2019 SPRING Newsletter

Quarterly Publication of the Yukon Wildlife Preserve Operating Society
Volume 13, Issue 4
Spring 2019
In this Issue...
Spring
Edition
2 Towards a New
Vision
3 Of Interpreters
and Educators
4 Facilitating
Research: Moose
and Winter Ticks
6 Signs of Spring
7 Board Of Directors
Insight
8 Springs Hours &
Events

Towards a New Vision
I’m excited to share that the Preserve will undertake
comprehensive masterplanning this year! Over the past
three years we’ve worked hard to lay the groundwork
and fund the project. With the support of CanNor and
YG’s Community Development Fund, we’re finally
ready to kick-off!
The Yukon Wildlife Preserve opened its doors to
the public in the spring of 2004. The newly formed
YWP Operating Society developed a comprehensive
masterplan, led by Peter Karsten. Karsten was
president of the World Association of Zoos, Canada’s
Accredited Zoos and Aquariums and CEO of the
Calgary Zoo. With this broad perspective, he helped
the YWP form a vision of the Preserve as a world-class
wildlife experience.
When I spoke to Karsten at our 10th Anniversary in
2014 he talked about how special it was to be able to
walk around and take “National Geographic cover
photos”. He saw the incredible natural setting as
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something that set us apart from typical zoological
organizations, and made us unique. Under the
guidance of this original plan, a lot has happened over
the past 15 years.
There’s a lot to live up to, but we’re excited to have
an expert team to guide the development of a new
masterplan. Leading the project are PJA Architects and
Landscape Architects. They are zoo planning experts
who’ve done work across North America (if you’ve
been to the Canadian section of the Toronto Zoo, you
know their work). A team of sub-consultants includes
business planning and animal welfare experts. The
Yukon context is unique, so we’re especially happy to
have Stantec and Aasman Brand Communications on
the team. We see this combination of international zoo
expertise with local insights as the key to creating an
exciting new vision!
We want this plan to be something you’re just as
excited about. To that end, we’ll keep you up to date as
we move forward! We’d love to hear from you, so don’t
hesitate to reach out to me at
jake@yukonwildlife.ca
Sincerely,
Jake Paleczny
Executive Director
Above: JB the moose is also looking forward to what the future
holds for her home! Cover photos: Self-powered methods to getting
outside and on the Wild Side!
Writing: Lindsay Caskenette, Sidney Campbell, Jake Paleczny,
Emily Chenery, Harmony Hunter, and Breanna Hall.
Photos and illustrations: Lindsay Caskenette, Jake Paleczny,
Emily Chenery, Sidney Campbell, Harmony Hunter, Breanna
Hall.
Printed on 100% Recycled Volume Paper 13, Issue 4

Of Interpreters and Educators
Hello from the
Yukon Wildlife
Preserve! My
name is Breanna
and I am the
new Manager of
Programming
& Education.
Originally from
Ontario, I spent
my summers
exploring the
forests, lakes
and wetlands of Canada’s Cottage Country. Growing
up trekking trails, watching wolves and paddling
lakes fostered a curiosity for nature that has guided
my career in Natural Heritage Interpretation. The
Preserve strives to increase appreciation of arctic and
boreal ecology through education, and interpreters
have a unique tool-kit to do just that. Interpretation is
a communication process that goes beyond the ‘what’
(facts) and focuses on ‘the why’ (should we care).
Interpreters are guides; helping individuals build a
sense of place through their hearts, minds and hands.
I am excited to facilitate opportunities for over 600
youth to forge their own unique connections with
Yukon’s natural world during our upcoming spring and
summer seasons.
This April our education team will be at Marsh Lake
with Yukon students celebrating the return of spring
with the arrival of swans. Our Swan Haven programs
weave curriculum links into experiential outdoor
education for grade two, three and five students. In
May, you’ll find our Educators on the Preserve guiding
discovery for kindergarten, grade one and grade four
classes. Through
dip netting,
exploration and
immersive games
such as Predator
Prey, students
witness firsthand
the unique
features that help
creatures survive.
As school lets out,
the YWP Education
team ramps up for
nine weeks of nature
camps. With new
themes (Hidden
Worlds & Nature
Detectives) and old
favourites (Animal
Care & Wilderness
Skills), campers are
sure to come away
with a new
appreciation
for what
Yukon’s natural
world has to
offer – right
in their own
backyard. We
look forward
to meeting you
here on the
wild side!
Top Left: Breanna with a barn owl. Top Right to bottom right: Swan Haven program
particpants walk and peer throgh scopes in search of migrating birds. Campers dipnet
in a small pond on the Preserve, discovering and exploring the productive, marsh
world.
Spring 2019
3

Facilitating Research
Yukon Winter Tick Monitoring Project: Moose Hair Loss Study
Ever had an itch you just can’t
scratch? For moose and other
large deer species, winter ticks
are an annual burden. These
blood-feeding parasites live for
only one year and spend almost
their whole life on the same host.
Moose are often the worst affected
- and although a few ticks on an
individual is no big deal, winter
tick numbers can sometimes reach
50,000-100,000 ticks per animal.
These severely infested moose
just keep scratching, trying to
rid themselves of the parasites,
and may lose large amounts of
blood, valuable time feeding, and
significant amounts of hair. The
distinct patterns of tick-induced
hair loss are most noticeable on
moose from March to May when
the ticks are at their largest, and is
a key indicator that winter ticks are
present in a region. Hair loss can
range from very mild, with just a
few patches on the shoulders and
neck, to extremely severe or “ghost
moose”, which have damaged or
missing hair over more than 80% of
their body.
The Yukon Winter Tick Monitoring
Project is a collaboration
between Environment Yukon and
researchers at the University of
Toronto. Its aim is to find out where
in Yukon winter ticks are now,
and where they could be in future,
given the effects of climate change.
Until recently, there were no winter
ticks found in Yukon. Early reports
began in the 1990s, and although
relatively low numbers of them
have been found to date, little is
known about their distribution
and effect on native Yukon species.
Changing environmental and
climate conditions play
an important role in
the winter tick-host
relationship, with warmer,
wetter seasons and
shorter winters known
to increase tick survival.
Finding new methods
of detecting winter ticks
and their impact on
hosts is important for us
to understand how and
when management could
be needed.
To help
with this
research, the
moose at
the Preserve
have been
having their
photograph
taken more
than usual!
Moose, like
many other
mammals,
shed their
heavier winter coat each year,
resulting in a natural pattern of hair
loss. To better understand what
a healthy, tick-free Yukon moose
looks like over the winter and
into spring, two high-resolution
wildlife cameras were installed in
the moose enclosure in December
2018. These cameras automatically
4
Top Left: Wildlife cameras setup at the Preserve capture the almost 11 year
old moose bull. Facing Page: The same camera catches a glimpse of one of the
females night activity.
Volume 13, Issue 4

take a photograph every time
a moose walks past, and will
continue to capture thousands of
images each month until May.
The resulting catalogue of monthly
moose hair shedding patterns
will form a critical baseline from
which to compare images of wild
moose, photographed by additional
remote cameras that have been set
up throughout southern Yukon.
This work will allow us to examine
the current effects of winter ticks
in this region and will additionally
form an important part of a larger
scale study that looks at winter
tick spread under climate change
throughout North
America.
Interested in
Contributing?
If you see a moose or
other animal with patchy
hair, you can help to
inform this research by
submitting a photograph
directly to Emily (emily.
chenery@mail.utoronto.
ca), online through the
Yukon
Winter Tick
Monitoring
Project
Facebook
page, or
citizen
science app
iNaturalist.
Sightings
can also be
reported
directly to
Environment
Yukon’s
Animal
Health Unit in
Whitehorse.
Yukon
Winter Tick
Monitoring
Project
- Facebook:
https://www.
facebook.com/
tickymoose/
- iNaturalist: https://inaturalist.
ca/projects/yukon-winter-tickmonitoring-project
Emily Chenery is a PhD student
at the University of Toronto
Scarborough studying the range
expansion of winter ticks into Yukon.
This project at Yukon Wildlife
Preserve is being assisted by BSc
student Maegan McCaw (University
of Alberta), and funded by EC’s W.
Garfield Weston Fellowship from
the Wildlife Conservation Society
(WCS) Canada, with additional
support from Environment Yukon’s
Animal Health Unit.
Spring 2019
5

Signs of Spring
Warmer weather and budding leaves are still a few
weeks away in Haines, and many more in the Yukon,
but signs of Spring are all over at the American Bald
Eagle Foundation. Each year we observe behavioral
changes in the raptor ambassadors on our team that let
us know longer, warmer days are on the way!
Many of the birds on our team begin to build nests like
they naturally would in the wild. Everyone is provided
with species appropriate nesting material which they
can choose to manipulate however they would like.
Warrior, a red-tailed hawk, is our most consistent
nest builder, spending several months every year
meticulously constructing and maintaining a nest of
sticks and
moss on
his high
platform.
This
year we
are also
seeing
nesting
behavior
from
Hans, a
Eurasian eagle
owl. Eurasian
eagle owls do not typically
build stick nests like some
other birds, instead opting
for cliff sides and ledges.
Hans painstakingly moves
gravel around the ground of his
enclosure to create small hollows
which he lines with soft llama wool and moss. All three
of our bald eagle ambassadors have engaged in nest
building in the past, and have once again begun to
interact with sticks provided in their enclosures. For
the last two years, we have even seen our oldest female,
Vega, lay eggs! These eggs are infertile, but a very good
indication to her
trainers that she is
feeling safe and in
excellent health.
In addition to
nest-building, some
ambassadors have
also become more
vocal. Hans and
Ole, a peregrine
falcon, are particularly flirtatious this time of year and
often make mating calls when their trainers approach.
ABEF staff is also watching closely for physiological
changes that come with the changing season. Weights
fluctuate dramatically, especially in those birds who
might normally be migrating this time of year. Asking
the birds to step on a scale every day and carefully
watching their level of motivation helps trainers make
sure the birds are getting as much food as they need.
Ensuring that our ambassadors feel safe is the best
way to continue encouraging these natural Spring
behaviors. Providing environmental enrichment like
nesting material, maintaining healthy weights, and
interacting with the birds respectfully empowers them
to lead stress-free lives which results in wild behaviors
which our guests can witness up close.
Sidney Campbell -CPBT-KA is the
Raptor Program Manager at the
American Bald Eagle Foundation in
Haines, Alaska. She works to bring
empowering wildlife education to
Haines, surrounding communities
and worldly visitors through
outreach and educational programming
with their team of avian ambassadors.
Visit the American Bald Eagle Foundation in
Haines, Alaska. Open Monday to Friday’s 10am - 2pm.
Closed Saturday and Sundays. Explore further online
https://baldeagles.org/
6
Above Left: Vega, the bald eagle still lays eggs, exhibiting natural behaviour
in her home at the ABEF. Above Right: Hans, the Euransian eagle owl is
a guest favourite. Facing Page: Harmony Hunter in her natural habitat -
forever exploring her Yukon territory home roots!
Volume 13, Issue 4

Board of Director Insights
As I sit at the Yukon Wildlife
Preserve waiting for our
guests, I thought this might be
the perfect time to write my
contribution to the newsletter.
Seems like a very fitting
occasion as I gaze into the elk
habitat on a beautiful, sunny
Yukon day. I am very fortunate
that the Preserve serves as my
office at least a couple of times
a week, sometimes more. As
a proud YWP Board member
with a tourism industry
perspective and an employee
of local, Yukon-made tour
company, Who What Where
Tours, I feel
like this is
a great fit.
Through my
experiences,
I have really
gotten to
know the Preserve and the
staff well over the last year
and half. It did not take
long for me to recognize the
value of the Preserve to our
community, our visitors and
of course the many benefits
the Preserve provides to its
wildlife residents and the
animals that come through the
rehabilitation centre.
I would like to take this
opportunity to acknowledge
the incredible work that
the staff of the Yukon
Wildlife Preserve do. I
highly encourage you to
visit this wonderful place, your
support means so much to the
Preserve. As a board member
and tour guide, I can tell you
that there are some really
exciting things happening out
at the Preserve. Stay tuned for
new developments!
The guests I drove to the
Preserve are footsteps away
from the front cabin, returning
from their tour, eyes wide
and a smile from ear to ear. I
often ask my guests what their
favorite animal was from their
adventure and they are happy
to share who their
top picks are - often
moose! When they
ask me back, I start
to name one and
then two and then
I have to backtrack
and end up saying all of them.
What Yukon Wildlife Preserve
animal is your favourite? Or
do you love them all too?
Harmony Hunter is a born
and raised Yukoner. She is
incredibly passionate in sharing
her love of the Territory. She
is an amazing ambassador for
Yukon’s wildlife and the Yukon
Wildlife Preserve!
Full-time Staff
Yukon
Wildlife
Preserve
Jake Paleczny, Executive Director
Randy Hallock, Director of Outdoor
Operations
Dr. Maria Hallock, Wildlife
Veterinarian and Curator
Lindsay Caskenette, Manager of
Visitor Services
Breanna Hall, Manager of
Programming and Education
Julie Kerr, Visitor Services
Coordinator
Board of Directors
Alexandra Tait President
Shawna Warshawski, 1 st Vice-
President
Kristine Hildebrand, Treasurer
Chris Evans
Kirk Cameron
Tedd Tucker
Harmony Hunter
Emily Hoefs
Helen Booth, Non-voting Member -
Environment Yukon
Darrell March, Non-voting Member -
Environment Yukon
Spring 2019
7

Above: Visit this big bison bull and his family daily during March Break!
When to Visit
Spring Hours
Open Friday - Sunday! 10:30am to 5:00pm. Guided Bus Tours at 12noon &, 2pm.
Extended March Break Hours
Open Daily between March 8 th and March 24 th .
Walk, run, bike, ski, and kicksled anytime while open.
Enjoy a safe, relaxed environment for the whole family!
Summer hours begin May 10 th Open daily 9:30am to 6pm.
We’re Social - join us on Instragram!
Share your adventures and we`ll re-share our favs! Tag us #YukonWildlife
Visit facebook.com/yukonwildlife or call 456-7300.
Easter Eggstavaganza
He’s back!!
Hop around the Preserve to solve the riddle of the Easter Hare!
Easter Weekend Sunday and Monday April 21 st & 22 nd
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Volume 13, Issue 4