Spring 2018 NCC Magazine

More documents

Recommendations

Info

ecosystems, Olynyk originally studied environmental science, before earning her master’s degree in natural resources management. Now an engagement coordinator in NCC’s Manitoba office, her work includes research on the Poweshiek skipperling. “They’re not as charismatic as panda bears or polar bears, although those are great for drawing attention to environmental issues.” Poweshieks also don’t have marathon flights like monarchs, those magnificent long-range flyers found across southern Canada. So it’s perhaps less easy to admire the small, drab-brown Poweshieks, which are born and die in the same small patch of prairie. Last summer, Olynyk spent three weeks observing the Poweshieks, noting everything they did: observing what nectar plants the adults feed on (black-eyed Susans are a favourite), what they do in the rain (stop flying), how far they can fly (not far) and where they mate and lay eggs (Olynyk believes the perfect spot is between slightly drier terrain, where the nectar plants used by adults grow, and the slightly wetter land that supports the plants eaten by the caterpillars). Today, Olynyk is installing a new weather monitor and camera, and checking that the other instruments are functioning correctly. The camera, normally used to photograph wildlife like deer, will instead take a daily photo of the snow against a metrestick, to track its depth as winter progresses. Established in 1989, the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve is home to 16 species at risk. Unfortunately, 99 per cent of this habitat has been lost. Today, the most urgent conservation Poweshiek skipperling, is to protect Protecting the prairie Once common across the American Midwest and adjacent Manitoba, Poweshieks are now found near Flint, Michigan, possibly in Wisconsin and in one place in Canada: the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve. The preserve is over 12,000 acres (4,800 hectares), and owned by NCC and other partner organizations. The wind blows across flat, scrubby fields, interrupted by woods of bur oak and aspen. Here and there are old tractor attachments, abandoned by settlers who tried to grow crops, only to find the soil better suited to raising cattle. Ranchers and farmers conserved the native prairies in the area through grazing, haying and pasture-rejuvenating fire, to the delight of botanists who went looking for examples of tall grass prairie a century later. Established in 1989, the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve is home to 16 species at risk, including two endangered butterflies: the spectacular monarch butterfly and the drab Poweshiek skipperling. With close to 200 Canadian species at risk documented on its properties, NCC is actively working to protect and recover these species. NCC also manages and restores habitats for species at risk on some properties, with activities such as prescribed fires and invasive plant control. NCC also works with local conservation groups and other landowners to develop management plans for properties. In the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve, for example, cattle grazing and haying the grasses can help maintain open grasslands, benefitting the health of the prairie and local economy alike. “Canada has this very long history of recovering rare species, such as swift fox, white pelican and bald eagle,” notes Dan Kraus, NCC’s senior conservation biologist, adding that there have been three main causes of wildlife loss in Canada over the last 150 years: unsustainable harvest, pollution (such as DDT) and habitat loss. “We’ve made good progress on the first two problems,” says Kraus. “Today, the most urgent conservation action for species at risk is to protect and restore their habitats.” Tall grass prairies and the species that live there are in trouble, says Kraus. “We’ve lost 99 per cent of this habitat, and it’s critical we save what’s left.” CLOCKWISE, TOP RIGHT: JIM BRANDENBURG/MINDEN. THOMAS FRICKE. THOMAS FRICKE. 10 SPRING 2018 natureconservancy.ca
Helping hands In 2011, scientists who had become alarmed by the sudden disappearance of the Poweshiek skipperling came together for a conference in Winnipeg. Researchers and conservationists theorized about why the Poweshieks had blinked out of existence from the hundreds of sites where they used to live: gone in Minnesota and North Dakota, and cut down to only one spot in Wisconsin. Habitat loss was one of the biggest concerns, of course, since Poweshieks have very particular habitat needs. The other reasons for the butterfly’s disappearance remained a mystery: some areas were grazed by cattle, some weren’t, some had regular fires, some didn’t. Another possibility could be a changing climate — it’s possible that in a dry winter where the soil is left bare, or if the snow melts during a warm spell in February, the insects could die when exposed to -35 Celsius. The conference partners included representatives from Michigan, the world’s only other significant site of Poweshieks, where the butterflies live on the fringe of prairie wetlands unsuitable for farms or housing. “It’s probably not one single cause, but several things: chemicals, habitat “Because of the great partnerships we’ve built, we’re protecting more habitat for other species,” says Cuthrell. “In Michigan, there are two or three other rare butterflies in the areas that are being protected for Poweshieks. We have a little leafhopper that’s only in five sites in the world, but four of those sites also have Poweshieks.” Last summer, researchers from Winnipeg’s Assiniboine Park Zoo gathered eggs, trying to raise Poweshieks in captivity (six tiny caterpillars are spending the winter in an incubator set at -4 Celsius, before being thawed in the spring). Other scientists have studied genetic diversity to determine the extent of inbreeding. Poweshiek populations have become isolated into separate groups that can’t cross the road or ditch to mate with each other, let alone fly four states over. In the summer, for the brief period of two or three weeks when the adult Poweshieks are flying, biologists and volunteers gather at the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve to survey Poweshiek skipperlings. The late fall day of checking weather monitors comes to an end at a site that Poweshiek skipperlings love, possibly because THREE AT-RISK TALL GRASS PRAIRIE SPECIES GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKEN Now extirpated from Canada due to habitat loss and over-hunting, this species has not been observed in Manitoba for more than 30 years. Recovery efforts in Minnesota, just south of the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve, are showing success. This species may soon expand its current range back into Canada. action for species at risk, like the and restore their habitats. TOP TO BOTTOM: TIM FITZHARRIS/MINDEN. GLENN BARTLEY/BIA/MINDEN. THOMAS FRICKE. destruction and climate change,” says David Cuthrell, a conservation scientist with Michigan State University. He’s concerned that Michigan is seeing more severe droughts and inconsistent winter temperatures. Plus, one theory is that newer chemicals in pesticides proven harmful to bumblebees and honeybees (the organophosphate compounds and neonicotinoids) could also harm Poweshieks, if applied incorrectly. The upside of unravelling the mystery of the Poweshiek skipperling’s decline is that the fight to save this one species may help researchers learn how to save other endangered butterflies, work across international borders and conserve habitat for other species at risk by saving the habitats they need to thrive. of all the black-eyed Susans growing there. Olynyk is quietly confident that she will see the humble brown butterflies again next year. “We have five good areas for Poweshieks, and we expect to see them in these areas in the summer. We still check some areas where there used to be Poweshieks, but we don’t expect to see them there anymore” In the spring, Olynyk and NCC staff will head out to the sites to collect the snowdepth cameras and weather data. They’ll gather and analyze the information on the 2017–2018 winter conditions at the Poweshiek sites. Any clues that can help unravel the mystery of this species and the conditions it needs to survive are invaluable in the race to ensure these butterflies continue to fly in Canada’s tall grass prairie.1 BOBOLINK The male bobolink’s plumage resembles a tuxedo worn backwards. This mediumsized songbird has one of the world’s longest migrations, travelling over 20,000 kilometres between southern South America, Canada and the northern U.S. each year. WESTERN PRAIRIE WHITE-FRINGED ORCHID This endangered orchid grows in wet meadows and prairies, and is pollinated by nocturnal sphinx moths attracted to its scent. NCC has secured habitat for more than 25 per cent of the global population of this species. natureconservancy.ca SPRING 2018 11
Page 1 and 2: SPRING 2018 Against the odds The Ma
Page 3 and 4: Contents Nature Conservancy of Cana
Page 5 and 6: SONGBIRDS Restore and care for bird
Page 7 and 8: peoples and more recent settlers. N
Page 9: With perhaps only 500 Poweshiek ski
Page 13 and 14: SIZE AND WEIGHT Weighs up to 16 kil
Page 15 and 16: Partner Spotlight Thank you to our
Page 17 and 18: Spanning the lush, vibrant grasslan
Page 19 and 20: Your passion for Canada’s natural

Spring 2018 NCC Magazine

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?