Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
9TuesdayAugust132013ByRENEFRANCOEURThebabieswillsoonbespreadingtheirwingsandontheirway.WhoopingcranechicksinthenestingterritoryofthenortheasterncornerofWoodBuffaloNationalParkarefatteningupandgrow-ingmoreeachdayinordertobegintheirlongmigra-tionbacktothewildockswinteringgroundsinTexaslaterthismonth.MembersoftheCanadianWildlifeServiceCWSandParksCanadaewovertheareatwoweeksagoinajointsurveyofthenestingproductivityofwhoopingcranesintheparkaocknumberingaround300.Theyfound28familieswithonechickeachthisyear.CWSandParksstaffdidasimilarsurveyinJulytocountthenumberofnestsandfoundatotalof74.TheobjectiveofthisAu-gustsurveyistogobacktothosenestsandsearchtheareaaroundthemforwhoopingcranefamilieswhichconsistoftwopar-entsanduptotwochicksMarkBidwellaspeciesatriskbiologistwithEnviron-mentCanadawhowasonthesurveytoldTheJour-nal.Wearetryingtondouthowmanyofthose74nestsweresuccessfulatpro-ducingatleastonechick.Thisgurecomparestoatotalof31familiescountedin2012twoofwhichsuc-cessfullyproducedtwoba-biesforatotalof33chicks.Itsareductioninthenumberofchicksfrom47percentbreedingsuccessin2012to38percentthisyearBidwellwhohasbeendoingthesurveyforthreeyearssaid.Thatmeans38percentofthenestshatchedachickthatsurvivedtothisstage.Whilethenumbermayseemlowitsnotareasonforconcernoverthepopu-lationthatteeteredonthebrinkofextinctioninthe1940s.WhoopersarenowprotectedbytheMigratoryBirdsConventionActandtheSpeciesatRiskAct.ExpertsexpectoneofeverytwoneststohaveachickbyAugustBidwellsaid.Lastyearsfigureofabout50percentbreedingsuccessisprettymuchthelongtermaverage.Wedontgettooconcernedaboutoneparticularyear...Whatwewouldbeconcernedaboutisifwesawareductioninthenumberofchicksoveranumberofyearsandwehaventseenthathesaid.AccordingtoBidwellthisisasmallreductionandtheyhavenoevidenceyettosuggestthereisanylongtermdeclineinchickproductivity.Whileanumberofwild-fireshaveravagedtheparkthissummerthecraneterritorieshavenotbeenaffectedBidwellsaidwhereaslastyearoneofthebreedingareaswasim-pactedbyfire.ParksandCWSstaffhavenoevidencetosug-gestwildfiresareinterfer-ingwiththebirdsnestingproductivityheadded.GrowingintoNorthAmericaslargestbirdsThechicksarecurrentlyabouttwothirdsthesizeoftheirparentsBidwellsaid.TheyhavetogrowtoalmostfullsizebythetimetheymigratetoTexas.Theyrerustybrownco-louredacontrasttothewhiteadultswiththeblackwingtipsandredontheirheads.Theyrereallybeau-tifultogether.TheyoungmoltoverthewinterandarrivebackinWoodBuf-falowithwhitefeathershesaid.Thenextgenerationsmaintaskthismonthistogrowquickly.Theyneedtofindfoodandavoidsourcesofdan-gerlikepredators.Sotheyspendalloftheirtimeinveryclosecompanyoftheirparentswhoarequitepro-tectiveBidwellsaid.Thatintenselyprotectiveinstinctisoneofthereasonsthesurveyisconductedfromatleast300metresabovegroundthoughthebirdsdolookupattheplaneasitpassesby.Theyabsolutelynoticeus.Theywillsometimeswalkawayslowlybuttheydonotexhibitprotectivebehaviourastheywouldifwewereontheground.Werecausingtheleastamountofdistur-banceaspossible.Thewhoopersbegintrick-lingoutoftheparkinlateAugustspendingfourtosixweeksincentralSaskatch-ewanbeforeflyingtotheAransasNationalWildlifeRefugeinTexas.TheconservationofwhoopingcranesisarealsuccessstoryforCan-adaandtheUnitedStatesBidwellsaid.Eventhoughnumbersarestillsmalltherehasbeenalmostexponentialgrowthsincethe1930shesaid.Whoopingcranesareaniconicspecies...andstaffatbothagenciesCWSandParksarecommittedtobuildingapartnershiptoim-proveresearchmonitoringandincreasepublicaware-nessaboutthebirds.Whoopingcranechicksgearupfor2500miletrekEnvironmentWildlifePhotoWoodBuffaloNationalParkJohnMcKinnionByRENEFRANCOEURFourhundredyouthfromacrosstheglobeincludingacouplefromtheNorthwestTerritoriesaredemandingprotectionoftheNorwe-gianArcticfromoilandgasexploration.Theyouthfromover26differentcountries-start-ingatagesasyoungas10-gatheredinthesmallsh-ingvillageofLofotenNor-wayfromJuly27toAug.5fortheannualFriendsoftheEarth-EuropeSummerCampwhereclimatejusticethefossilfuelindustryandcor-relativeactivismeffortswerediscussedatlength.TheNWTsKieraKolsonayoungTsoTine-GwichinactivistandtheArcticOut-reachCampaignerforGreen-peaceCanadawasamongthefourCanadianswhoattendedthecampwiththeCanadianYouthClimateCoalition.ShewasjoinedbyNicoleLabinefromFortSmithaswellasoneYukonandoneNunavutrepresentative.Thereweresomanybril-liantyouth.Itwasinspiringtoheareveryonesstoriestodialogueabouttheseimpor-tantissuesthatareimpactingourresourcesandourrightsKolson27said.ThegroupspenttheweeknetworkingmakingkeeptheoilinthesoilsignsfortheAug.3rallyengagingNorthernersparticipateinNorwegiananti-oilrallyinlecturesondirtyenergyandtrainingfornon-violentactionstostoppotentialex-plorationrigsheadingnorth.Theyouthwerespeci-callycallingontheNorwe-giangovernmenttoprotectthepristineareasoutsidetheLofotensIslands-hometocold-waterreefspodsofspermandkillerwhalesandsomeofthemostabundantseabirdcoloniesinEurope-astheoilindustryhasbeenpushingforthepast20yearstoopentheareatodrilling.TheLofotenIslandsarealsothespawninggroundsofthelargestremainingcodstockintheworld.IfNorwayasoneoftherichestcountriesintheworldweretoshowthatnoteventhevaluableanduniqueareasoftheLofotenIslandsareoff-limitsfortheoilandgasindustryitwouldsetadisappointingprecedentinternationallyCameronFentonNationalDirectoroftheCanadianYouthCli-mateCoalitionsaidinare-centpressrelease.NewcleanenergyallianceswereformedovertheweekpavingthewayforfuturesolidarityKolsonsaid.TherewereyouthfromRussiatalkingaboutnuclearwastebeingspilled.PeoplefromNigeriaweretalkingabouthowtheycantevendrinkthewaterwhichhasnoshorlifeinit.ThesethingsresonatedwithalotofusfromtheCanadianNorthbecausewearedeal-ingwithagraveinuxofdevelopmentalpressures...Itsinspirationaltohearofotheryouthghtingforthesamecauses.Kolsonalsomadeapre-sentationduringhertimeinNorwayontheCanadianoil-sandsanditsimpactontheMackenzieRiverbasin.IalsotalkedaboutmytrektotheNorthPoleandthecam-paigntosavetheArctic...andindigenousrightsandabouthowwaterisaninternationalhumanrightandtherehasntbeenmuchconsultationper-tainingtothoserightsforthepast40yearsshesaid.Wealsohadaculturalshar-ingeveningandamediarela-tionsworkshopwhereitwasdis-cussedhowtotalkwithmedia.AlocalfestivalinLofotenthesameweekasthecampdrewmanyofNorwayspo-liticalleadersthecountryispreparingforitsupcomingelection.SomedialoguewasaccomplishedthroughapanelincludingleadersandaselectionofNordicyouthKolsonsaid.EnvironmentArcticAwhoopingcranechickscoutsthewetlandsinWoodBuffaloNationalParkforfoodwithaprotectiveparent.