Local at-risk amphibians and their habitat needs will be the focus of a DVD being produced through the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve’s (GBBR) outreach program.
The DVD is part of a Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk program, which recently received $31,770 in federal funding, to support environmental action focusing on conservation and protection.
“As part of the International Year of Biodiversity, communities are working to safeguard our irreplaceable natural wealth and to reduce biodiversity loss,” said Parry Sound-Muskoka MP Tony Clement, Sept. 30, while announcing the funding. “By taking action to protect and preserve species at risk through initiatives such as the Habitat Stewardship Program, the Government of Canada is also investing in the future of our environment.”
“This project will help to protect Canada’s rich biodiversity for generations to come,” said Environment Minister Jim Prentice. “The Government of Canada is proud to support the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve through the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk. Your actions, large or small, will help to protect the abundance and variety of life that is part of our natural heritage.”
The Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve’s outreach program will promote stewardship actions, engage new partners in conservation activities and build understand and support for species at risk in eastern Georgian Bay. As part of the project, the DVD will help landowners recognize local at-risk amphibian and their habitat needs. Landowners and community group stewardship initiatives will be encouraged and project organizers will invite sighting reports to enhance understanding of current species’ range and habitat use.
“The Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve is pleased to be a recipient of funding through the Habitat Stewardship Program,” said Greg Mason, general manager of the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve. “Federal support will allow us to continue making direct contact with keen individuals along the coast who are interested in species at risk stewardship. All of this work serves to highlight the important steps needed and progress being made on species at risk conservation within the UNESCO Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve.”
Local Species at Risk co-ordinator Glenda Clayton says filming is complete, and following editing and approval, the DVD will be ready for distribution in early 2011.
The goal of the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk is to contribute to the recovery and protection of species listed as endangered, threatened or of special concern under the Species at Risk Act.
Canadian Projects that will receive funding this year include stewardship actions to conserve habitat for plant species at risk, negotiations with landowners to develop voluntary Land Care Agreements, targeted educational outreach efforts to reduce the entanglement of species at risk in fishing gear, and the enhancement of water quality and aquatic habitat on private lands to benefit aquatic species at risk.
They will be undertaken with many partners such as agricultural producers, private landowners, and commercial fishers. These projects will benefit many species at risk, including the north Atlantic right whale, Steller sea lion, swift fox, and small white leek.
The Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk is administered by Environment Canada and managed cooperatively with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Parks Canada Agency. More information on the Species at Risk Act and the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk can be found on the Internet at: http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/