Modelled after and incorporating the highly successful program Operation Burrowing Owl (OBO), that began in Alberta in 1989, OGC is being expanded to profile additional species that are also currently at risk, beginning with the Loggerhead shrike. Operation Grassland Community therefore provides a comprehensive approach to the maintenance and enhancement of the prairie grasslands. The burrowing owl and loggerhead shrike are but two residents of the habitats that make up this diverse community.
There has been an unprecedented impact on the prairies in the last 80 years, an ecological system that took 12,000 years to perfect. Many people are now seeking ways to balance development and operational practices with the maintenance of this delicate ecosystem in mind.
Much energy and attention has been focused on the Burrowing owl by many interested groups and individuals. Its small stature and declining populations have allowed the owl to become a distinct representative of a troubled grassland landscape. In 1995, this owl was moved to the Endangered category in Canada, a higher risk category due to a continued population decline across the prairies. Unless this downward trend is slowed, the Burrowing owl is in imminent danger of no longer being found in Canada. There is an urgency to address the plight of this diminutive prairie resident and there are many basic facts about the life history the owl that are still poorly understood.
The Loggerhead shrike population, officially listed asThreatened in Western Canada, is stronger than initially thought. It is estimated 5,000 pairs of loggerhead shrike are in Alberta during the breeding season. The population is thinly distributed and the stability of the population is unknown. The Eastern loggerhead shrike is listed as Endangered, and unwary practices still pose a serious threat to the Western population. While the owl's preferred nest site is the short grass open range, the Loggerhead shrike nests in indigenous shrub complexes that dot the arid landscape. These nesting sites represent but two of the communities that make up the grassland ecosystem.
During coming years, OGC will profile other species and habitats. Herptiles (reptiles and amphibians) are an important component of the prairies' natural history and food web. Alberta currently has nine herptile species that have sensitive status. One of the most difficult challenges facing wildlife research is to understand the species' life history, how widely distributed it is and whether the population is stable. OGC offers an opportunity for people to become involved in understanding more about wildlife through participation in this volunteer program.
We try to contact all the people who report a sighting and to thank them for their concern and efforts. Over 150 burrowing owl nest sites were documented in 1995. All sightings are confirmed and if the nest is located on private property, the landholder is then contacted. Information on the species and its limiting factors are made available to the landholder. She/he is encouraged to accept recognition for his/her concern for prairie wildlife through various landholder recognition programs offered through Operation Grassland Community. To date we are working with over 250 landholders who are voluntarily protecting over 60,000 acres of habitat for prairie wildlife. It is very important to recognize that the habitats protected for burrowing owls and loggerhead shrikes benefit many other species as well.
Many landholders have long recognized the importance of a healthy natural environment as beneficial to their operation as well. OGC provides them with an opportunity to be recognized for their efforts and to ease their access to information. We respect the right to privacy and do not publicize names or nest site locations and do not access private lands without permission.
The goals for 1996 are: to continue to raise awareness of profiled species, encourage the reporting of sightings and to promote monitoring and maintenance of the grassland ecosystem in a way that benefits both the user and the wildlife.
Operation Grassland Community is one of many habitat programs of the Alberta Fish Game Association. As a nonprofit, charitable program we would like to thank and acknowledge the generous financial support of the following agencies in 1995: Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Endangered Species Recovery Fund (Canadian Wildlife Service and World Wildlife Fund), Action 21 (Environment Canada), and Wildlife Habitat Canada.
Please contact the appropriate authorities or groups in your area and become involved in helping to lessen our impact on our environment. If you wish to report a sighting or find out more information about how to get involved in OGC, please contact:
Operation Grassland Community
Box 1644
BROOKS, Alberta
Canada, T1R 1C5
Phone: (403) 362-1400
Fax: (403) 362-6206
Email: dscobie@eid.awinc.com
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