Skylark Ecological

There's a new and catchy little tune out amongst an iconic Canadian species. .https://www.cbc.ca//white-throated-sparrows-change-their-t

A great opportunity to partake in Ducks Unlimited's Wetlands 101: An Intro to Boreal Wetlands course for FREE until June 30th. Thanks, Ducks Unlimited Canada!

Birding is having quite the moment. The pastime has been growing in popularity for years, and the pandemic has put the spotlight on this wonderful way we can connect with nature while exploring close to home.

Great News: All three Northern Forests digital atlases - Woody Plants, Sedges, and Mosses - are now available to download for FREE in order to enhance your fieldwork. https://northernforestatlas.org/c/products/digital-atlases/

Why are moose in northern BC starving amidst an abundance of food? Check out this entertaining and highly insightful webinar from Dr. Jeff Werner as FLNRO researchers dig deep into this mystery.

For the wildlife bios (working at home in their PJ's;) -- an excellent UNBC webinar by Dr. Nicola Koper on the effects of oil and gas development, and anthropogenic noise, on grassland songbirds. The surprising results offer some interesting insight into how we might mitigate negative effects on vulnerable populations.

Neat study on wrangling lizards to teach them cane toad aversion in Australia. Interestingly, the study was only successful and significant due to the keen observational skills of Indigenous rangers. Great to see collaboration between the 'two ways of seeing' and the intimate ecological knowledge of indigenous people bringing conservation success. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases//04/190408214856.htm

We love watching gulls and their antics -- trying to swallow FULL starfish down their gullets, jockeying for food scraps, and perhaps most enjoyable, their supplicating postures paired with pitiable begging calls. It's quite hilarious to see these bird-loving folks letting their inner Gull shine... If you can't beat 'em, join 'em? https://www.cbc.ca//european-gull-screeching-championship-

https://theconversation.com/five-maps-that-reveal-the-world

Leave your leaves! Great advice on increasing habitat value for wildlife in our yards and gardens. https://www.ctvnews.ca//it-s-good-news-nature-group-tells-

In a precedence-setting case, Federal Court rules that Ottawa has the power to criminalize threats posed to species deemed to be at risk, anywhere in the country, and even when provinces disagree. https://www.theglobeandmail.com//article-court-approves-p/

Some pictures from our Kalahari research expedition that lead to our recent publication in Biological Conservation: "Can trackers count free-ranging wildlife as effectively and efficiently as conventional aerial survey and distance sampling? Implications for citizen science in the Kalahari, Botswana" https://www.sciencedirect.com//arti/pii/S0006320717317780 We extend our greatest thanks to the incredible trackers, the Comanis Foundation and the adventurous volunteers that joined the expedition from Canada, South Africa, Botswana, and Europe.