Wabakimi Boreal Caribou Citizen Monitoring Project Description Background: Wabakimi Provincial Park provides anchor habitat for woodland caribou that also need the essential boreal habitat of the surrounding five Crown Land Forests and other reserves. These lands are subject to forest harvest, roads and human impacts. Friends of Wabakimi (FOW) is launching our Wabakimi Boreal Caribou Citizen Monitoring Project in 2024. This is phase 1 for a multi-year effort to equip paddlers in the Wabakimi area to identify signs of caribou presence. A Steering Committee (CPSC), along with a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of recognized experts, have been actively designing the project. The project will continue the volunteer spirit of The Wabakimi Project which successfully explored, mapped and improved canoe routes across this wider area. Our goal: The Project goal is to equip and guide community scientists to collect data on the potential presence of woodland caribou in remote locations of the Wabakimi area, with a focus on calving sites. The hope is that this data may provide important information to conservation professionals, scientists, and policy makers to impact conservation strategies in the future, and advance the recovery of the at-risk Boreal Caribou. What’s so Important about Boreal Caribou? The Boreal Caribou population (Rangifer tarandus caribou) are listed as threatened in Ontario, and federally. Boreal Caribou have specific habitat requirements relative to the seasons and their life stages1. They typically occur in small groups to remain spaced out as they move across the landscape, to reduce pressure from predators2. Therefore, they require large tracts of intact, mature conifer forests. In Ontario, this habitat continues to be fragmented and degraded by industry such as logging. Both the provincial and federal governments have acknowledged the need to protect critical caribou habitat. Here are some resources to learn more about the at-risk Boreal Caribou:
The Grant: The Friends of Wabakimi (FOW) has applied for a grant from the Ontario government. This grant, if approved, will provide money to survey historical and potential caribou calving lakes for caribou evidence in areas on crown land around and near Wabakimi Provincial Park. This money will be used to fund, among other things; a project manager, the purchase of needed supplies, conduct winter aerial surveys (similar to those conducted by Wabakimi Provincial Park, as well as provide pre-determined dollars to offset individual trip costs. ***** Now Hiring: Caribou Survey Project Manager Job Description here. If interested, send your resume and letter of interest to: fowcaribouproject@gmail.com and type "Project Manager Application" in the subject line. The application deadline is May 5, 2024. ***** Other Timeline Information:
Participants: Since this is a huge undertaking for a volunteer-driven organization, the first year will be dedicated to working out the details before opening up more widely to participants to ensure efficient and effective data collection. We're open to expressions of interest in this project, but we may be limited in what we can survey in the first year. Participants will be selected as teams of 4 people, based on application responses, requirements fulfilled, date of submission, project needs and possible team interviews. Project participants will need to fulfill certain requirements to be considered for the Wabakimi Boreal Caribou Citizen Monitoring Project. The application process will consist of the completion of a participant application form. Once teams have been selected, additional pre & post-trip steps will be required. Learn more details about participant requirements and the application and participation process HERE Data Collection and Uses: The Caribou Project Steering Committee (CPSC) will determine the designated survey area to search for evidence of caribou presence and potential calving sites each year. To calve, female caribou often travel alone to isolated areas such as islands and peninsulas in lakes, peatlands, or lakeshores. Ideally, these areas would be relatively predator-free with plenty of lichen and plants to forage. Teams will survey islands and peninsulas within a designated area in search of evidence of caribou presence and calving sites. Evidence of caribou may include tracks, pellets, and discarded antlers. Thorough training prior to the survey trips will ensure that teams are equipped with the knowledge and tools to collect quality data. Following the survey trips, teams will hand in all of their data to the Project Manager, who will then compile the data into the Project’s database. (See Participant Requirements- Post Trip Requirements). After the Project is complete and data from each year of surveying is compiled and analysed, we hope to have a better understanding of the presence or absence of caribou within certain blocks in the Wabakimi Area. The data collected may be used by organizations, conservation professionals, scientists, and policy makers to impact conservation strategies. For example, the data may help to inform FOW’s comments on Forest Management Plans within relevant managed forests. Inquiries to fowcaribouproject@gmail.com |