Leading with purpose
A season of partnerships
A summer of discovery and conservation
Victims of our own success
Reptile research on the global stage
Purple martins on Denman Island
Restoring an ecologically unique tropical bird
Letter from Lance
Dear Supporters,
As I look back on the year and the progress we’ve made across our conservation programs, I’m struck by how each program is a testament to our commitment to innovation, collaboration, and leadership – both in Canada and around the world. In previous newsletters I’ve discussed problem solving, partnerships and perseverance – all critical to success when saving a species from extinction, but I’ve left out an important P of conservation: Purpose.
For me, purpose is what drives everything we do. It’s not just about the technical successes or scientific breakthroughs, but the deep belief that our work matters – both for the species we protect and the future generations who will inherit this world. Purpose is what gives our work meaning, and it’s at the heart of every program we lead.
Take our Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery program for example. Here, our purpose is heavily rooted in collaboration. Working with partner facilities and organizations not only in Canada but the United States, we’ve expanded our impact beyond borders to address the threats this little songbird faces. We also recognize the importance of local landowners and conservation groups. Together, we are stronger and through partnerships we can tackle even the most daunting challenges.
In our Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly program, our purpose comes to life in our commitment to saving this endangered butterfly. As staff trekked through new terrain surveying for this wild butterfly back in June, they spotted over 100 caterpillars, only a few millimetres long. Identifying 9 different genetic matrilines, the team ensured we will have butterflies to breed and release next year.
Another program that stands out for me is the western painted turtle recovery program. Receiving an award for this work in B.C., as a part of the Coastal Painted Turtle Project partnership, it’s a milestone for everyone involved, including many other partners who all want to see this endangered turtle thriving. Again, we find purpose in collaboration and the ongoing efforts over the many years have resulted in recent increases in the scope and impact of our work.
Then there’s our ongoing dedication to provide opportunities for Canadian biologists to increase their expertise, where purpose is about legacy. Our Canada’s New Noah program is about the future we are building – not just for the species we protect, but for future generations. Having Rosie, our 33rd Canada’s New Noah overseas as we speak, developing new skillsets and gaining vital, firsthand experience in some of the world’s most successful conservation programs, means she’ll bring back a new perspective and hope for conservation programs in Canada. This long-term vision is what keeps us focused, reminding us that our efforts today are seeds of hope for tomorrow.
In the Ojibway Prairie Reptile Recovery Program, purpose is embedded in innovation. Pushing the boundaries of research in temperate snake reintroductions, we are always asking: how can we use this knowledge to have an even greater impact? Sharing this information at the World Congress of Herpetology, our Lead Biologist for the OPRREC program led a symposium on snake translocations. WPC’s work is being recognized across the globe amongst other herpetology professionals and this a testament to the expertise and passion of our teams.
And finally, our purpose in supporting the western purple martin work, is to amplify and inspire. Whether it’s through education or engaging the local community, the Denman Island Purple Martin Preservation Project team is igniting a passion in others. We are proud to share their efforts. For me, seeing the community come together is one of the most rewarding aspects of our work, and a hopeful reminder that a group of dedicated individuals can do anything they set their minds to.
Purpose, for me, is the thread that ties all of our work together. It’s the why behind every decision, every partnership, and every step forward. And it’s what makes your support so invaluable. You share this sense of purpose with us, and together, we are shaping a future where wildlife thrives without the threat of extinction.
Thank you for being a part of this journey with us.
Dr. Lance Woolaver Jr.,
Executive Director
Eastern loggerhead shrike
(Lanius ludovicianus migrans)
Status: Endangered
WPC’s longest running program, the recovery of the eastern loggerhead shrike demonstrates the time and effort required to save a species from extinction. Since 2003, WPC has been reintroducing loggerhead shrikes back to alvar grasslands in Ontario to bolster wild populations.
Photo: Napanee Shrike team (Jane Spero and Lakesha Smith) and staff from partner conservation breeding facilities (National Aviary and Parc Omega). Photo: J. Spero/WPC
Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery
This was my first official year as Lead Biologist of the Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery Program to save this endangered songbird, and although this summer was a fast-paced whirlwind of successes and challenges, I wouldn’t have changed it for the world!
In my previous role I was responsible for leading the team in field releases of juvenile shrikes reared at our partner conservation breeding facilities. This year brought me closer to wild population surveying and monitoring, conducting nest checks, deploying field cameras, and forming new relationships with landowners. With Helmi Hess, our Recovery Biologist stationed in Carden, Lakesha Smith, our Area Biologist stationed in Napanee, and our field technicians Jeremy and Andi, a total of twenty pairs of shrikes were located in the two breeding cores in Ontario where breeding loggerhead shrikes can reliably be found (7 in Carden, 13 in Napanee), 16 of which successfully reared 43 confirmed fledglings, which will be a great addition to the wild population.
This number held steady compared to 2023 – while we are still seeing low numbers of breeding pairs in the wild, the population seems to be relatively stable. This is in large part due to the efforts of our partners in the recovery program’s breeding and release initiative: this year we were able to release 43 independent juveniles onto the alvars in Carden and Napanee, which will help keep our wild population stable, as we work to address the biggest threats this subspecies faces. This number is an increase from last year, though a far cry from future release numbers we would like to strive for in order to see a real impact to the wild population.
What stood out to make the 2024 field season special was the engagement with our program partners, an element of shrike recovery that is absolutely invaluable but rarely spotlighted! Local landowners helped with enclosure repairs in Napanee, and landowner families joined us for handling young prior to release – an aspect of conservation I always welcome, since it is so exciting to connect children and youth to the work we do. Staff from our partner breeding facilities traveled from Pennsylvania and Quebec to join us for shrike releases in the field, giving everyone a chance to witness the birds experiencing life in the wild for the first time. Students from Lakehead University joined us in Carden to help with shrike monitoring surveys and to learn about the program, and staff from Couchiching Conservancy, a local land trust, joined us for a morning of shrike releases.
The enthusiasm and energy from these field site visits reinvigorated our staff, who are always happy and eager to discuss the program with those who are interested! It was so special to involve partners and members of the public in field activities, especially in releases of captive-reared young, since it is always exciting to witness these birds gaining access to the wide-open world for the first time. Sharing this element of the program is a full circle moment for staff from partner breeding facilities, who do not normally get to see the end result of all their hard work caring for breeding pairs.
I look forward to involving more partners in the field in years to come, since it really does take a village to save these amazing birds we know and love.
Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly
(Euphydryas editha taylori)
Status: Endangered in Canada
WPC’s recovery program for the Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly challenged the team to pioneer techniques in breeding and release for butterflies – an approach highlighted in the recovery strategy for this and other butterflies in Canada.
Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly on cotton swab filled with sugar water. Photo: M. Gardiner/WPC
Native Pollinator Initiative
In the landscapes of eastern Vancouver Island, a small but mighty creature has been capturing the attention of conservationists and nature enthusiasts alike. The Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly (TCB) with its distinctive orange, black, and white checkered wings, is not just a beautiful sight to behold—it’s a species fighting for survival. This summer, our dedicated team continued the exciting and crucial field mission to study and protect these remarkable insects.
The Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly, once abundant across the Pacific Northwest, has seen its population dwindle dramatically over the past decades. Habitat loss, climate change, and other human-induced factors have pushed this species to the brink of extinction. Today, it’s listed as Endangered, making our work more vital than ever.
While our focus is on Taylor’s checkerspot, like many of our recovery programs, the work extends far beyond this single species. These butterflies are what ecologists call an “indicator species”—their presence or absence can tell us a lot about the health of the entire ecosystem. By protecting this butterfly, we’re also safeguarding a whole network of plants and animals that share its habitat.
Our field team spent the summer scouring the rugged terrain of eastern Vancouver Island, focusing on areas around cutblocks—cleared sections of forest that often create the open, sunny habitats that TCBs prefer. Our mission was multifaceted and intensive:
Our work yielded exciting results. We observed a total of 49 adult checkerspots, each sighting a small victory for the species. More importantly, we collected 130 caterpillars from nine different female lines for the breeding program. This diversity is crucial for maintaining genetic health in the captive population.
Our summer field work provides valuable data that will inform future conservation efforts. We’re learning more about the checkerspot’s preferred habitats, its life cycle in the wild, and the challenges it faces. This information is crucial for developing effective strategies to protect and possibly reintroduce the species in even more areas from where it has disappeared.
The path to recovery for the Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly, as with all species at risk, is long and fraught with challenges. Climate change continues to alter their habitats, and human development encroaches on their remaining strongholds. Yet, with each passing season, with each successful sighting and caterpillar collected, we reach exciting milestones and grow more determined.
Western painted turtle
(Chrysemys picta bellii)
Status: Endangered on the Pacific Coast of Canada
The western painted turtle can live to well over 50 years old – if they can survive their most defenseless first years. Turtles face a number of threats, from habitat destruction to hungry predators. WPC’s headstarting and reintroduction program ensures that young turtles survive beyond their most vulnerable development stage.
Western painted turtle emerging from it’s eggshell. Photo: Ray Maichin Photography.
B.C. Reptile & Amphibian Recovery
We started out 2024 being victims of our own success.
We have been releasing and reintroducing western painted turtles, B.C.’s only remaining freshwater turtle, to previously occupied, historic, and now suitable habitats for over a decade. As a result of this recovery work, we now have populations with females now returning to nest. This shifts some of our focus to monitoring and making sure our new breeding females are producing successful clutches and that those clutches are able to be successful on our nesting beaches.
Turtle team searches nesting beach for turtle eggs. Photo: Ray Maichin Photography.
So this year, we hired our largest turtle monitoring crew to date, with ten staff to monitor eight field sites. They were responsible for watching nightly for females coming up to nest, collecting data on sizes and weights, and protecting and relocating at-risk nests. This was a huge and successful effort (we found more than 90 nests laid by WPC’s headstarted turtles compared to 36 in 2023, seven in 2022, and zero in 2021), resulting in valuable data and proving that all our hard work is making a big impact!
We did see an increase in mole predation on most of our nesting beaches. This was an issue years ago in the program, when monitoring was less rigorous and there were fewer sites, so the occurrence was documented but the extent was unknown. Now that we have many breeding sites and more monitoring we are becoming increasingly aware of the problem. Understanding the possible cyclical nature of the issue, we tested mole deterrents at our nesting sites. We tried acoustic deterrents (not very useful), barrier deterrents (mildly useful) and scent deterrents (most useful) and will continue to assess the use of deterrents in upcoming nesting seasons.
A successful year of monitoring resulted in 450 eggs being brought into our incubation program. Most of these eggs are destined for our hatch and release program, where we will care for and hatch them in specially designed facilities, and release them as young, hatchlings. We do this (rather than headstarting)for sites where hatching is known to be the main issue, and population numbers are generally high, either naturally or due to previous years of our head starting release program.
Turtle hatchling in the hands of a team member, before release. Photo: Ray Maichin Photography.
For example, our head starting sites that are reaching capacity for releases may have mole predation issues. To ensure the eggs from an entire nesting season are not consumed we incubated roughly half of each nest and used the other half to test mole deterrents. Once hatched, and out of harm’s way from moles, we release the hatchlings back into the pond. For our naturally high populations, such as our community monitored site, we collect the vulnerable eggs, incubate and return all hatchlings. In both cases this is to avoid over-populating the site.
Turtle eggs uncovered at nesting site. Photo: Ray Maichin Photography.
Two new nesting beaches will be provided for our community-monitored population, which will allow eggs to be safely relocated onsite, without removal to the facility off-site. Community members will then monitor the nests and hatching in the natural environment – exactly what we want to see more of and very exciting for them and us!
Ojibway Prairie Reptile Recovery
The Ojibway Prairie Complex and Greater Park Ecosystem (OPCGPE) in Ontario’s Windsor-LaSalle region is home to several threatened reptile species, including eastern foxsnakes, Butler’s gartersnakes, and a critically endangered population of massasauga rattlesnakes. The Ojibway Prairie Reptile Recovery Team (OPRREC) works to protect and monitor these species.
Photo: Eastern massasauga rattlesnake, C. Fournier/WPC
Ojibway Prairie Reptile Recovery
Collaboration is central to WPC’s mission, as we share our innovative work with conservation organizations not only across Canada but worldwide. We are passionate about saving the species we work with and are discovering new methods that can be used by other organizations to help other species in need.
While our focus at the Ojibway Prairie in southwestern Ontario is on saving the eastern massasauga rattlesnake and Butler’s gartersnake, the techniques we are developing could improve snake translocations at the global scale. We have shared this work with four papers published in major scientific journals over the last two years. As we work toward long-term population augmentation, exploring innovative strategies like artificial hibernacula and translocation – our research is now gaining global recognition.
This recognition recently resulted in my leading an entire symposium on snake reintroductions at the World Congress of Herpetology, the world’s most important gathering of reptile and amphibian researchers and conservation leaders.
The symposium “Improving conservation and mitigation outcomes of snake translocations – Global lessons” aimed to bring together leading snake researchers to share knowledge and advance the science of snake reintroduction. Many past snake translocations have suffered from short-term increases in mortality or increased dispersal after translocation and there is still much to learn to improve outcomes. Having recently published a review of the global snake translocation literature, identifying eight tactics associated with positive snake translocation outcomes, I was eager to share our results with the global snake conservation community.
The event, attended by over 65 delegates, was a great success, with seven speakers representing Australia, Canada, England, Hungary and the US. Presentations covered both global/national trends in snake translocations and species-specific studies, including work with the Hungarian meadow viper, giant gartersnake, and coastal carpet python, among others. Major themes in more than half of the talks included translocations of wild-caught and adult snakes, “hard” releases, addressing human-snake conflict, and the use of radiotelemetry for post-release monitoring.
WPC is grateful to have had this opportunity to share our experiences and knowledge with other leading snake translocation researchers and to learn from them at the same time. I would like to express a special thank you to the Carl Gans Foundation for its generous support in making this possible.
Purple martins and their nest boxes. Photo: C. Rea
Western Purple Martin
The Denman Island community is excited and grateful to strike a new partnership with WPC to preserve the western purple martin. It should be noted that this partnership is not a first for WPC! The first conservation breeding program of the Taylor’s Checkerspot butterfly in Canada was established by WPC in 2012, with operational support from 2013 to 2016. A breeding facility was created by Peter Karsten on his Denman Island property, an instrumental step toward a successful program execution. With the help of volunteers, approximately 3,000 post-diapause larvae were bred and released to augment the dwindling population on Denman Island. After this success, WPC moved the program to the Vancouver Zoo in May of 2016, and it is ongoing to this day.
In early spring of 2012, Peter Karsten recognized a similar conservation need related to the purple martin population decline. He built and placed six nest boxes at the Denman Community Dock to attract purple martins to start a nesting colony; this approach had been supported by avian biologists, citing the decline in standing dead trees which have been historically used by these birds prior to competition from starlings and house sparrows. The purple martins occupied the nest boxes that same year, encouraging volunteers to continue with this effort. Additional boxes were mounted in 2014 and 2015 to accommodate the growing colony, a sign that the program had potential for success. Over the years, the task to maintain and replace the nest boxes grew and in 2024 a group of 20 volunteers formed the Denman Island Purple Martin Preservation Project. The group’s mission is to “sustain a viable breeding colony of Western Purple Martins on Denman Island B.C. for its preservation into the future”. The task force sprang into action in the fall of 2023 to replace the aging 22 nest boxes with an additional five to spare. Peter milled about 250 feet of western red cedar boards on his Swedish sawmill, and even fabricated metal elevator mounts to raise and lower nest boxes on poles bolted to the railing of the gangway at the dock. Eager volunteers teamed up to construct the new boxes and mounted 22 of them before the purple martins returned from their wintering grounds in Brazil in late April. A handful of long white pine needles and fine twigs were added to give the nests starting material. Purple martins use this as a foundation for their nest and will add a few green leaves to complete. The purple martins returned in 2024 and took to the refurbished homes with enthusiasm, occupying nearly all of the nest boxes. Local volunteers monitored the nests and estimated that approximately 50-70 purple martin chicks were raised to fledge, heading back to Brazil in late August.
Work crew at the Community Dock. Photo: C. Rea
Over the next few months, the Denman Island Team will clean the nest boxes and plan for community education and outreach efforts moving forward. Short term goals include outreach to the elementary school to educate students on the biology of purple martins and their relationship to Denman Island. Inciting excitement about these birds, which many students see flying about the ferry terminal(s) between April and August, could lead to implementing an annual celebration of their return each spring. A longer-term plan includes developing (at Denman West) and replacing (at Buckley Bay) an informational kiosk to educate the public about the biology of these important birds. Ultimately developing an ‘army’ of citizen scientists would do a great service to continued support for this project. WPC is excited to be part of this amazing initiative and to play a significant role in helping the community of Denman Island and beyond to ensure continued support for this important species.
Canada’s New Noah
Since 1988, the Canada’s New Noah program has given young biologists in Canada the opportunity of a lifetime. Each year, Wildlife Preservation Canada selects a post-secondary graduate from dozens of applicants across Canada for the single, coveted position at the Durrell Conservation Academy followed by placement on the tropical island of Mauritius in the western Indian Ocean.
This red-tailed tropicbird chick is too small to band today, but we will check back periodically as she grows – eventually reaching the size of the bird in the photo on the left with it’s long tail streamers. Photo: R. Heffernan.
Canada’s New Noah
The next stage of my conservation training as WPC’s Canada’s New Noah, takes me to Round Island, a remote volcanic islet off the coast of Madagascar. Working with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation to restore the native habitat offers a unique training experience on one of the few islands that has never been invaded by rats or non-native reptiles, with global significance as a leading site for conservation and scientific excellence.
Monday morning, 5 am wakeup call in Mauritius! After checking the fresh foods for vagrant seeds and insects, we load biosecure supply barrels into the truck for a one-hour drive to the harbour. We leave the mainland by 6 am and one hour later, Round Island materializes on the horizon. Though just 2 square kilometers, it feels larger, perhaps due to the knowledge that this island contains the last populations on earth of several flora and fauna species. Upon arrival the team hauls 30-40 supply barrels up a steep volcanic mountain to the field station, thoroughly checking for invasive species before unpacking. That night, we sleep undisturbed by even the most haunting cries of the resident wedge-tailed shearwaters.
Tuesday morning, we survey a unique hybrid of three seabird species – the Round Island petrel – which nests nowhere else in the world. We record nesting behaviour, band IDs, and band new nesters, even finding a baby red-tailed tropicbird that looks like a fuzzy vanilla cupcake! That evening, we hike across the island to water a restored plant community before a nocturnal reptile survey for endemic geckos, skinks, and snakes.
Rosie holds a red-tailed tropicbird during a survey. Photo: R. Heffernan.
Wednesday morning, while watering another restored plant community, we encounter a mischievous Aldabra tortoise that has broken through the protective metal fencing as though made of play-dough. It takes four of us to lift the tortoise out of Fern Forest, before we replace the broken panel, anchoring it to the ground with the largest boulders we can carry, hoping to deter tortoises from further breaking and entering. That afternoon we do field station chores, including filtering rainwater for drinking, inventorying first aid stocks, and rationing food supplies.
Thursday morning, we carry mixing cement to the world’s last remaining Round Island hurricane palm. A 40-foot platform will be constructed to allow for its fruits to be pollinated by hand to produce palm saplings to repopulate the island. That evening, we hike to the summit to water a blossoming planted habitat, awed by the beauty achieved by innovative conservation work. We watch as the sun turns the plants golden, and soon it’s time for another reptile survey.
Mauritian Wildlife Foundation flora biologist tests a ladder and platform system to reach the world’s last wild hurricane palm. This palm must be pollinated by hand in an attempt to repopulate the island. Photo: D. Barnes-Rider.
We leave early Friday morning to survey invasive flora before the hottest part of the day by searching 100 square meter quadrats for species like Chromolaena odorata, an invasive shrub that grows over 5 feet tall, and Heteropogon contortus, another invasive grass that grows deceivingly amongst two native grasses. We spend the afternoon weeding, sowing, and repotting in the plant nursery, and entering data from the week’s surveys.
Saturday morning, we remove the giant flowering Chromolaena found yesterday, a task as delicate as it is laborious. Flowers must be removed one by one to prevent further distribution of this invasive species, and the roots must be dug up from over a meter deep.
Sunday is a full rest day, much needed to physically recuperate from the intense workweek. I strap on some ice packs as I reflect on the week.
Coming here more experienced with wildlife than plants, I have learned that protecting the two go hand in hand. I leave with having developed new skillsets, including rare plant propagation, identifying minute differences between native and invasive grass species, systematic invasive species management, and identifying sources of stress in native plants. I look forward to applying my new skills to Canadian wildlife conservation when I return home.
Founder
Gerald M. Durell OBE
President
Shripal Doshi
Past President
Bridget Stutchbury, Ph.D.
Secretary
Randal Heide
Treasurer
Stephen Brobyn
Directors
Tom Blackbird
Christopher Boynton
Jocelyn Brodie
Jay Bryant
Tanya Davis
Gail Fraser
Douglas Hart
Julie Wood
Honorary Directors
Chris Von Boetticher
Michael Chisholm
Eleanor R. Clitheroe
Kathryn B.P. Dempster
Lee Durrell, Ph.D.
W. Paterson Ferns, C.M.
Louise Gervais
Craig Gilpin
Ian Glen
Graham F. Hallward
Peter Karsten
Anson R. McKim
Stephanie McLarty
Stephen T. Molson
H. Alec B. Monro
William Noble
Pinar Ozyetis
Thomas C. Sears
Executive Director
Lance Woolaver Jr., Ph.D
Charitable Registration No.
89171 0535 RR0001
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