Using innovative data collection devices in the shape of whooping crane eggs, the team can continue to study what causes reproductive failure in whooping cranes. WhatвЂ™s next? We will continue with its breeding and reintroduction program to help improve the fate of these endangered birds. Our breeding program is key for recovering the iconic whooping crane which is one of two of North AmericaвЂ™s only crane species. Though the whooping cranes have seen an increase in their population, there are still less than 700 of these birds in the wild. This campaign has shown that using crowdsourcing to detect whooping crane nests in satellite imagery may be a viable way to supplement aerial nest surveys for population monitoring.

Thanks to support from a community of volunteers over 59,000 image chips were classified. Through the Zooniverse Whooping Crane Campaign, a citizen science initiative, over 100 whooping crane nests were located using satellite imagery.

Three whooping crane chicks hatched at the WCC last spring making 2021 another successful year for whooping crane conservation. The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is the only Canadian breeding partner in the whooping crane recovery effort and has been contributing cranes for release into the wild since 1992 through its Whooping Crane Recovery Program. Partners & Funders: Marmot Recovery Foundation and Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery TeamДЄ Big Win for Whooping Cranes and Citizen Science Once on the brink of being lost forever, wild populations still face the threat of increased predation by wolves, cougars, and golden eagles. WhatвЂ™s next? Together with the MRF, our researchers at Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo will continue to collect data on the effects of supplemental feeding to improve body condition and overwinter survival with the goal of boosting reproduction and increasing marmot survival in the wild. Washington and the Nanaimo Lakes area as part of the 2021 cohort released by the Marmot Recovery Foundation (MRF). In addition, 14 marmots born at the WCC in 2020 were released onto the slopes of Mt. Washington Marmot Recovery Centre until Spring 2022 when they will be released into their natural habitat on Vancouver Island. The pups will overwinter at the Tony Barrett Mt. Marmots are an important umbrella species, which means that protecting them will in turn protect nearby species sharing the same habitat. This Critically Endangered species is uniquely Canadian and found nowhere else in the world. The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo welcomed 13 Vancouver Island marmot pups at the Wildlife Conservation Centre (WCC) in the spring of 2021.

New Marmots at the Wildlife Conservation Centre WeвЂ™ve seen thousands of volunteers supporting citizen science efforts, garnered support from Government, non-profit, and industry partners, and welcomed new wild friends through our conservation efforts this last year.вЂќ вЂњIвЂ™m so proud to see communities coming together across the country to support the recovery of these threatened species. вЂњWith the current rate of species extinctions, we need to act now to protect CanadaвЂ™s unique biodiversity,вЂќ said Dr. Our team is thrilled to share some of our 2021 wins and plans to secure a flourishing future for all living things. Our conservation programs include the recovery of iconic Canadian species such as Vancouver Island marmots, burrowing owls, and the greater sage-grouse. Through conservation breeding and reintroductions, we aim to return species on the brink of extinction back into the wild. From charming rodents to elusive insects, the Wilder Institute/Calgary ZooвЂ™s conservation programs are building hope for biodiversity. ItвЂ™s an exciting year ahead for nine of North AmericaвЂ™s endangered species.

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