NCC Magazine: Fall 2019

Open grassland spans the 80 hectares
(200 acres) of Kent Island, New Brunswick,
neighbouring Grand Manan Island in the
Bay of Fundy. For 12 years each spring, you could
find Ryan Norris on a patch of land occupying just
300 square metres of this quaint island.
ROBERT MCCAW.
“I could stand in the middle of my study site and see ocean on
both sides,” recalls the associate professor in the Department
of Integrative Biology at the University of Guelph in Ontario.
“Sometimes I would see whales go by.”
Norris was there to monitor the island’s population of savannah
sparrows; part of a four-decade-long, ongoing study on the population
ecology of this species, originated by American ornithologist
Nat Wheelwright and now facilitated by Norris and his research lab.
It was here on Kent Island that Norris evolved his understanding of
how migratory birds fit into the country’s larger conservation picture
under the threats of climate change. Based on his research observations,
Norris notes, “We’re losing birds.”
“At the start of my career, I never considered myself a conservation
biologist. Now, ecologists have no choice — we all need to be
conservation biologists,” says Norris. As the climate rapidly changes,
there is no separation between ecology (the study of species and
their relationships with the environment) and conservation biology
(the study of how we save species), he explains. “It’s why I’m here
at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC).”
This spring, Norris was appointed NCC’s Weston Family senior
scientist. In this role, Norris will apply conservation research to what
is arguably one of the most urgent issues of our time: the protection
of plants and animals and the natural habitats they need to survive.
Norris will also develop and lead the new Weston Family Conservation
Science Fellows Program, which will support conservation
leaders of the future. The program will offer hands-on opportunities
to graduate students who are studying species at risk, invasive
species or effective conservation.
It’s exciting for people at every
level to contribute and be involved
in conservation science.
“I envision this program as a way to develop and mentor the next
generation of ecologists,” Norris explains. “I hope it becomes a global
example for training conservation leaders.”
Norris brings with him his experience as an ecologist and leader
in migratory bird and monarch butterfly research. He started his
research lab at the University of Guelph in 2006 to focus on the effects
of varying seasons on migratory and resident species, such as those
found here in Canada.
An effective science communicator, Norris hopes to shed light on
the impacts of climate change on migratory species.
“The conservation of these species depends on knowing where
they go during migration and how climate change influences their
Savannah sparrow
success in the wild, or lack of thereof,” he
says. “In my position with NCC, I hope to
strengthen collaborations with academic
partners, progress our knowledge on species
and use this information to make evidencebased
decisions about how to better conserve
natural spaces across Canada.”
Norris believes everyone can do their
part to help protect habitat and the species
that live there. The opportunities for citizen
scientists to contribute to conservation
efforts in Canada have never been greater.
With apps like eBird and iNaturalist, the
public can submit species observations
to larger databases.
“Public-contributed data is being used for
high-level research. This information adds
to the data that scientists are using to piece
together information about species behaviours,
habitat and migratory patterns,” he states. “It’s
exciting for people at every level to contribute
and be involved in conservation science.”
While he has wrapped up his time on
the Bay of Fundy for now to work on other
research projects, Norris reflects fondly
about his time on Kent Island, both professionally
and personally.
“I watched my daughter grow up on the
island. She was five months old the first time
she visited it. Now she’s six years old. It’s still
one of my favourite places to be. I actually
just got back from there.”1
The Weston Family senior scientist position and the
Weston Family Conservation Science Fellows Program
are both made possible through the generosity of
The W. Garfield Weston Foundation.
natureconservancy.ca
FALL 2019 17