2003-2004 Community Action Fund MANITOBA DOUGLAS MARSH HABITAT PROTECTION AND INTERPRETIVE PROJECT DOUGLAS MARSH COMMUNITY ACTION COMMITTEE DOUGLAS MARSH IBA, MANITOBA Birders and guided bird groups come to Douglas Marsh where extensive fens hold very large numbers of the nationally vulnerable yellow rail. This secretive and intriguing bird is one of the ten most sought after species on the North American bird watchers life list. Consequently, Douglas Marsh has become an important stop for commercial birding tours and nature walks. Unfortunately, the pressure from ecotourism may ultimately threaten the habitat of this Important Bird Area. To compound the impacts of human activity, road improvements will be made through the marsh area in the near future. To ensure that mitigation efforts are adhered to, the Action Committee intends to maintain and further develop good relations with the highway department, and continue to act as a conservation watchdog to protect yellow rails and their habitat. The Community Action Committee of Douglas Marsh is an umbrella organization established four years ago to address the threats to the sustainability of the yellow rail population and habitat. Comprised of local landowners, residents, and other like-minded organizations, the committee drafted a conservation plan that serves as a guide for all initiatives and action. Among the goals of the Protection and Interpretive Project are the creation of designated trails through yellow rail habitat and the expansion of public education beyond the immediate community to enhance and ensure protection of the IBA.   RED-HEADED WOODPECKER NESTING PROJECT ALONSA CONSERVATION DISTRICT KINOSOTA-LEIFUR IBA, MANITOBA The Kinosota-Leifur IBA is known for its large population of red-headed woodpeckers, a nationally vulnerable species that is generally uncommon and rare in Manitoba. The surprisingly large population of red-headed woodpeckers in the IBA is due to this bird’s preference for sparse woodlands, or where they are commonly observed, in the overgrazed pasture areas with large amounts of dead and dying poplar trees. Each breeding season, about 100 birds are estimated to be present in the area: 3 per cent or more of the Canadian population. The threats facing this species are competition for nesting holes and specific foraging habitat. The nesting project is a continuation of invaluable efforts in raising public awareness of the habitat and nesting requirements of these woodpeckers in the Kinosota-Leifer Important Bird Area. To raise the public profile of this project, the Alonsa Conservation District (ACD) is soliciting the cooperation of more than twenty cattle producers in the area, building a conservation-oriented and amiable rapport with landowners, and planning to build more boxes to increase the abundance of this vulnerable species. To evoke a sense of pride in cooperating landowners and cattle producers, the Alonsa Conservation District will provide gate signs that publicize their contribution and participation in the project. With the aim of inciting a sense of community and stewardship among area students, the organization will be partnering with the local school to construct and erect nesting boxes in suitable habitat. Involving the school in the nest box construction is a quick and effective way to engage area residents in conservation efforts, as friends and family become indirectly involved. The project offers an invaluable experience to students, teachers and parents alike. The reward: a greater sense of community for participants and a home for the birds.   WHITEWATER LAKE IBA PROJECT TURTLE MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WHITEWATER LAKE IBA, MANITOBA The Whitewater Lake IBA is located in the southwestern corner of Manitoba, north of Turtle Mountain Provincial Park. Whitewater Lake is an alkaline body of water that may contain no water for two or three years at a time during dry cycles. When the lake levels are low, remarkable throngs of shorebirds can be seen, sometimes comprised of more than 20,000 individuals. The IBA is a globally significant habitat as it supports up to a quarter of a million geese and ducks during fall migration. The general public, however, does not recognize its importance to birds. To raise awareness in the surrounding community, the Turtle Mountain Community Development Corporation is highlighting many of the bird species found at the lake annually, and the environmental issues facing them. The goal of the Whitewater Lake IBA project is to develop interpretive signage, and implement educational opportunities for school groups and other community members through the coordination of school tools and a spring birding day. Participants will be invited to visit the IBA and will be paired with a knowledgeable interpreter. School activities and interpretive tours will be promoted to introduce birds and birding “etiquette” to area youth. In the past, interpretive and educational signs at Whitewater Lake have been effective in promoting stewardship and conservation of the IBA. As a result, the group will be adding more to discourage invasive visitors and encourage nature-friendly and non-invasive bird and nature watching.   SONGBIRD, RAIL AND BITTERN SURVEYS SELKIRK BIRD WATCHERS CLUB/NETLEY MARSH WATERFOWL FOUNDATION INC. NETLEY-LIBAU IBA, MANITOBA The Netley-Libau Marsh is situated at the south end of Lake Winnipeg, where the Red River enters the lake. The marsh is known for its tremendous concentrations of southward migrating birds, with numbers of geese and ducks exceeding 100,000 during fall migration. As a result of invasive plant species such as purple loosestrife, the marsh is experiencing a loss of habitat crucial to the southward-migrating waterfowl that pass through this area. The Netley Marsh Waterfowl Foundation (NMWF) was founded by members who saw an urgency to address and halt habitat loss. Due to the lack of data on marsh song- and waterbirds, the main focus of the project is to survey breeding populations of these birds. The Selkirk Bird Watchers Club and the Netley Marsh Waterfowl Foundation have proposed a monitoring study to help assess the potential impact of pressures facing the Netley-Libau Marsh. The monitoring survey will include a number of priority bird species, including the threatened least bittern and yellow rail.     back to map