Helping wildlife on-the-ground

“The Habitat Stewardship Program is an important component of our government’s environmental agenda,” said Keddy. “This program promotes local on-the-ground efforts by involved citizens that will have lasting benefits for many species at risk, from the smallest plants and animals right up to larger species in our community.”

The Harrison Lewis Coastal Discovery Centre Society in Port Joli is receiving $10,120 for pilot environmental programs and activities for a range of target audiences. The programs include “Teach The Teacher” sessions on habitat conservation and alternative energy, a demonstration composting project and clean up events.

Concurrently, the society will work to define the direction and programming for the centre as an important nature centre for the province. The project will result in a framework to define environmental and education objectives and activities in the region. The final plan will address a variety of issues, including educational and public programming, researching partnerships and the impact of the centre’s operation on the environment.

The Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute (MTRI) in Kempt received $25,300 to train people interested in lichens to identify the endangered Boreal Felt Lichen as well as Frosted Glass-Whiskers, Ghost Antler and four lichens with red status and eight lichens with yellow status facing common threats from forestry and air pollution.

Expert lichenologists will also be employed to search for Boreal Felt Lichen in places predicted by a GIS algorithm.

MTRI is also receiving $36,706 for its “Educating Woodland Owners About Restoring Old Forest” program.

The institute has already been working with community members to identify old forests on private land. With the grant, MTRI proposes to collaborate with private landowners as well as with government and industry that manage other old forests in the region to raise the profile of these places and provide opportunities for people to visit them.

The project involves surveying private land for old forests and working with local landowners to restore old forest characteristics. Education efforts will be targeted at rural residents and landowners about the ecological and economic value of old forests and about the management options landowners have available to them when making property management decisions. Interested woodland owners will be assisted in creating management plans to maintain and restore the ecological integrity of old forests.

Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation’s “Atlantic Coastal Action Program” is receiving an $82,000 grant.

The funding will address efforts to help the endangered Atlantic whitefish through communication and education programs and by engaging the public.

The foundation is also hoping to help the endangered Canadian Roseate tern population by finding suitable islands for tern restoration and stewardship, island surveys, tern counts, nest/egg counts and recordings of predator events, human disturbance and weather disturbance.

The announcements were made on behalf of Environment Minister John Baird. The stated purpose of the department’s Habitat Stewardship Program is to help Canadians protect species at risk and their habitats and with the recovery of endangered, threatened and other species at risk while also preventing other species from becoming a conservation concern.