WBRA April 2023 Update

What’s New with the WBRA

 

Day on the Creek

Day on the Creek is almost here

Join us on May 18, 2023, for a full day of outdoor learning and discovery.

Class presentations and open demonstrations will run throughout the day at learning stations along Pincher Creek. Everyone is welcome to attend and explore. The event will run rain, shine, or wind so please be sure to dress for the weather. Bring your own water, snacks, and lunch for a picnic along the creek.

An event schedule, learning station description list, and site map will soon be available to view on our website.

If you have any questions, you can contact Nora Manners at 403-627-1473 or nmanners@watertonbiosphere.com.

A sincere thank you to our project supporters and funders as this Day on the Creek would not be possible without you!

Building Resilience for Bats

 

Please Report Dead or Daytime Flying Bats

Bat activity will soon be picking up in the region. These important predators of nighttime insects and pests are often unseen, taking flight at dusk in search of their favourite buzzing and fluttering morsels.

Like all living things, bats can fall ill, and it is important to know what to do if you come across a dead or injured individual. While bat-associated diseases are rare in Alberta there are important safety steps and considerations you can take to ensure both you and the bat stay safe if your paths cross. First and foremost, never touch a bat with your bare hands.

If you are confident you have found a dead bat, rather than a bat in a hibernation-like state of torpor, this is an important time of year to report your discovery to a local Fish & Wildlife Office. Your nearest office can be located by calling the Alberta Environment and Protected Areas Information Centre at 1-877-944-0313. These experts will best inform you on how to safely handle and submit the bat carcass for disease monitoring and testing (or WBRA can help facilitate collection and submission if you contact bats@watertonbiosphere.com).

If you are unable to call or submit right away, there are some practices to keep in mind:

• place the bat in a Ziploc bag using a thickly gloved hand.
• note the date and location on the bag and place it in a freezer.
• contact Fish & Wildlife, bats@watertonbiosphere.com, or roostreports@albertabats.ca to arrange collection for white-nose syndrome testing.

Unexplained bat deaths may be attributed to white-nose syndrome, especially during late winter or early spring. White-nose syndrome is a deadly, introduced fungal disease that affects hibernating bats. The cold-loving fungus grows on the face and wings of the bat, and will irritate the animal enough to wake it out of hibernation. This constant wake-sleep cycle causes the affected bat to burn through their stored fat reserves, which can’t be replenished until insect prey is available, and can lead to poor body condition or starvation. White-nose syndrome is regarded as one of the worst wildlife diseases in recent times, having killed millions of bats across North America.

In 2022, for the first time in recorded history, the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome was detected in Alberta. While this news was not unexpected, it does not diminish the concern we have for the bat populations in our province. One action you can take to combat this disease is to report your dead bat sightings which will help to better inform our understanding of its distribution and presence.

 

 

If you witness a bat flying during the day, send a note about the sighting to roostreports@albertabats.ca. Be sure to include information about the time, date, location, and temperature of when you spotted the bat. Daytime flying is unusual bat behaviour, and can indicate injury or illness. Remember, never touch a bat with your bare hands. For more information about what to do if you find a bat, visit the Alberta Community Bat Program website.

Get in touch with us at bats@watertonbiosphere.com with any batty questions you may have, a guide toward educational resources, or for ways you can support bats on your land.

To learn more about these incredible natural pest control operators with wings, their role in our region, the threats they are facing, and how you can help, visit our Building Resilience for Bats project webpage below:

Species at Risk Presentation

 

Please join the Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association at the Hill Spring Community Hall on May 17 to learn more about the species that help to make this corner of the world so special.

The presentation will cover our current priority species projects in WBR, the role of species at risk on the landscape, the benefits these species can bring to your land, and highlight some ways you can provide the habitat they need to survive.

We hope to see you there!

Please reach out to info@watertonbiosphere.com if you have any questions about this presentation.

Thank you to Environment and Climate Change Canada for financially supporting this opportunity for shared learning and community discussion.

South West Invasive Managers

Invasive Species Prevention

We were happy to take part in the latest workshop held by the South West Invasive Managers (SWIM) in Fort Macleod on April 20. It was an informative and energizing day filled with an obvious and collective passion for the management of invasive species on the landscape.

A host of industry professionals, experts, and students gathered to discuss the importance of invasive species prevention to ecosystem health and our communities. Presentations focused on the current challenges faced by area managers and the various strategies aimed toward reducing the introduction and spread of these species in the region.

To learn more about the role and work of SWIM, visit their webpage below:

Volunteer Week

Despite the individual and collective challenges we have faced these past few years, the continued interest and involvement from our uniquely skilled and dedicated volunteers has contributed to the success of our efforts in the region.

The support of our volunteers has allowed us to provide learning and stewardship opportunities to the communities, friends, and neighbours of WBR. We couldn’t do it without you!

We celebrated this past National Volunteer Week at the Ranchland Mall in Pincher Creek alongside many outstanding organizations in the area. Booths were on display from April 17-21 showcasing a variety of work being done in the community, and how folks could get involved as a volunteer in 2023.

Thank you to those who came to check out our work and showed interest in joining our team as a volunteer!

In case you weren’t able to get over to the mall, we are looking for folks who would be interested in a volunteer event with us this coming fall.

Do you have Sticky Fingers?

You could – all in the name of conservation!

 

Are you interested in a one-day volunteer opportunity with WBRA this coming fall?

The iconic limber pine that scratch out an existence on windswept southern Alberta ridges are a species at risk due to an introduced fungus that has been killing the trees.

We will be assisting our conservation partners in preparing limber pine and whitebark pine seeds for planting in a nursery to grow seedlings destined for future recovery plantings in high priority areas.

• Learn about threats facing these iconic trees
• Contribute to critical conservation actions
• Extract seeds for future recovery plantings
• Bring a friend and make it social
• Meet new like-minded volunteers

If you are interested in this event and would like to learn more or sign up, please reach out to info@watertonbiosphere.com.

For more information about these trees and the current conservation and stewardship work being done in the province and beyond, visit the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation of Canada.