Stewardship

Why should we care about species at risk?

Short-eared owl - Doug Dance

We all have a responsibility to help conserve biodiversity and protect NWT species. Every species plays an important role in the environment. Losing a species can have impacts we may not be able to predict.

The NWT is lucky to still have so much wilderness and habitat for species that are in trouble in the rest of Canada. Because of that, we also have a responsibility to take care of these species.

Take action

In our daily lives, we can all choose to do things that help species at risk recover, and that help prevent other species from becoming at risk. There are many ways that NWT residents can act as stewards of the land, animals and plants. Some of the things people can do cost money, and there is funding available to help support this work (click here for more information).

Have your say

Under the Species at Risk (NWT) Act, you can help decide which species are assessed, and provide input into decisions on listing species, conservation actions, management and recovery.

You can also register to be notified of future updates to this schedule, and other species at risk news. If you would like to be added to the species at risk distribution list please let us know with an email to SARA@gov.nt.ca.

Share your knowledge

The Northwest Territories is a big place. In addition to wildlife surveys and volunteer programs such as the Christmas Bird Count, people in the NWT can provide information on where species at risk live and how they are doing.

These observations help inform species range maps found in the guide to Species at Risk in the NWT and the NWT Species and Habitat Viewer, as well as species status reports.

To report a sighting, or to share your observations about a species, please send them to WildlifeObs@gov.nt.ca.

Join the NWT Species at Risk Facebook page for the latest information about species at risk in the NWT.

You can also share your observations and your knowledge on iNaturalist or by taking part in one of the monitoring programs available in the NWT. To find out about monitoring programs and how to get involved, click here.

Apply for funding

Do you have an idea for how to help a species? The NWT Species Conservation and Recovery Fund provides funding for projects that:

  • Address threats to species, habitats, landscapes or ecosystems
  • Fill knowledge gaps related to species, habitats or threats
  • Contribute to outreach, education and awareness about species at risk

Funding applications are accepted every year between January 15 and March 1. Click here to find out how to apply.

The Government of Canada also offers funding programs that support work to conserve and protect species at risk and their habitats.

Suggest a species for assessment

Under the Species at Risk (NWT) Act, any person, group or organization can apply to SARC for an assessment of a species with the reasons for requesting the assessment. Contact the Species at Risk Secretariat if there is an NWT species you are concerned about.

Write a species status report

Are you a species expert? The Species at Risk Committee has established SARC General Guidelines for species status reports, as well as detailed instructions for how they should be prepared.

Through the Secretariat, the Species at Risk Committee issues contracts to write status reports for species on the assessment schedule. Contracts are awarded to qualified people through the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) ‘Request for Proposals’ process. Requests for Proposals are advertised on the GNWT contract registry.

If you are interested in writing an unsolicited NWT species status report, please contact the Species at Risk Secretariat at SARA@gov.nt.ca or toll-free at 1 (855) 783-4301.

Get informed and get involved

Are you concerned about a species in the NWT? Contact your Renewable Resource Council or Hunters and Trappers Committee, your regional GNWT Environment and Climate Change office, or the Species at Risk Secretariat.

Learn about species at risk in the NWT and spread the word. We invite you to explore this website and its resources.

Credit: P. Sokoloff

Rare plants of the NWT

Hairy braya is a very rare plant that occurs only in the NWT on the Cape Bathurst Peninsula and Baillie Islands.

In 2014, hairy braya was added to the NWT List of Species at Risk as a Threatened species. It was listed because of its very small range, shrinking habitat and declining population.

As far as we know, no people harvest this plant. We don’t know what role it plays in the ecosystem. But we do know that ecosystems work best and are more resilient to change when their biodiversity is intact. Each species has a role to play, no matter how small it is.

Photo: Paul Sokoloff

Read more
Photo: Billy Goose

You can help

The Wildlife Management Advisory Council (NWT) and Inuvialuit Game Council have been mobilizing and collecting traditional knowledge about Peary caribou and Dolphin and Union caribou, using funding from AFSAR and the NWT Species Conservation and Recovery Fund.

They are producing a report on Inuvialuit knowledge interviews conducted in 2011-2014, which included a verification workshop with the original knowledge holders to approve the interpretations in the final report. Additional knowledge is being collected on important habitat types for Dolphin and Union caribou, and youth are learning about sustainable harvesting and ways of knowing caribou.

Photo: Billy Goose

More species at risk projects