Book Review: The Bedside Book of Beasts

I was thrilled to discover that Graeme Gibson has published a companion piece to his highly successful The Bedside Book of Birds, which I adored. The Bedside Book of Beasts is a strikingly beautiful miscellany of art, fable, poetry, science and short stories that explores the fascinating connection between predator and prey, the hunter and the hunted.

The writings cross cultures and ages to illustrate the complexity of relationship between predator and prey and how the demands of hunger have shaped life on earth. The illustrations are marvellous and compliment the narrative. The stories are moving and revealing. The highlights are often Gibson’s short introductions to the chapters.

The underlying idea explored in the book is how human technology, from our first attempts at chipping tools from stone to space travel, has “estranged us” from the natural world. As we become even more dependent on this technology for our survival we are increasingly vulnerable. Yet, we still harbour a deep primordial memory of life more in balance with our natural surroundings.

Gibson states that he hopes that we can rediscover and reconnect with nature “and in doing so learn to honour our ancient and longstanding debt to life on earth”. With this wonderful book, Gibson has brought us one step closer to that hope.

Find out more about the book online at http://www.bedsidebookofbeasts.com/.

Book jacket and polar bear images from the collection of Graeme Gibson.

Space For Habitat - high tech conservation

I had the good fortune of participating in the annual workshop of Space for Habitat, a fascinating collaborative project of Environment Canada's Landscape and Technology Division, the Canadian Space Agency, and a wide range of practitioners from government mainly, but also universities, a forester, and myself, the lone NGO representative. Nature Canada's interest in Space for Habitat grows from our work on federal protected areas for wildlife - specifically National Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries. Our immediate work on protected areas is focused on the potential and actual threat of industrial activity in National Wildlife Area (NWA). Given the small number of Environment Canada staff working in the field or enforcing EC regulations in these areas, some of which, like Queen Maud Gulf MBS are absolutely gigantic and extremely remote, we believe that an “eye in the sky” can improve our understanding of what is actually occurring in these places. With the IBA Caretakers program gearing up or rolling along in several provinces, the ability to monitor vicariously remote IBAs, where no Caretakers are likely to venture, is perhaps the only way to regularly assess the status of the habitats.

Space for Habitat is all about using "Earth Observation" technologies; satellites gathering images and data, that allow the potential to detect habitat changes and things like road networks and other signs of human activities where they should not be.

The workshop was a sharing of case studies, of practitioners pushing and testing the technologies’ abilities and limits such as detecting exotic plants colonizing marshes, assessing habitat availability and suitability for bird species and Caribou, monitoring shipping traffic, and defining forest structure. Clearly there is a strong case to be made for using these technologies to monitor aspects of remote areas such as NWAs or IBAs. It does not nor should not replace a human visit, but the reality is that some of the remote IBAs for example may not have been visited in many years and we have no way of knowing what their status is. Nature Canada sees that potential and hopes that it can be put to use to protect nature.

Canadian Parliament Sets Climate Change Intent

All three opposition parties have made it clear that Canada should define targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change before heading to international climate talks in Copenhagen next month.

The Bloc Quebecois introduced a motion to Parliament, supported by the NDP and Liberals, that stated

That, in the opinion of the House, Canada should commit to propose at the Copenhagen conference on climate change:
1. reducing, through absolute reduction targets, greenhouse gas emissions in industrialized countries to 25% lower than 1990 levels, by 2020;
2. the necessity of limiting the rise in global temperatures to less than 2 degrees C higher than in the preindustrial era; and
3. supporting the developing countries in their efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and adapt to climate change.

The Conservatives voted against the motion.

This week's motion contains many of the proposals from Bill C-311, the Climate Change Accountability Act that is still moving through the legislative process; however, unlike C-311, the motion is not legally binding.

The public gesture of supporting the motion is a welcome one, but real action would have been to pass Bill C-311 when it was before the House five weeks ago.

Canada can do more and must do more to address the global crisis of climate change.

Helping Species At Risk

Members of Parliament have the opportunity to be champions for species at risk in Canada.

Last night, Nature Canada - along with the All Party International Conservation Caucus, conservation partners Ecojustice, David Suzuki Foundation and Environmental Defence, and industry partners Mining Association of Canada (MAC) and Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) - hosted MPs on Parliament Hill for a Species At Risk reception and awareness event. The event was supported by the Ivey Foundation, MAC and FPAC.

Dubbed "Help Make SARA Work," this joint event highlighted the consensus among environmental groups and industry associations that Canada needs a strong Species At Risk Act (SARA) to protect our at-risk species and their habitats. Strong legislation is good for business and for conservation initiatives.

The mandatory five-year review of SARA started this Spring in the House of Commons Environment Committee and needs to resume as soon as possible; endangered species can't afford to wait any longer for the law to protect them. This review is the time for MPs to get involved, assess the Act, and ensure that it lives up to its potential as potent legislation to conserve the biodiversity of our forests, lakes, grasslands, rivers, mountains and oceans.

To encourage them to learn more about species at risk and SARA, each MP was presented with a trading card showing a species from their constituency. A highlight of the evening occurred when Justin Trudeau offered to trade his Olive-sided Flycatcher for Linda Duncan's Woodland Caribou.

We appreciate everyone who came to the event and encourage them to get involved and help make SARA work. Together, we can protect Canada's species and habitats today and for the future.

Photo: Canada Warbler by Jeff Nadler. The Canada Warbler is listed as "Threatened" under the Species At Risk Act.

Ambition and Overambition

Jim Dubois, a member of our Nature Canada online community, sent us this fantastic series of photos. Reminds us of the one that (almost) got away!

From Jim:

Was watching a seagull swimming along in shallow water today, when it stopped, and then started jumping into the air and plunging under water. It did this a half dozen times, the last time a bit higher than the previous attempts.

It worked, because it came up with what looked like a sculpin.

As it reached the beach though, through the viewfinder the fish didn't look quite right, almost like it had two ends. After a few fruitless attempts to get it in its mouth, the bird left.

I went over to see what it had caught, and it was indeed a two-ended fish.

An eight inch sculpin, or bullhead, had tried to swallow a four inch sculpin and had got its horns stuck in its mouth. It couldn't swallow it, or get rid of it, so they both ended up as something else's dinner.

When I was fishing, a number of times I had a big cod grab a smaller fish on the way up, and though it wasn't hooked, it wouldn't let go. If you pulled it the last little bit carefully, you could gaff the large fish, then land the one that was on the hook. Hard world out there.

Thanks for sharing, Jim! If you liked these photos, don't forget to check out Jim's site at http://www.theineleganteagle.com/.

The Carbon the World Forgot

Canada has so much to contribute to mitigating climate change.

Just to start, we could stop the expansion of the tar stands, we could become leaders in sustainable, biodiversity-friendly alternative energy and we could ensure the preservation of one of our greatest treasures: the boreal forest.

A report released today by the Boreal Songbird Initiative and the Canadian Boreal Initiative explains why ensuring this treasure is preserved is so important in the fight against climate change.

The report comes about a month after a Global Forest Watch paper highlighted the fact that governments and industry do not measure or report on the significant amounts of greenhouse gases that are emitted when the Boreal forest is destroyed for tar sands development.

Mara posted earlier about why forests matter. And our friends at CPAWS are taking the forest message to Copenhagen with their make forests count campaign.

The takeaway message from all of this: The Boreal forest is the world’s largest and most important terrestrial carbon storehouse, and keeping that boreal carbon reservoir in place is essential to avoid accelerating climate change.

Photo: Oscar Lake in the Northwest Territories by D. Langhorst, Ducks Unlimited

Blanding's Turtle an Endangered Treasure

The bright yellow throat and pointed facial features of the Blanding's Turtle give it an unmistakable look among the many turtles that live in Canada's rivers, lakes and ponds. The carapace (top shell) can reach a length of up to 27 cm and is normally dark brown or black, with tan or yellow spots or lines across it. The plastron (bottom shell) is normally bright yellow.

In Canada, distinct populations of the Blanding's Turtle occur in southwestern Québec, southern Ontario and central-southwest Nova Scotia. The Canadian distributions account for 20% of the species' global range.

During the summer months, this turtle can be found in many different types of freshwater areas, from lakes and slow-moving streams to marshes and swamps. Blanding's Turtles prefer shallow water, rich in nutrients and dense with vegetation; adults will be found in open areas, while juveniles will congregate in heavily vegetated areas close to the water's edge.

Although this species is considered to be primarily aquatic, members will spend a great deal of time on land basking and looking for nesting sites, travelling great distances while doing so.

Natural threats to this species include predators such as coyotes, skunks, foxes and raccoons raiding nesting sites, as full-grown turtles will deter predatory animals with their overall size and the strength of the carapace. Without sufficiently warm temperatures during the summer months, nests can also fail.

Increased human activity has fragmented and degraded the Blanding's Turtle's habitat. Wetland development reduces the amount of habitat available to the turtle and may change the water flows in the area. Increases in road construction and traffic circulation lead to higher chances that vehicles will strike turtles, severely injuring or killing them, or destroy nests that are often found in loose roadside gravel.

What You Can Do

• Protect Canada's waterways and habitats that the Blanding's Turtle calls home.


• If you find a turtle on a busy pathway or road and believe it is in danger, move it to a safer location nearby. Lift the turtle by the side edges of its carapace and move it in the direction it is traveling.

Read more of the Blanding's Turtle's story, including interesting species facts and additional actions you can take, in our endangered species profile.

Photo by Beatrice Laporte

Common Bird-feeding Myths

Feeding birds can be a rewarding experience, and a great way to connect with nature. But are you really helping your feathered friends? Here's the truth about some common bird-feeding myths:

Myth: Feeding birds prevents them from migrating.

Fact: Birds migrate in response to factors such as length of daylight and weather, not because of food availability. In fact, birds need more food during long migrations, so your feeder may be a welcome stop for species you don't normally see in your area.

Myth: Birds become dependent on feeders.

Fact: Most birds use many sources of food and do not rely on just one. If your feeder happens to go empty, most birds will find food elsewhere, although you'll have to work harder to bring them back to your yard. Loss of natural habitat due to human development does make it more difficult each year for birds to find the necessary food, particularly during the winter months, so providing a ready source of seeds, fruits or suet can give many birds a leg up.

Myth: The mixed seed at the grocery store is bad.

Fact: Some mixed seed can be bad, while other grocery-store varieties will provide quality for your feeder; the key is in the ingredients. Filler in cheap feed includes lots of milo, wheat, and barley. There may also be inedible objects such as sticks and empty hulls visible in the mix. These seeds are more likely to attract pesky birds and result in more wasted seed on the ground around your feeder. A good mix will have some form of sunflower seed and may also include peanut bits, safflower and millet.

Find more bird-feeding myths on our website.

Photo by Jim Dubois

Back to school! in one of Haiti's biodiversity hotspots

The community of Formon is in the buffer zone of Macaya National Park. This forest, high in the mountains of the Massif de la Hotte, is one of the very last remnants of forest in Haiti. It is a refuge for migrating birds and many endemic threatened species.

Formon is a very remote community and its only school ran out of funding and was closed for several years, leaving the greater part of the children of the community, particularly girls, without the benefit of a formal education. The few families that could afford it, sent their boys to school in another town (the closest being at least 6 hours away). The boy's mothers went with them and their sisters stayed behind to take on the household duties.

But this just changed thanks to an integrated conservation and development project we're implementing in the Caribbean. This summer, our partner Haiti Audubon Society, worked with the community to renovate the school, furnish it and staff it with 8 teachers. Nature Canada is implementing this project with the financial support of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Our other Caribbean partners in this project are Grupo Jaragua in the Dominican Republic and CNAP in Cuba. Learn more about this project on our website.




Projects like these are based on the belief that effective conservation efforts should deliver benefits to local people. By improving the livelihoods of people so they can have a better quality of life, we make it more likely they will become better stewards of their rich and fragile environments. Basic education for boys and girls is a key component of a prosperous and sustainable future, so we are thrilled that the kids of Formon went back to school in October!

Thanks to Jean Vilmond Hilaire from Haiti Audubon Society for sharing this video... Enjoy!

Photo of the Month: Osprey

We had two great Osprey photos submitted last month that we just had to share:

The first image was captured by Clive Bryson at Salmon Arm Bay in B.C.


The second photo was taken by Larry Halverson while fly fishing at Lake Enid in B.C.

The osprey is one of the largest birds of prey in North America. It is a fish-eating specialist, with live fish making up 99% of its diet. It will often hover over the water before diving feet-first to grab fish from near the surface.

Both of these stunning shots show the power and grace of these aerial predators; thanks for sharing them, Clive and Larry!

Global Extinction Continues: Report

This year's IUCN Red List of Threatened Species update shows more than one-third of the assessed species are threatened with extinction. A recognized environmental leader, the IUCN has assessed the conservation status of 47,677 species around the world.

BirdLife International is the Red List Authority for birds. Of the world's 9,998 bird species, 669 are Vulnerable, 362 are Endangered and 192 are Critically Endangered - 2 more than last year. However, BirdLife also tells us about some conservation success stories:

In Brazil, Lear's Macaw Anodorhynchus leari has been downlisted from Critically Endangered. Named after the English poet, this spectacular blue parrot has increased four-fold in numbers as a result of a joint effort of many national and international non-governmental organisations, the Brazilian government and local landowners. In New Zealand, Chatham Petrel Pterodroma axillaris has benefited from work by the New Zealand Department of Conservation and has consequently been downlisted from Critically Endangered. And in Mauritius the stunning, Mauritius Fody Foudia rubra has been rescued from the brink after the translocation and establishment of a new population on to a predator-free offshore island. It has now been downlisted to Endangered.

The results of the full Red List update reveal 21% of mammals, 30% of amphibians, 12% of birds, 28% of reptiles, 37% of freshwater fishes, 70% of plants and 35% of invertebrates assessed so far are under threat.

Nature Canada is the Canadian co-partner with Bird Studies Canada in BirdLife International. As BirdLife in Canada, we deliver the Important Bird Areas Program, which aims to identify, conserve and monitor a network of sites that provides essential habitat for bird populations.