AA piece of land on Prince Edward Island has been conserved by Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC), thanks to a lady with a love of nature and her children, who wanted to honour her memory.

The 56-acre piece of property in Poplar Grove, P.E.I., had been left to the six children of Jessie Doris Cox, a longtime resident of Vancouver Island, who purchased the property on a visit to P.E.I., her son Weston Cox says.

“She was a woman of land; she was a farm girl from Saskatchewan who was enamoured of the natural world and her children inherited that from her,” he says. “It was a wild, raw piece of land. I can see why mother fell in love with it.”

The property is 16 acres of wetland and 40 acres of upland which consists of mixed native trees. It did not have a lot of development potential. After Jessie's death the Family held on to it, but as they got older they had to decide what to do with it.

“We wanted to honour her memory and what she loved. She always felt she was a true Canadian because she owned property on both coasts,” Cox says with a laugh at the memory.

He and his brother-in-law are active in DUC and the family decided to donate the land to the conservation organization. Cox contacted DUC in British Columbia and he was put in touch with Wade Lewis, conservation specialist for P.E.I.

“Wade was an excellent go-between. These things don’t always go quickly or smoothly but Wade hung in there and saw it through. We owe Wade a huge debt of gratitude. He was very professional and carried us through the whole thing. And we are very happy to say the land was donated to Ducks Unlimited.”

DUC installed a cairn with a granite plaque on the site which reads: This property donated to Ducks Unlimited Canada in honour of Jessie Doris Cox, Coombs, Vancouver Island B.C. In keeping with her life long love of the natural world. By the families of her loving daughters and son: Beryl and Bill Barnes, Maxine and Gary Heppell, Weston and Wanda Cox, Sharon Cox Gustavson and Barry Gustavson, Norma and Keith Griffith and Donna and son Dakota Cox. S

volume 30, number 2, 2009

eastern region ( )Quebec • New Brunswick • Nova Scotia

• Prince Edward Island • Newfoundland and Labrador

quebec/atlantic

Mother’s love of nature conserves P.E.I. wetland

A cairn has been erected to honour the memory of Jessie Cox, whose family donated her land to DUC.

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Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) has received a generous donation of $10,000 from the Telus Community Investment Committee to fund the Wetlands Centre of Excellence at Mont-Sainte-Anne high school (MSAHS). This project, greatly enhanced thanks to the Telus support, is the culmination of a partnership between DUC, the MSAHS and the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area (CTNWA), whose aim is to improve young people’s perception and knowledge of wetlands.

“At Telus, we donate where we live. We firmly believe that in working together we will manage to enrich the life of residents in the Quebec City area,” says Jean-François St-Germain, vice-president, sales, public and para-public markets.

The financial contribution of the Telus Community Investment Committee will enable some 400 students at Mont-Sainte-Anne high school to discover geocaching. The students will first make their containers, called geocaches, which contain information on wetlands. Then, by using a global positioning system (GPS) device and information placed online, the school’s students and members of the local and even international community can look for these geocaches to discover a host of information.

A thank you to the Telus Community Investment Committee for supporting this modern-day “treasure hunt” and enabling our youth to discover the incredible biodiversity of the wetlands and their numerous benefits. S

The Quebec Wetlands Centre of Excellence granted $10,000 by the Telus Community Investment Committee

Since its creation in 1999, the Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) habitat protection team has developed solid experience in the area of private land conservation. It has added several strings to its bow: notarial law, real estate, environmental and regulatory evaluation, taxation analysis and surveying, to name just a few. The multidisciplinary team is able to cover all applications for land conservation in Quebec. It has also created several financial partnerships with departments and municipalities. Last year, 2008, was particularly rich in prestigious projects, and 2009 is making a similar start. Here is a brief retrospective of some of the conservation team’s accomplishments in recent months.

We cannot overlook the donation of Île Lapierre for a portion of its value. Evaluated at $13.9 million, the island was sold by its owner for $4 million, funded by the City of Montreal, and giving rise to a charity receipt acknowledging an ecological donation of $9.9 million. Île Lapierre, part of a small archipelago to the east of Montreal, is the last island linked by a bridge that has not fallen prey to urban development. It is important to stress that this achievement is part of a much larger, long-term project: Conservation of the green corridor from the De Montigny stream, targeted in the City of Montreal’s policy on the conservation of natural spaces.

A second major accomplishment was the acquisition of the Vaudreuil-Dorion marshland located on the banks of Lac des Deux Montagnes, thereby enabling conservation of 45 acres of marshland. This marshland plays a crucial ecological role, since it represents a major link between the various protected areas in the region. DUC hopes next year to have the site permanently recognized as a nature reserve.

The team also continued consolidation of the Côte-de-Beaupré sandbars and marshes, close to Quebec City. Over the past several decades, the Côte-de-Beaupré wetlands bordering the freshwater estuary of the Saint Lawrence have undergone numerous changes resulting from the widening of Sainte-Anne Boulevard and disturbances stemming from residential and commercial development. To save what remains of these important waterfowl wetlands, DUC is meeting with owners who want to dispose of their land or who want to conserve it with the help of legal conservation options.

Many other projects in both southern and northern Quebec are in progress and we could have some interesting announcements to make at the next convention of volunteers! S

Small Quebec protection team enjoys big achievements

From left to right: Stéphanie Poulin (DUC), Serge Labonté (CTNWA), Jean-François St-Germain, Telus vice-president, sales, public and para-public markets, Francis Thiffault (MSAHS) and Geneviève Meunier (DUC).

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A DDucks Unlimited Canada was pleased to welcome Kimberly Arseneau to their team as development manager in the Atlantic provinces in February.

Arseneau is an integral member of the Atlantic team, working closely with staff and volunteers in the Atlantic provinces. She works from a home office in St. Stephen, N.B., and will travel across the Atlantic area raising funds for programs.

Arseneau’s association with DUC is rooted in nearly a decade of work as a volunteer in New Brunswick. She is a driving force on three committees and is a member of the provincial volunteer council.

Arseneau has a degree in biology from Dalhousie University. She has worked for the federal government and came to us from the Huntsman Marine Science Centre where she was a major gift fundraiser. She and her husband Paul live with their 10-year-old son Mitchell in St Stephen. S

e a s t e r n r e g i o n ( q u e b e c / a t l a n t i c )

The taiga is often viewed as a poor, unattractive territory for waterfowl. Such a myth is not surprising, if we consider the paucity of available information on this territory and the small number of studies on the subject. However, the actual relationship between waterfowl and the boreal forest is quite different: it is estimated that 80 per cent of North American waterfowl species visit the area during the breeding season. The Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) Quebec boreal team looked into the issue and last December published a technical report entitled Répartition de la sauvagine en période de nidification entre les 51º et 58º de latitude nord dans la province de Québec (Distribution of waterfowl in Quebec during the breeding season between latitudes 51° and 58° north), in partnership with Université Laval, Environment Canada, the Canadian Wildlife Service (Quebec region), Hydro-Québec, the Black Duck Joint Venture, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Boreal Initiative.

Data from five recent aerial surveys were used to construct an atlas of waterfowl nesting in the Quebec taiga. The results

were astonishing. The mapping of nesting areas of 21 waterfowl species present on the boreal territory highlights the significant gap between the actual distribution of several species and the distribution generally accepted in identification guides and bird atlases. For example, we learn that the mallard, normally considered absent from the study territory in bird identification guides, is present in every survey used for the purposes of this study. Similarly, the distribution areas of several other species are far larger than previously thought. These results help document the waterfowl species present in the boreal forest and identify their nesting areas in the territory.

For more information on this project, see: A. Guérette Montminy, E. Berthiaume, M. Darveau, S. Cumming, D. Bordage, S. Lapointe and L.V. Lemelin, 2008. Répartition de la sauvagine en période de nidification entre les 51º et 58º de latitude nord dans la province de Québec.Technical report No. Q14, Ducks Unlimited Canada – Quebec City, Quebec. 43 p. available online at www.sbf.ulaval.ca/darveaum/PDF2/Guerette_et_al_2009_Rap_tech_CIC_Q14. S

Quebec taiga study reveals new waterfowl data

Dedicated volunteer turns fundraiser

An exciting new summer camp in Nova Scotia will unite Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) with Canadian Parents for French (CPF).

Camp Eco-Vert will run from Aug. 2-8, 2009, at Hardwood Lake in Kings County, N.S. – a two-mile-long lake in a pristine and private setting.

The only camp on the lake belongs to the Girl Guides Association. It is located on several acres of waterfront property with two buildings and a wilderness campsite with tents and a cooking facility.

Eco-Vert will be for youth aged 15 to 17. This French language camp is ideal for young people who wish to practise their French skills while learning about wetlands and the environment.

During the week at camp, students will take part in activities on land and water that will give them a better understanding of the environment and its effect on our society. From learning basic camping skills to building and setting nest boxes, reading maps and orienteering to doing wetland-related games and activities, campers will have an experience they won’t forget.

Campers will also receive a one-year DUC Greenwing membership which includes a magazine, hats and T-shirts, as well as other valuable resources that make for great science class projects.

The cost is $400. The camp is open to youth from across Canada and beyond. To attend the camp, you must be a member of CPF-NS. Purchase a membership and find camp registration forms on the CPF-NS website (www.cpfns.ednet.ns.ca/) or request them by mail at 1-877-CPF-5233. S

Camp Eco-Vert combines French practice with outdoor learning

TThough often upstaged by sharing a date with the illustrious groundhog, World Wetlands Day enjoyed its share of the spotlight in the Atlantic region.

World Wetlands Day is Feb. 2, which marks the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar. Since 1997, government agencies, non-governmental organizations and groups of citizens at all levels of the community have used this day to raise public awareness of wetland values and benefits.

This year’s theme was Upstream/Downstream – Wetlands Connect Us All and in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, events were held to promote this connection and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC).

In Fredericton an afternoon of fun was held on Sunday, Feb. 1 to mark World Wetlands Day. It was the first time DUC celebrated the event in New Brunswick.

The DUC Conservation Centre hosted several events: a colouring contest, paper crafts, “Bill Nye the Science Guy” movies (with popcorn), wetland demonstrations, a guided snowshoe walk and a snow sculpture contest. DUC staff and volunteers were on hand to help out.

“This was the first year for this event and it won’t be the last. We had 65 people of all ages join us for our activities,” says Colette Cheverie, DUC education specialist.

A large group set out for the interpretive snowshoe walk; a few brought their own snowshoes while the rest used those generously loaned to DUC by Mactaquac Provincial Park. Others remained at the centre to get started on their sculptures and enjoy the indoor activities.

“Drake the Duck even flew in for a visit,” Cheverie says. “He was very popular and stuck around until the prizes were handed out and the wetland-themed cake, which was donated by the Atlantic Superstore, was cut.”

This event had a lot of community support. Other sponsors for the event were Giant Tiger, Jumbo Video, MLA Kelly Lamrock, McLean’s Sports, Phil’s Recreation, Magnetic Hill Zoo, Kingswood Family Entertainment Centre and Sobeys Brookside.

The next day it was a bright and early start for DUC staff and volunteers as World Wetlands Day and Groundhog Day events began in Nova Scotia at 8 a.m. Natural Resources Minister Carolyn Bolivar-Getson was on hand to see Shubenacadie Sam’s thoughts on the subject of the seasons.

Sam has the distinction of being the first groundhog in the country to prognosticate on the weather. After being beckoned out by bagpipes and the town crier, he spotted his shadow almost immediately and predicted another six weeks of winter.

The group of over 80 witnesses to Sam’s proclamation made their way to the Greenwing Legacy Interpretive Centre for hot chocolate, crafts and wetland demonstrations as well as the chance to use the educational displays at the centre.

“We are lucky to be able to partner with the province’s Groundhog Day celebrations,” Cheverie says. “It gives us the chance to spread the word about World Wetlands Day and DUC to a lot of people.” She adds: “Drake joined his old friend Gertie Groundhog greeting people in the centre and he was quite the celebrity. He was caught posing for lots of photos with his young fans.” S

eastern region ( )

The Flyway newsletter is published by Ducks Unlimited CanadaOak Hammock Marsh Conservation CentreP.O. Box 1160, Stonewall, ManitobaR0C 2Z0 tel (204)467-3000 fax (204)467-9028toll-free 1(800)665-DUCK

Please direct your inquiries to the following:Eastern Region Atlantic: Kelly MacDonald Quebec: Bernard Filion Ontario: Lynette MaderWestern Region Prairie-Western Boreal: Marci Dube Pacific: Wendy Fister

Flyway production staffDirector of Communications and Marketing:Madeleine ArbezEditor: Duncan MorrisonAssistant: Deb MenardArt Director: Tye GreggGraphic Designers: Lindsay Pikta-Marie, Aquila Samson, Jeope Wolfe

© Ducks Unlimited Canada, 2009 Printed in Canada on 100% recycled paper including 100% post-consumer fibres

quebec/atlantic

area contactsManager of Provincial Operations, AtlanticTom Duffy (866) 903-8257 ext.234

Manager of Provincial Operations, QuébecBernard Filion (800) 565-1650 ext.15

Fundraising Manager, QuébecJocelyn Landry (877) 551-5757

Fundraising Manager, New Brunswick Barry Burke (888) 920-3330

Fundraising Manager, Nova ScotiaJames Young (888) 557-5554

Newfoundland and LabradorKelly Sandoval (877) 243-8257

Fundraising

Québec (West)Pascal Desmedt (877) 547-9494

Greenwing LiaisonsKim Votour (888) 920-3330 ext. 3

publication agreement #40064849

Special events marked World Wetlands Day in Atlantic

Erin Heeney, DUC nature interpreter, Drake and Colette Cheverie are joined by two snow sculpture builders at the World Wetlands Day event in Fredericton, N.B.