Boreal Forest

How 4 Wildlife Species React to Forest Fires in Pimachiowin Aki

June 27, 2022

Last summer over 130 fires roared across Manitoba, causing as many as 1,000 people living in Pimachiowin Aki to evacuate to Winnipeg. While fires can negatively impact people living in the area, some wildlife species thrive.

Forest fires are an inevitable part of the boreal forest life cycle. They are as crucial to forests as sun and rain.

As the upper canopy of trees burns, the forest floor receives more sunlight and water, allowing different species of trees, plants, insects, and wildlife to settle in.

While some species adapt to changing landscapes, others struggle. We look at four species in Pimachiowin Aki and their responses to increased fire frequency and intensity:

1. Wolverine

Wolverines are an elusive species and largest member of the weasel family. They travel long distances (especially males) and live in small packs far from civilization. They’re carnivores and scavengers, relying on other animals for food. They are ferocious predators and prey mostly on small mammals like rabbits. They also eat carcasses of large animals like boreal woodland caribou when other food is scarce.

“They eat whatever they can find,” says Guardian Dennis Keeper, Little Grand Rapids First Nation. “They eat snowshoe hare, so they’re found where the highest population of rabbits are.”

What happens to wolverines after a forest fire?

When a fire rips through a forest, it burns food sources for many species, including boreal woodland caribou. Without lichen, caribou move on in search of this favoured food source. Wolves follow closely behind, leaving wolverines to hunt for themselves.

Despite their ability to travel long distances and lack of dependence on a particular habitat, wolverines struggle when their livable territory burns. Forest fires force wolverines closer together, increasing competition for food and territory. These tough animals are incredibly territorial and turn on each other. They fight over territory, food, and females.

In Ontario disturbances could pit the few hundred wolverines against one another. They really beat each other up.
Wildfire researcher Matt Scrafford discusses negative effects of wildfire on wolverines in a 2021 CBC interview

2. Snowshoe Hare

When wildfire burns through the boreal forest, it allows plants on the forest floor to reach sunlight and grow, providing ample opportunities for hares to hide and raise their young in shrubs and undergrowth. Their numbers are known to exponentially rise in a younger forest. In fact, snowshoe hares fare better when living away from mature forests. As maturing jack pine leaves become harder to reach, hare populations decline.

Hares eat smoked leaves in nogoomekay akisakeytek (newly burned areas).

Guardian Dennis Keeper stayed in Little Grand Rapids First Nation to monitor last year’s wildfires. He has been documenting hare populations in Little Grand Rapids First Nation and reports that hare populations are abundant.

Hares usually spend daylight hours sheltered under bush, stumps, or logs and become more active after sundown. Even when sleeping or grooming, they remain alert for predators like marten, lynx and fisher, which travel from old growth denning sites to burned areas to hunt hares.

“Many wildlife species eat hare,” Dennis says. The wildfire that burned through Little Grand Rapids in 2018 has already regrown with shrubs, ideal for snowshoe hare to live and raise their young. Predators will follow. “There’s always predators right behind them, like lynx.”

3. Lynx

Canadian lynx prefer habitats with old-growth trees and little to no brush on the forest floor. However, they live in places with new growth—like a fresh forest after a fire—if it has abundant food.

“You won’t see lynx because they are shy and elusive,” says Guardian Dennis Keeper, who grew up in Pimachiowin Aki and is an avid hunter and trapper. Though Dennis has seen “only a few” lynx in his life, he knows they’re around. “I see their tracks,” he says. Plus—where there’s hare, there’s lynx.

Abundant hares attract lynx to regenerating forests—snowshoe hare is the lynx’s main source of food. The more hares in an area, the more lynx that arrive to eat them. This is called the hare-lynx cycle.

The hare-lynx cycle is part of forest regrowth, but it doesn’t last forever. The more hares lynx eat, the fewer hares there are left to feed on. Plus, as new forest grows taller, twigs, buds and needles are out of hares’ reach. Now, both lynx and hares have less food. As hare populations dwindle, lynx populations also decline.

The hare-lynx cycle lasts 8-11 years.

4. Black Fire Beetle

Wildfires don’t destroy everything. In fact, they are source of life for black fire beetles, which fly to forest fires in great numbers and mate while fires still burn.

The black fire can detect heat from forest fires burning between 50 and perhaps as far as 130 miles away.
academic.oup.com

Jordan Bannerman, Instructor II, Department of Entomology, University of Manitoba explains, black fire beetles have infrared sensors on their thorax that allow them to detect heat emanating from fires (Reference). “Heat produced from even a small fire is sufficient to attract them,” he adds. “They can also detect certain chemicals emitted from burning wood that are present in smoke.”

Females deposit eggs under the bark of dead and dying coniferous trees, leaving larvae to safely develop and hatch with few predators around. “Egg laying has sometimes been observed in trees that are still smouldering,” says Jordan.

He says that “a dying tree will also have weaker defences and be more or less free from competitors, which provides the black fire beetle with a big advantage.”

Most predators leave burned areas, but black-backed woodpeckers stick around to feast on the black fire beetle’s wood-eating larvae and other wood-boring insects, which thrive on burned boreal trees.

Do black fire beetles help or harm boreal forests ?

Jordan says, “these beetles are beneficial in that they are important primary decomposers that play a role in forest regeneration.” Black fire beetles start the decomposition process early, setting the stage for other insects to further break down the dead matter and release nutrients into the soil.

infographic denting 100 years of resources following a wildfire

Did you know that blueberries come after fire and feed a lot of animals?
Wildfire sets a lot in motion in the boreal forest. Take a look at this 100 year-cycle:

https://pimaki.ca/the-land-that-gives-life/wildfire/

Pimachiowin Aki is the largest protected area in the boreal shield ecosystems of North America. It is 2,904,000 hectares of natural habitat for plants to thrive and wildlife to eat, shelter, and raise their young.

6 Boreal Trees to Identify and Respect This Summer

June 27, 2022

Pimachiowin Aki is part of the largest stretch of protected boreal forest—home to millions of trees and over a thousand plant species that provide vast amounts of oxygen.

The boreal forest is vital to survival, explains Brad Epp, Manitoba Forestry and Peatlands. “It provides clean air and water to everyone, habitat to wildlife and countless species, significant areas of spiritual and cultural importance, and places for all of us to recreate.” It also supplies renewal resources that sustain families and communities, he adds.

70% of Indigenous communities in Canada are located in forested regions. The boreal forest is culturally and economically significant to Canada’s Indigenous Peoples.
NRCANS – 8 facts about Canada’s boreal forest

Catkins are long, slim clusters of tiny flowers.

How to identify boreal trees

Here are six important boreal trees to spot across Canada this summer. Take time to honour them in your own way as you walk, cycle or paddle by!

1. Maanazaadii (Balsam Poplar)

Photo: Adam Jones, Ph.D./Global Photo Archive/Wikimedia Commons

Form: Medium-sized deciduous tree with a long cylindrical trunk and narrow, open crown of stout limbs

Bark: Smooth, becoming furrowed into thick ridges, whitish to greyish brown

Leaves: Oval shaped with a long tip and yellowish metallic luster on underside

Flowers: Long, drooping catkins occur before tree has leaves

Fruit: Seeds hang on catkins when tree has leaves

Maanazaadi is used for smoking meat and fish, curing hides, medicine (bark), snares, food for beaver and snowshoe hare.

2. Wiigwaasaatig (Birch)

Form: Small to medium-sized deciduous tree with ascending, spreading branches. In winter, reddish-brown branches contrast against the white trunk of mature trees

Bark: Thin, smooth, white; peels off in papery layers

Leaves: Alternate, triangular or oval with jagged edges

Flowers: Catkins hang from branches in April-May

Fruit: Dry, two-winged nut in drooping catkins

Wiigwaasaatig is used for kindling, sap, and snowshoes; its bark is used for baskets, canoes, horns for calling moose, and coverings for wigwams.

3. Zesegaandag (Black Spruce)

Form: Dense evergreen tree with a cluster of branches forming a club shape at the top; lower branches droop, tips of lowest branches are upturned

Bark: Thin, dark, greyish-brown scales; inner bark is greenish tinged

Leaves: Stiff, sharp, four-sided, bluish-green needles arranged around the entire branch

Flowers: Dark red or purple, oval, cone-shaped flowers point upright in May

Fruit: Egg-shaped cones with thin, brown scales usually remain on the tree for more than one year; may have a cluster of cones near the top

Zesegaandag is used for firewood and medicine.

4. Okikaandag (Jack Pine)

Form: Medium-sized evergreen tree with a narrow, open crown; crown is rather small in dense stands but becomes bushy and extends near the ground in open areas

Bark: Brownish with thin, loose scales in irregular shapes

Leaves: Sharp needles in pairs of two form a V-shape

Flowers: Yellow or purple, elongated flowers form in clusters near the tips of twigs in May

Fruit: Brown cones occur in pairs; horn shaped with curled tip

Okikaandag is used for firewood and tipi poles.

6. Mashkiigwaatig (Tamarack)

Form: Small tree with an open, light green crown

Leaves: Soft, flexible, pale green needles in summer turn yellow and drop off in autumn

Flowers: Single yellow or red, small, semi-circular flowers occur when tree has needles

Fruit: Small, upright, egg-shaped, brownish cone, composed of about 20 rounded, thin scales

Mashkiigwaatig (Tamarack) is the only deciduous conifer that loses its needles in fall.

Mashkiigwaatig is used for firewood and building cabins.

7. Azaadii (Poplar/Trembling Aspen)

Photo: Halogenated, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Form: Medium to tall deciduous tree with a slender trunk and moderately stout, ascending branches that form an open, round-topped crown; no branch in the lower part

Bark: Smooth, waxy-looking, greenish white bark that does not peel; becomes rough as tree matures

Leaves: Egg-shaped to circular leaves with numerous fine teeth; deep green on top and paler below

Flowers: Drooping hairy catkins appear before leaves

Fruit: Tiny capsules covered with cottony down appear in catkins when the tree has leaves

Moose strip Azaadii (Poplar/Trembling Aspen) bark for food, leaving vertical scars on the trunk.

Azaadii is an important source of food, medicine, and fire wood; in spring inner bark can be eaten; outer bark can be scraped off to get the white sweet-tasting bark inside

Ask an expert—7 questions about the boreal

Brad Epp is a Forester with Manitoba’s Forestry and Peatlands Branch and President of the Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF-IFC). We asked him seven questions about boreal forest.

The boreal forest is made up mostly of trees that are relatively young. It is regularly affected by forest fire and insects, and continually renews itself through these and other natural disturbances.

1. How do the trees we’ve profiled contribute to boreal shield ecosystems?

The boreal forest contains many types of ecosystems, and each contributes differently in different areas such as dry-lowland areas vs. upland well-drained areas. You will often find Black Spruce and Tamarack bringing forest cover to very wet areas where another tree can’t grow. Each tree prefers a different amount of sun and shade, so they thrive in different times of a forest life. For example, Trembling Aspen is a shade-intolerant species, so it is the first to grow up after a fire or disturbance. Underneath the aspen, small spruce seedlings slowly grow in the shade until they are old enough to break through the canopy.

2. Is Canada’s boreal forest in danger?

Fortunately, the boreal is a huge, resilient ecosystem so ‘danger’ is a strong word. However, local areas will be challenged by climate change. As climate changes, some southern areas may see fewer trees and more grasslands while in northern areas the forest may expand. Manitoba Forestry and Peatlands Branch has completed several Vulnerability Assessments. That research suggests that some tree species will be harder to grow in areas where they have always grown. Therefore, research continues on finding native tree species that can be planted that will adapt to a new climate.

3. What are the biggest threats to Canada’s boreal forest?

Climate change is likely the largest threat, as we don’t know precisely what the future will look like and how forests will respond. We expect more frequent and more damaging forest fires. There may be more damage from insects and disease, especially from invasive species. In addition, some wildlife habitat will change due our climate, threatening local populations. Therefore, we must all work together to find ways to manage these effects on our forests.

4.How does wildfire positively affect the boreal forest?

Boreal forest and wildfire go hand-in-hand. New forests are born out of forest fires. Fires release nutrients and seeds from soil. They provide new habitat and food sources for species that thrive in open environments. Then after 100 or more years of growth, the boreal forest begins to ready itself for the next fire.

5. We know that the black fire beetle thrives in burned boreal forest and is a food source for birds. What other insects live in the boreal forest in Pimachiowin Aki and how do they impact it?

Insects important to the boreal include spruce and pine budworm and pine beetles. These species develop in harmony with boreal trees and their populations are cyclical in nature. Currently on the east side of Manitoba, the jack pine budworm has been increasing and its impact can be seen in mid summer (many red needles). Although the budworm feed on the needles causing the trees stress, most trees survive. However, as the forest ages, the insects and diseases increase, eventually causing enough trees to die and build up the fuel load, readying it for fire, and starting the cycle again. The greatest threat however is from invasive insects that are not in balance with boreal species. One example is the destructive emerald ash borer, which has killed millions of ash trees across North America. Another is the Spongy moth, which feeds on most boreal tree species. These insects are at our borders in Ontario and the US.

To learn more please visit: gov.mb.ca/stopthespread/fis/eab/stop-spread.

6. What role does boreal forest play in slowing effects of climate change?

The boreal has a significant role in regulating our climate. It can act as a sink for storing billions of tons of carbon above and below the soil. However, the forest is always growing and changing. Since the boreal forest is driven by forest fires, it is not as simple as sitting back and hoping it never burns. Managing our forests requires teams of forest practitioners working with local peoples and governments so that we can maximize the impact on climate change.

7. What interesting fast facts about boreal forest surprise people?

Worldwide, the boreal zone covers:

1.9 billion hectares
14% of Earth’s land
33% of Earth’s forested area

Canada has:

28% of the world’s boreal zone (that’s 552 million hectares)
75% of its forests and woodlands are in the boreal zone (307 million hectares in total)

3.7 million people live in the boreal zone, mostly in remote and rural communities.

Sources:

NRCANS – 8 facts about Canada’s boreal forest

Free Field Guide to the Trees of Manitoba, published by Manitoba Forestry and Peatlands Branch. View online or contact the Manitoba Forestry and Peatlands Branch for copies: gov.mb.ca/forest/pubs/forest_lands/field_guide.pdf

What Birds in Pimachiowin Aki Can Tell Us

March 15, 2021

Pimachiowin Aki is the largest protected area in the North American boreal shield. It is home to millions of trees, pristine waters, and over a thousand plant and animal species—making it a paradise for songbirds, shorebirds and waterfowl.

The Natural Resources Institute (NRI) at the University of Manitoba and Pimachiowin Aki Guardians are working together to observe birds and discover what they can tell us about the health of the land.

During our first virtual meeting in 2020, these people shared their thoughts:

Melba Green, Guardian, Bloodvein River First Nation
Dennis Keeper, Guardian, Little Grand Rapids First Nation
Dr. Nicola Koper, Professor, NRI
Chris De Ruyck, PhD Student, NRI
Alison Haugh, Executive Director, Pimachiowin Aki

(from left) Chris De Ruyck, Melba Green, Dennis Keeper, Dr. Nicola Koper

What do you hope to learn from this project?

Melba: My hope is for us to understand birds’ ways of living and the messages that they bring about weather and climate. If we see birds dying there is a problem.

Nicola: I am particularly interested in how lands managed by First Nation communities contribute to the conservation of birds. How are the birds we find in Pimachiowin Aki different or similar to birds outside the World Heritage site?

Chris: Bird species you find on the land can also tell you things about the land. Our goal is to examine how birds in Pimachiowin Aki are protected in comparison to places where the land has been altered. If species are present in Pimachiowin Aki but missing in other areas, it might point to a specific problem.

Nicola: I think that western science has a lot to learn from the stewardship of Pimachiowin Aki First Nations. By comparing birds in Pimachiowin Aki with how well birds are doing outside of Pimachiowin Aki, we hope the project will help make western-contemporary society better stewards of the land.

What do you mean by conserving birds?

Nicola: Birds can be harvested and populations can still be conserved at the same time. When I talk about conserving birds, I mean trying to protect ecosystems to protect birds that live there. We want to make sure bird populations are high across large areas, including Pimachiowin Aki and other regions, and are not declining.

What is the state of birds today?

Nicola: In most parts of North America, many, many species have declined over the last four to five decades. We don’t know a lot about birds in Pimachiowin Aki yet, but we think that Pimachiowin Aki may be a refuge where bird populations can be successful because the habitat is being protected. There’s a lot of habitat and food, and less noise and disturbance. The land is kept well, and people living on the land have a good relationship with it.

What can we learn from this project?

Melba: One of the rules of being Anishinaabe is to respect every living thing on Mother Earth. That’s why we wanted to create the Bloodvein River First Nation land use plan—it says all living species and their habitats will be protected.

Nicola: I like the idea of documenting the outcome of that respectful interaction with the land. Our hope is that we’ll be able to see how populations are changing over time, compare this to other areas, and show how important it is that birds have the habitat that Pimachiowin Aki is providing.

Why did Pimachiowin Aki choose to collaborate with NRI?

Alison: The project helps Pimachiowin Aki meet the monitoring and reporting requirements of being on the World Heritage List. We must show that we are taking active measures to protect the site’s natural and cultural values. This is just one of the many community initiatives that help keep the land.

Melba: This is a very interesting project and it is another way of being a Guardian. Observing birds is another way for me to learn. I can learn from [NRI]. Birds are fascinating. It’s teaching me something else rather than just the four-legged animals.

Why did NRI choose to collaborate with Pimachiowin Aki Guardians?

Nicola: We know different things—Guardians have knowledge of the area and how birds are using the land while NRI can provide information on how to identify birds and the locations they are likely to be found in. We’re bringing together our knowledge with the knowledge of the community. It wouldn’t work if it were just western scientists coming in.

Why study birds to learn about climate change?

Chris: We focus on birds because there are over 200 bird species in the boreal. We can gather information on many species at the same time, which makes it an efficient way to obtain information about ecosystems.

In addition, we know a lot about birds. Indigenous communities like Pimachiowin Aki have been passing down traditional knowledge about birds for generations. Plus, birds have been studied a lot by western science. This gives us a strong starting point—we know how to identify birds and we know how they typically behave. If their behaviour changes, we can link it to how healthy the boreal ecosystem is.

What kinds of things will Pimachiowin Aki Guardians be watching for?

Nicola: If you see multiple species arriving earlier than normal, that is one indicator that could help us understand if there are changes over time. Also, looking for new species or species that are more abundant than in other years.

Dennis: We’ve started to see new ducks that are black and look like the bufflehead. They’re all black except for a white mark on their bills.

Nicola: Possibly American coots—this is an example of a species that would be interesting to monitor because the community is noticing it and you haven’t expected to see it before.

Chris: New species showing up, and also species that are conspicuous by absence. Ones that disappear are equally important. Even seeing birds that are switching a food source and eating new things could be indicative of climate change.

Nicola: Fire can also change where species are found.

Melba: After a fire, you don’t see wildlife until the land restores itself. The birds will fly by and look around but they won’t go near a place when it’s burned. Once there is grass then you see them come back.

Nicola: Eventually, we want to go to Pimachiowin Aki, meet in person, explore the landscape together and decide what bird species to monitor. Initially, we’ll try to monitor all the species we can, but we will probably end up focusing on 20-40 species that are abundant, and that people see regularly.

Black-backed Woodpecker (Photo: Christian Artuso)

Chris: We can also choose species that use different habitats and live in Pimachiowin Aki during different seasons, like summer and winter. Also, species that other animals in the boreal forest depend on, like woodpeckers, which have an effect on the forest. They help control western pine beetles by eating them, and they create cavities in trees, creating homes for insects, flying squirrels, owls and other birds. Even mice have been found in cavities created by woodpeckers.

Melba: There are lots of red-headed woodpeckers in Bloodvein. I have a book here on North American birds, which I take with me when I’m on the land. There are lots of birds! An Elder said that birds are coming back that haven’t been seen in a long time.

Nicola: I love hearing these stories and I hope to have more of these conversations with you.

Dennis: We have golden eagles. They have a nest here that they go back to every year. They look bigger than the bald eagle. On my trapline, where I hunt ducks, there are seven different pairs there. When I first started hunting, there were no eagles there. They anticipate us going there to hunt and they go there to clean up.

We are also seeing some kind of doves.

Is it bad to see exotic bird species in Pimachiowin Aki?

Nicola: It’s not a bad thing if exotic species are not highly abundant, but if they are abundant there’s always a risk that new species will push out native species. In places where there are a lot of house sparrows, there are often fewer chickadees and nuthatches.

How does this relate to climate change?

Nicola: Some birds probably thrive in Pimachiowin Aki because they are tough and able to tolerate cold winters. As weather conditions become milder, new species are also able to live in northern areas like Pimachiowin Aki. There is probably room in Pimachiowin Aki for more birds, but as new birds move in they might push the native birds out, away from a great food source. Populations are declining everywhere, so if birds get pushed out and end up losing refuges like Pimachiowin Aki, they will have even more problems.

**What is the Land that Gives Life telling you through birds?**

Climate Watch asks you to share your observations and stories about birds, plants, animals, natural events or changes in the landscape. Help Audubon scientists protect birds and the places they need—share what you see and hear:

https://bit.ly/2JYHwBa

Feature Photo: Pine Grosbeak (Christian Artuso)

A Little Paper Creates a Big Problem

December 10, 2020

At eight years old, Michael Zelniker had no problem admonishing adults to stop littering in the streets of Montréal. Today, his dedication to protecting the environment has grown into a quest to protect the boreal forest for future generations.

The Issue with Tissue

“Tissue companies are flushing away our forests and our future,” warns the filmmaker from his Los Angeles home.

‘The Issue with Tissue’ is the title of his latest project—a film to let the world know that “the boreal forest is being clear cut so we can wipe our bums with softer, more plush toilet paper.”

Michael was shocked when he first learned that one of the most ecologically important forests in the world—Canada’s boreal forest—is being destroyed to make toilet paper.

“What we do to each other, we do to ourselves; what we do to the land, we do to ourselves,” he says.

Who is Affected?

There’s more to the boreal forest than just trees. The boreal forest plays an important role in slowing the effects of climate change. It stores almost twice as much carbon as tropical forests and has more surface freshwater than any other ecosystem on the planet.

“I discovered that more than 600 First Nations call the boreal forest home and have for thousands of years; that the boreal is home to caribou and other wildlife. It is the nesting ground for the songbirds we hear in our parks and our backyards.” Michael’s backyard is in California but as a child growing up in Montréal, he went to summer camp 100 miles north at the southern edge of the boreal forest.

“I hated camp. I was a troubled kid and as a result, I was always in trouble,” he remembers. He discovered his love of nature during this otherwise unhappy camp experience.

“The breathtaking view of endless forest was the one thing that comforted me at camp.” It forged in him a deep lifelong connection to trees. “When I’m in a forest today, I feel like I’m with long-lost family.”

While researching the toilet paper issue, Michael spent dozens of hours on Zoom talking with scientists, activists, and First Nation leaders. “Everyone opened their hearts and shared their story with me,” he says. It was an incredible privilege, he adds.

Inspired by the conversations, Michael knew he had to share the untold story with the world.

Lessons from Indigenous Elders and Leaders

“I began to feel, ‘If not me, then who? If not now, then when?’”

Elder Leslie Orvis Sr. and William Young

Those two questions led to an inspiring filmmaking experience. Michael collected over 100 hours of footage as he traveled across Canada to interview First Nation Elders and leaders, including Bloodvein River First Nation Elder Leslie Orvis Sr. and Pimachiowin Aki Board Director William Young.

His journey began in BC with Canadian cameraperson Abanoub Andraous. The two of them drove, with multiple stops along the way, to Eastern Quebec where they flew north by bush plane to the George River. There, they met with Valérie Courtois, Director of the Indigenous Leadership Initiative, and Innu as they celebrated the migration of the caribou. “It was a profoundly moving experience,” Michael says enthusiastically.

He describes the entire filmmaking experience as “eye-opening and life-changing.” He hopes the film will have a strong impact on others, much like the journey has had on him.

“I had so many special moments filming,” Michael says. He was touched by the hospitality and generosity of the people that he got to visit and talk with. “I felt deeply honoured.”

“What has caused us to go so wrong as a species?” he asks. Learning from First Nation Elders and leaders, Michael says that we have lost connection to the land and with each other. “As a result, settler colonial types like me look at how to value land based on dollars and cents, and as a way to exploit rather than as a member of our family.”

Elder Dave Porter of Kaska First Nation in northern British Columbia shared his wisdom with Michael. “Mother Nature, since the beginning of time, takes care of us because Mother Earth has provided us this environment to live so well. If we don’t begin to take better care of Mother Nature, we’re going to destroy her ability to take care of us.”

Elder Porter also told Michael that “when you’re in a forest, you’re with family.” Michael heard similar themes from others across the country.

Chief Darrell Bob of the Xaxli’p Community in Lillooet, BC invited Michael into his sweat lodge. “He pointed to the stones that warmed the sweat lodge and said, ‘These are our grandfathers.’”

The lessons continued as Michael met with Elder Dave Courchene from Turtle Lodge in Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba. He explained about natural law—to only take as much as you need.

“Give thanks to what you take with an eye for the seven generations in front of you,” explains Michael. He had never heard this lesson until he met with Indigenous people.

“In American white culture we believe that a lot is good, more is better, and too much is just right. And we see it even with the pandemic—what were people hoarding? Toilet paper.”

After his footage comes together and is shared with the world, Michael hopes that North Americans will make the connection between trees and paper products like toilet paper, and become “more mindful of how we’re using them.”

He recalls a memorable statement that Elder Courchene made to him, and it is a mighty ask: “If you can do one thing, get them to give us back the boreal and we can take care of the rest.”

Imagine the possibilities if that were the result.

Here are ways that Michael suggests for you to make a difference:

Buy recycled paper products made from post consumer content
Buy wood, pulp & paper products with the FSC certification seal
Whenever possible, stop using single use disposables—use reusables
Demand that governments fulfill their commitments to Indigenous Peoples to protect/conserve their ancestral home—the land, air and water—the animals, plants and trees that inhabit these wild spaces
Support the establishment of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCA)
Spend time in nature. Bring your child to wild spaces. Connect with the other creatures, the trees, plants, and animals that make up Mother Earth’s creation. They are all members of our wider family. Treat them as such
Support First Nation Guardian Programs

Michael Zelniker is a Canadian-born award-winning actor/director based in Los Angeles. He is a member of the Climate Reality Project Leadership Corps (led by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore), serving as Co-Chair of the Los Angeles Chapter. His film, ‘The Issue with Tissue’, is set for release in 2021. We will keep you posted on its release date and how/where to watch it.

The Land that Gives Life to Birds

March 19, 2020

An Interview with Dr. Jeff Wells

Birds around the world are in trouble. North America alone has 2.9 billion fewer birds today than 50 years ago. Dr. Jeff Wells has been working with Poplar River First Nation to record bird sounds in Pimachiowin Aki using leading-edge technology—Songmeters—to record bird sounds and help identify any changes in bird populations over time. Jeff shares his concerns for the future of birds, as well as some of his favourite bird recordings.

Pimachiowin Aki is home to over 200 bird species, including up to 14 species of conservation concern. What makes the Land that Gives Life important habitat for this amazing diversity of birds?

The large, intact and healthy forests, wetlands, lakes, rivers, streams and other habitats of Pimachiowin Aki make it an ideal place for millions of birds to thrive as well as mammals, fish, insects, trees and other plants, and many other living things.

As part of one of the largest intact forests left on the planet and one of very few large intact forests in the southerly reaches of the Boreal biome, Pimachiowin Aki is crucial as a refuge for the species inhabiting it today to be able to have healthy populations that are more resilient to climate change impacts.

The Songmeter project brings together Indigenous science and Western science. Tell us about your work with Poplar River First Nation.

We started the project in 2016 as a way to begin gathering more information on the birds on Poplar River First Nation lands within Pimachiowin Aki and to test a new tool (Songmeter) that could be deployed by people on the ground in the community who had the best idea for where it would be useful to know more.

Norway Rabliauskas (now a Poplar River First Nation Guardian) took the lead and has since done the work of maintaining the Songmeters, making sure they are working properly and are programmed to record at the times we wanted, and placing them out on the land.

The project uses Songmeters under the direction of Indigenous stewardship to decide what areas are best suited for and most in need of further bird inventory and monitoring efforts. This collaboration opens up new avenues for understanding and learning that will provide increased ability to monitor birds and other wildlife and plants in Pimachiowin Aki.

How do Songmeters work?

Songmeters are sound recording devices in watertight, rugged containers. They can be programmed to turn on and off on a prescribed time schedule. The sounds are recorded to an SD card and the unit can be left out for months at a time. The sound recording files can then be downloaded to a computer to listen and identify the birds that can be heard singing or calling. Sophisticated software can also be used to search through the files and find sounds of particular high priority species. We usually have the units record for several hours at dawn and dusk each night when they are deployed for the summer breeding bird season.

*Norway Rabliauskas (now a Pimachiowin Aki Guardian) helps Jeff Wells determine the best places to install Songmeters in Poplar River First Nation.*

What findings concern you the most?

The three recent scientific findings that have concerned me the most are:

The number of species around the world that are in danger of extinction has reached one million
North America has 2.9 billion fewer birds today than 50 years ago
There are widespread declines of insects occurring across the globe

What findings make you most hopeful?

The findings that make me the most hopeful are:

Lands managed by Indigenous people have better biodiversity protection outcomes
Maintaining large, intact forest habitats have a large number of benefits to biodiversity and society
70% or more of the North American boreal forest is still intact and healthy and through Indigenous governments and communities it is and can continue to be maintained and stewarded

What are some of your favourite recordings?

Some of my favourite bird species recorded in the Songmeter recordings include:

A Barred Owl giving its “who-cooks-for-you” song that echoes through the woods
Several Whip-poor-wills calling back and forth at night
A Canada Warbler singing exuberantly on a May day after returning from its wintering grounds in South America
The rattling calls of a Belted Kingfisher in the rain
Early morning choruses that include the sweet whistled songs of White-throated Sparrows, Magnolia and Tennessee Warblers and Ovenbirds and in the background the piping of a Bald Eagle and the yodeling cry of a Common Loon

The sound recordings provide an opportunity to share a type of virtual experience with people from all over the world to increase their interest in and support of Pimachiowin Aki and its communities.

Experience the birds of Pimachiowin Aki:

What are some of your fondest memories out on the land in Pimachiowin Aki?

On a trip to Aikens Lake and the Bloodvein First Nation in 2011, I got the chance to see, hear, photograph, sound record and video many birds, flowers (not sound record these of course), and beautiful scenes. It was incredible to see the ancient drawings at Aikens Lake, experience a drum ceremony at the falls on the Bloodvein RIver and thrill to the amazing birdlife throughout the forests and wetlands of Pimachiowin Aki.

I have wonderful memories of watching and sound recording Bay-breasted and Blackburnian warblers in the tops of tall spruce trees, passing by a small rocky island on which were nesting Herring Gulls, hearing the loud, piping “Quick-three cheers” song from an Olive-sided Flycatcher sitting boldly upright at the top of a spindly tree in a bog, perhaps a bird just returned from its northern South American wintering grounds.

What’s next for the Songmeter project?

We were able to get a large number of recordings from four locations in 2016 from late May through early July. In 2017 we were unable to get the units out because of the fires and evacuations from the community. Norway deployed them again in 2018 and 2019.

The Songmeters collected a large amount of recordings and processing them has been a challenge. We have only summarized the 2016 field season so far, and will be releasing in a joint report with Pimachiowin Aki in 2020. In the meantime, we have found that we can use the recordings to continue to engage the broader public to become aware of Pimachiowin Aki and its importance to birds by sharing short, lively segments of recordings of different birds through social media channels.

Have you used Songmeters in other areas, too?

Yes, in the Northwest Territories with the Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation to monitor birds on their Thaidene Nene IPCA. We deployed another version of this technology in the community of Deline on Great Bear Lake, also in the Northwest Territories. We have provided Songmeters to the Waswanipi First Nation within the Cree Nation in Quebec as well. The Moose Cree First Nation in Ontario has deployed these devices through their own project but has allowed us to use their recordings as they work to protect one of their most important watersheds, the North French River watershed.

Learn more about how Indigenous conservationists are tracking the impact of climate change on the boreal soundscape: https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/vanishing-birdsong

Dr. Jeff Wells is a scientist, conservationist and author. He is the Vice President of Boreal Conservation for the National Audubon Society, and a supporter of Pimachiowin Aki.