2022 IMPACT REPORT

WPC is Canada’s last defence for endangered species. is Canada’s last defence for endangered species.

Since 1985, Wildlife Preservation Canada has been saving the most imperiled and endangered species in Canada.

A land where Canada’s wildlife is bountiful, diverse, and thriving, free from the threat of extinction.

Wildlife Preservation Canada saves animals at risk from extinction in Canada by performing hands-on field work with species requiring direct action to recover, providing opportunities for Canadian conservation biologists to increase their expertise, and advancing conservation science by developing new methods for endangered species recovery.

Wildlife Preservation Canada is a conservation leader managing recovery programs for some of Canada’s most threatened species. We develop innovative techniques that can be used in Canada and around the world to save species at risk. We build this country’s conservation capacity by providing opportunities for young scientists to work with endangered species, both in Canada and abroad.

To maximize our impact, we choose species based on the urgency of their conservation needs, our unique expertise, and the potential to collaborate with other organizations and strategic partners. We work closely with local communities recognizing that they are critical to
long-term conservation success.

MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT

Dear Supporters and Friends of Wildlife Preservation Canada,

It is with great pleasure that I present to you the annual report for our organization. I am privileged to share the remarkable achievements we have made in the past year to conserve and protect our nation’s invaluable wildlife.

In 2022, we reached a new milestone in terms of impact, raising a record $1.9m in revenue which helped us support new species, expand on conservation team and strengthen our partnerships with peers and the communities we work in.

Some highlights for me include:

  • The release of over 22,000 Oregon spotted frog tadpoles, an increase of nearly 50% from 2021
  • The completion of our blue racer initiative in Pelee Island, where WPC’s leadership in this provincial initiative has established a path to species recovery for Canada’s rarest snake
  • Leading groundbreaking research on parasites in bumble bee queens which will contribute towards global bee conservation
  • Celebrating our 35th year of Canada’s New Noah program which supports the next generation our conservation biologists in Canada

Despite these accomplishments, our work is far from done.

The urgency to protect our biodiversity is more pressing than ever. The growing threat of extinction looms large, driven by climate change, habitat loss, and other destructive forces. This will require more of WPC’s interventions to protect our endangered species.
We are preparing to tackle these challenges head-on through expansion of our core programs, continuing to invest in research and partnerships and furthering outreach within the communities we work in.

As we embark on another year of dedicated conservation efforts, I invite you to join us in our mission. Your involvement, whether through donations, volunteer work, or simply spreading the word, can make a profound impact. Together, we can be the driving force that protects and preserves our natural heritage for generations to come.

On behalf of the entire team at Wildlife Preservation Canada, I extend my deepest gratitude for your unwavering commitment to our cause. Our accomplishments would not be possible without your invaluable support. I encourage you to read this annual report, which highlights the incredible strides we have made together.

Thank you for standing with us in our mission to ensure Canada’s wildlife is bountiful, diverse and thriving, free from the threat of extinction. Together, we will make a lasting difference.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Shripal Doshi
President, Wildlife Preservation Canada

OREGON SPOTTED FROG

Rana pretiosa

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The “pretiosa” in the Oregon spotted frog’s scientific name means “precious” in Latin. It’s a fitting moniker. This frog is Canada’s most endangered amphibian, with only a few hundred individuals left in the wild.

Since 2010, WPC has been breeding and reintroducing thousands of Oregon spotted tadpoles and froglets back into wetlands in B.C.’s Fraser Valley. It takes years of careful observation, collaboration, ingenuity and sometimes a little luck to crack the code to breeding specific species. For several years, our progress was very limited. But our team persevered. Today, WPC has pioneered breeding techniques that are turning the tide for this species.

Photo: P. Sardari

Mastering breeding methods produces yet another record-breaking year

Last year, we reported how WPC released 20,000 Oregon spotted frog tadpoles and froglets, more than ten times our previous record, thanks to a new approach to introducing males and females to each other in our conservation breeding “love tubs.”

It wasn’t a fluke. In 2022, we raised the bar again. Our conservation breeding program produced an amazing 23,527 tadpoles, allowing us to release more than 22,000 tadpoles to the Fraser Valley.

We also held on to a number of tadpoles to raise through the summer, along with some we collected from wild egg masses as an extra measure of conservation “insurance.” Come fall, we were able to release more than a thousand of these head-started froglets.

Now that we’ve proved our conservation breeding method works, it will be applied to the Oregon spotted frog population at the Vancouver Aquarium as well, creating more frogs to release.

Maintaining this level of success will change the recovery timeline for this species from decades to years — making it one of Canada’s greatest endangered species conservation stories.

And we’re not done pioneering innovative techniques. In 2022, we welcomed a Master’s student to our team to perform routine ultrasounds on frogs. This study, as well as an ongoing hormone analysis study, will advance our understanding of initial egg development, helping us achieve even greater breeding successes.

Program Location

Fraser River Valley, British Columbia

WPC Conservation Toolkit

Breeding & Reintroduction

Program Partners & Supporters

Anonymous Foundation
B.C. Conservation Foundation
B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources Operations and Rural Development
Calgary Zoo
Canadian Oregon Spotted Frog Recovery Team
Fraser Valley Conservancy
Greater Vancouver Zoo
Hagen Family Foundation
Kwantlen First Nation
Leq’a:mel First Nation
Metro Vancouver Parks
Precious Frog
Seabird Island First Nation
Simon Fraser University
Toronto Zoo
University of Guelph
University of the Fraser Valley
Vancouver Aquarium

“Our work on the Oregon spotted frog program continues to both bolster existing populations as well as build new ones. Our cumulative successes in the past two years of conservation breeding have really turned the tide for this species and what we can effectively do to increase populations.”

– Andrea Gielens, Lead Biologist

Learn More

TAYLOR’S CHECKERSPOT

Euphydryas editha taylori

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This small, vibrantly coloured butterfly once thrived in Garry Oak ecosystems and wet meadows from the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island to Oregon’s Willamette Valley. But as recently as 2005, scientists believed this butterfly had disappeared entirely from Canada. Since then, two isolated populations have been found — on Denman Island and near Oyster River on Vancouver Island.

Conservation breeding of Taylor’s checkerspots began in 2013 in a converted aviary on Denman Island. Two years later, we began releasing caterpillars into restored habitats on the island. Today, breeding has been moved to facilities at the Greater Vancouver Zoo, where we can produce thousands of caterpillars each year.

Cracking the code to successful butterfly breeding

Through WPC’s conservation breeding program, we aim to produce and release 5,000 Taylor’s checkerspot offspring each year. It’s a lofty goal, but our recent results prove it’s achievable.

After producing 5,400 caterpillars in 2021 — five times the number of previous years — we released a record-breaking 5,200 in 2022. And we know these releases are working. That’s because adult Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies have been observed at the release site at Helliwell Provincial Park on B.C.’s Hornby Island, proving that they are thriving in the wild.

However, due to an uncharacteristically cold and overcast spring in 2022, our breeding program produced only 1,600 caterpillars to release in spring 2023. To help limit the effect bad weather has on our numbers in the future, we’re now refining our techniques to ensure we can consistently produce 5,000 larvae a year.

That includes modifying what our butterflies eat. Up to now, we’ve fed them a consistent diet of honey water. However, other butterfly husbandry projects have had success incorporating more variety, including everything from Gatorade to beer. We plan to do the same with some of our butterflies to determine if it increases offspring production.

We also plan to trial the use of artificial lighting in both husbandry and breeding scenarios, to help us maximize the short window when Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies are reproductively active.

Program Location

Vancouver Island & Gulf Islands, British Columbia

WPC Conservation Toolkit

Breeding & Reintroduction
Land Steward Engagement
Population Monitoring

Program Partners & Supporters

Anonymous Foundation
B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources Operations and Rural Development
B.C. Parks
Denman Conservancy Association
Denman Island landowners & community members
Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team
Hornby Island Natural History Centre
Hornby Island landowners & community members
K’ómoks First Nation
Greater Vancouver Zoo
Oregon Zoo
Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly Recovery Implementation Group
Taylor’s Checkerspot Community Working Group
The Rogers Foundation
University of British Columbia

“For species like the Taylor’s checkerspot, 5,000 individuals will need to be released at a site for five consecutive years before we should expect to see the beginnings of a self-sustaining population. This is why our release of 5,200 larva this year is so meaningful. With a dose of good weather, a lot of conservation science and a little butterfly luck, our efforts this year will lead to another successful release in 2023!”

– Andrea Gielens, Lead Biologist

Learn More

WESTERN PAINTED TURTLE

Chrysemys picta bellii

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In the wetlands of B.C.’s Fraser Valley, western painted turtles face many challenges, especially as eggs and tiny hatchlings. With no shortage of hungry predators and no care from their parents once they’ve hatched, only a few young turtles survive to become adults. When you add human activity to the mix, the rate of survival can be so low that a population becomes unsustainable.

Since 2012, we’ve been working to improve those odds. In addition to protecting nests, we collect eggs from vulnerable turtle nests, artificially incubate them and head-start new hatchlings before releasing them back into the wild.

Giving turtles a helpful head start

WPC’s head-starting program begins by finding turtle nests in high-risk areas such as roadsides or well-used trails. We then carefully excavate the eggs and bring them back to our Animal Care Centre at the Greater Vancouver Zoo, where they’re kept in an incubator. After they hatch, our goal is to bulk up the tiny turtles as much as possible to improve their chances of survival after we release them one to two years later.

In 2022, 183 more western painted turtles graduated from our head-starting program and were released into the wild. Our team also collected 320 new eggs, which produced 208 additional hatchlings that we’re raising for future releases.

Our efforts are paying off. For the second year in a row, we’ve had reports of our released western painted turtles nesting in the wild. At the reintroduction site in B.C.’s Fraser Valley, we identified seven nests that had been laid from our head-started females — further confirmation that the reintroduced population is starting to breed on its own.

Meanwhile, we continued to collect samples from nests and check them for cryptosporidium: a parasite responsible for an ongoing issue of “soft shell” in some turtles. We also ran trials for two novel drug treatments — Ponazuril and Humatin — with near 100% recovery rate. That’s good news not just for western turtles but for turtle conservation programs all across Canada.

Program Location

Fraser River Valley, British Columbia

WPC Conservation Toolkit

Education and Outreach
Headstarting & Reintroduction
Land Steward Engagement
Nest Protection

Program Partners & Supporters

Anonymous Foundation
Athene Ecological
B.C. Conservation Foundation
B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources Operations and Rural Development Biodiversity Conservation Department of City of Surrey
Canadian Council for Animal Care (CCAC)
Coastal Painted Turtle Project
Dewdney Animal Hospital
Fraser Valley Conservancy
Greater Vancouver Zoo
Kwantlen First Nation
Langley Field Naturalists
Leq’a:mel First Nation
Metro Vancouver Parks
Private landowners of Nicomen Slough and Murchie Lake
Seabird Island First Nation
University of the Fraser Valley
Vancouver Island University
Western Painted Turtle Recovery Team

“Turtle release day always comes with a mixture of emotions. We feel excitement that we have been able to get them to this important milestone in their head-starting journey. But we are also nervous for their futures, always optimistic that we’ll get to see them again in the following year during monitoring”

– Mitchell Gardiner, Lead Conservation Recovery Technician

Learn More

BLUE RACER

Coluber constrictor foxii

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The blue racer is one of the largest and fastest snakes in Canada. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the rarest. Although the species was once found across southern Ontario, habitat loss has reduced their numbers to a single population on Pelee Island.

Fortunately, on the island, much of this species’ preferred habitats are now protected, including grasslands, alvars, and open woodlands, providing an opportunity for this population to recover.

WPC joined the collaborative effort towards the conservation of the remaining blue racer population on Pelee Island in 2019. The aim of this project is to combat further declines and ensure that population’s long-term persistence.

Wrapping up a crucial snake survey

The last official population estimate for the blue racer on Pelee Island suggested that fewer than 300 blue racers remained in Canada, but that was 20 years ago. In 2022, WPC worked alongside a wide array of partners and supporters to get a better understanding of how the population is doing now, and see if there’s more work we can do for this striking snake.

Field work last summer included extensive population surveys, testing of different habitat restoration techniques with an eye to determining the best way to maintain and enhance habitat for the species, and investigation of road mortality rates, which is a concern for all reptiles in Ontario.

Our partners at Queen’s University also designed a new environmental DNA (eDNA) technique to assess predation by looking for blue racer DNA in environmental and scat samples. Though no Blue Racer eDNA was found in 2022, the methods can be used in future years to keep gathering data on the impact of predation as a threat to the species.

In 2022, we wrapped up the first phase of the ambitious project — and the initial data suggest the population is not declining as drastically as we feared! Now, an in-depth review of the data is underway to determine if the Pelee Island population is genetically diverse enough to remain healthy. The results will be ready in 2023 to guide the next phase of blue racer recovery.

Program Location

Pelee Island, Ontario

WPC Conservation Toolkit

Population & Needs Assessment
Reintroduction Feasibility Assessment

Program Partners & Supporters

Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks
Natural Resource Solutions Inc.
Nature Conservancy of Canada
Ontario Nature
Ontario Parks
Queen’s University
Scales Nature Park
Trent University
University of Rennes

“Turtle release day always comes with a mixture of emotions. We feel excitement that we have been able to get them to this important milestone in their head-starting journey. But we are also nervous for their futures, always optimistic that we’ll get to see them again in the following year during monitoring”

– Mitchell Gardener, Lead Conservation Recovery Technician

Learn More

EASTERN LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE

Lanius ludovicians migrans

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Although eastern loggerhead shrike are smaller than a robin, these diminutive predatory songbirds attack mice, voles, grasshoppers and even small snakes. Because they lack strong talons, they have a habit of impaling their dinner on thorns or barbed wire, earning them the nickname of “butcher bird.” But their feisty spirit alone isn’t enough to save this species.

Without WPC’s conservation breeding efforts — and the support of many dedicated donors and partners — eastern loggerhead shrikes would have completely disappeared from Canada. Since 2003, WPC has bred and released more than 1,300 shrikes into Ontario’s grasslands.

New partners mean more breeding capacity

For 20 years, we’ve led a multi-partner effort to save this critically endangered species by breeding eastern loggerhead shrikes and reintroducing them into the wild, as well as monitoring populations and restoring crucial habitat.

Today, that effort continues to grow. We welcomed two new partners in 2022: Parc Oméga in Quebec and the National Aviary in Pittsburgh. Both of these partners will be breeding shrikes come spring 2023, helping us to reach our goal of releasing 100 young birds each year. That’s almost double the 54 we released in 2022.

In 2022 we fitted our 100th bird with a radio-tag, as part of a critical study to understand the migration of Ontario’s loggerhead shrikes. We also spent more time in the field to ground-truth a new population model that will eventually help us to improve how we target our habitat stewardship efforts across Ontario.

For the first time in five years, we counted more than 50 adult shrikes in the wild: 32 in Napanee, 18 in Carden and one in Quebec. We also spotted 45 fledglings from wild pairs. Almost a third of those pairs included at least one parent released from our conservation breeding program — clear proof that we’re making a crucial difference.

Saving shrikes also means saving the habitat that they depend on. In 2022, Ontario landowners participated in restoring over 300 hectares of the grasslands that shrikes need to hunt prey and raise their young.

Program Location

Southern Ontario

WPC Conservation Toolkit

Breeding & Reintroduction
Research
Creating Partnerships
Habitat Restoration
Land Steward Engagement
Population Monitoring
Threat Mitigation

Program Partners & Supporters

African Lion Safari
BluEarth Renewables
Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative
Carden Forum
Couchiching Conservancy
Dillon Consulting Ltd.
Government of Canada
Hodgson Family Foundation
Kingston Solar LP
Napanee Plains Joint Initiative
Nashville Zoo at Grassmere
The National Aviary
The Nature Conservancy of Canada
The North American Loggerhead Shrike Working Group
Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks
Ontario Parks
Ontario Veterinary College
Park Omega
Queen’s University
Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute
Takla Foundation
Toronto Zoo
Western University

“This year saw a lot of development in the Loggerhead Shrike Recovery Program. From new captive breeding partners to new habitat research to refocus our work on the ground, the seeds are planted for some exciting growth to come in the near future!”

– Hazel Wheeler, Lead Biologist

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NATIVE BUMBLE BEES

Bombus sp.

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Since the 1990s, bumble bee numbers have been plummeting, and that spells ecological disaster. Ninety per cent of all flowering plants — including most of the fruits and vegetables in your fridge — need these pollinators in order to reproduce.

Until the causes of these declines can be reversed, conservation breeding and reintroduction is the only way to safeguard at-risk bumble bees. Today, WPC is the only organization in Canada rebuilding wild bee populations through captive breeding. Thanks to recent breakthroughs, we’ve figured out how to dramatically increase the number of queens we produce. Once they’re released into the wild, they can establish their own colonies, producing hundreds of pollinators to sustain the ecosystems around them.

Combining captive breeding, community science and ground-breaking research

WPC’s Bumble Bee Conservation Lab had another banner year in 2022. We installed 32 yellow-banded bumble bees and 26 brown-belted bumble bees in our facility, housed at the African Lion Safari. Our team continued investigating optimal diet for bees with a focus on red maple and willow to follow up on 2021 pollen trials.

As a result, our 15 established bumble bee colonies produced a record 250 brown-belted queens and three yellow-banded queens. This represents an almost 200% increase from 2021 for brown-belted bumble bees and the first year we successfully produced yellow-banded bumble bee queens since 2017!

Meanwhile, our bumble bee monitoring program — the largest of its kind in Ontario — continues to expand. Staff conducted a total of 161 field surveys at 113 different sites, collecting critical information on distribution and population trends.

In total, they recorded 4,137 bumble bees from 16 species. This includes a new species recorded for the first time in surveys: the black and gold bumble bee. Volunteers in our community science program stepped up as well, submitting 945 observations to the Bumble Bee Watch platform.

WPC also took part in several conservation research projects, including one of the first studies to focus on parasites in bumble bee queens. This research promises to provide crucial information about the role of parasites in global bee declines.

Program Location

Southern Ontario

WPC Conservation Toolkit

Breeding & Reintroduction
Research
Education & Outreach
Population Assessments

Program Partners & Supporters

African Lion Safari
Bishop’s University
BumbleBeeWatch.org.
Glenbow Park Ranch Foundation
Government of Canada
Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg of the Algonquin First Nation
K.M. Hunter Charitable Fund
Mitacs Business Strategy Internship
Ontario Conservation Authorities
Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks
Ontario Parks
Parks Canada
Pinery Provincial Park
Pollination Guelph
Project Learning Tree
Science North
Takla Foundation
The Rogers Foundation
The Xerces Society
York University
Université Laval
University of Guelph & Arboretum
Ontario Power Generation
TD Friends of the Environment Foundation
The Printing House
University of Toronto Scarborough

“The highlight of my 2022 bumble bee season was running in-person bumble bee community science training workshops! It was great to connect with people in a fun, meaningful way after not being able to for the last two years.”

– Sarah MacKell, Lead Biologist

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ONTARIO TURTLE WORKING GROUP

Collaboration for conservation

From snappers to spiny softshells, Ontario is home to all eight native turtle species found in Canada. However, almost all of them are at risk, due to factors that include habitat loss, the illegal pet trade, vehicle strikes and predators.

To address this crisis, WPC helped form the Working Group for the Conservation of Ontario Turtles (WGCOT) in 2020. The multi-partner initiative includes turtle experts and organizations from across the province. Together, we’re supporting the implementation of priority recovery actions and developing beneficial management practice guidelines — for protecting nests from predators, collecting and incubating eggs, and rearing hatchlings for a year or two before releasing them back to the wild (a practice called head-starting).

In 2021 and 2022, federal funding allowed WGCOT to make significant progress toward finalizing the head-starting protocol that will help more turtles survive into adulthood. We also produced and distributed posters and postcards encouraging community scientists to record and submit their turtle encounters using iNaturalist. And in February 2022, WPC hosted a provincial workshop to identify and prioritize the conservation needs of each turtle species.

By joining forces and working more strategically, we’re helping create a brighter future for Ontario’s threatened turtle taxa.

Program Location

Ontario

WPC Conservation Toolkit

Capacity Building
Creating Partnerships
Facilitating Best Practices

“The Working Group for the Conservation of Ontario Turtles is starting to connect turtle conservation practitioners across the province, and we hope to become a working group within the network soon. Conservation takes a long time and a lot of work, but it helps when you work with a large group of like-minded individuals. We’re stronger together than we are apart.”

– Hannah McCurdy-Adams, Reptile and Amphibian Program Coordinator

Learn More

EASTERN FOXSNAKE

Pantherophis gloydi

Knock-on benefits for foxsnakes

Eastern foxsnake habitat is limited to a relatively thin strip along the shorelines of Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair and Lake Huron. That leaves these snakes particularly vulnerable to habitat loss when new cottages go up. And because they love to swim, fatal run-ins with powerboats also contribute to population declines. Meanwhile, many eastern foxsnakes are killed because they’re mistaken for venomous rattlesnakes.

Although this hasn’t been one of the primary species we focus on, our work on foxsnakes is expanding. We monitor and mark foxsnakes on Pelee Island and at Ojibway Prairie as part of blue racer and massausaga rattlesnake conservation, and discussions are underway to extend genetic sampling efforts for eastern foxsnakes across their range in Ontario.

In 2022 we constructed six nesting cages for eastern foxsnakes in Ojibway Prairie. These cylindrical structures are made of a wire-fencing frame filled with organic matter, providing a perfect place to keep eggs warm and protected.

Foxsnakes also benefit from WPC’s habitat restoration efforts and installation of road barriers at Ojibway Prairie.

Program Location

Great Lakes Region, Ontario

WPC Conservation Toolkit

Needs Assessment
Research
Population Assessments

“When you protect one species, you protect all. Animals work in a delicate biofeedback loop, supporting each other, people, and the balance of our ecosystems. Our work in the Ojibway prarie is have a ripple effect in benefitting the foxsnake and other at-risk plants and animals that call this unique habitat home”

– Lance Woolaver, Executive Director

Learn More

MASSASAUGA RATTLESNAKE

Sistrurus catenatus

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In Canada, massasauga rattlesnakes are limited to the Georgian Bay shoreline and only two isolated habitats in Ontario’s Carolinian Zone: the Ojibway Prairie Complex near Windsor and the Wainfleet Bog near Welland. However, there have been no sightings at Ojibway Prairie since 2019. We’re working to reverse that.

In 2021, WPC was asked to lead the creation of a provincial recovery implementation team for the massasauga. We’ve successfully begun overwintering snakes in preparation for reintroducing them to Ojibway Prairie. We’re restoring habitat, setting up barriers to prevent cars from running over young snakes and reaching out to local landowners to encourage stewardship. In the process, we’re also benefiting other at-risk species.

Overcoming the reintroduction odds

Snakes typically have a high chance of dying after being translocated, which makes reintroduction difficult. But we’ve been overcoming those odds. Our first step was successfully overwintering 12 massasaugas at Ojibway Prairie in 2021/22, where every snake survived in good health. In fall 2022 we hibernated 12 new massasaugas of a different genetic lineage, again with a 100% survival rate.

The next step is developing release methods that maximize their chances of surviving. We’ve combed through decades of scientific papers to identify the best methods, and we’ve been testing soft release techniques, using captive-reared eastern gartersnakes as a surrogate species.

Once the snakes are released, they need the right environment to thrive. That’s why we enhanced 10.8 hectares of habitat at Ojibway Prairie in 2022 and removed over 150 kilograms of garbage. We also continued efforts to destigmatize rattlesnakes and raise awareness about the species, reaching 596 people and organizations.

But saving endangered species takes teamwork. In 2022 the Canadian Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Recovery Implementation Group launched to guide recovery efforts in Ontario, co-chaired by WPC’s Hannah McCurdy-Adams.

And together with the Toronto Zoo and First Nation communities, WPC launched a project to help facilitate the intergenerational transfer of Traditional Ecological Knowledge about snakes. These engagement sessions are building Indigenous capacity to lead rattlesnake recovery using a Two-Eyed Seeing approach.

Program Location

Ontario

WPC Conservation Toolkit

Breeding & Reintroduction
Research
Education and Outreach
Habitat Restoration & Stewardship
Invasive species Control
Population Assessments
Population Monitoring
Threat Mitigation

Program Partners & Supporters

8Trees Inc.
African Lion Safari
Canadian Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Recovery Implementation Group
Essex Region Conservation Authority
Friends of Ojibway Prairie
Georgian Bay Biosphere
Government of Canada
Laurentian University
Magnetawan First Nation
Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks
Ojibway Nature Centre (City of Windsor)
Ontario Parks
Project Learning Tree
Queen’s University
Scales Nature Park / Georgian Bay Turtle Hospital
Sciensational Sssnakes!!
Shawanaga First Nation
The Nature Conservancy of Canada
The Toronto Zoo
Town of LaSalle
University of Waterloo
University of Windsor

“2022 was an exciting year for massasauga recovery at Ojibway Prairie. Most importantly, we finished our trials with eastern gartersnakes and completed a very successful over-winter at our planned release sites using 12 massasaugas!”

– Jonathan Choquette, Lead Biologist

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MOTTLED DUSKYWING

Erynnis martialis

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In Ontario, mottled duskywing butterflies rely on New Jersey tea and prairie redroot — two shrubs commonly found in tallgrass prairies. However, those ecosystems are increasingly rare. As a result, only a few populations of this endangered pollinator remain in the province.

Today, WPC is working to bring them back as part of the Ontario Butterfly Species at Risk Team: a collaboration with the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory, the University of Guelph, Natural Resource Solutions Inc. and Ontario Parks. Together, we’re spearheading a groundbreaking effort to reintroduce the duskywing to Pinery Provincial Park in southwestern Ontario.

The duskywing’s remarkable return continues

In 2021, WPC and our partners released nearly 700 conservation-bred duskywings into the extensive tallgrass prairie habitats at Pinery Provincial Park. It marked the very first time a butterfly was reintroduced to wild habitat in Ontario.

When our field crew returned in spring 2022, they found 38 adult mottled duskywings at the park. This means the butterflies we released the previous year had bred and laid eggs that hatched into caterpillars.

But that’s not all. Those caterpillars then survived the winter, pupated and emerged as a new generation of butterflies!

In May, our team also noted where adult duskywings had laid their eggs. When the butterfly’s second flight period started in mid-July, the team located 35 adult butterflies at a 2021 release site. This indicates that they can produce two broods in a season (which was expected at Pinery) and are capable of surviving for multiple generations.

It is rare for a conservation program for any species to have such success so quickly. And we’re just getting started. In July and August 2022, we helped release the next batch of mottled duskywings reared at the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory — 291 caterpillars and 92 adults — to keep building the population at the Pinery.

Ontario’s mottled duskywing butterflies still need our help. But these early successes are encouraging signs that their populations are slowly but surely building in the wild.

Program Location

Southern Ontario

WPC Conservation Toolkit

Population Assessments
Reintroduction & Post-Release Monitoring

Program Partners & Supporters

Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory
Government of Canada
Natural Resources Solutions Inc.
Norris Lab, University of Guelph
NSERC Alliance
Ontario Butterfly Species At Risk Recovery Team
Pinery Provincial Park, Ontario Parks
The Rogers Foundation
University of Guelph

“Ovipositing, the scientific term for laying eggs, is a pretty strong sign that the mottled duskywings are breeding here. This means that, among other things, the habitat restoration work done in earlier years at the Pinery has been successful. It also means that the population will eventually be able to sustain itself without the help of conservation-bred butterfly releases.”

– Elliot Santoni, Field Assistant

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BUTLER’S GARTERSNAKE

Thamnophis butleri

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The techniques we’ve been developing for massasauga rattlesnakes are also helping another endangered species on the Ojibway Prairie: Butler’s gartersnake. Easily confused with other striped snakes like the eastern gartersnake or northern ribbon snake, these reptiles face many threats in their small Ontario range. Urbanization results in habitat loss and fragmentation. Roads separate populations from one another and increase the risk of vehicle strikes. People kill them or illegally collect them as pets.

The isolated nature of remaining colonies — and the fact that Butler’s gartersnake has one of the most limited ranges of any Ontario snake — only compound those threats. As a result, we’ve seen significant declines in recent years as local populations go extinct.

Stepping up for another endangered snake

In 2022, we completed the second year of a three-year study to assess the conservation needs of Butler’s gartersnakes. That includes exploring ways to mitigate threats and effectively reintroduce the species to sites in southern Ontario.

Our team collected 15 young snakes from a healthy subpopulation, reared them temporarily and then placed them in artificial hibernacula for the winter. Following successful hibernation, these gartersnakes will then be released to augment a declining subpopulation within the Ojibway Prairie Complex and Greater Park Ecosystem.

To estimate the abundance of wild Butler’s gartersnakes and track their movement patterns, especially around roads, we tagged a number of them with passive integrated transponders.

Encouragingly, our results indicate that an urban subpopulation of Butler’s gartersnakes appears larger than previously thought. That may be due to the fact that there’s more connectivity between habitat patches compared to a nearby fragmented, and apparently smaller, subpopulation.

We also improved snake habitat at six sites, covering an area of 6.7 hectares. This included clearing away garbage, removing invasive plants and creating brush piles where the snakes can shelter.

Now, we’re using the data we collected in 2022 to create a Habitat Management Plan that will guide the selection of future study sites and identify ideal properties for habitat restoration in partnership with local landowners.

Program Location

Southern Ontario

WPC Conservation Toolkit

Reintroduction
Research
Education and Outreach
Habitat Restoration & Stewardship
Invasive species Control
Population Assessments
Population Monitoring
Threat Mitigation

Program Partners & Supporters

Canadian Pacific Railway
City of Windsor
Essex Region Conservation Authority
Town of LaSalle

“Butler’s gartersnakes have an extremely limited range in Canada, and sadly, that range is declining. We must identify and implement practical ways to reconnect and augment declining populations at the local scale.”

– Jonathan Choquette, Lead Biologist

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CANADA’S NEW NOAH

1
1

New Noah Stephanie after successfully ringing a Round Island petrel chick

Stephanie’s long-awaited journey: searching for island reptiles and seabirds

In 2022 — after two long years of COVID-related travel delays — Stephanie Winton finally boarded a plane to begin her experience as WPC’s 31st New Noah. Her first stop was the Durrell Conservation Academy on the island of Jersey, where she spent three intense months learning the theory and skills required to manage conservation projects for endangered species.

From there, she travelled to Mauritius for a six-month placement with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, working with experienced teams on hands-on conservation projects to save some of the world’s most endangered plant and animal species through ecosystem restoration and integrated management approaches.

These efforts have become even more vital since 2020, when a bulk carrier ran aground on the reef surrounding the island nation, spilling more than 1,000 tonnes of oil. To assess the long-term impacts of this disaster, Stephanie helped monitor populations of reptiles such as endemic skinks and geckos and other indicator species like nesting seabirds and crabs.

Working on world-renowned conservation projects was a one-of-a-kind opportunity — made possible thanks to the Alan & Patricia Koval Foundation — that has given Stephanie a wealth of practical knowledge and experience.

Program Location

Jersey, UK (Durrell Conservation Academy)
Mauritius, Indian Ocean (Mauritian Wildlife Foundation)

WPC Conservation Toolkit

Capacity Building
Leadership

“In my time in Mauritius, I’ve experienced many conservation techniques in action and considered how they can be applied to conservation efforts back in Canada.”

— Stephanie Winton, Canada’s New Noah

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CANADIAN SPECIES INITIATIVE

Breaking down conservation silos

Traditionally, species conservation has followed two parallel but separate paths. Field biologists and wildlife managers develop strategies to conserve threatened species in their natural habitat (in situ). At the same time, zoos, aquariums and conservation-breeding organizations work to sustain populations in human care (ex situ).

Research shows that bringing those two sides together can lead to better conservation outcomes. That’s why WPC and African Lion Safari launched the Canadian Species Initiative in 2019. The joint endeavour aims to facilitate greater collaboration between in situ and ex situ communities and consider all available conservation tools using the One Plan Approach: a globally recognized best practice for conservation planning.

In 2022, our efforts focused on outreach and awareness of the One Plan Approach. We presented and led working sessions at annual conferences for Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums, the American Association of Zoo Keepers and the Canadian Committee of the IUCN. We also presented results of the 2021 integrated planning workshop for Canadian snakes at several specialist conferences.

Program Location

Canada-wide

WPC Conservation Toolkit

Capacity Building
Leadership
Needs Assessment
Creating Conservation Partnerships
Enhanced Conservation Planning
Facilitating Best Conservation Practices

“Being a part of CSI has been such a great experience for me. I’ve had opportunities to expand WPC’s conservation reach, such as the CPSG facilitation course, the IUCN RedList webinar series and leading the development of the Assess-2-Plan project for Canadian Endemic Species. I have gained leadership and project management skills that will will allow me to make larger contributions to conservation in Canada”

– Jaclyn Franceschini, Species Conservation Planning Assistant

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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

48% Government
23% Corporate & Foundations
20% Individuals
5% Contracted Projects
4% Other

A NOTE FROM OUR TREASURER

This has been an encouraging year, with strong growth in 2022 in our programs and financial stability across all measures. In 2022, we have seen growth in support from individual donors, foundation partners and governments enabling WPC to invest record amounts in conservation program activities. This support is important to maintain and improve the multi-year programs impacting the endangered species we work with. While our revenues and programs have grown significantly over 2022, we have been careful to maintain low administrative costs, to ensure we continue to leverage and expand our important conservation projects into the future.

– Stephen Brobyn, WPC Treasurer (2022)

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Gerald M. Durrell OBE

Shripal Doshi

Bridget Stutchbury, Ph.D.

Randal Heide

Stephen Brobyn

Christopher Boynton

Jocelyn Brodie

Jay Bryant

Ron Cuthbertson

Tanya Davis

Ian Glen

Douglas Hart

Julie Wood

Chris Von Boetticher

Michael Chisholm

Eleanor R. Clitheroe

Kathyrn B.P. Dempster

Lee Durrell, Ph.D.

W. Paterson Ferns, C.M.

Louise Gervais

Craig Gilpin

Graham F. Hallward

Peter Karsten

Anson R. McKim

Stephanie McLarty

Stephen T. Molson

H. Alec B. Monro

William Noble

Pinar Ozyetis

Thomas C. Sears

Eleanor R. Clitheroe

W. Paterson Ferns, C.M.

Stephen T. Molson

Lee Durrell, Ph.D.

SUPPORTERS

We want to thank our corporate, foundation, and individual donors who believe in our work and are willing to invest in the future survival of Canada’s wildlife. Your generosity is saving species from extinction.

An Anonymous Foundation
Alan and Patricia Koval Foundation
BE Power Equipment
BluEarth Renewables
The Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company of Canada
Bremner Family Fund
British Columbia Conservation Foundation
CAF Canada
David Charitable Trust
Don and Hazel Williams Foundation
EmMeMa
Ganawenim Meshkiki
Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation
Goodban Ecological Consulting Inc.
The Grant MacEwan Nature Protection Fund
Hagen Family Foundation
Hallward Fund
Hodgson Family Foundation
Holy Trinity School
Jean and Fred Biehl Fund
K.M. Hunter Charitable Foundation
The King Foundation
Kingston Solar LP
Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg
Laval University
Manitoba Burrowing Owl Recovery Program
Natural Resource Solutions Inc.
Ontario Power Generation
Pollination Guelph
The Printing House
Project Learning Tree
The Rogers Foundation
Smithsonian Institution
TD Friends of the Environment Foundation
Takla Foundation
Terrastory Environmental Consulting Inc.
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
University of Guelph
University of Toronto
The Westaway Charitable Foundation
Wilding Ceramics
Wilyn Pharmacy

Estate of Irene Bodner
Estate of Gwen Norsworthy

Two Anonymous Donors

Barbara Alderson
Constance Boldt
Stephen Brobyn
Sara Brown
Bill Caulfeild-Browne
Elizabeth Churcher
Brian Dawson
Brendan Donovan
Marsha Duncan
Areez Gangji
Rosanne Gasse
Dennis and Valerie Gielens
Shelley Gilmore
Dorothea Godt
John Grandy
Shirley Harrison
Douglas Hart
Emily Hildebrand
Glen Holmwood
Lee Joyes
Linda Kaser
Gail Luckhart
Rod MacFadyen
Eric Maki
Carole Marshall
Catherine McLean
Catherine Ruth McLeod
Alec and Joyce Monro
Nancy S. Netting
Neil and Amani Oakley
Roberta Olenick
Richard and Catherine Richardson
Katie Sanford
Christian Schroeder
Bridget Stutcbury and Gene Morton
Rob Tiarks
Cathy Wierckx
Julie Wood

Nolan Andres
Brian Armstrong
Keith Armstrong
Ryan Benninghaus
Martha Jo Breithaupt
Phyllis Burger
Cindy Clarke
David Clement
John Crookshank
Brittany Crossman
Simone Desilets
Steve and Rosemary Digby
Bruce Dowling
Robert Gillespie
Ian & Suzanne Glen
Maura Hamill
Randal Heide
David Hope
Lesley Howes
Alishia Hui
Melanie Isbister
Krystyn Izowski
Claire Kennedy
Nancy Kennedy
Ryan Koroll
Martin Kuhn
Jean-Christophe Lemay
Viola Loewen
Brian Luckman
Marion Magee
Laura Malaquias
Brenda Marceau
Judith McIntyre
Stephanie McLarty
Enid Mountjoy
Kathryn and Gordon
Nicholson
Robert Nichols
William Noble
Melanie Paradis
Joan Poulsen
Diana Rodrigues
Andres and Anna Saroli
Pam Snider
Rita Sorensen
Laurie White
Ken and Lynda Whiteford
Peggy Wilson
Judy Winton

Wildlife Guardians are a special group of dedicated individuals who support our work through recurring monthly donations. Wildlife Guardians make it possible for our conservation teams to help endangered animals throughout the year by providing steady funding.

Frieda Adams
Debbie Allen
Reza Amini
Jane Amro
Margo Anderson
Carollyn Andrews
Cindy Barr
Craig Barrett
Larry Baswick
Darby Bayly
Eva Bednar
Michael Bellefleur
Ryan Benninghaus
Monica Betz
Nancy Biehl
Trish Boag
Constance Boldt
Frank & Margaret Both
Alice Boudreau
Paul Bourque
Katherine Bowen
Rosemary Bower
Diane Brackett
Gina Breitkreutz
Elke Breutigam
Peter Bridger
Jocelyn Brodie
Ruth Bucknell
John Capin
Nathan Carlson
Eugenia Carson
Shivani Chandrakumar
Peter Chernoff
Anne Chisholm
Richard Chiu
Elizabeth Churcher
Cindy Clarke
Maurilio Cocca
Meryn Crawford
Colin Creasey
Donald Creelman
John Crookshank
Nancy Crossen
Anne Curtis
Ron Cuthbertson
Kathleen Dallman
Helen T. Daly
Christina de Souza
Monique Desaulniers
Simone Desilets
Jean Desrochers
Steve & Rosemary Digby
Jean Dilcock
Charles Dobson
Shripal Doshi
Bruce Dowling
Criscentia Dunbar
John Edmond
Joan Fenske
Corentin Fournier
Ryan Fox
Jessica Fraser
Joan Gazzard-Desrosiers
Marie Giesel
Dag Gillberg
Dorothea Godt
Fiona Griffiths
Lucy Guest
Franklin Guillaume
Margaret Hallward
Maura Hamill
Rachelle Hansen
Cassie Harding
Carol Hargreaves
Konrad Harley
Shirley Harris
Douglas Hart
Randal Heide
Guillermina Herbert
Emily Hildebrand
Shelley Hobbs
Flor De Maria Horta-Ash
Laura Hostick
Carolyn Hudson
Lilianne Humberset
Theresa Ichino
Jolanta Jason
Martha Johnson
Janet Kellam
Claire Kennedy
Patricia Killingworth
Richard Klotz
Ivars Kops
Bethany Kort
Neha Kulkarni
Mireille Lapensee
Don & Kathy Lea
Lyne Leclerc
Raynald Lemelin
Cynthia Leslie
Joyce Litster
Sarah Litterick
Viola Loewen
Dolores MacDonald
Kathleen MacNamara
Marion Magee
Cindy Manderscheid
R. Gordon Marantz
Marianna March
Sarah Matheson
Joan McCordick
Penelope McCracken
Denise McCready
Shirlee McEdwards-Monteith
Robyn McGowan
Judith McIntyre
Anson R McKim
N. Clare McMartin
Patti Meier
June Misener
Michelle Monteith
Bob Morgan
Gayle Morton
Kathryn Nicholson
William Noble
Brenda-Lee Normey
Raphael O’loughnan
Donna Pearson
Diane Peck
Chiquita Phillips
Hannelore Plonka
Maurice Prevost
Philip Price
Christine Quibell
Lea Ray
Lori Reinhart
Rhonda Rempel
Richard and Catherine Richardson
Johanne Rioux
Silvia Rodriguez
Lisa Rosenberger
Mitchell Rowe
Lina Sakellaropoulos
Katie Sanford
Nancy Sawers
Lorraine Scott
Marian Sinn
Rita Sorensen
Donald Stark
Matthew Stead
John Stewart
Anneliese Stoeger Alarie
Bridget Stutchbury
Brett Sura
Margaret Symons
Gina Taylor
Enid Irene Varney
Wendy Verkerk
Brenda Vogler
Chris Von Boetticher
Ann Walsh
Anne Ward
J. Michael Watts
Paul Wawryko
Alisa Weyman
Louise White
Dalene Wilkins
Danielle Williams
Peggy Wilson
Judy Winton
Julie Wood
Lance Woolaver
Patricia Wrightsell
Gerard and Mary Wyatt
Hongjin Zhu
Alison Ziemianski

ON THE HORIZON

As we are learning more and more with new scientific reports and publications coming out every few months, Canada’s biodiversity is under siege. Fortunately, the good news is that 2022 was another year of breakthroughs across WPC’s endangered species recovery programs. These advances are now more important than ever before. Just a few of our recent milestones included:

  • 1

    a 300% increase in the number of Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies released on Hornby Island

  • 2

    another record-breaking year releasing more than 23,000 Oregon spotted frogs to wetlands in the Fraser Valley

  • 3

    successful overwintering of massasauga rattlesnakes using artificial hibernacula, perfecting methods to bring massasaugas back to the unique Ojibway Prairie

  • 4

    a second year of nesting in the wild by head-started western painted turtles in the Fraser Valley, proof that the population is making a recovery due to our efforts

  • 5

    50 wild adult loggerhead shrikes observed by our field teams in eastern Canada, the highest number reported during the last five years

  • 6

    a record number of brown-belted bumble bee queens at the new conservation breeding lab, and first successful production of yellow-banded queens since 2017

  • 7

    4,137 bumble bees recorded in Ontario in the largest bumble bee monitoring program collecting information on bee distribution in the province

  • 8

    research estimating Butler’s gartersnake abundance, and their movements around deadly roads, to develop a management plan with local landowners

  • 9

    adult mottled duskywing butterflies observed at Pinery Provincial Park, confirmation that the initial released duskywings from 2021 survived and produced young

No other organization carries out hands-on conservation at this scale for threatened animals like frogs, snakes, turtles, songbirds, butterflies, and bumble bees across the country. I am immensely proud of the work being done and am grateful for the hard work and dedication of WPC’s team, making these advances in the face of adversity and challenge.

On the horizon for 2023 is first and foremost to capitalize on the momentum of these achievements and speed up the recovery timeline for the endangered animals we work with, to bring them back from the edge of extinction.

2023 will also be a year of sharing the techniques we’ve developed with other conservation organizations here and around the world. Our goal is always for the methods we pioneer to be shared and have greater collective impact. We really are at a stage now where all hands on deck are required if we are going to save our planet’s future.

Several new initiatives going into 2023 perfectly demonstrate this collaborative spirit. WPC will be working with First Nations partners to assemble Traditional Ecological Knowledge for massasauga rattlesnakes, to facilitate intergenerational knowledge transfer for Indigenous peoples and assist conservation efforts for wildlife on the lands they steward. We are also leading the creation of a Canadian Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Recovery Implementation Group, consisting of a range of experts and conservationists, to guide recovery efforts in Ontario. Similarly, we led creation of a Working Group for the Conservation of Ontario Turtles, another multi-partner initiative that includes experts and organizations from across the province. Together, we’re supporting the implementation of priority recovery actions and developing beneficial management practice guidelines for hands-on turtle conservation.

All these advancements would not have been possible without you, WPC’s supporters, staff, board of directors, and volunteers. Thank you for your dedication, making 2022 such a resounding success, and for setting us up for even more conservation impact to come.

Dr. Lance Woolaver Jr.
Executive Director

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© 2023 Wildlife Preservation Canada

Wildlife Preservation Canada
5420 Highway 6 North
Guelph, ON N1H 6J2

Toll free 1 (800) 956-6608
Phone 1 (519) 836-9314
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Territory Acknowledgement

WPC is headquartered in Guelph, Ontario on the homelands of many nations, including the Anishinaabek, Neutral, Métis, Mississauga, and Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and on the treaty lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. We work across Turtle Island, and have deep gratitude to all the Indigenous Peoples who have been, and continue to be, stewards and protectors the lands on which we rely.

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89171 0535 RR0001