbyAstronomyNorthanda10-inchmanu-ally-operatedDobsoniantele-scopewaspurchasedwiththesocietysownfunds.TAW-BASalsoownsafour-inchMeadestarnavigatorinstru-mentforthepublictouse.InrecognitionofAstron-omyWeekbeginningApr.15TAWBASwillhostastargazingnightinFortSmithonApr.20beginningat730p.m.attheParksCanadaofce.Weatherdependingthegroupwillheadouttoadesignatedspotafterashortuniverse-focusedvideotocheckoutJupiterSaturnAndromedaandmaybeevenCometPanstarrstherstoftwobrightcometsexpectedthisyear.Theeventisfreeandopentothepublic.PhotoReneFrancoeurLefttorightJanieHobartMikeCouvretteTimGauthierandLarryNixonarethenewTAWBASboardofdirectors.MissingisBruceBuckley.