Turtle Mountain Community Development Corporation

Whitewater Lake IBA, Manitoba

The Whitewater Lake IBA is located in southwestern Manitoba, north of Turtle Mountain Provincial Park. This globally significant IBA provides habitat for more than 250 species of birds. Up to a quarter million geese and ducks have been recorded here during the fall migration and when the lake levels are low, the largest concentrations of shorebirds in Manitoba can be found here. Sadly however, many people are unaware of how critical this site is to local bird populations.

To raise awareness in the surrounding community, the Turtle Mountain Community Development Corporation plans to develop interpretive signage and implement educational programs for school groups and the general public through the coordination of school tours and a birding day. This project will focus on increasing the number of youth who are introduced to birds, birding etiquette and the importance of conservation practices that will protect and preserve these significant habitats.

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Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP) Communities in Action Projects

In addition, from January to March of 2004, the Canadian Nature Federation supported Communities in Action projects at IBAs with funding from the Government of Canada Stewardship Program for Species at Risk. These projects focussed on habitat stewardship at IBAs for bird species at risk:

Bird Use and Impact Survey on Yellow Rails, and Landowners Conservation Agreements

Douglas Marsh Community Action Committee

Douglas Marsh IBA

Douglas Marsh, Manitoba, is a continentally-significant site for breeding Yellow Rails, which are listed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) as a species of special concern. This project is part of on-going work by the Douglas Marsh Community Action Committee to secure habitat for breeding Yellow Rails through stewardship agreements with marsh landowners, and to facilitate safe and low-impact ecotourism from birding groups who come to Douglas Marsh to hear and see Yellow Rails. This year's project involved designing a user impact survey to be carried out this summer that will quantify how visitors might be impacting rails and their habitat, as well as securing a landowner agreement that will protect 174 hectares of Yellow Rail habitat in perpetuity.

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