Boy, that kinda makes me wonder if that's an effective use of conservation
dollars. I wonder sometimes if we should start thinking outside the
arbitrary box of geopolitical boundaries and look at conservation of species
as a whole. I mean really... If a species is locally rare but globally
secure, does it make sense to spend that money on the patch habitats that
were lost because streams got too warm due to local agriculture or changing
climate? Wouldn't it be better to spend the money on known good habitats to
protect from development or new ag, so species might persist through ongoing
climate change?
I know there's a lot of listed species in Canada that are common as dirt
stateside, because they only made it back into Canada across the succession
of glacial lakes toward the current Lake Erie, and the area where they
settled has been mostly turned to ag. And some of these are the ones that
end up getting a whole heckuva lot of attention. I know that's asking a lot
of our Canadian friends to think beyond thier borders... but really, what's
worth the most?
Habitat degredation is the problem everywhere, for most all species in
decline... Why not spend the bucks on the habitats that HAVEN'T been
degraded, to protect them?
This last week, I was at a project where they want to turn a strip mine into
Fed Endangered Karner blue butterfly habitat. What a joke. If we can't
realize the biological complexity that it takes to support an obligate picky
eater, that survives on a plant that needs fire to stay in business, yet
itself, can NOT survive the fires, and can only fly 400 meters tops in its
adult phase... Then we are just lost. These are ecosystems, not curio
cabinents.
On the other hand, I don't want to discourage "rehabilitation" (I think we
should throw that entire "restoration" word out of our vernacular) as they
will support some of the species involved in making up that biological
complexity. Why can't we just be okay with "We're doing this because it's
the right thing to do"? Why wouldn't we be excited to see monarchs and
fritilaries and _eastern tailed blues_?
Or in Ontario, huge local populations of their small suite of darter and
other northern-end-of-range warm water species? How many riparian easements
can you buy with the salary, space and electricity involved in supporting
one species in captivity that isn't even rare elsewhere?
Just a thought...
Todd
The Mudd-ee Maumee Madness, Toledo, OH
It's never too late to have happy childhood.
http://www.farmertodd.com
----- Original Message -----
From: <njz-in-clevelandmetroparks.com>
To: <nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2006 10:36 AM
Subject: NANFA-L-- Help! Redside Dace Recovery in Ontario
> from the website, see below....
>
> Is there anyone interested in corresponding with the group? If so, please
> let me know that you contacted the individual so that I know it has been
> addressed. Thanks.
>
> Nick Zarlinga
>
>
> ---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
> Subject: Redside Dace Recovery in Ontario
> From: "David Lawrie" <DLawrie-in-trca.on.ca>
> Date: Thu, August 3, 2006 12:25 am
> To: "info-in-nanfa.org" <info-in-nanfa.org>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> To Whom it May Concern:
>
> I am writing on behalf of the Redside Dace Recovery Team in Ontario
> Canada. The Redside Dace recovery team is a provincial organization lead
> by the Ministry of Natural Resources in Ontario. Redside Dace are a
> species at Risk in Canada and the recovery team is working to establish a
> captive breeding program at the Toronto Zoo. As this is a new initiative
> we are seeking advice and support from others that have been undertaking
> similar work. We are seeking advice that specifically relates to aquatic
> ecology of this freshwater fish species. If there is someone in your
> organization that would be willing to share expert opinion and experience
> with our organization, it would be greatly appreciated. At this point we
> are seeking a point of contact and can discuss further details about the
> project and work in subsequent discussions. I look forward to your
> response.
>
>
>
> David Lawrie, M.E.S.
> Aquatic Management, Analyst
> Resource Science Section
> (416) 661-6600, Ext. 5268
> Fax: (416) 661-6898
> Email: dlawrie-in-trca.on.ca
> /-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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/ visit http://www.nanfa.org Please make sure all posts to nanfa-l are
/ consistent with the guidelines as per
/ http://www.nanfa.org/guidelines.shtml To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get
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