Linking landscapes — remote cameras used to monitor wildlife movement in the Crowsnest Pass
The Nature Conservancy of Canada is using remote wildlife cameras to gather information on wildlife movement and help develop management strategies in the Jim Prentice Wildlife Corridor in the Crowsnest Pass.
“There are a lot of issues at play here,” said Emilie Brien, NCC natural area manager for the Castle-Crowsnest Watershed.
“We have animal safety, and protection of the environment, but we also have people safety."
Highway 3 through the Crowsnest Pass is located within a low-elevation valley where wildlife movement is limited by roads, development and human activity.
Animals that try to cross the highway risk mortality or injury and pose a significant safety concern for people that live in and travel through the region.
Brien and a team of 17 volunteers have installed about 40 wildlife cameras throughout the corridor. The cameras are triggered by movement and work 24 hours a day, in all light conditions.
“So we have really good images from the night, from the day, winter, and summer,” said Brien, adding the unobtrusive cameras allow them to observe wildlife behaviour in their natural habitat.
According to the NCC, almost all of the wildlife species in the foothills and mountain regions of Alberta use the Jim Prentice corridor, including ungulates (elk, deer, moose and bighorn sheep) and carnivores (bear, wolf, wolverine and cougar).
“We’re excited to see the variety of animals that have been captured on these cameras so far,” said Jensen Edwards, national media relations manager for the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
“It just goes to show how biodiverse and how rich this area of the Crowsnest Pass is for wildlife.”
Cameras set up in the Crowsnest Pass by the Nature Conservancy of Canada captured an array of animals. (Courtesy Nature Conservancy of Canada)
Monitoring wildlife movements with camera traps will help better understand future conservation and stewardship needs, which will, in turn, result in maintaining healthy wildlife populations in the area.
By pinpointing the areas of highest use, this data will also generate information leading to recommended strategies in mitigating animal and vehicle collisions on the highway.
Besides the risk to human and animal life, collisions along the highway also include costs for damaged vehicles, hospitalizations and highway cleanup. According to the Alberta Motor Association, these collisions are one of the leading causes of comprehensive damage claims to vehicles, with the average claim topping $8,000.
"I think living in the mountains we have such a responsibility to wildlife,” said Monica Zyla, a volunteer with the project.
“I get to help collect the data that will inform good decisions going forward and I am able to go outside to a new place with such purpose and learn more about my own neck of the woods."
Brien said the first cameras were installed in the fall of 2020, and they have added more this year.
Not all of the cameras are located on NCC land; the organization is working with many landowners and multiple partners to make the project happen.
A number of companies have also provided funds for the project, including Canadian Pacific, Canadian Western Bank, TC Energy and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.
The project is scheduled to continue for three years, which Brien said is important.
“Animal behaviour can change a lot between seasons or different weather patterns, so if we do it over multiple years it will give us a way better idea of what is going on,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.