Category: Speakers

Climate Change Impacts on Human, Animal and Environmental Health in Canada’s North

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The BPEG community came together on 2 August 2023 at the Anglican Church Hall to hear about local veterinarian Dr Trace MacKay’s first hand observations on the changing landscape in terms of human, animal and environmental health in Canada’s North.

MacKay visited Gjoa Haven Nunavut, north of the Arctic Circle, with Veterinarians without Borders Canada (www.vetswithoutborders.ca). MacKay and three other team members Marieke (Northern Animal Health Initiative Program Manager), Alison (dog trainer, vet tech in training and VWB Northern scholarship recipient), and Cameron (dog groomer) went to the hamlet of 600 households to conduct a Community Assets and Needs Assessment. The team also provided some dog care services while in the community,

Veterinarians without Borders Canada (VWB) spent two years building a relationship with the community. They were invited to visit the community by Paws with Purpose (a volunteer dog committee). The team visited the community last September and this spring and will return again in September of this year.

During the four-day visit, the team conducted a preventive health clinic for dogs, dog training classes, dog grooming appointments,  and lessons on dog safety. They held a mini Northern Dog Games event for dog owners to compete in activities such as the longest sit/stay and fastest to find the hidden treat. The team also conducted numerous interviews with the community members and hosted a community meeting to understand what works, what could be better and what things need to happen for positive change for the health of people, animals and the environment that sustains them using a “One Health” approach.

MacKay explained about the changing societal and cultural norms within the community and the impact to their daily lives by changes in the climate.

The iced-in community is formally a Hudson Bay trading post. The area is attractive as a “place of plenty blubber”, hence its Inuktitut ‘s name  Uqsuqtuuq.  The area is now settled by the Inuit, but they are not traditionally settlers. Tourism is on the rise due to the discovery of the HMS Erebus and the HMS Terror. There are housing and overcrowding issues, mental health challenges, and evolving cultural and societal practices.  Dogs used to be integral to survival, now they are mostly replaced by machines. New dog breeds are introduced which are less suited to the harsh winter climate. The environment is changing, the ice is not freezing over as early and as such shortening the seal hunting and fishing seasons, lessening the time for sourcing food and threatening ice safety.  There are signs of disease and stress showing up in the fish being caught. Everything needs to be shipped in during the ice-free months, or by airplane therefore  there are higher prices for everything. In some areas of the north, Grizzly Bears are encroaching, adding further threats to the people spending time on the land in the summer months. All these factors have various inter-connected effects on human and animal wellbeing.

Historically dogs have been of huge importance to the survival of the Iniut peoples, used for transport i.e. dog sledding and for hunting purposes. There is still a deep cultural attachment towards dogs, but the relationship is now different. There is fear in the community of roaming dogs. Dogs are at risk of contracting rabies from Arctic Fox moving into the community each Fall. It is most often children who are bitten by dogs. If dogs are not vaccinated against rabies, anyone who is bitten needs to undergo a series of post exposure vaccination against rabies. 

The VWB  team vaccinated 150 dogs last year, and conducted another vaccine clinic during this Spring visit to vaccinate the dogs missed or born since the last vaccine clinic. Proof of a dog’s rabies vaccine might change the need for treatment.

The team spent time teaching dog training, grooming and safety especially on how to approach a dog. Some of the recommendations are to support a vet science club in high school; offer dog safety training to the community, especially children, and engage the elders in sharing their knowledge in dog training and care. VWB offers scholarships and pet first aid training to youth in their Northern Animal Health Initiative partner communities and trains lay-vaccinators to help build veterinary capacity year round. 

MacKay held the audience enthralled by her vivid description of life in the North . She promises to return to give an update on her September visits to  Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak, she will be participating in week-long preventive health clinics including check-ups, vaccinations, deworming and spay/neuter surgeries. 

To learn more about VWB Canada’s Northern Animal Health Initiative visit www.vetswithoutborders.ca

=== Photos

Dr Trace MacKay presenting at BPEG Monthly Meeting on 2 August 2023

Gjoa Haven photos: photo credit Alison Buckland

Conserve Land, Conserve Nature

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On Wednesday March 4th, the Bruce Peninsula Environment Group heard Bob Barnett from Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy (EBC) speak on the successes and environmental benefits that his registered charity achieves. Citing the 170 nature reserves, 14,375 acres of protected lands with 39 kms. of trails under EBC’s management, he discussed the ecological services that result from allowing wilderness to remain undeveloped. Several of these properties are in the North Bruce Peninsula. Through flood reduction, better air and water quality, and untouched areas for biodiversity, it is calculated that $26 million worth of protection is provided by these undeveloped forests and wetlands. Properties that are purchased or donated contribute to the goal of establishing a system of nature reserves wherein restoration of native species and natural habitats can be established. So far, habitats for 57 “species of conservation concern” have been protected. Bob showed how you can protect your land from future gravel pits, subdivision development and poor forestry practices with EBC’s conservation agreements and other vehicles available through his organization. He emphasized that personal tax savings are a valid incentive to landowners. EBC has recently purchased Willisville Mountain on Highway 6 near Whitefish Falls, and has been able to re-open the Cup and Saucer Trail on Manitoulin Island, among other conservation achievements. Look for articles by Bob Barnett in the Niagara Escarpment News magazine, and subscribe to EBC’s Precipice publication.  Bob can be contacted for more information through EBC’s webpage.

Reptile and Amphibian Conservation in Bruce Peninsula National Park

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In 2019, over 134 species at risk did not become road mortality statistics due to the efforts of Parks Canada within Bruce Peninsula National Park and surrounding area. Through the installation of eco-passages and the implementation of a turtle nest protection program, reptile and amphibian conservation is thriving on the Peninsula. The Municipality has been a key partner in this project, allowing Park staff and volunteers to place nesting boxes along their roads, and giving permission for eco-passages to be installed on Dorcas Bay Road.

At BPEG’s February meeting, Tricia Robins, Park Ecologist, shared some of the success stories of the Road to Recovery conservation project, based on her Master’s thesis. Tricia biked a 40 km route daily for 2 seasons and recorded all reptile and amphibian road mortality; she was especially interested in vulnerable species such as Massasauga rattlesnakes and turtles. A hotspot analysis identified the highest concentration of road kills.

Using her findings, the Park installed 2.2 km of fencing and built 8 eco-passages on Dorcas Bay, Emmett Lake and Cyprus Lake roads. These passages were specially designed for amphibians and reptiles with most featuring a grate to let light into the tunnels. Over 2000 “eco-passengers” have used the passages since 2018, which is indicative of their effectiveness. Park staff monitor the tunnels by trail camera and identify the species travelling through. This included over 1500 reptiles and amphibians, however other species benefit from these passages as well including families of virginia railwood duck and minks.

Future plans for the Road to Recovery project include repeating biking surveys to record road mortality and compare the results of previous studies to determine the mitigation effectiveness.

Another segment of this conservation effort was the Turtle Trackers volunteer program, in which 45 volunteers monitor and protect turtle nesting areas. In May/June the volunteers place protective boxes over active turtle nests, once the mother turtle has left the site. Park staff oversee the nests during July/August, the incubation period. The volunteers return in Sept/Oct during hatching season, and check each box 3 times a day to release baby turtles to the nearest wetland area. The program protected 108 nests in the 2019 season within the Park and surrounding area, including 16 on the Saugeen Reserve in partnership with the Saugeen Ojibway Nation community.

In some cases, turtle eggs have to be moved due to construction or proximity to roads and driveways. The Park’s egg incubation program released 290 hatchlings back to their wetlands in 2019.

About the same number of nests of snapping turtles and painted turtles were protected by nest boxes, but a snapping turtle can lay up to 50 eggs, while the painted turtle lays about 10 eggs.

Laura Sagermann led the Visitor Engagement programs offering interpretative programming to over 3000 visitors and local community members per year, installing signage at eco-passages, and hosting special events such as the auction of resin turtle shells painted by local artists. There were workshops on the building of the nesting boxes, where participants also learned proper installation, turtle species, and nest identification.

Nesting boxes are available for loan to landowners outside the park.

Four eco-passages and fencing will be installed north of Cameron Lake when Hwy 6 is resurfaced. Parks Canada is collaborating with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation to identify the most effective spots for installation.

Asked about re-purposing existing culverts as eco-passages, Tricia explained that some of the culverts might not be as welcoming due to size, wetness/dryness, lighting; additionally, fencing would also have to be installed to direct the animals towards the culvert.

In the coming years, the Park aims to share best management practices with other parks throughout Ontario and further expand the nest protection program to the Saugeen and Neyaashiinigmiing communities.

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

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On-line calculators are available to help you calculate your carbon footprint, but the true answer is more complex. EcoCivilization.Info says 3 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per person per year is what is sustainable.

Jim Kuellmer, at the January BPEG meeting, walked us through a practical exercise to find out our particular carbon footprint. Using an on-line calculator, Jim entered data for determining his Household Footprint. It shows 2.2 metric tons. Jim lives in an off-grid house so is using less fossil fuels than most of us. His 2ltr car driving 25,000 km/year contributes about 6 tons CO2/yr, bringing him way over the 3 tons for sustainable living.


Check out your total carbon footprint using: https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx

What is your total? What can you do immediately to reduce it? Can you drive less, carpool, eat less meat, buy local, turn down thermostats to your lower level of comfort, the list goes on; but the big one, LESS WASTE. Waste consisting of fuel, electricity, food etc can be anywhere from 30 to 70 % of the carbon emissions.

Jim explained about secondary emissions using the example, coming to this meeting: driving the car, but what about the road to get you here, the meeting hall, the fuel required to heat the room.

Another example, every consumer item has a carbon footprint. We buy a consumer item from China, so we are also responsible for its carbon footprint there.

A large sector of secondary emissions is infrastructure, roads, bridges, ferries, government buildings, libraries, military installations and activity, etc. The accepted approximation for these is to take your personal footprint and multiply by 1.5. and add it to you personal direct figure. For example if your footprint comes out to 6 tons per year, you would add 9 ton/yr for a total of 15.

These are the many complexities when calculating your personal carbon footprint.

Additionally, there is still the problem of the existing overload of CO2 already in the atmosphere.

Jim shared some surprising findings from his research: commercial aviation contributes 7% to the total transportation emissions. A passenger car contributes 41% of transportation emissions. Plastics are double that for aviation. Farming and processing supplies 83% of the CO2 from food.

An extensive list of recommendations, such as reduced food waste, composting, and sustainable and regenerative agriculture practices, have been identified by Project Drawdown

(https://www.drawdown.org/), these steps if taken will provide an enormous payback economically, while reducing emissions and sequestering carbon.

Jim ended the presentation by showing a video featuring Climate Scientist Katherine Hayoe, “The bottom line is this: climate change is affecting you and me right here, right now, in the places where we live. But by working together, we can fix it. Sure, it’s a daunting problem… . But we can’t give in to despair. We have to go out and actively look for the hope that we need, that will inspire us to act.”

BPDS Walks the Talk – The story of our environmental action

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Over the years BPEG has partnered with BPDS by assisting with building a garden and composting as well as providing funds for projects that enhanced the learning of environmental issues. For the December meeting BPEG invited the students of BPDS to bring us up to date on what the students have been engaged in regarding environmental action and learning about climate change. Seven grade 7/8 students came with one of their teachers and a well thought out power point presentation.

The school has been engaged in environmental action for many years, having a UNESCO designation. Being a branch of the United Nations, UNESCO was created to help promote peace and understanding through Education, Science and Culture. With the Bruce Peninsula being declared a UN Biosphere Reserve, the BPDS School Community Council felt the school should try to earn the ranking as a Unesco associated school. This endeavour was led by Doug Petter & Ruth Hellyer. Between 2004-2008 BPDS staff & students worked hard to incorporate the aspects of the four UNESCO pillars into school events and daily lessons – the 4 pillars being: 1-Promote UNESCO values; 2.Practice Global Citizen Education; 3.Education for Sustainable Development; 4.Reconciliation – there were a number of teachers working on this, to mention a few, Tara Stanton, Terri Munn, Betsy Burrows, Birch Behman, Matt Pickett. In 2008 there was a big celebration as the school received its official designation as a UNESCO school.

At BPDS the UNESCO Club is an extra-curricular activity open to Gr.7/8 students. In the past 2 years they have focused on learning more about UN Global goals and raising awareness in the school through various activities such as: Water Walks; Vow of Silence: 30 hour famine; Food drive; Rafiki Bracelets (Me to We fundraiser) and Awareness Days asking questions such as “What is your carbon Footprint?”.

Being a UNESCO school has led to other affiliations. BPDS joined ECOschools Canada, a voluntary environmental certification program where the school has specific goals to achieve to show that they are incorporating environmental practices and education every year. Some of these requirements are: monitoring the schools energy use & waste; recycling & composting program; plan & implement a ‘green’ natural environment on the school yard. With hard work & dedication BPDS reached the highest level ‘platinum’ , accomplishing this in a shorter period of time than most schools. – find more info about this program at https://ecoschools.ca/.

In 2014, they started the “Simply Living Simply Project” https://sites.google.com/view/slsbpds/home?authuser=0 which has monthly themes to challenge students, staff and community members to look closely at how they can live more conscientiously in a planet friendly manner.

The school has created amazing partnerships with local organizations, namely the Biosphere Association, BPEG and the National Park.

The school was represented at the UNESCO Conference in Winnipeg, in April 2018. The organizers of the conference were so impressed with the school’s initiatives that they forwarded the information to the UN Conference in Paris, France! Now, schools from around the world, are asking BPDS how they managed to put together such a great project.

Students are now beginning a new project dedicated to combating Climate Change – the 3% Project – https://3percentproject.com/ – in which students are currently researching and developing potential projects and engaging with the community through surveys to find which projects resonate with the larger community.

The most recent engagement has been to partner with BPEG to take a delegation to our local municipal council (Dec. 9, 2019) where the students presented their concerns regarding

climate change and together with BPEG representatives asked the council to “formally acknowledge the scientific evidence on climate change and establish a Climate Action Committee composed of council members, municipal staff and citizens, to recommend evidence-based and collaborative actions to reduce the impacts of climate change on the municipality and our community for generations to come.” The motion, put forward by councillor Megan Myles was adopted unanimously by MNBP council.

Thanks to the dedication of the staff at BPDS, presently in particular Tara Stanton, Melissa Rosenburg & Ashley Earle, BPDS is a school that the community can be very proud of.

The Light of the Universe

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Oh, my Stars! Peering into the night skies have been the purview of Doug and Paula Cunningham for over 48 years. Their fascination began on their honeymoon, at their family cottage in PEI, prompting the purchase of their first book “ New Handbook of the Heavens” and many years later, the building of observatories and free ‘night sky’ programs here on the Bruce Peninsula.

Sprinkling their lively discussion and slide show with provocative photos of constellations with the words of poets through the ages,they brought out the spiritual importance of our relationship with the universe, which is our home. Traveling to China, Easter Island, Mongolia, Namibia, Turkey, the Atacama desert, and with other astronomers around the world, viewing and photographing at least 10 solar eclipses, and of course the Aurora Borealis. Not only observing the night skies on their journeys, they also learned about the different cultures that exist upon our planet.

The enthusiastic Cunninghams have not kept their hobby a private affair. Along with others who share their passion, they have shared our night skies on the BP at “the POD”, a specifically designed observation deck at the Lion’s Head Marina with FREE “ Night Sky” summer evening programs complete with telescopes. The Dark Skies and UNESCO World Biosphere projects have been foremost in their

work for years. They have also worked locally to limit light pollution which affects all of us. I personally liked the T shirt that states “Keep your light, out of my night!”

It’s easy to connect with their excitement and remember the first time I observed Saturn at the McDonald Observatory telescope in the Davis Mountains in Texas….in that instance, the overused slang word “Awesome” is actually “Right ON!”

To get a taste of the immensity of our galaxy, Doug mentioned the work of Nick Risinger’s work of photographing the complete Milky Way. Composed of 37,000 images, a 5,000 mega pixel photograph

now exists. And one of the many quotes from the great minds that have commented upon our night skies, physicist Henri Poincare (1837-1921) said,

“The Scientist does not study nature because it is useful. He studies it because he takes pleasure in it, because it is beautiful”

Clean and Green Home Heating

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BPEG chair, Rod Layman, shared his work-life experience in HVAC, complete with charts and lots of statistics!

Rod reviewed the pluses and minuses of heating systems, including some new tech and interesting pluses for some of the old tech. Showing a photo of in-floor heating being installed in his Lion’s Head residence, we could see the large thermal mass inside the structure, concrete in this case, working as a heat sink and delivering radiant heat to the entire house. The floor, a dark-coloured concrete when finished, also absorbs sunlight through large south-facing windows, radiating it back as heat — the passive solar effect. When discussing forced air furnaces he stressed that installing fresh filters as critical for effectiveness/economy.

Regarding carbon (CO2) emissions of heating systems, wood burning came in quite favourably since it’s assumed that for every tree burned, a new one replaces it, re-absorbing an equal amount of carbon. Oil furnaces, on the other hand, are the dragon of carbon emissions, with propane coming second. Electric heat in Ontario has low carbon emissions now that coal-fired plants are gone. This is especially true with the use of air source heat pumps and geothermal.

The air source heat pump (ASHP) works like an air conditioning unit in reverse. Better technology is making it a practical and cost-effective heating system. The heat pump unit is a n external box, usually fastened to an outside wall at the back or side of a house, that extracts heat from outside air – even at minus 20C. The heat pump is on average 2.8 times more efficient than electric baseboards. ASHP installation costs are coming down, about $5,000 for a smaller house, and the reduced electricity bills will often pay back this cost in 6-7 years. ASHPs can also provide cooling in summer, and their CO2 emissions are lower than all but wood heating. Geothermal systems are also very efficient but have very high installation costs, 20-40K.

Resilience – Transforming our Community

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Scientist Dr. John Anderson describes human response to climate change: 17% will do something, 50% accept that climate change is happening but not doing anything about it, 5% disengaged, don’t care and 28% actively work against the message of climate change.

Which one are you?

On July 3, BPEG screened Resilience – Transforming our Community, a climate change film of action and hope.

Owen Sound filmmaker Liz Zetlin says the aim of the film is to provide a catalyst for community action. She feels it is important for communities to talk about what is important to them and what action they should take. She hopes this film will push conversations on climate change forward in practical ways.

30 years ago, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued its first warning but our trajectory has been “business as usual”, setting up the worse case scenario. Green Tech entrepreneur/author Tom Rand states “We could very well see modern civilization brought to its knees in our lifetime.”

However, Dr Anderson brings the message of hope, there is still time to make changes, transforming our societies into more sustainable ones.

From a local perspective, the film looks at practical ways Grey Bruce residents and associations are responding to climate change.

After viewing the film, the audience was asked “ What does all this really mean to you?” and “What could or should we be doing in our community now?

The take away from the film: talk about climate change and then decide what you will do about it, be it to shop locally, reduce use of plastics, educate local government, join an action group.

BPEG is actively working to reduce single-use plastic waste by promoting the use of mesh vegetable bags and refillable water bottles.

To watch the film, https://resiliencedoc.info/

To join the conversation, go to: Climate Action Team Bruce/Grey Owen Sound (CAT BGOS): https://www.facebook.com/groups/628024257701333/

To join the CAT BGOS mailing list: http://signup.catbgos.ca/

American Chestnut Revival

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Tim Casson, full-time resident in the Dyers Bay area, spoke at BPEG’s June 5th meeting about the near extinction of the American Chestnut tree in the early 1900s, and ongoing efforts in the US and Canada to revive the species. Tim operates a large woodlot where he has planted so many thousands of trees he’s lot count. He is especially interested in efforts to breed disease-resistent chestnut stock, and is part of the Canadian Chestnut Council, the organization that leads Canadian work on breeding Chestnut Blight resistant stock.

Until the early 1900s the American Chestnut made up from 1/4 to 1/3 of the forest canopy of the eastern US and forests in Canada’s Carolinean zones. By 1920 the tree was all but erased from the landscape. The problem was identified in 1904 as a parasitic fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica, imported with Japanese nursery stock. Within 20 years, what became known as the Chestnut Blight changed forests unimaginably, toppling mature chestnut trees that grew to 100 feet in height and 10 to 14 feet in diameter at the base. These were magnificent creatures, known as the Redwood of the east. They provided 50 feet of clear lumber in their trunks for barns, fences, furniture and caskets. Their bark was the major source of tannin for hide curing, and nuts were so pentiful that they were a valued cash crop and souce of cattle feed.

As early as the 1930s scattered efforts began to find resistant tree stock. This work is now led in the US by the American Chestnut Foundation, and in Canada the Canadian Chestnut Council The breeding program in Canada, beginning in the early 80s, has now reached 3 generations, producing specimens that are increasingly successful at surviving blight innoculations. Breeding stock primarily comes from actual nuts that were grown by hand pollinating select trees that show good resistance levels to the Blight

Special trees are also created by rooting cuttings taken from branches on select trees and from various grafting techniques.

To date, revival efforts take place in controlled environments, but Tim can see a time when successful trees could be reintroduced to the wild. Over the decades to come, our more southern forests could once again be home to these beautiful and valuable trees. For more information visit the Canadian Chestnut Council website at www.canadianchestnutcoucil.ca.

Tread Lightly on the Peninsula

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Tread Lightly on the Peninsula

Building a sustainable trail is a combination of art and science with a good understanding of terrain, soil and associated features of the area. Do not encourage Troads and Flails!

Zane Davies of TREADscape, a local guide and nationally accredited trail development professional, shared his experiences with trail development as well as some do’s and don’ts at the BPEG May meeting.

Developing a trail is not about cutting down some trees. It is understanding the terrain and soil, using the existing landscape to determine where the trail goes and blending the trail in with the natural environment. It is about keeping users reasonably safe and understanding their needs.

When designing a sustainable trail, consider the natural flow of water, avoid low-lying areas, “roll a ball” – avoid that area. Use a clinometer to measure angle of slope elevation.

Zane lists 5 Golden Nuggets of sustainable trail building:

RULE #1- The Half Rule: Trail grade must never exceed half the full grade of the slope.

RULE #2- 10% Average Grade: The overall average grade of the trail should be 10% or less.

RULE #3- Maximum Sustainable Grade: Maximum grade allowable by looking at your surroundings.

RULE #4- Use Grade Reversals: Ups and downs built into the trail to prevent water from flowing down hill too far. Placement is heavily dependent on terrain.

RULE #5- Outslope: 5% downhill grade on tread to shed water.

Zane describes 2 don’ts: Troads, created when a road standard is applied to a trail, usually visually unpleasant, more expensive to maintain and do not meet the needs or wants of the user. Flails, use of mulch on a public trail, you are creating conditions for a flowerbed with moisture retention and need for more maintenance.

Zane recognizes that the Peninsula is a difficult area to build on, especially with little or no insitu material to use on the trail. Zane uses boardwalks as a last resort, prefers to use Stone pitching or armouring, raised tread and rock ridges in his trail designs.

If you do things right in the Design and Building phase, maintenance will be easy.

Risk management is an important consideration. As a professional Trail designer, 10% of Zane’s earnings go towards paying for Risk Insurance. Try to avoid dangerous structures e.g. use of handrails; move the trail if need be. Identify an acceptable Duty of Care and Maintenance Schedule to check for things that can cause injury. If the trail is wet, be prepared to close it.