climate change

A Year of Connections for Pimachiowin Aki

December 14, 2022

As 2022 draws to a close, we look back at a stellar year of connections. A traditional medicine workshop brought together community members, an art installation shared Anishinaabeg traditional knowledge, and a PhD thesis and documentary film spread word of Pimachiowin Aki around the globe. Here are eight highlights from our special year:

1. What We Do to the Land We Do to Ourselves

Filmmaker Michael Zelniker joined the Pimachiowin Aki Directors and members for a special screening of his documentary film The Issue with Tissue – a Boreal Love Story. Michael’s film features First Nation Elders and leaders from across the boreal, including Bloodvein River First Nation Elder Leslie Orvis Sr. and Pimachiowin Aki Director William Young, along with leading scientists and activists. It was an emotional experience to see and hear stories of the devastating impacts of colonization and damage done to Mother Earth as the world’s boreal forest is clearcut to manufacture toilet paper.

More than one million acres of boreal forest are lost to clear cutting in Canada every year.

Forests take care of us. But we are cutting down the world’s oldest living trees and flushing them down the toilet, Michael warns.

In early December, he spoke with CBC about his film and how the logging industry has affected the boreal forest and the life it supports. Indigenous Peoples have protected millions of acres of boreal forest in Pimachiowin Aki from destruction from human activity for over 7,000 years.

A Little Paper Creates a Big Problem

See the trailer for The Issue with Tissue – A Boreal Love Story

2. A Tiny Bird on a Tremendous Journey

For World Migratory Bird Day, Bloodvein River First Nation Guardian Melba Green helped the National Audubon Society remind the world that birds connect us all.

Melba joined Audubon’s Dr. Jeff Wells in a video to discuss the Canada Warbler, a vulnerable species that finds refuge in Pimachiowin Aki.

“Pimachiowin Aki is [committed] to protecting wildlife, birds, and land from mining and forestry, and all other things that harm the land,” Melba explains.

Millions of birds migrate to and from Pimachiowin Aki each year, including the Canada Warbler. Contrary to its name, this bright yellow songbird sets out on a heroic, international voyage – it leaves the forest wetlands of Pimachiowin Aki in August for woodlands on the Texas coast, its first stop on the way to La Semilla, a natural reserve in Colombia.

Conservation of these areas, from the boreal forest of Pimachiowin Aki to South America, is critical to birds’ survival.

“Without strong, large, intact protected areas in the boreal forest, [birds’ migratory] cycles could shut down,” says Jeff.

“It’s really important for us to maintain these areas,” Melba adds.

64 % of Canada Warblers rely on Canadian Boreal Forest for their breeding grounds.

Birds are indicators of our changing climate. Global warming is the biggest threat to their natural habitat, and shifting migratory patterns demonstrate this.

See the full video featuring Melba: http://surl.li/ebgvp

3. Women Turn Out for Trapping Education Course

Pimachiowin Aki, with financial support from the South East Resource Development Council, organized a week-long trapper education course at Little Grand Rapids First Nation.

An instructor from Red Lake taught the group of mainly women how to create muskrat boxes, a skill required to obtain their trapping licences.

Did you know?
Traplines in Little Grand Rapids span both Manitoba and Ontario. Manitoba recognizes Ontario trapper training programs for licensing in Manitoba, but you must receive training from a qualified instructor in Ontario to get a licence to trap there.

Bloodvein plans to hold a trapper training course in January 2023. The course is full, but the Bloodvein River First Nation Guardian will share information if space becomes available.

4. Pimachiowin Aki Provides Global Inspiration

If you close your eyes and think about Pimachiowin Aki, what do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel?

Dr. Gemma Faith had never been to Pimachiowin Aki, but three years ago, as a PhD researcher at Ulster University in Northern Ireland, she noticed that this special place came to life online with “rich and stirring content” that made her feel like she was here. Gemma was so impressed with Pimachiowin Aki’s online presence and values-based approach to management that she chose to use Pimachiowin Aki as a case study for her thesis: Evaluating World Heritage Interpretation in Online Spaces and its Potential to Prime the Development of Eco-Cultural Tourism Experiences (Virtual and Onsite): A Case Study on Pimachiowin Aki, Canada’s First Mixed World Heritage Site.

Dr. Faith studied Pimachiowin Aki over a three-year period, capturing and analyzing information, including:

pimaki.ca
Facebook page
Official documents
Zoom interviews with Pimachiowin Aki Directors and members
Insights shared by community members through written submissions

Dr. Gemma Faith graduated with a degree of Doctor of Philosophy from Ulster University in Northern Ireland in December 2022. Pimachiowin Aki’s contribution is acknowledged in her PhD thesis.

What is the purpose of the study?

With technology at our fingertips, people can explore any place in the world with a few swipes and clicks. It’s important for mixed World Heritage sites like Pimachiowin Aki to carve out a place on the internet, so that people learn about Outstanding Universal Value and why it is preserved for the benefit of all humanity.

Gemma’s study explores how Pimachiowin Aki communicates with people around the world through social media and our website, sharing the unique bond that Anishinaabeg have with the land. It also looks at ways that online communication can be used to develop eco-cultural tourism.

New tourism development is in its infancy at Pimachiowin Aki, but exploring pimaki.ca or browsing its social media is like having a local, online tour guide:

Someone to show you what makes this mixed World Heritage site special (through text, photographs, video storytelling and descriptions)
Someone to share and explain the values that preserve and sustain this protected area
Someone to answer your questions or comments

By presenting Pimachiowin Aki’s online presence as a global exemplar (a good example to the world), it is hoped that the findings of the study will aid the management of online heritage interpretation at future mixed sites in Canada and the world, Gemma says. Pimachiowin Aki thanks Dr. Gemma Faith for her gift of curiosity, and the Elders, knowledge keepers and community members who share stories and bring Anishinaabeg cultural heritage to life for our social media followers, newsletter subscribers, and web visitors from across the globe.

5. Elders Share Knowledge of Traditional Medicines

Ka mashkawak mashkiski (sage) means ‘the strong medicine’ and has a very strong scent. This traditional knowledge was shared during a discussion with Elders in Pauingassi First Nation this fall.

The community event, sponsored by Pimachiowin Aki, focused on traditional medicines.

Participants discussed traditional plant names, when to harvest them, parts of plants used for medicines, symptoms they treat, how to prepare them, and how they’re used today.

Joe Owen, Pimachiowin Aki Board member and knowledge keeper from Pauingassi First Nation, says, “The important thing is I’m trying to encourage Elders, whatever they still know, to exercise using that knowledge about medicines. The medicines help with some illnesses. It is nice to share with the people from other communities too. If Elders have any young people who come around to their houses, it is good to talk with them about some of the medicines we still have out there.”

Organizers are currently working on a document to share teachings from the workshop with community members. Watch for it in our future eNews.

6. Wildfire Sparks Art at an International Festival

Pimachiowin Aki was excited to be a part of an art installation of dancing trees created by artist Jonathan Green. The installation, which appeared during Nuit Blanche Winnipeg, was inspired in part by Pimachiowin Aki’s fire cycle graphic.

“I found the graphic when I was looking for an image to explain the idea of a fire cycle,” says Jonathan. “I scrolled down to Pimachiowin Aki’s version of the cycle and immediately loved its clarity, and the way it explains details such as wild berries becoming abundant, animals migrating, and how the land changes.”

“I’ve been researching wildfires for years, but I didn’t know former burn sites make for good hunting,” says Jonathan. “The graphic is so rich in local Anishinaabeg knowledge and practice it felt like something I could trust innately.”

Jonathan credits Pimachiowin Aki’s fire cycle graphic, adapted from work by Dr. Andrew Miller, with inspiring him to include trees from the boreal in his installation, which he designed to help visitors get a better understanding of how wildfires impact habitats.

“I hope it allows us all to consider the human impact on the environment and the ways in which many recent large-scale wildfires are a direct result of extreme climate change due to this human impact.”

7. Making Strides in Digital Map Project

Fieldwork for the much-anticipated digital habitat maps, in partnership with ECOSTEM, continued this year, with tours around Aikens Lake and Fishing Lake.

ECOSTEM is now in the process of creating a preliminary version of the habitat map, which we expect to release in March 2023, followed by detailed maps of cultural features.

Elders, Pimachiowin Aki Guardians and other knowledge keepers are contributing data and information to the maps, such as knowledge of wildlife-habitat relationships, and will be able to use the maps to preserve important habitats and keep an eye on the health of the land.

“The maps won’t just show us the land; they will show us what the land can sustain,” says Alison Haugh, Executive Director of Pimachiowin Aki.

Learn more about the digital maps and how they’re created.

The challenges of mapping

It takes thousands of photos, drone and satellite imagery, and physical samples to create the maps. In the development stages, the mapping team faced multiple challenges getting what they need. Wildfires had swept through the land in 2021, accompanied by COVID-19 restrictions and a months-long drought, which made floatplane and boat travel nearly impossible.

Drones were prohibited from flying due to NAV Canada restrictions to avoid conflicts with firefighting aircraft.

These challenges postponed ECOSTEM’s image collection process to this year, when they were able to continue their fieldwork.

Though easier on their team, 2022 presented its own hurdles. For starters, massive snowfall led to record-breaking high water levels throughout Manitoba.

In addition, “drones have been grounded more than expected due to rain and high winds,” reports ECOSTEM’s Dr. James Ehnes. Despite this, the team was able to complete all of the planned fieldwork.

At times, Pimachiowin Aki Guardians couldn’t do groundwork because roads were covered with water and rapids were so strong that some areas were too dangerous to visit.

If weather concerns weren’t enough to stand in the way of the project, Transport Canada established new restrictions for transporting lithium-ion batteries on commercial flights.

“We now have to discharge the battery, get a third party to certify that they’re discharged, and ship them separately on a cargo flight,” says James. “This process has not only added time prior to getting in the field; it then takes the rest of the day to recharge the batteries.

A team effort

Miigwech to Guardian Colin Owens of Pauingassi First Nation, who travelled great distances by boat to capture images and was very helpful in transporting the crew and gear around the community each day and shipping generators to Winnipeg.

8. Happy Birthday to World Heritage!

2022 marked the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention, which Canada joined in 1976, becoming a part of an international movement to safeguard the world’s cultural treasures.

“The purpose of the World Heritage Convention is to identify, protect, and preserve cultural and natural places across the world that are deemed to have Outstanding Universal Value, and should therefore be protected and recognized internationally for current and future generations,” says Rebecca Kennedy, Manager of International Affairs for Parks Canada.

“Canada is blessed with a diversity of natural and cultural heritage from coast to coast to coast, including 20 sites that have been inscribed on the World Heritage List,” she adds.

There was no better time than 2022 for Canadians to learn about these 20 incredible places. Many of Canada’s World Heritage Sites, including Pimachiowin Aki, offered special in-person and virtual activities to highlight this landmark year.

Take a cross-Canada video tour to celebrate the shared heritage of humankind:

Species of Conservation Concern: Boreal Woodland Caribou

December 20, 2021

Across Canada, industrial activity and wildfires are changing forests and habitat for boreal woodland caribou. Pimachiowin Aki’s large stretch of intact boreal forest offers a rare haven for this majestic species—four groups of boreal woodland caribou live in the protected area, including one of Manitoba’s largest groups.

Boreal woodland caribou have been on the threatened species list in Manitoba since 2002. They were listed as a threatened species across Canada in 2003.

How Pimachiowin Aki meets the needs of boreal woodland caribou

Caribou Biologist Dennis Brannen, Wildlife, Fisheries and Resource Enforcement Branch of Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development, explains that boreal woodland caribou thrive in Pimachiowin Aki, in part, because the vast landscape allows them to avoid predators. Boreal woodland caribou inhabit Pimachiowin Aki’s remote islands, peat bogs, and mature forest, which are typically not desirable for predators like wolves and species wolves prey upon, such as moose.

“Caribou exist in older mature forested areas where there is limited food types. Wolves have less reason to go into those areas because there’s less to feed them,” explains Dennis. Caribou are able to travel more easily in Pimachiowin Aki’s deep, persistent snow and wet peat bogs compared to wolves, he adds.

Pimachiowin Aki provides boreal woodland caribou with their preferred winter foods—lichens that grow on trees and the ground, typically found in spruce, pine and tamarack forests.

The human–predator domino effect, explained

Predators are not the root threat to Canada’s populations of boreal woodland caribou. “The general decline that we are seeing essentially comes back to human-caused landscape change,” says Dennis. Pimachiowin Aki has limited roadways and is protected from commercial mining, logging and peat extraction. In contrast, human activity across the country “has pushed the [caribou] population to the edges and restricted them to broken up patches of forests,” says Dennis.

Pimachiowin Aki is free from the adverse effects of industrial development.

When forest is broken into segments, it creates multiple issues for boreal woodland caribou. Dennis explains the domino effect.

“When forests are disturbed through human activity or natural causes like wildfire, regrowth is initially dominated by leafy shrubs, herbs and grasses—that new generation of vegetation is a surplus of food that leads to more primary prey species for wolves, such as moose.” Wolves follow and ultimately prey upon caribou, too.

Developments such as roads and trails also pose a threat. Dennis describes these linear features as “highways for predators.” They allow wolves to get into areas that were once less accessible, pick up speed, and prey on boreal woodland caribou.

Industrial development creates open areas in the forest, making boreal woodland caribou more vulnerable to predation.

Wolves are not caribou’s only predators. Other species will prey on them “when an opportunity presents itself,” says Dennis. “Across the boreal forest, black bears will prey on boreal woodland caribou calves. Out west in the Rocky Mountains, cougars prey on caribou, especially younger caribou,” he adds.

The climate change-predator domino effect, explained

Boreal woodland caribou travel well in wetlands. “When you bring climate change into the scenario, those wetlands become dryer,” says Dennis. In dryer times, wolves can get into those areas more efficiently. “This has implications for predation on caribou as well.”

Caribou birth rates

Another factor contributing to Canada’s declining boreal woodland caribou populations is that caribou don’t have as many young as other wildlife.

“Moose, elk and deer often have twins,” says Dennis, noting that this is rare in the caribou world. “Caribou will only have one offspring per year, so you end up in a situation where more [caribou] are being removed than added to the population in many cases.”

Ghosts of the forest—Caribou sightings in Pimachiowin Aki

Pimachiowin Aki Guardian Dennis Keeper reports seeing few caribou in Little Grand Rapids First Nation. “Fifteen to 20 years ago, we used to see hundreds and hundreds of them while traveling winter roads.” That is no longer the case. “I saw 14 of them two springs ago—a group of females. You don’t even see tracks now.”

Dennis Brannen suspects that caribou have started to avoid busier areas, like the winter roads. “Caribou are known as shadows or ghosts of the forest. They’re a secretive animal, so they don’t always show themselves when they’re around that landscape. They just shy away from where people are.”

Living with wildfire in Pimachiowin Aki

“Caribou have learned to live with fire [in Pimachiowin Aki] through time,” says Dennis Brannen. Fire is an opportunity for land to renew itself and create new and future habitats. “It’s only when we start increasing the amount of human disturbance on the landscape in combination with fire that we start seeing negative impacts on caribou populations,” he says.

But climate change could change that, warns Dennis. “With climate change, we potentially see an impact with the size of fires and frequency and intensity of those fires on landscapes. So, there are likely to be negative impacts to available habitat and population through time.”

Pimachiowin Aki is the largest protected area in the North American boreal shield. At more than 29,000 sq. km, it provides boreal woodland caribou with room to withstand the impact of fire-related habitat loss.

The future of boreal woodland caribou

Across Canada, people are combining western and Indigenous ways of knowing to protect boreal woodland caribou and their habitat.

“Our desire is to do a better job as we move forward to bring Indigenous knowledge into caribou conservation here in Manitoba,” Dennis shares.

Manitoba’s boreal woodland caribou recovery strategy sets out goals that align with Canada’s recovery strategy. A key goal is to manage and protect boreal woodland caribou habitat to sustain populations across the land. However, results will not happen quickly.

It’s a long-term process and we have to keep that in mind,” says Dennis. “We can’t just say, okay, we’re protecting undisturbed landscape and expect caribou to start doing well tomorrow. We need to look at opportunities and ways in which we can move disturbed habitat back into a state that is suitable for boreal woodland caribou use in the future.”

Research from across Canada indicates that when a habitat is disturbed by industry, for example, it takes roughly 60 years for that habitat to become useful to caribou again.

“We are constantly reviewing developments and proposals, and looking at how they may or may not impact caribou directly,” says Dennis.

There is hope for boreal woodland caribou. Last year, it was reported that the George River population (Labrador and Quebec) increased for the first time in 25 years. That area banned hunting of caribou in 2013. However, woodland caribou are not protected across the country. Their survival is tightly woven into the long-term health of boreal ecosystems, such as those of Pimachiowin Aki.

Anishinaabeg continue to provide wildlife, including threatened species like boreal woodland caribou, with healthy habitat. Here caribou will continue to feed in both winter and summer months and find safe spaces to calve and raise their young.

Fast Facts > Boreal Woodland Caribou

Photos: Hidehiro Otake, Doug Gilmore

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)

How Bird Populations are Changing in Pimachiowin Aki

March 15, 2021

Dr. Nicola Koper, Natural Resources Institute

Selections from telephone interviews and conversations between Pimachiowin Aki Guardians Melba Green (Bloodvein River First Nation) and Dennis Keeper (Little Grand Rapids First Nation), and Dr. Nicola Koper, Professor, and PhD Student Chris De Ruyck of the Natural Resources Institute (NRI).

What birds are you seeing in Bloodvein River and Little Grand Rapids?

Melba: We see a lot of blue jays here in Bloodvein. A lot of people are feeding birds and blue jays come around.

Dennis: We rarely see blue jays. Or ptarmigan. But in the last couple of years, the ptarmigan are coming in huge flocks—200 or more! It used to be 10-20 in a group. We have had them covering this whole area. People are asking if you could eat them. People harvested them and saw that they were carrying some kind of bugs.

Nicola: That is really cool. We’ve had records of a few flocks near Winnipeg. They are not supposed to be here, so far out of their range. If we have species moving out of their natural range, they might be exposed to parasites that they are not tolerant of. If you have a species that evolved in the north, they might not be resistant to parasites in the south. It might be possible that ptarmigan are having problems in Pimachiowin Aki because it’s an area where they are not supposed to be. We could work with a parasitologist on those kinds of things—study where birds are and what health they are experiencing.

Dennis: Last year, the geese went back really early, around the last week of August. It’s usually the middle of September when you start to see the real migration. I don’t think they even nest around here anymore. I found a few eggs. And I didn’t see any snow geese pass by this way this year.

Nicola: I hope we can learn more about that through the type of monitoring we are talking about here. I’m interested in the common nighthawk and Canada warbler because they are species at risk. I’m also interested in exotic species like the house sparrow and European starling, which are starting to move further north because of climate change. It would be interesting to know if they have higher or lower populations in Pimachiowin Aki than in areas that are more influenced by western society.

Common Nighthawk (Photo: Christian Artuso)

Dennis: I’m concerned about the Canada jay. They store their food in black spruce. With the warming, their food goes bad and they abandon their nests. We used to see them everywhere. In the last four years, I have only seen one. It was by itself. Usually, we see them in groups.

Whiskey Jack/Canada Jay (Photo: Christian Artuso)

Nicola: I also think that I have not seen as many [Canada jays] in the last couple of years. This is one of the species that we would be able to monitor. By being on the land, there is so much opportunity for you to make these observations.

Dennis: I’ve also been trying to find out about this one type of bird I’ve been observing for years. It’s dark in colour but when I get closer it’s greenish in colour and has a yellow banana nose. It’s nesting in buildings like the water treatment plant.

Nicola: Maybe the European starling. Look for little specks on them. They are black with iridescent green and purple.

Dennis: Short tail?

Nicola: Yes! The observation you made is really interesting because the European starling is a species that is very closely tied with humans. The fact that you might have them nesting there in buildings, tied with human structures, could mean that it’s what you’re seeing.

Chris: European starlings are not native to North America but I think they helped us out with the canker worms [last summer]. Birds love those outbreaks. Even if adults don’t eat the worms, they feed them to their young.

Nicola: Most species, even if they eat seeds, don’t feed seeds to their young. They feed them insects because insects have more protein than any plant matter would. That’s one of the reasons we don’t want to lose birds—because they perform roles that are good for wildlife and people.

Dennis: This year, I saw an eagle in January. It was a warm day. We usually see spring birds in March—known as the eagle moon month because eagles return to Pimachiowin Aki in March. They come before the geese. They wait for them to bunch up, then they attack them at a certain time of the day.

Chris: It will be really interesting to hear how birds this year are different from next year.

Melba: I can’t wait! I’ll take my camera with me out on the land, and take lots of pictures.

Chris: It can be hard to get a good picture. When you get your camera on them, there’s an idea that the birds might think it’s a large eyeball staring at them, like an owl or something, and they might not like it very much.

Melba: I know birds don’t like you bothering them. You have to stand around for quite a while until they come back.

Want to view Melba’s photos of birds?

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Junco in Pimachiowin Aki — Junco (Photo: Melba Green)

Elders are Our Scientists

December 17, 2019

There has been much dispute about global warming and climate change but Anishinaabeg have long known that poor land use planning can have damaging results. The Elders who came before us have taught us to respect the earth. Pimachiowin Aki is a gift from the Creator, and Anishinaabeg have a sacred responsibility to care for it.

Years ago, Elders spoke about the impending changes in weather patterns and cautioned us that we must work together to make a difference for current and future generations, says Pimachiowin Aki Board Co-Chair William Young. “We have our own scientists,” he says, referring to the Elders in the communities.

William generously translates as we speak with Bloodvein First Nation Elder Leslie Orvis. Born in Bloodvein, Leslie has worked all over Manitoba as a commercial fisherman, and is an experienced hunter and trapper.

Leslie sees the changes that Elders talked about long ago. “They used to be able to do various things, like make it rain. Now that’s all changed,” he says.

While we may no longer be able to call upon the clouds to open up, the Elders in Pimachiowin Aki are the knowledge keepers. Sharing their traditional knowledge is invaluable. They talk about the effects that global warming has on the wildlife in their communities.

At the end of November, Bloodvein was experiencing rain and unusually warm weather for about a week and a half. “When it rains this time of year,” Leslie says, “it freezes onto the twigs, trees and bushes, which the moose and rabbits rely on to eat.“

Lack of food for wildlife inevitably affects the trappers and hunters.

“The wolves are starving,” William adds. Recently three wolves were spotted on the road walking at night, desperately searching or food, coming closer than normal to residents’ homes.

Communities Affected by High Waters

Dennis Keeper, a Pimachiowin Aki Guardian who observes the lands and waters in Little Grand Rapids is very concerned about the unusual weather patterns and erratic water levels that he has witnessed over the last few years.

“Usually at this time of year, the water levels drop and the current slows down,” he says. But this year is different. The lake froze once in the fall and then opened again near the end of November. Yet in June and July, water levels were lower than normal. Dennis says that in 2018 Little Grand Rapids had low water levels all year.

Pauingassi First Nation, 18 kilometres north of Little Grand Rapids, is experiencing its highest water levels ever, with some parts of the community swallowed up and becoming islands. The high waters prevent trappers from accessing their trap lines.

“We have to rely on outside food, says Dennis. “It puts pressure on the community.”

It also affects communities’ access to transportation. Typically, for about one month each winter, people use winter roads to travel to and from the communities of Pimachiowin Aki. The roads are a direct route across the lakes. But those roads won’t open until the lakes freeze, and Dennis worries that the roads won’t be open for as many days as needed.

“It takes a month of minus 30 degrees Celsius for it to freeze,” he explains. It takes six to eight weeks to get the roads passed as driveable, which results in 22 to 30 days of winter road driving. The slow freeze-up can also result in the trucks having to carry smaller loads, cutting the weight of the loads in half from 80,000 pounds to 40,000.

This is unsettling news for Little Grand Rapids, which is expecting 1500 loads of supplies this winter via the winter road. The trucks will be carrying materials to build the community’s own much-needed high school this spring.

“Global warming is not a myth,” Dennis says. “Come over here and see it for yourself.”

Elder Leslie says, “There will be days ahead that will be hard, and we have to prepare our youth by teaching them skills like hunting, trapping, fishing and survival.” He believes that we can, and should, all work together toward sustainable hunting in order to build a brighter future for all.