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Coastal Wildlife of British Columbia (Whitecap $39.95)
The number of grey whales is up from 11,000 to 21,000. Humpbacks have increased five-fold to 5,000 since hunting of them was outlawed. About 20,000 eagles now soar above the coasts of B.C., the highest number since DDT killed off great numbers of them. And there are more success stories on the environmental front, says journalist Bruce Obee.
SOMETIMES GROUPS NOT GENERALLY associated with conserving wildlife are active environmentalists. Bruce Obee points out in his book, Coastal Wildlife of British Columbia (Whitecap $39.95), the major role of hunters in protecting and enhancing waterfowl habitat since the turn of the century. "Ducks Unlimited [a hunter-sponsored organization] builds dikes, rearranges watercourses and does all kinds of things to enhance nestability for waterfowl," he says. Obee has written about wildlife and the environment for 20 years for publications such as Canadian Geographic and the New York Times. His latest book is illustrated by nature photographer Tim Fitzharris, whose photographs regularly appear in Audubon and National Geographic. Obee says his collaboration with Fitzharris is an attempt to redefine the 'coffee table book'. "I hate that term. I object to picture books with no text. This book has 40,000 words of text, all well researched and checked by experts." Obee traces today's concerns about wildlife back to the historic mistakes made by people, such as over-hunting marine mammals and poisoning their environment. "What we did in the past almost brought about their demise," says Obee, referring particularly to whales and seals, "and in the course of research I've discovered lots of little conservation programs that very few hear about." Not all the news is good, of course. Stellar Sea Lion and fur seal populations appear to be dropping, possibly because overfishing depletes their food stocks. And snow geese, who nest in Siberia but migrate over Canada and the U.S., "are down significantly from a few years ago." Birds like the snow goose rely on swampy areas such as the mouth of the Fraser River as a stopping off and feeding area on long flights. But Obee says the birds are being crowded out. "In the Fraser estuary the usable habitat has been reduced by 75 per cent from what it originally was." Conservation groups and governments have responded by formulating a North American Waterfowl Management Plan. The goal is to coordinate efforts across two continents to protect habitat for the birds. "For example," says Obee, "they're looking for ways to work with farmers to restore lost habitat and protect habitat that remain, perhaps by planting crops which the geese could eat in winter." Obee's next book, Guardians of the Whales (due in Fall '92) will focus on the people who study whales. He says there are large numbers of researchers right from Baja California up to Alaska, and that a high percentage study killer whales. "People my age, about 40, have been studying these mammals half their lives and understand them intimately." Researchers tell him that one of the greatest threats to the whales is noise
the collective noise of all marine traffic, from little motorboats to 60,000 tonne freighters.
1-895099-86-2
ANOTHER STRANGE BEDFELLOW ON THE conservation scene is MacMillan Bloedel. The giant forest company has co-sponsored the publication of a new guide book, Waterbirds of the Strait of Georgia (Soules $7.95). The strait is one of the few critical areas in the world for waterbirds. Three-quarters of B.C.'s human population lives around its shores, and "over 130 species of marine birds from 22 countries and three continents breed, migrate and/ or spend the winter in the Strait of Georgia", say the authors. The glossy, full colour guide to 48 common waterbirds will help raise money for the B.C. Waterfowl Society to preserve habitat for wildlife. 0-9695350-0-7
[BCBW 1991] "Environment";
SOMETIMES GROUPS NOT GENERALLY associated with conserving wildlife are active environmentalists. Bruce Obee points out in his book, Coastal Wildlife of British Columbia (Whitecap $39.95), the major role of hunters in protecting and enhancing waterfowl habitat since the turn of the century. "Ducks Unlimited [a hunter-sponsored organization] builds dikes, rearranges watercourses and does all kinds of things to enhance nestability for waterfowl," he says. Obee has written about wildlife and the environment for 20 years for publications such as Canadian Geographic and the New York Times. His latest book is illustrated by nature photographer Tim Fitzharris, whose photographs regularly appear in Audubon and National Geographic. Obee says his collaboration with Fitzharris is an attempt to redefine the 'coffee table book'. "I hate that term. I object to picture books with no text. This book has 40,000 words of text, all well researched and checked by experts." Obee traces today's concerns about wildlife back to the historic mistakes made by people, such as over-hunting marine mammals and poisoning their environment. "What we did in the past almost brought about their demise," says Obee, referring particularly to whales and seals, "and in the course of research I've discovered lots of little conservation programs that very few hear about." Not all the news is good, of course. Stellar Sea Lion and fur seal populations appear to be dropping, possibly because overfishing depletes their food stocks. And snow geese, who nest in Siberia but migrate over Canada and the U.S., "are down significantly from a few years ago." Birds like the snow goose rely on swampy areas such as the mouth of the Fraser River as a stopping off and feeding area on long flights. But Obee says the birds are being crowded out. "In the Fraser estuary the usable habitat has been reduced by 75 per cent from what it originally was." Conservation groups and governments have responded by formulating a North American Waterfowl Management Plan. The goal is to coordinate efforts across two continents to protect habitat for the birds. "For example," says Obee, "they're looking for ways to work with farmers to restore lost habitat and protect habitat that remain, perhaps by planting crops which the geese could eat in winter." Obee's next book, Guardians of the Whales (due in Fall '92) will focus on the people who study whales. He says there are large numbers of researchers right from Baja California up to Alaska, and that a high percentage study killer whales. "People my age, about 40, have been studying these mammals half their lives and understand them intimately." Researchers tell him that one of the greatest threats to the whales is noise
the collective noise of all marine traffic, from little motorboats to 60,000 tonne freighters.
1-895099-86-2
ANOTHER STRANGE BEDFELLOW ON THE conservation scene is MacMillan Bloedel. The giant forest company has co-sponsored the publication of a new guide book, Waterbirds of the Strait of Georgia (Soules $7.95). The strait is one of the few critical areas in the world for waterbirds. Three-quarters of B.C.'s human population lives around its shores, and "over 130 species of marine birds from 22 countries and three continents breed, migrate and/ or spend the winter in the Strait of Georgia", say the authors. The glossy, full colour guide to 48 common waterbirds will help raise money for the B.C. Waterfowl Society to preserve habitat for wildlife. 0-9695350-0-7
[BCBW 1991] "Environment";
Submitted on November 18, 2004 in By David.
