2003-2004 Community Action Fund ONTARIO DISCOVERING YOUR IBA PRINCE EDWARD POINT BIRD OBSERVATORY PRINCE EDWARD SOUTH SHORE IBA, ONTARIO More than twenty years ago, the Prince Edward South Shore IBA, a small area of under 400km2, was designated a National Wildlife Area specifically to protect the large numbers and diversity of land birds which use the area during spring and fall migration. The IBA is also an International Monarch Butterfly Reserve, providing habitat for many of the millions of monarchs that repopulate eastern North America after overwintering in the high mountains west of Mexico City. The Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory (PEPTBO) was established eight years ago as a migration monitoring station to survey species such as the long-tailed duck, greater scaup and white-winged scoter. A volunteer-based organization, they have recently partnered with the local school board to provide three nature programs for students in grades two to eight. As the support and success of this IBA depends on education and public awareness, PEPTBO is developing an education program that communicates the importance of the Prince Edward South Shore IBA and other Canadian IBAs and their role in the natural environment. The partnership between PEPTBO and the school board will foster curriculum components suited for both elementary and secondary school classes. For instance, high school students will be able to participate in the analysis of residential bird and plant species. An education coordinator will be hired to develop and deliver these programs.     INTERPRETIVE KIOSKS FOR COMMUNITIES IN THE NAPANEE LIMESTONE PLAIN IBA KINGSTON FIELD NATURALISTS NAPANEE LIMESTONE PLAIN IBA, ONTARIO The Napanee Limestone Plain IBA is well known for its grassland and alvar (limestone grassland) bird populations. Thirty or more pairs of loggerhead shrikes breed on the plain, representing 20 per cent of the nationally endangered eastern population, and 75 per cent of the provincial population. For more than 50 years, the Kingston Field Naturalists (KFN) have been proponents of natural history education in the Kingston and surrounding community. Their mandate, to stimulate public interest in nature and in the conservation of wildlife and habitat, is carried out in part by land acquisition measures and related advocacy. As part of the interpretive kiosk project, KFN members will raise awareness, appreciation, and understanding within the community and among private landowners in the vicinity of the IBA. The kiosk will communicate information about the plight of eastern loggerhead shrikes and other important wildlife in the area.   TWELVE MILE CREEK HEADWATER FORESTS IBA: AVIAN SPECIES AT RISK HAMILTON NATURALISTS’ CLUB TWELVE MILE CREEK HEADWATER FORESTS IBA, ONTARIO The Twelve Mile Creek Headwaters IBA, also known as “Short Hills,” is one of six core areas within southern Ontario for populations of avian species at risk, particularly the hooded warbler and Acadian flycatcher. Information on forest management activity, and distribution and abundance of avian species at risk in this area is lacking. To mitigate the pressures facing the IBA from urban development and recreational activities, the conservation planning process requires current information on land, forest habitat, and bird populations. The Hamilton Field Naturalists’ Club recognizes that no detailed breeding bird surveys have been systematically conducted on this site, and to address the issue, will be hiring a qualified field ornithologist to conduct inventories of the land and forests within the IBA. Working in collaboration with the Hooded Warbler and Acadian Flycatcher Species at Risk Recovery Team, this specialist will analyze forest habitat conditions, and inventory bird species, including the abundance and location of area bird populations. To ensure the study includes the entire IBA area, landowners will be contacted to obtain permission for access onto private properties. Products of the study will include maps showing geo-referenced species distribution, breeding and nesting locations, and detailed habitat descriptions. The information collected in this study will serve as a strong foundation for the conservation planning process and the protection of habitat of species at risk.   HABITAT PERKS THE WILDS OF PELEE ISLAND PELEE ISLAND IBA, ONTARIO Located in the southernmost reaches of the country on an island with almost 40 species at risk, the Wilds of Pelee Island is a dynamic charitable organization that provides students and volunteers with unique opportunities for hands-on experiences of wildlife research, ecological restoration, and conservation education. The Wilds of Pelee Island supports the local human community and the rural ways of life that have enabled so many species to persist on Pelee when they have become extirpated on the nearby Canadian mainland. Habitat Perks, a habitat restoration and awareness project that addresses the loss of habitat of the yellow-breasted chat and blue racer snake, promotes stewardship activities and awareness among local hunters, farmers, politicians, and other community members. The benefit of this initiative is twofold: the aesthetic and natural quality of the land will be improved while safeguarding species at risk. The success of previous years has prompted the community’s long-term dedication to the cause. The Wilds of Pelee Island have joined forces with the Township of Pelee Island to restore 300 acres and “green” the roadsides and allowances of the township, a collaborative effort that will benefit the yellow-breasted chat and blue racer snake, species that benefit from the diversity of shrub thickets, open prairie and other early stage successional habitats. back to map