The Manitoba Chapter Wildlife Society Newsletter

Presidents Corner (Thoughts and Tribulations)

  For the past few weeks (ok closer to a few nights here and there), I have took it upon myself to rummage through the six mystery boxes which I reluctantly received from Don Sexton upon the start of my term.  Long thought of as my burden of presidency, handed down year after year by those who had come before, proved to hold a few chapter secrets and a rich history.   It became quickly obvious to me that I had little knowledge of the history of the Manitoba Chapter or the number of individuals who have helped shape its existence (some names I even recognize).  One folder entitled ‘chapter formation’ caught my attention and I discovered the long arduous process that a few key individuals had gone through to have their envision of a professional wildlife organization in Manitoba come true March 10, 1973 with the formal approval from the parent TWS organization for the formation of a Manitoba Chapter… That’s over 31years ago, not including the two years of meetings and discussions that took place prior to official approval. That’s over 33 years of hard work and dedication of individuals who took it upon themselves to continue the efforts of those before them.  The first Annual General Meeting of the MB Chapter of TWS took place January 18, 1974.

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge and thank all of the founding members of the Manitoba Chapter with specific thanks to the formations committee who set everything in motion – Don Rusch, William Leitch, and Eugene (Gene) Bossenmaier.  Without their perseverance and dedication to establishing a professional organization in Manitoba, we may not be where we are today.  I would also remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the ground breaking efforts of the first elected executive – Larry Bidlake as interim president, Gene Bossenmaier - President, Brian Ransom - President-Elect, Bob Jones - Secretary-Treasurer, and Rich Goulden - Executive Board Member.

I echo the sediments of then president Gene Bossenmaier who wrote in 1975  “ …the wisest thing we ever did as a group in Manitoba was to launch this Chapter.  Most of you know it was not done in a flash.  Most, if not all, of us had some misgivings about forming a Chapter, the first one in Canada, of a U.S. based Society.  There were many other concerns about the advisability of going ahead, but now, after living with it for one year, I am convinced that this is the organization for us and that it was born none too soon.”   Not much has changed over the years, the Manitoba Chapter continues to offer wildlife professional an opportunity to meet and share ideas and it is just as relevant (if not more) today as it was in 1975. 

TWS Calgary - A fun time was had by all!
Alex Miller

The first Canadian sponsored TWS conference was held in Calgary AB, September 18-22 at the Hyatt Hotel and Telus Convention Centre.  The Wildlife Societies 11^th annual Conference was well attended and smoothly run by a dedicated group of individual from the Alberta and Manitoba Chapters of TWS.  Special recognition goes out to Rick Baydack (Program Committee Chair), Dave Walker (Program Committee Assistant), Merlin Shoesmith (Contributed Papers Subcommittee Chair), and Cory Lindgren (Contributed & Special Posters Subcommittee Chair) plus all the other Manitobans who helped review papers and posters, helped moderate paper sessions, and volunteered as AV helpers.  Countless hours and dedication of many individual went into putting on such a successful event. 

A plenary session on Energy, Wildlife, and People set the tone for the conference and over 240 presentations and 160 posters gave participants exposure to a wide variety of research being conducted across North America and elsewhere.  There was a strong Canadian presence felt in the presentations and posters which made the conference more meaningful and engaging for those Canadians in attendance.  Congratulations go out to the following Manitobans who presented papers or posters at the 2004 Conference (please forgive me if I have forgotten anyone):

·        TWS and Canada. Rick Baydack

·        Comparative analysis of simplistic and complex woodland caribou habitat model performance.  Don Harron

• Application of global positioning system linked aerial videography in wildlife habitat assessment. Don Harron

·        Nested digital reports as a communication tool. Don Harron

·        Development of a birding education program to increase environmental awareness in the Assiniboine River Valley, Brandon, Manitoba. Lacy M. Jago and Chris Malcolm

·        Are the beetles working?  Long-term monitoring of the performance of the biological control agent Galerucella calmariensis on purple loosestrife in southern Manitoba. Corey Lindgren

·        Conservation implications of birder visitation at Douglas Marsh IBA, MB. Chris Malcolm

·        MB Piping Plover Stewardship Program.  Alex Miller

·        BC biography of brown-headed cowbirds and its allopatric and sympatric host response to a predator, an unknown species and a brood parasite.  Amber Robinson and Spencer Sealy

·        Biology and ecology of northern prairie skinks in Spruce Woods Provincial Park, MB.  Jacey Scott

·        A comparison of three tracking methods for small reptiles in Canada. Jacey Scott

·        Opportunities and challenges for TWS in the international wildlife community. Merlin Shoesmith

·        Perception mapping: an evaluation of expert opinion on biodiversity indicators in sustainable forest management. Arvind Vasudevan

·        Development of a GIS habitat map for yellow rail conservation at Douglas Marsh IBA, MB. Henry Wilson and Chris Malcolm

Other conference activities included a trade show and exhibition, student dinner and mixer which was followed by entertainment provided by the Alberta Chapter Rock Band, leaders lunch for chapter representatives (attended by Karla and myself), and a farewell BBQ held at the Heritage Park Historical Village.  A special Thank You goes out the Faculty of Environment for supplying a vehicle to shuttle students and others to and from Calgary and to Don Sexton who drove the vehicle with a broken cruise control. 

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CHAPTER NEWS

2^nd Wildlife Management in Manitoba Speaker Session
Manitoba Chapter of TWS Annual General Meeting

On March 26, 2004 the 2^nd Wildlife Management in Manitoba Research Session and the Manitoba Chapter of TWS AGM was held at Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre.  This all day event ran from 8:30 am to 6:30 pm with the business portion of the AGM held during lunch hour and MB Chapter mixer and silent auction finishing off a splendid day.  The Speaker Session was sponsored by the MB Chapter, Ducks Unlimited, Manitoba Conservation and the Faculty of Environment, University of Manitoba and included representatives of the sponsor organizations who spoke on their research in Manitoba.  We’d like to thank all of the sponsors for the generous use of facilities and graciously covering costs for the coffee breaks and lunch.  Special thanks go out to the following presenters for sharing their research with the participants at this year’s event: 

Jim Devries (DU) - Habitat Deficit Analysis for the PHJV.

Pat Bergen (MB Con) - WPG’s Urban Geese.

Shane Gabor (DU) - Ecological Goods and Services: The need for sound science.

Nicole Firlotte (MB Con) - Tracking Biodiversity and SAR with Biotics.

Bob Emery (DU) - Variation in Nesting Success of Prairie Ducks.

Arvind Vasudevan (U of MB) - MB Ecosite Classification.

Rick Baydack (U of MB) - North American Grouse Management System.

Doug Schindler (U of Wpg) - Assessment of Wood Bison Range in the Chitek Lake Area.

John Iacozza (U of MB) - Physical Factors Controlling Habitat Selection of Polar Bears.

Derek Kroeker (U of MB) - Non-lethal Beaver Management in Manitoba.

Candace Parks, winner of the 2003 Richard C. Goulden Memorial Student Bursary Award also presented her research on the impact of carp in Delta Marsh during the Speaker Session. During the MB Chapter AGM, the recipient of the 2004 Student Award was presented to Tara Bortoluzzi for her PhD work at Delta Marsh.  We wish her the best of luck in her research and look foreword to seeing her presentation at next year’s event.

The 2004 MB Chapter of TWS Conservation Award was accepted by George Holland on behalf of the Manitoba Avian Research Committee for their outstanding contribution to ornithology in Manitoba with their publication The Birds of Manitoba.  In addition, Don Sexton, who has sat on the Chapter’s executive for several years in various capacities, was whole heartedly thanked for his dedication to the Chapter and congratulated in his retirement. Now that Don has retired from Ducks Unlimited, the Executive hope to be able to continue to call on his expertise in the coming years.  Marc Schuster was also thanked for his continuous dedication to the Chapter Newsletter.

As customary of the AGM, the new executive of the MB Chapter was elected for 2004-2005:

Alex Miller – President
Karla Guyn  - President Elect
Monica Reid - Secretary/Treasurer
Patric Bergen - Student Representative
Garth Ball - Member at Large
Rick Riewe - Past President

The day was finished off by the MB Chapter Mixer and Silent Auction.  Auction items were generously provided by MB Conservation, Forte Whyte, Ducks Unlimited, Oak Hammock Interpretive Centre, Faculty of Environment, Winnipeg Airports Authority, Delta Marsh, Don Sexton, Garth Ball, Alex Miller, and Rick Riewe.  Biding, though silent, was fierce and swift.  The Speaker Session, AGM and the mixer were all well attended by members and students with new contacts and old friendships renewed. The new executive looks forwards to working for the Chapter in the coming year.

Report from the 2004 Summer
CMPS Meeting
Don Sexton

The annual Central Mountains and Plains Section Meeting of TWS was held in Logan Utah on 05 – 07 Aug, 2004.  Larry Bidlake and I attended. We drove down via Nebraska, picking up Len McDaniel, retired Refuge Biologist, whom some of you know. The meeting followed the usual format of field trip, dinner and auction, and paper sessions. The theme was “Putting Communities back into Conservation” and revolved mainly around Utah’s sage steppe ecosystem.  Papers focused on the changing face of Utah (major urban growth and sprawl into rural areas), status and recovery programs for the sage steppe including some unique species such as sage grouse and pygmy rabbits, the sportsman’s role, and finally funding partnerships and how to turn challenges into opportunities.

The field trip had 3 parts;

1.      Bear River Refuge – 74,000 acres managed for wetland wildlife, primarily waterfowl and shorebirds, and the areas recovery since the devastating 1990’s floods.

2.       Columbia sharptailed grouse study on farmer private lands , and some landowner/conservation agency cooperative programs on huge tracts of sage prairie in the NW part of Utah.

3.      The field trip day was rounded out by a BBQ and Dutch oven supper at a guest ranch in the sage prairie, followed by the Meeting auction. Items were very plentiful, especially due to the generosity of the ND folks.  Bidding was brisk and prices a bargain! Manitoba items were generously donated to the auction by the Manitoba Chapter TWS, Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation, Fort Whyte Center, Delta Waterfowl, and Ducks Unlimited Canada.

All in all the Meeting was attended by over 35 participants ranging from students, state and federal conservation agency reps, academics and a few privately employed individuals.

Alex Miller
President

As a native Manitoban, I graduated from the U of MB with a BSc. and am currently ‘finishing’ my Masters of Environment degree.  My graduate work included developing and implementing a recovery strategy for Piping Plover populations in Manitoba in cooperation with MB Conservation and CWS.  I am currently keeping busy working as a research intern with the Manitoba Legislative Assembly (what a beautiful building!).  Previous experience includes working for Manitoba Parks as an Interpreter and CWS as a Piping Plover Guardian Coordinator.  I spend my ‘free’ time doing home renovations and when I get the opportunity, I enjoy spending time hiking, canoeing and bird watching.  As president, I am truly honored to be representing such a fine group of professionals and look forward to seeing you all at the upcoming Christmas Shin Ding and Delta Getaway.

Rick Riewe
Past President

Rick Riewe is a Professor of Zoology at the University of Manitoba where he has taught Wildlife Management, Ecology, Boreal Ecology, Resource Management, and Biology since 1973. His fields of interest include northern wildlife management, impacts of industrial development upon native hunters and trappers, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, native land use, native land claims, and the domestic economy of northern hunters. With funding from the Bata Shoe Museum he and his wife, Jill Oakes, have lived and studied with the Aboriginal peoples of northern Canada, Alaska, Siberia, Fennoscandia, and Greenland. For years he and Jill have been teaching courses in Arctic Survival which they have learned from the Circumpolar peoples. The last couple of years he has been enjoying flying across Canada in his wife’s open cockpit biplane.

People, Wildlife and Hunting
Emerging Conservation Paradigms
Edmonton, Alberta, October 22-24, 2004.  

An International Conference organized by the Canadian Circumpolar Institute and the Alberta Cooperative Conservation Research Unit, University of Alberta. 
Visit www.conservationhunting.ca for more information.

Volunteer Opportunities

• Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Center
  Box 1160
  Stonewall.MB
  R0C2Z0
  204-467-3000
  Volunteer staff for natural history interpretation/ education year round.
  
  
• Ducks Unlimited Canada
  Box 1160
  Stonewall,MB
  R0C2Z0
  204-467-3279 (Duane Hudd)
  Volunteers for youth Greenwing events (variable dates, throughout MB ), and field volunteers May-Oct .
  
  
• Fort Whyte Center
  1961 McCreary Rd.
  Winnipeg MB
  204-989-8355
  Volunteers for natural history interpretation and education throughout year
  
  
• City of Winnipeg
  Parks and Recreation
  2000 Portage Ave
  Winnipeg,MB
  204-986-2036 (Cheryl Hemming)
  Volunteers, Living Prairie Museum, various Natural History Interpretation
  
  
• Manitoba Wildlife Rehabilitation Organization
  1191 Research Stn. Rd
  Ste Adolph,Mb
  204-883-2122
  
  
• Dave Roberts
  Manitoba Conservation
  Interlake Region
  daroberts@gov.mb.ca
  Volunteers needed on a broad spectrum of wildlife and resource management topics.
  
  
• Marc Schuster
  Canadian Wildlife Service
  Environment Canada
  Suite 150-123 Main Street
  Winnipeg, MB. R3C 4W2
  (204) 983-5265
  marc.schuster@ec.gc.ca
  Volunteers needed for woodcock surveys in May, and duck banding in late summer.
  

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