Students raise funds for eagle conservation
A group of Fleming College students with a passion for conservation has raised more than $5,000 in grants to support the bald eagle population in southern Ontario.The students, in the Fish and Wildlife program at the Frost Campus, became interested in fundraising for the eagles last fall when taking a Wildlife Technologies course taught by Fleming faculty member Dave Wood. Within the course, students learn about satellite telemetry. Bird Studies Canada (BSC) has a web site that displays the tracking of bald eagles through special transmitters, which the students use as a study tool. It’s data that can only be seen with this type of technology. The students formed the group with the goal of raising enough money to purchase a transmitter for an eagle in a local nest in the Peterborough area. The group raised $5,341 through special grants from the Ministry of Natural Resources Community Fisheries and Wildlife Involvement Program and the Victoria Stewardship Council, as well as through individual donations.BSC is planning to place the transmitter in a local nest next summer. Students at Fleming will be able to use the data and track the eagle online for a three to five-year period. Despite recently being taken off the endangered species list in the United States, the southern Ontario population of bald eagles is still at risk. The eagle was officially listed as an endangered species in Ontario in 1973. Since that time, BSC has worked with all levels of government, landowners and volunteers to affect and monitor the recovery of the eagle population in southern Ontario. The population is rebounding – from zero nesting pairs in 1980 to 34 pairs last year.However, BSC is conducting research on the effect contaminants are having on the eagle population in Ontario. In collaboration with the Canadian Wildlife Service and the Ministry of Natural Resources, BSC initiated a special project in 2004 to determine where these migratory birds may be acquiring toxic chemicals. The project uses satellite telemetry to track the movements of young eagles hatched in Ontario for up to five years.BSC is interested in hearing about bald eagle sightings in the Kawarthas. If you have spotted an eagle in the area, please contact Jody Allair of BSC at raptor@bsc-eoc.org The mission of Bird Studies Canada is to advance the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of wild birds and their habitats, in Canada and elsewhere, through studies that engage the skills, enthusiasm, and support of its members, volunteers, and the interested public.Bird Studies Canada is a not-for-profit organization built on the enthusiastic contributions of thousands of volunteer Citizen Scientists. Data from BSC’s volunteer surveys and targeted research projects are used to identify significant population changes and help direct conservation planning. For more information, please visit www.bsc-eoc.org