Endangered Species Program

The Canadian Wildlife Federation established the Endangered Species Fund to support research that will benefit the conservation of species at risk. Canada’s vast landscape is brimming with species that need our help. However, the number is too great and the space is too large to address them all. As a result, CWF has decided to target Canada’s threatened aquatic species, which are often overlooked. The fund is focused on improving our knowledge of marine and freshwater species, but also considers projects addressing iconic species such as the polar bear, the caribou and the killer whale.

To qualify for funding from the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s Endangered Species Fund, projects must address issues facing species in Canada, particularly those that are listed under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) or that are considered to be at risk or data deficient by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). The following are projects funded in the 2009/2010 fiscal year:

Spotted Turtle
$7,005
The spotted turtle is the only freshwater turtle in Canada deemed endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) due to threats such as habitat loss and degradation, road mortality and illegal collection for the pet trade. Seburn Ecological Services is researching a spotted turtle population in a wetland near Ottawa. With a road running through the wetland, and the population living just 20 metres from the road, the organization is interested in discovering whether or not the road poses a threat to the population.

Northern Leopard Frog
$40,000
As Northern leopard frog populations continue to decline across western Canada, researchers at the Calgary Zoo are conducting research to discover the condition of populations in Alberta.

Marine Mammals and Turtles
$15,000
Acoustic tags have become a popular tool for researchers studying the distribution, movement and survival of marine fish and other species. However, some researchers believe that the audible signals the tags emit may be heard by marine mammals, thereby deterring or attracting them to the tagged fish. The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre is studying the link between tagged smolts and their predators: from harbour seals to Steller sea lions.

Wild Whales in the Classroom
$10,665
The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre created Wild Whales to collect information and inform the public about the whales, dolphins, porpoises and sea turtles off the coast of British Columbia and the challenges they face for survival.

At-risk Turtles
$7,040
Scientists at the Toronto Zoo are researching threats to at-risk turtle species. With this knowledge in hand, they’ll be able to identify key habitat areas for protection and restoration in the southern Ontario region. Researchers are also interested in monitoring turtle species and reducing road mortality of at-risk turtle species as well as educating the public on the importance of turtle conservation.

Black-footed Ferret
$19,800
The black-footed ferret once called the Great Plains – from southern Saskatchewan to Alberta – home. But in 1978, it was listed as extirpated, as it hadn’t been seen in Canada since 1937 due to habitat loss. The Toronto Zoo has bred and raised 400 black-footed ferrets since 1992, reintroducing many to the wild in the U.S. and Mexico. But in October 2009, 34 ferrets were released into the Grasslands National Park in Saskatchewan. The Toronto Zoo is continuing to research and monitor the species and expects to release more ferrets into the area in 2010 and 2011.

Spiny Softshell Turtle at Pike River
$20,000
With only two subpopulations in Canada, the spiny softshell turtle’s habitat is crucial to its survival. However, this reptile has a long must-have list before it moves into its habitat, and human impacts can leave it homeless. The Granby Zoo is assessing and monitoring the health of the Pike River population. Researchers capture females en route to Pike River and install transmitters to track the females as they scout out nesting spots. Then the researchers locate nesting areas, protect them from predators with wire netting, check on flooding, predation and vegetation growth in the area, and finally check the nesting sites to determine the ratio of hatched to undeveloped eggs.

Atlantic Cod
$29,000
Since fishing Atlantic cod has become nearly obsolete in Canadian waters in order to allow populations to bounce back, researchers have theorized an array of reasons for the species’ failure to flourish. Dalhousie University’s Department of Biology is testing one such theory, namely that part of the reason cod have not recovered may be due to the loss of cod populations that were finely adapted to thrive in their local environment.

Northern Bottlenose Whale
$36,000
As a non-migratory species, the northern bottlenose whale’s Scotian Shelf population spends approximately 57 per cent of its time at the entrance of the Gully. Researchers at the Department of Biology at Dalhousie University are tracking the size of the whale’s Scotian Shelf population and monitoring its distribution using mark-recapture analysis. The team will collect photo identifications to help garner accurate information on the whale’s numbers and examine the whale’s distribution in the Gully, as well as their behaviour.

Ontario Turtles
$14,000
Researchers at Carleton University’s Biology Department are conducting research to determine mortality rate levels of at-risk stinkpot, map, painted and snapping turtles due to by-catch. Scientists hope to create strategies that will help reduce the capture and mortality rates from by-catch.

Coho Salmon in the Interior Fraser River
$24,500
Carleton University’s Biology Department is researching how salmon in B.C.’s Interior Fraser River interact with fishing gear.

Reptiles in Thames River Watershed
$18,000
The Upper Thames Conservation Authority is working towards the recovery of reptiles at risk in the Upper Thames River Watershed, particularly the spiny softshell turtle and the queensnake. They will be planting native vegetation for the species’ habitats, protecting existing nest sites and educating landowners and the community about the importance of these at-risk species.

Eastern Hog-nosed Snake
$16,000
In the last 20 years, the eastern hog-nosed snake’s numbers have dropped to 7,500 in Ontario. Researchers at the Department of Biology at the University of Ottawa are studying the snake’s habitat-selection patterns to identify what makes up critical habitat for the species, including nesting and hibernation sites. The research will also establish what constitutes to the destruction of habitat throughout the snake’s Ontario range.

Coastal Giant Salamander
$30,000
As forest harvesting increases in the managed forests of British Columbia, the coastal giant salamander’s numbers are reducing, and inbreeding is on the rise. The Department of Forest Sciences at the University of British Columbia is comparing levels of inbreeding, dispersal patterns and the mating system of the coastal giant salamander through genetic analysis. The results will help researchers decipher what recovery methods would be best for this species.

Salmonoids
$73,860
Researchers at University of Alberta’s Department of Biological Sciences are measuring the swimming performances and metabolic abilities of at-risk salmonoids in Alberta as well as the effects disease and chemical contaminants can have on the swimming ability and behaviour of these at-risk species.

Turtles at Rondeau Provincial Park
$14,850
Researchers at the University of Guelph are studying nesting selection sites, nesting behaviour, rate of predation and hatching success rate of four at-risk turtle species at Rondeau Provincial Park in Ontario: the spiny softshell turtle, blanding’s turtle, northern map turtle and common snapping turtle.

Right Whale
$20,000
The Department of Oceanography at Dalhousie University is studying the variation and abundance of prey available to the right whale in Roseway Basin, Nova Scotia. Researchers will observe how the health and abundance of prey affect the distribution, feeding, physical condition and reproductive success of the right whale.

Inner Bay of Fundy Salmon
$40,000
The Department of Oceanography at Dalhousie University is studying how habitat affects the distribution and population density of salmon in the Inner Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia.

Leatherback Seaturtle
$16,000
The Canadian Sea Turtle Network is working to determine the risk commercial fishing gear poses to leatherback seaturtles in waters off Nova Scotia. To date, the network has the largest collection of leatherback seaturtle data in Canada. This research will be fundamental to conserving the turtles, which travel from 12 different countries to feed in northern Atlantic waters.

Northern Leopard Frog in British Columbia
$8,000
Northern leopard frogs have been in decline in Alberta for the last 30 years due to climate change, disease, habitat loss and fragmentation and water management and quality. The Vancouver Aquarium is building a second greenhouse in which to raise tadpoles and to establish a population of frogs in western Canada.

Northern Map Turtle in Lac des Deux-Montagnes
$10,000
Researchers at the Ecomuseum in St-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, are studying the threats to northern map turtles in Lac des Deux-Montagnes. They are also working to decipher essential habitat for the turtle throughout its life cycle – from egg laying to hibernation.

Lake Sturgeon
$10,000
The Saskatchewan Watershed Authority collected data in 2009 to create a model of the Saskatchewan River System that details the influence water flow has on sturgeon habitat and food resources. Researchers hope this information will help water managers and regulatory agencies predict the impact of current management strategies as well as climate change and drought-induced changes in flow.

Marine Mammal Conference
$5,000
In October 2009, the 18th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals of the Society of Marine Mammology took place in Quebec City.  This conference offered 2,000 marine mammal scientists and students across the globe to learn the latest research on the biology and conservation of marine mammals.

Species at Risk Workshop
$1,001
The Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation created a Species at Risk Stewardship Workshop, which launched in February 2010.