The Tar Sands, a Forest, a Billion Birds

In June 2012 I submitted my concerns about Enbridge’s Northern Gateway Pipeline (NGP) to the Joint Review Panel of the National Energy Board (NEB). As I told the panel then, “Honestly, I’d rather be bird-watching, but sometimes there’s just no choice.” Of the 1161 citizens who made submissions to the NEB, …

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Breeding Birds in the Boreal forest

It’s been a busy couple of months in my house since my last post in April. A new job, a new apartment, and plenty of changes for the better in my life have really kept me hopping. Part of my job is doing surveys for breeding birds, and most of …

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While out looking for a Williamsons’s Sapsucker

In late March of 2013 we set off to find the Williamson’s Sapsucker, in an area where it is known to return to year after year. These cavity nesters use dead or dying large stags (usually Ponderosa Pine) and are most often found in a Western Larch forest. The Williamson’s …

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Drilling for “oil” in the nursery

Some of Enbridge’s oil tanks are decorated with illustrations of lovely Canada Geese in flight. Let’s just hope they don’t land in the tar sands tailing ponds. Almost all the largest oil companies are currently mining and drilling in the Boreal forest and wetlands where more than half of the birds …

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