Forty years and counting
Hibernation hacks
One decade, countless bees
Saving species since 1985
Nothing bland about these turtles
One plan to save them all
Changing conservation forever
Photo: A. Bowman
Letter from Lance
This edition of On the Edge holds a special personal significance for me.
2025 marks Wildlife Preservation Canada’s 40th Anniversary — four decades of unwavering commitment to preventing extinction and protecting Canada’s most endangered species.
When author and naturalist Gerald Durrell founded WPC in 1985, his mission was to save the very rarest of rare species. Gerry was far ahead of his time, recognizing the impending biodiversity crisis but also our collective power to reverse extinctions.
I was deeply aware of WPC’s mission long before I joined the organization as Canada’s New Noah in 1997. I fanatically followed the groundbreaking species conservation efforts of Gerald Durrell’s Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust and Wildlife Preservation Trust Canada. Back then, only a handful of individuals and organizations were focused on saving species from the brink. That mission inspired me then — and continues to drive everything we do at WPC today.
I’ve talked before about the “Four P’s of Conservation”: Problem-solving, Partnerships, Perseverance, and Purpose. These pillars are essential to the long-term survival of any charitable organization. But there’s a fifth “P” — and it’s the most important of all: People.
Remarkable people have shaped WPC’s achievements from the very beginning.
Passionate, steadfast and expert staff and volunteers, partners, donors, and supporters — including a great many who have stood with us since day one — it’s these people who’ve made our successes possible.
WPC’s mission continues to resonate because it offers something rare in a world increasingly filled with environmental despair: hope backed by real achievements and real impact.
Since our beginnings, WPC has grown to become Canada’s leading and most experienced organization dedicated to breeding endangered species and reintroducing them to the wild — Giving back directly to nature.
No other organization in the country can match our track record. And our core belief remains unwavering: Extinction is not an option.
And these efforts don’t just prevent individual species from disappearing – they help them recover and thrive. Our reintroduction programs also drive the restoration of critical habitats, which benefit all species.
In the past year alone, WPC released over 7,400 animals into the wild across Canada — from head-started turtles and tadpoles raised in our innovative “love tubs,” to newly hatched caterpillars and young songbirds. Each release marks a victory in a much larger battle.
In our early days, many doubted the feasibility of conservation breeding and reintroductions. They wrongly thought that species reduced to a few dozen individuals were a lost cause. But WPC — and all of you — knew otherwise.
If we had faltered, there would be no strikingly orange and white checkered Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies fluttering on B.C.’s Hornby Island. No golden swift fox kits play-wrestling in Saskatchewan’s grasslands. No black-masked loggerhead shrikes hunting Ontario’s pastures.
Internationally, WPC-trained “Canada’s New Noahs” have helped save 100’s of species like the Ridgway’s hawk, ploughshare tortoise, echo parakeet (pictured above with Lance), and Round Island boa.
One of the most common questions I am asked is “How do you remain positive with all of the terrible news about the environment?”
My reply is always “The people that I meet.” We rarely hear about the 1,000’s of conservation success stories and the conservation heroes that are making them happen. I’ve had the privilege of meeting many of these heroes, young and old, from all walks of life, cultures and backgrounds that all share a resolute determination to never give up, and I’m still meeting them. Every day.
So, thank you for believing with us that extinction is not an option and for helping make that belief a reality over the last 40 years and counting.
Dr. Lance Woolaver Jr.,
Executive Director, Wildlife Preservation Canada
Oregon spotted frog
(Rana pretiosa)
Status: Endangered in Canada
Conservation breeding, headstarting, & release are core activities of WPC to restore Oregon spotted frogs to historic sites throughout the Fraser River valley. The techniques to save this species will be used to save other frog species here in Canada in the future.
Photo: B. Hunter
Fraser Valley Recovery
Overwintering is a critical phase in the life cycle of many amphibians, including frogs, which are particularly vulnerable during colder seasons. As ectotherms, frogs’ internal body temperatures are regulated by their external environment, making them especially susceptible to temperature fluctuations. Understanding the strategies frogs use to survive winter is crucial for conservation efforts and understanding amphibian population dynamics in different ecosystems.
Frogs utilize various overwintering strategies that allow them to cope with cold weather, ranging from physiological adaptations that prevent freezing to behavioral mechanisms that help them avoid extreme conditions.
One of the most common strategies for overwintering frogs, and that which Oregon spotted frogs utilize, is hibernation. Spotted frogs burrow into the mud at the bottom of ponds to escape freezing temperatures. By burying themselves below the freeze line, frogs can avoid the freezing surface temperatures and remain protected in the more stable environment below the surface.
The depth at which frogs overwinter depends on the species and environmental conditions. Oregon spotted frogs hibernate at least a foot below the water surface, keeping them out of reach of the ice layer that can form. In our ex-situ breeding population (a group of frogs bred outside of their natural habitat) we need to make sure that our outdoor tanks holding our breeding animals do not freeze during the winter. In the wild, the ground acts as an excellent insulator, keeping the frogs safe during freezing temperatures. In our program, our tanks are relatively small in size and their position above the ground means that they are more likely to freeze in from the sides and up from the bottom. So in order to protect our breeding population we wrap our tanks in insulation and heating cables that keep the water just barely above freezing.
In the wild, Oregon spotted frogs also seek out specific microhabitats that provide extra oxygenation, such as natural springs or protection such as beaver lodges. We replicate these features with a bubbler system and complex tank structure including a thick layer of leaves and sticks. Additionally, frogs living in aquatic environments may seek deeper waters, where the temperature remains more stable, allowing them to avoid surface freezes.
Many frogs, including Oregon spotted frogs, undergo metabolic depression to survive through the winter months. During this period, their metabolic rate slows down drastically, which reduces their energy requirements. This allows them to survive without food for extended periods. For our frogs that means they get their last meal in mid October and they won’t eat again until they are done breeding in March. This coincides with the natural insect cycle and is exactly what they were meant to do. In fact feeding them during this time can be harmful as anything they consume could remain undigested in their stomach and cause toxicity.
Our specialized frog tanks wrapped in insulation and covered in snow during the cold winters. Photo: M. Hampson.
Several environmental factors play a role in the success of overwintering in frogs. Temperature fluctuations and the availability of suitable overwintering sites are all critical factors that determine whether frogs will survive the winter.
Overwintering in frogs is a complex process that involves a combination of behavioural and physiological strategies designed to cope with cold or extreme environmental conditions. These strategies are highly diverse and are remarkable in their ability of certain species to survive extreme environments. Understanding these strategies provides valuable insight into amphibian ecology and survival, especially in the face of climate change, which may alter the temperature and hydrology patterns that frogs rely on for successful overwintering.
Native Pollinator Initiative
For over a decade, our team has been surveying bumble bees across Ontario, gathering critical data to understand how populations are changing over time. By monitoring long-term, we can track trends in species diversity and abundance, helping to detect population declines before they become irreversible. By collecting this information, we can better inform conservation strategies to protect both common and at-risk species.
Since we began our field surveys in 2012, we have recorded over 34,000 individual bumble bee observations, spanning nearly 500 different sites. Through this work, we have observed and identified 20 different bumble bee species, each playing a role in the diverse pollination network that supports wild plants and crops. These field surveys serve two key purposes: long-term monitoring of bumble bee populations and collection of wild queens for our conservation breeding lab. Our surveys take place in Ontario in the spring when bumble bee queens emerge from overwintering to establish new colonies. During this time, our teams visit a range of habitats including public and provincial parks, conservation areas, and even roadsides capturing bumble bees using insect nets.
The frequently found common eastern bumble bee on an apple tree. (Photo: M. Arseneault)
By far the most frequently observed species in our surveys is the common eastern bumble bee accounting for 32% of all our records. In contrast, some species remain elusive, appearing only occasionally in our surveys. Among the at-risk species, we’ve observed the yellow-banded bumble bee and American bumble bee, both of which have declined significantly across their range and are both listed as species of Special Concern. Although our surveys specifically focus on finding and monitoring the yellow-banded bumble bee, this species still makes up less than 4% of the bumble bees we observe each year. While we have found evidence of populations persisting in certain areas, their overall numbers remain low, reinforcing the importance of continued monitoring and conservation efforts.
One species we hope to find, but have not, is the rusty-patched bumble bee. Once common in parts of southern Ontario, this species has not been recorded in Canada since 2009. Despite our ongoing efforts and careful searches, its continued absence from our surveys reflects the severity of its decline.
This past spring, our field teams were active in both the Guelph and Sudbury regions. Over the course of the season, we completed 140 surveys across 94 different sites, including 21 new locations, helping us track populations in previously unsurveyed areas. Our teams spent an impressive 631 hours in the field this year. This level of effort is critical for accurately assessing bumble bee populations, as surveys must be conducted across a variety of habitats and environmental conditions to capture a full picture of species trends
A rusty patched bumble bee sips nectar from a wild bergamot flower. (Photo: Jill Utrup/USFWS)
In total, we recorded 15 different bumble bee species and observed 3,882 individual bumble bees, with 133 belonging to at-risk species. Among these, 121 were yellow-banded bumble bees, with most individuals found in northern Ontario, particularly by our Sudbury field team. This aligns with previous years, where northern regions appear to support more stable populations of this declining species. Meanwhile, as in past seasons, the common eastern bumble bee was once again the most frequently observed species.
Year after year, our fieldwork provides valuable insights into bumble bee populations, helping us track species trends, key foraging plants, and important nesting habitats. This long-term monitoring is essential for guiding conservation efforts, allowing us to focus on species most in need of protection and ensuring that we effectively support their habitats. Additionally, the data we collect helps us evaluate potential sites for future conservation breeding releases, ensuring that reintroduced populations have the best chance of thriving. As we continue our surveys, we remain committed to protecting and restoring bumble bee populations across Ontario.
Yellow-banded bumble bee
(Bombus terricola)
Status: Special concern
WPC’s Native Pollinator Initiative identifies factors causing bumble bee population declines, and develops techniques for recovery focused on research, monitoring, outreach, citizen science, and conservation breeding. It is a multi-species effort to save Canada’s native pollinators from extinction.
Photo: T. Harrison
Blanding’s turtle
(Emydoidea blandingii)
Status: Endangered in Canada; threatened in Ontario
The bright yellow throat and high-domed shell of this medium-sized turtle make it easy to recognize. Once found in wetlands across southern Ontario and parts of Quebec, Blanding’s turtles have seen their numbers decline due to habitat loss, road mortality, and illegal collection. In Ontario, they are now limited to fragmented populations, while in Quebec, they are found in only a few isolated locations. Their slow growth and late maturity make conservation efforts critical to ensuring their survival.
Photo: C. Fournier
Ojibway Prairie Reptile Recovery
As I enter my first field season as Project Biologist for the Butler’s gartersnake and Blanding’s turtle wing of the Ojibway Prairie Reptile Recovery (OPRREC) initiative, I am excited to begin the work we have planned! The expansion of our species recovery program to include Blanding’s turtles began in 2022, when I was a seasonal field technician and we were conducting our annual survey of Turkey Creek in LaSalle, Ontario. Towards the end of our survey, we spotted what looked like a Blanding’s turtle basking on a log, and one of my colleagues heroically dove into the water to capture it. Sure enough, it was a Blanding’s turtle! We were thrilled to make this observation. Fast forward to 2024, and our first dedicated Blanding’s turtle surveys have begun.
Kathleen Woodhouse, Lead Field Technician for the OPRREC Program, holds up an adult Blanding’s turtle during surveys. (Photo: A. Simeoni)
Our initial step towards species recovery is to develop a baseline for current occupancy in historically-inhabited areas. With this in mind, we first started with surveys for Blanding’s turtles across Essex County and in 2025, these surveys will expand to more locations with new measures being employed. One of the techniques that will be quite informative for us will be our radio tracking of these threatened turtles. By outfitting adult turtles with a transmitter, we will be able to understand their movement behaviour (Are they often crossing roads? Can we intervene to reduce the risk of human-turtle conflict?), identify key habitats within their home ranges, and identify nests we could monitor and guard to ensure as many new individuals are entering the population as possible.
One of the natural by-products of surveying for Blanding’s turtles is the observation of other turtle species, including the non-native red-eared slider. Red-eared sliders are an invasive species in Ontario and their presence in local ecosystems exacerbates competition pressures with native turtles. While the overlap in occupancy between Blanding’s turtles and red-eared sliders is currently unknown in our local ecosystems, understanding where the red-eared slider hotspots are can help inform invasive species management plans. In addition to making a concerted effort to note the presence of red-eared sliders, gravid adult females that we encounter will also be fitted with radio transmitters to identify the locations of their nests. These nests will be monitored in a similar fashion to the nests of Blanding’s turtles so we can understand the expected rate of recruitment of new individuals, as well as observe if these sites are also being used by native turtles or if the available nesting habitat has been completely taken over by this invasive species.
These are exciting times as we gear up to help recover another at-risk species, adding them to our list of target species here at the Ojibway Prairie Reptile Recovery Program! Blanding’s turtles are a wonderfully charismatic species, and their presence throughout our ecosystems serves as a welcomed reminder of the ways in which the beauty of life persists despite challenges. The thought of waterways around Essex County teeming with native turtles once seldom seen, fuels our passion for the recovery of this distinctive species.
Kathleen Woodhouse, Lead Field Technician for the OPRREC Program, measures the width of a Blanding’s turtle shell in the field. (Photo: A. Simeoni)
The Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Working Group convenes at the Toronto Zoo for a conservation planning workshop.
CPSG Canada is a Regional Resource Center of the Conservation Planning Specialist Group (CPSG), part of the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature – the world’s largest volunteer conservation-science network!. To enhance national conservation efforts and save species, CPSG Canada employs CPSG’s globally recognized planning tools and processes, provides technical and facilitation support for planning workshops, and builds capacity for conservation planning in Canada. CPSG Canada is hosted by Wildlife Preservation Canada (WPC) and supported by members at African Lion Safari and Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo
Conservation Planning
Wildlife Preservation Canada is known for taking direct, hands-on action to save endangered species. We’re the boots on the ground in the fight against extinction. Unfortunately, many wildlife species are still at risk of disappearing from Canada and most of them lack adequate action plans to support their recovery. As more and more species are faced with extinction due to mounting environmental pressures, the situation is only expected to get worse.
We are here to help turn the tide by not only taking action but also supporting collaborative conservation planning initiatives. We recognize that before we can implement conservation efforts that will be successful, we first need a conservation plan that is based on the best available information and is supported by everyone involved.
To accomplish this, WPC proudly serves as the host of the Regional Resource Center in Canada for the Conservation Planning Specialist Group (CPSG). CPSG is on a mission to save threatened species by increasing the effectiveness of conservation efforts worldwide using the One Plan Approach to species conservation. Being part of this global approach means WPC isn’t just working in isolation — we’re contributing to a coordinated, science-backed strategy to prevent extinction, because extinction isn’t an option.
Under the One Plan Approach, diverse partners work together to create a comprehensive conservation plan for a species that considers all populations (wild or captive) and all possible management options to support conservation of the species in the wild. This integrated approach ensures that the best management options are implemented, including intensive strategies, such as conservation breeding and release, reintroduction, and translocation, when needed, and stimulates greater collaboration by involving participants from all corners of the conservation community.
CPSG helps teams develop conservation plans through science-based, inclusive, and participatory workshops that have proven results in reversing the decline of threatened species. As a Regional Resource Center, CPSG Canada is part of a global network of facilitators trained to deliver species conservation planning workshops. We adapt these proven tools and techniques to our own unique needs and bring them to bear to strengthen recovery planning and implementation for Canadian species.
CPSG Canada members from WPC, Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, and African Lion Safari have helped develop conservation plans for a wide variety of species including snakes, songbirds, cranes, caribou, wolves and even rare plants. The team recently facilitated workshops to develop an international conservation plan for eastern loggerhead shrike informed by a complex metapopulation model and to assess integrated approaches to recover Furbish’s lousewort in New Brunswick. These collaborative planning processes resulted in long-term conservation goals and actionable strategies to support the survival of these endangered species.
By bringing together key people and information, the One Plan Approach links the conservation needs of a species directly to those on the frontline who are prepared to act.
CPSG Canada Convener, Stephanie Winton, poses next to the Gerald Durrell statue at Jersey Zoo. (Photo: S. Winton)
In addition to founding WPC 40 years ago, Gerald Durrell played an instrumental role in forming the Captive Breeding Specialist Group, the precursor of CPSG. Gerry, a pioneer of conservation breeding and advocate for the contribution of zoos to conservation, hosted the first World Conference on Breeding Endangered Species in Captivity as an Aid to their Survival at the Jersey Zoo in 1972. At this conference, zoo and field conservation practitioners first came together and eventually formed a Specialist Group, bridging the gap between the two communities to advance conservation. We hope that he would be proud to know two of his legacies, WPC and CPSG, are all still going strong and working together to boost the effectiveness of conservation.
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
Jay Bryant
Tanya Davis
Gail Fraser, ph.D
Douglas Hart
Julie Wood
Honorary Directors
Chris Von Boetticher
Michael Chisholm
Eleanor R. Clitheroe
Kathyrn B.P. Dempster
Lee Durrell, Ph.D.
W. Paterson Ferns, C.M.
Louise Gervais
Ian Glen
Graham F. Hallward
Peter Karsten, ph.D
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
Scientific Advisory Council
Lee Durrell, ph.D
Peter Karsten, ph.D
Charitable Registration No.
89171 0535 RR0001