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Category: Wildlife

  • Kensington North Watersheds Association Wraps Up River Otter Monitoring Project

    In 2020 KNWSA worked in partnership with PEI Forests, Fish and Wildlife to monitor North American river otters in the Kensington North region. This year, we were excited to receive funding through the Wildlife Conservation Fund (WCF) to continue and expand our monitoring efforts. As we approach the end of this project, we’re excited to share our results!

    American River Otters are native to PEI, however, became extirpated (locally extinct) on the island as a result of habitat loss and increased demand for furs in the 19th century. Although there has been some interest from trappers in the past, there has been no deliberate attempt to reintroduce the native species to the island. This makes the recent sightings of river otters even more exciting as natural re-establishment is fairly uncommon!

    Remote cameras were used as our primary method of monitoring to ensure evidence could be shared and confirmed in a case of uncertainty. The cameras use a passive infra-red (PIR) detector which is triggered by a moving heat source (animal) to take a photo. In order to photograph otters, we had to ensure that the cameras were placed strategically, in their preferred habitat.

    A total of ten cameras were installed from May to November. Five of which were located next to barrier ponds along the north shore and of those, four captured evidence of otters. One camera even captured three otters at one time! Another five cameras were installed farther south in locations such as Indian River and had no evidence of otters, however, recorded photos of other wildlife including beavers, herons, and lots of raccoons.

    Identifying wildlife signs, including tracks and scat, is another minimally intrusive monitoring technique. The otters’ distinctive silvery scat, composed of fish scales, was collected from the north shore sites and delivered to the PEI Fish and Wildlife division for DNA analysis.

    The focus of this project is to determine how widespread and established otter populations are in the Kensington North region and to develop best management practices for using remote cameras to monitor wildlife. If you have any wildlife sightings, whether they were taken with a remote camera or not, you can share them online at www.peinaturetracker.ca.

    This project was funded by the Wildlife Conservation Fund, which provides financial support to groups across PEI working to benefit wildlife and wildlife conservation. WCF funding comes from annual conservation fees incorporated into PEI licences for hunting, angling and trapping, and Conservation Plates purchased for motor vehicles in PEI. If you would like to support more projects like this, consider purchasing a conservation license plate!

    Published in The County Line Courier, December 2021 edition

  • Kensington North Watersheds Association Receives Funding to Monitor River Otters

    KNWSA is pleased to announce we have received funding through the Wildlife Conservation Fund (WCF) to monitor river otter populations in our area. It may come as a surprise to hear that there is a river otter population on PEI, as most people would never have seen an otter here. That is because river otters have, until recently, been extirpated (locally extinct) from PEI.

    Over the last few hundred years populations of mammals on PEI have changed considerably. For example, PEI used to have populations of black bear, lynx, and even caribou! During the 19th century, river otter fur was very valuable, and this caused the population to be under high pressure from trapping. By the end of the 19th century, records suggest river otters were either very scarce or already gone from the Island.

    Recently, there have been several otter sightings on PEI, including some accidental trappings. Last year Kensington North partnered with PEI Forests, Fish, and Wildlife to monitor otters with the use of remote cameras, also known as trail cameras. This year with the funding received from WCF, we are able to purchase several more remote cameras to expand our monitoring efforts!

    River otters captured using remote trail camera

    The new remote cameras will be set up in various habitats where river otters may be present. These cameras have a passive infra-red sensor which can detect a temperature differential when a heat source, such as an animal, moves in front of the sensor. When the sensor is triggered, the camera takes a picture of the animal in front of it.

    The main goals of our monitoring project are to determine how widespread and established otter populations are in our area and to develop best management practices for using remote cameras to monitor river otters. While our project focuses on otters, we also get pictures of many other types of wildlife using the same habitat. Remote cameras are a great, minimally invasive way to observe wildlife we may not normally see. If you have any wildlife sightings, whether they were taken with a remote camera or not, you can share them online at www.peinaturetracker.ca.

    This project was funded by the Wildlife Conservation Fund, which provides financial support to groups across PEI working to benefit wildlife and wildlife conservation. The funding for WCF comes from annual conservation fees incorporated into PEI licenses for hunting, angling and trapping, and Conservation Plates purchased for motor vehicles in PEI. If you would like to support more projects like this, consider purchasing a conservation license plate!

  • Your Help is Needed to Monitor Local Bat Populations!

    Bats play a vital role not only in our ecosystems but also in our economies! Because bats eat so many insects, they decrease the need for use of chemical pesticides in agriculture, and they also produce guano (bat droppings) that is rich in nitrogen and can act as a natural fertilizer for lawns and gardens.

    Unfortunately, white-nose syndrome (WNS) ― a deadly disease affecting North America’s bat populations ― has killed up to 99% of bats within specific bat colonies along the east coast. Caused by a fungus that grows on bats during winter hibernation, WNS poses no threat to the health of humans, pets or other animals, but it is responsible for the death of over six million bats across North America.

    As of today, two local bat species ― the little brown myotis and the northern myotis ― are listed federally as endangered due to white-nose syndrome.

    Because bats are nocturnal and spend the winter months hibernating, monitoring them can be challenging. Any sightings reported by the public are extremely beneficial to wildlife biologists and researchers as they can help locate maternity colonies, hibernation sites, and important bat habitat that may otherwise go undetected. If you have seen any bats around, we’d like to hear from you!

    Please call the following numbers to report any local bat sightings, receive guidance on managing bats in buildings, for assistance with any bat-related human health concerns, or for general bat information:

    PEI Fish and Wildlife: 902-368-4683 

    Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative BAT HOTLINE: 1-833-434-BATS (2287), toll-free

    Other ways you can help out local bat populations are:

    • Avoid cutting down old trees (also known as “snags”) that are still standing
    • Maintain woodlots near bodies of water
    • Avoid displacing bats from their roosts between the beginning of May and the end of September
    • Put up a bat house
    • Consult with a wildlife biologist before filling in an old well
    • Talk to your friends and neighbors about bats!

    This project was made possible thanks to funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program.

    Photo by David Cody

  • Bird Watching: Rubber Boots, a Camera and a Smile

    I have a love of nature that goes back to my early childhood. Last year, with the support of my family, I chose to return to school and study environmental science. I have heard that learning keeps us young, so understandably, this must be why I feel like a kid again.

    I have a great respect for those that continue to support PEI’s on-going environmental efforts, so in May, I found myself eager to begin work with the Kensington North Watersheds Association. The learning began on the first day, and every day since then, I have gained a greater appreciation for the ongoing efforts of these essential community organizations. The summer crew has worked at re-building the biodiversity of the riparian zones, monitored water quality in our streams and ponds, participated in the Community Aquatic Monitoring Program in the estuaries, and more. We’ve spent numerous hours in our rubber boots throughout the wetlands and along the stream and rivers.

    There have been many moments worth capturing with a camera, and I have been very happy to oblige. We’ve watched eagles soar, flowers bloom, fish return to habitat once abandoned, nests of eggs hatch, and I have personally hugged a number of trees, of which I can now more easily identify. The most enjoyment has come from unexpected … listening to what sounds like R2-D2 hiding in a grassy field (Bobolink), or trying to find what is making the bubble-popping sound in a canopy of trees (Raven), or the sound of an engine starting (the drumming of the Ruffed Grouse). I now understand why so many Islanders enjoy bird watching, and why it’s one of the fastest growing hobbies in our region. It feels like a treasure hunt. It is great fun to capture an image of the elusive Sora, or the stealthy flight of the Swallow, the silhouette of the Great Blue Heron or the curious nature of the Blackcapped Chickadee. Every novice birder on PEI can be taught to identify the flash of yellow among the shrubs as the Yellow Warbler.

    If you have ever glanced out of your kitchen window or walked along our island beaches and come across a feathered friend that you’d like to learn know more about, we can help. The Kensington North Watersheds Association is inviting our community to help identify the bird species in our area. We are creating a list of sightings in our area that will be combined with provincial lists, to record the presence of different bird species during our time.

    Should you wish to participate you may contact us with sighting details, such as: your name, date and time, species (if known), location of sighting, description of area (wetland, woodland, grassland, urban) weather, photo (if available) and any additional comments. For additional information, contact the KNWSA office at: wildlife@knwsa.com. You may also watch our Facebook page for information on how to enter data. [ed: You can use PEI Nature Tracker, which was created out of the wildlife sightings initiative that KNWSA had in 2014]

    Jill Poirier

    KNWSA Staff, Nature Enthusiast

    About the Author

    During the spring of 2014 Jill joined the KNWSA summer crew and enjoyed learning and working alongside our fantastic team of dedicated watershed advocates and fellow nature enthusiasts.

    As she enjoys photography, Jill has created a KNWSA Summer Photo-Journal to share her experience with you. Should you be interested, please click here to take a peak at what they’ve discovered.

    The article can be found online in The County Line Courier, Vol. 22, No. 13, Pg. 08.