February and March SAM Community Updates

Blast Hole Pond Management Unit in Portugal Cove St. Philip's 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. Continue reading on our blog to learn more fun facts that we discovered while mapping management areas this winter. SAM Network News & Updates Save the date for the upcoming SAM AGM in Torbay on June 2-3. Invitees will be notified by email this week. Please register by Friday, May 19.

Nest Boxes: Carmanville SAM and Ducks Unlimited Canada staff partnered with the Carmanville Habitat Committee to install 8 nest boxes for cavity nesting ducks around Carmanville pond. Many of the boxes will be clearly visible from the pond's popular nature trail, and will provide excellent educational opportunities for staff and visitors to the Wetland Interpretation Centre. 20 Years of Stewardship: Torbay The Town of Torbay celebrated an important milestone in March: 20 years since they signed their municipal habitat stewardship agreement! Since then, they have proven themselves a leader in stewardship, by increasing the amount of land protected as management units in 2015, and hosting several SAM meetings (including the next AGM). Congratulations! Environment Fair: Portugal Cove - St. Philip's SAM staff participated in the 2nd annual PC-SP Environment Fair on Earth Day (April 22). Attendees were able to find out about local environmental projects and volunteer opportunities, and were given the opportunity to mark areas of environmental concern on a map of the municipality. Organizers estimate that about 200 people attended.

Newfoundland Marten Gaining Ground

This is a guest post from our partners at Intervale 

For more information, contact Eric Bennett, Newfoundland Marten Stewardship Coordinator, info@intervale.ca

The Newfoundland marten is a genetically and geographically distinct animal. Its numbers decreased during the 20th century due to habitat loss, trapping, and snaring. In 2000, it was classified as endangered. In 2007, the population had increased sufficiently and the Newfoundland marten was re-classified as threatened. Today, there are signs that indicate that there is an increase and that marten are returning to parts of their historic range on the Island of Newfoundland. The Newfoundland marten is gaining ground through stewardship!

Hair Snagging in Newfoundland

Over the years, many people from a variety of organizations have been contributing to the recovery of this animal. Since 2012, Intervale has been coordinating the work of 90 volunteers, who help establish the locations of marten across its forested habitat in Newfoundland.

The methodology was developed by researchers in the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Environment and Conservation, Wildlife Division. Marten are seldom seen, which is why an attraction method is needed. The technique is non-invasive and does not harm the animal. Volunteers collect hair samples by means of a wooden apparatus called a hair snag; it is shaped like a three-sided box and open at both ends. The device is fastened to a tree at chest height, baited with sardines, and made attractive to marten with the scent of skunk. If a marten visits the box, a tiny sample of its fur is left on sticky tabs that line the inside of the box. Volunteers monitor the boxes every 10-14 days, collect the hair samples, and send them to the Wildlife Division. Researchers test the samples for DNA, a process that enables them to confirm the presence of marten and to track individual animals.

In 2016, a total of 84 hair samples were collected, of which 41 are suspected to be marten. With new samples coming in week by week, the number is always changing. These samples will be sent for identification. From these data, researchers are able to identify from each sample representing marten, the sex of the animal, and whether it represents a new animal or one that has been sampled before. As more people become involved, the information will continue growing and wildlife biologists will be able to determine that marten are gaining ground and showing up in areas where there was once none.

Thanks to greatly improved land use planning, the adoption of best management practices by trappers, wildlife management, and public knowledge, marten distribution and abundance are increasing. However, continued support for marten recovery efforts are needed. Intervale is helping the Newfoundland Wildlife Division in this work through the continued efforts of staff and volunteers, and by encouraging the best management practices among forest users in general. For example, Intervale encourages the best practices among snowshoe hare snarers, instructing trappers on how to build and use floating mink box traps, giving presentations to youth and adults, and distributing informational materials such as placemats. These educational efforts contribute to fewer marten being accidentally caught in snares and traps. They also enable people to learn more about how they can contribute to recovery of marten.

Brass Wire Snares

Did you know that different types of 22-gauge brass wire outperform others?

Best practices:

• Don't kink it
• Don't reuse it
• Make slips in field
• Check snares daily
• Remove snares after season ends 

Movement of the Red Back Vole

The red back vole is one of the Newfoundland marten’s main food source. They are dispersing across Newfoundland and have been spotted as far as Brigus Junction in the east and as far north as Barr'd Harbour. It is believed that the quick increase in the population is one of several factors helping the marten population rebound.

How to get Involved

Intervale is currently looking for volunteers to participate in the hair snag program in the following areas:  South Branch, River of Ponds, Hawke’s Bay, Main Brook, Lewisport, Carmenville, Musgrave Harbour, Goobies, Badger, South Brook, Whitbourne and any of the surrounding areas. If you are a walker, hiker, outdoor enthusiasts, hunter, trapper, or just want to help the recovery of the Newfoundland Marten, e-mail us info@intervale.ca and we will get you started with all the supplies you will need for the season.

Project Webfoot in SAM Communities

A little rain didn't deter these grade 4 students from having a
great field trip in Winterland!

Ducks Unlimited Canada is a valued partner of SAM. DUC works to conserve, restore and manage wetlands as well as the wildlife found within. An especially popular initiative of DUC is their Project Webfoot program. Project Webfoot creates the opportunity for grades 4-6 students across Canada to learn and connect with nature through curriculum-linked, interactive field trips in and around wetlands, as well as supplying in class and on-line resources for educators and students.

Grade 4 students from French Shore Academy learn about cavity
nesting tree ducks before going birdwatching at the Torrent River
Interpretation Centre in Hawke's Bay.

Delivery of these field trips for the 2015-2016 school year wrapped up in late June. Along with DUC NL staff, field trips are provided by three delivery partners: Corduroy Brook Enhancement Association in Grand Falls - Windsor, the Suncor Energy Fluvarium in St. John's and the Indian Bay Ecosystem Corporation on the Bonavista North peninsula. In September, Healthy Waters Labrador in Happy Valley - Goose Bay will become the fourth delivery partner in the province. This spring, DUC NL staff traveled to several SAM member municipalities to deliver Project Webfoot field trips: Winterland, Springdale, Hawke's Bay and Stephenville Crossing. 

Students dip for critters in Stephenville Crossing.

Some activities a class might expect on a Project Webfoot field trip include critter dipping in marshes and ponds for macro invertebrates, birdwatching around the area, and multiple fun games that focus on the values of our wetlands. This year, an effort was made to focus the material and the messaging on the boreal forest and peatlands of Newfoundland and Labrador. At the end of the field trip students go home with informative Marsh World books. Costs of in-class and field trip resources are supplied generously through corporate and individual sponsorships.

The Indian River Trail, Springdale.

Upcoming Stewardship Workshop: Working Together for Birds, Wetlands, and Community in the Codroy Valley

There is a long history of conservation and stewardship in the Codroy Valley. This stewardship workshop will draw on ideas brought forth at two previous workshops, and will continue to plan future actions in the area. Details of the event are included in the poster below.