Making Childhood Green Again: Project Webfoot Wrap Up 2017

This is a guest post from DUC summer student Sarah Wilkins.

When a community takes the step to sign a municipal habitat stewardship agreement, it ensures that the next generation will have a healthy environment to enjoy, whether it be a walking trail, a fishing hole, a favourite berry picking spot, a community garden, or an outdoor classroom.

Critter dipping in Plum Point with students from Flower's Cove.

Having green spaces where children can learn and play is vital to their development and overall health. Kids who play outdoors are more physically active, more creative, less aggressive, show better concentration, and are more likely to be environmentally conscious adults. The National Wildlife Federation states that the most direct route to caring for the environment as an adult is participating in “wild nature activities” before the age of 11. Combining the outdoors with education for students is the number one mission of Project Webfoot.

In the last month, I have had the pleasure of meeting children across the province by delivering Project Webfoot field trips everywhere from St. Mary’s on the Avalon peninsula to Corner Brook on the west coast of the island. Project Webfoot is Ducks Unlimited Canada’s elementary school program which links specifically to the grade 4 curriculum. Field trips and in-class resources focus on the value of wetland habitat for both wildlife and people.

Plum Point.

In June 2017, Project Webfoot field trips were delivered by DUC staff to grade 4 students from four SAM member municipalities: Flower's Cove, Hawke's Bay, Deer Lake and Springdale. In addition, partner organizations delivered the program in Happy Valley - Goose Bay (for the first year ever, thanks to  Healthy Waters Labrador!), Grand Falls - Windsor (delivered by Corduroy Brook Enhancement Association), St. John's (delivered at the Fluvarium) and Indian Bay (delivered by staff at the Indian Bay Ecosystem Corporation). The field trip program incorporates outdoor learning by showing kids how to use binoculars and a spotting scope, how to identify male and female birds, as well as finding and identifying the aquatic invertebrates that many birds call their lunch! Games are geared to teach children what a wetland is, how to differentiate the several types of wetlands in Newfoundland and Labrador, and the many values wetlands offer people, wildlife, and the environment.

Critter dipping at Corner Brook marsh.

Explaining a game in Corner Brook.

While leading these field trips, it is exciting to experience the students' enthusiasm to be outside, “spying” on birds or practicing bird songs, and it is inspiring to see their eagerness to share their knowledge on exoskeletons, plant adaptations, food chains, and animal camouflage. Witnessing their compassion for the environment and concern for habitat and associated population loss is always the highlight of each field trip for me, along with their unrestrained enthusiasm for learning new things, finding bugs in the waters they often walk by each day, and being able to identify those bugs and learn about their life cycles.

If you are interested in a wetland-themed presentation for a summer camp or a Girl Guide/Scout group in your area or have any other questions about Project Webfoot and Ducks Unlimited Canada, please contact Danielle, Emma or Sarah at the DUC office in St. John's at du_newfoundland@ducks.ca or 709-237-DUCK (3825).

Corner Brook Marsh.

Municipal Stewardship by the Numbers

Here at the Stewardship Association of Municipalities we have been working hard on updating our maps of Management Units across the province. With the signing of agreements in Indian Bay and New-Wes-Valley, we’ve now reached over 41 000 acres (over 16 700 hectares) of protected wildlife habitat! Great things can be accomplished when we work together and we’re proud to have worked with so many of you in achieving this impressive result. We thought we’d share some other fun facts  that we discovered while mapping management areas this winter.

Limestone Barrens Species at Risk habitat in Port aux Choix 

• Average habitat area protected by a wetland Municipal Habitat Stewardship Agreement (there are 35): 1473 acres (596 hectares)

• Average habitat area protected by a Species at Risk Municipal Habitat Stewardship Agreement (there are 2): 17.4 acres (7 ha)

• Largest single Management Unit (MU) in the province: Goose River Bog in Happy Valley - Goose Bay, at 4295.5 acres (1738 ha)

• Largest single MU on the Island of Newfoundland: St. Georges River in Stephenville Crossing, at 3933 acres (1591.7 ha)

• Smallest single MU: MU D in Port au Choix (Species at Risk agreement for rare Limestone Barrens plants) at 1.4 acres (0.6 ha)

Management Unit in Wabush

•  Largest area protected by a single municipality: 5109.2 acres (2067 ha) in HV-GB (followed very closely by 5030 acres (2035 ha) in Wabush)

•  Smallest area protected by  a single municipality: 13 acres (5.3 ha) in Flower’s Cove (Species at Risk area for rare Limestone Barren habitat)

• There are currently 276 incorporated municipalities in the province; 37 (or 13.4%) have signed stewardship agreements and are SAM members.  

Mill Pond Management Unit, Whitbourne

• Most Management Units in a single municipality: Whitbourne (10)

• 1^st municipality: Whitbourne, 1993
• 37^th municipality: New-Wes-Valley, 2017
• 38^th municipality: To be determined!

If you ever have any questions or would like some updated maps of your stewardship areas, please don’t hesitate to contact samconservation@gmail.com – we are here to help. 

Species at Risk in SAM Communities

Endangered species in Canada are protected under the Species at Risk Act. The goal of this legislation is to protect species and their habitats that are endangered, or at risk of becoming endangered. Several municipalities in Newfoundland and Labrador have taken steps to protect land within their municipal boundaries that is habitat for a listed species. Conservation plans in these communities highlight existing work or suggest future opportunities for stewardship and protection of these species.

Definitions

Endangered: A wildlife species facing imminent local or global extinction.

Threatened: A wildlife species that is likely to become endangered if nothing is done to reverse the factors leading to its local or global extinction.

Vulnerable: A wildlife species that has characteristics which make it particularly sensitive to human activities or natural events.

Photo: NL Wildlife Division staff.

Piping Plover (Endangered)

The Piping Plover (Charadrius meolodus) is a small, sand-colored shorebird, with a black breast band, black band above its forehead, and a partially black tail. It has a white rump with an orange beak with a black tip. The Piping Plover winters along the Atlantic coast and the Caribbean but there is a breeding population in Newfoundland. Because they nest on the ground, they are very vulnerable to disturbance. Eggs can be destroyed by off-road vehicles, dogs, and pedestrians. Additionally, predation rates of mink and other animals have increased in recent years.

Every summer, the population of Piping Plovers in Newfoundland hovers around 36. They nest on the beaches in four SAM member communities: Burgeo, Port aux Basques, Grand Codroy Estuary, and Stephenville Crossing. Conservation plans in these communities incorporate stewardship initiatives to protect and increase the Plover population.

                 

Photo: NL Wildlife Division staff.

Harlequin Duck (Vulnerable)

The Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) is a small sea duck. Males have a complex plumage pattern with the head and neck being dark slate blue, a large white crescent in front of the eye, a small round dot behind the eye, and a larger oval spot down the neck. A black crown stripe runs atop the head, with chestnut patches on either side. The body is mostly a lighter slate blue with chestnut colored sides. Females are far less colorful, with a brownish-grey body and patches of white behind, below, and in front of the eye. The Eastern Harlequin Duck is threatened by timber harvest and hydroelectric development in breeding habitats. In wintering locations, fishing nets, aquaculture development, disturbance, and oil spills are potential threats.

The population winters along the eastern seaboard and breed in Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. SAM member communities such as Mary’s Harbour, Red Bay, St. Lawrence, and St. Lewis are areas where Harlequin Ducks are often spotted. While population levels seem to be increasing in wintering locations, the eastern population has still not reached a sustainable level.

The Limestone Barrens

The Limestone Barrens is an area along the western coast of the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland, extending from Port au Choix to Burnt Cape Ecological Reserve. This area is extremely unique as it supports a very high percentage of rare plants. Of the 298 vascular plants considered rare in Newfoundland, 104 occur within the Barrens and 22 of these species are endemic to the area! The Limestone Barrens are of special significance and require management and protection. Port au Choix and Flower's Cove signed stewardship agreements to conserve this unique habitat and the rare species within. Many of the rare species found in these communities are at risk, such as Fernald’s Braya and Woolly Arnica.

Photo: Parks Canada.
http://www.pc.gc.ca/

Fernald’s Braya (Threatened)

Fernald’s Braya (Braya fernaldii) is a plant that grows only on the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland. It is remarkably well adapted to limestone soils and extreme winter cold. It has a deep taproot, fleshy leaves, and erect, flowering stalks up to 7 cm high. The fruit is an elongate, usually hairy capsule and the flowers are white/pink in color. Populations have been disturbed by human activity such as quarrying and road development. In addition, populations are limited by off-road vehicle activity, insects such as the diamondback moth, and various diseases.

Photo: A Digital Flora of Newfoundland and Labrador
http://digitalnaturalhistory.com/

Woolly Arnica (Endangered)

Woolly Arnica (Arnica angustifolia subsp. Tomentosa) is a member of the sunflower family and produces one single yellow flower per stem. It has long narrow leaves and the whole plant is covered with woolly hairs. They have become endangered as they have a limited ability to multiply or colonize new areas and have lost habitat due to climate change and disturbance such as off-road vehicle activity and quarry development.