A total of four projects were awarded $5,000 of Species at Risk Stewardship Program funding in 2016-17:
Husky River Hike
Project lead: Moose Kerr School, Aklavik
Species at risk focus: Dall sheep, Barn swallow, Horned grebe, Peregrine falcon, and Short-eared owl.
Funding will be put towards building a learning cultural component for the grade 4/5 class to become active learners in the stewardship and protection of species at risk.
Traditional Use Study – Woodland Caribou Habitat and Habitat Use
Project lead: Deninu Kue First Nation, Fort Resolution
Species at risk focus: Woodland caribou (boreal population)
This project builds on project work completed in 2014-15 and 2015-16 to incorporate traditional and scientific information in the identification of critical habitat for woodland caribou in the South Slave region of the NWT to assist with caribou recovery. In this stage, work will continue on validating the preliminary calving habitat model. Funding will be used for one or more field visits to these areas with project participants to further explore the quality of caribou habitat.
Gwich’in Knowledge of Insects at Risk
Project lead: Gwich’in Renewable Resources Board
Species at risk focus: Butterflies, dragonflies, bumble bees, and other insects
Hosting of a two-day workshop where Gwich’in traditional knowledge holders will share their knowledge about insects at risk with biologists, entomologists, and heritage researchers. The project is a joint project with the Gwich’in Social and Cultural Institute. The goals are to increase knowledge and capacity at the community, regional, territorial, and federal level, and to produce a focused and high quality report with biophysical traditional knowledge information about sensitive and at risk insects. The Elders and land users will also provide information about the current and anticipated threats to insects in their lands. This project will focus on collecting data about insects, which will fill a known data gap.
Dechenla Caribou Stewardship Planning Workshop
Project lead: Sahtú Renewable Resources Board
Species at risk focus: Northern mountain caribou
This project is a collaboration with the Tulı́t’a Dene Band, Tulı́t’a Renewable Resource Council (RRC), Norman Wells RRC, and Ross River Dena Council to develop and promote a northern mountain caribou stewardship strategy founded in traditional Dene/Dena principles and values, and consistent with Environment Canada’s “2012 Management Plan for the Northern Mountain Population of Woodland Caribou in Canada”.