Quebec program that keeps tabs on frog species is looking for more volunteers
The province's Amphibian Population Monitoring Program helps track common frog species across Quebec to better understand what areas should be prioritized for conservation. Biologists say it also helps determine whether an ecosystem is healthy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
22 minutes ago
- CBC
Researchers look at how N.W.T.'s Giant Mine closure plan can consider climate change
Social Sharing Yellowknife residents had a chance this week to learn more about a research project that's looking at how a changing climate could affect the management and remediation of legacy mine projects, like Giant Mine. A drop-in session was hosted on Wednesday by a research group undertaking a three-year project focused on how the mining sector can adapt to climate change. The Climate Ready Mine project is being led by RFS Energy and the University of Guelph and is funded by the federal government with in-kind support from the Giant Mine Oversight Board. The research group hopes its work will be applicable in a wider northern context, and for other mines as well. Nicolas Brunet, an associate professor at the University of Guelph who's helping lead the project, says there is very little known about the topic. "I had a student working with us for the last year who did a complete review of industry documents, everything, scoured the internet — and our knowledge of how climate will impact [mine] closure planning is in its infancy," said Brunet. He added that the researchers aren't looking to critique the work now happening around Giant Mine's closure, but rather to use the high-profile mine site as a jumping-off point to explore some of the issues. "We don't have any guidance right now, and so you kind of have to invent it as you go," said Brunet. Branda Le, executive director for the Giant Mine Oversight Board (GMOB), says the project and its outcomes will be helpful for assessing how climate change should be factored into the mine's perpetual care plan. Brunet said they hope the research project will offer a different perspective on what mine closure could look like, with a focus on the environmental and human impacts even hundreds of years into the future. This week's information session in Yellowknife was a first step toward keeping the community informed about the research work, and to get some local input. "It's really important for us to talk to people who live here and hear their experiences, and get an understanding from the people that live here," said Laura Guerrero Sanchez, the CEO of RFS Energy. "And so we wanted to introduce the project in person and be able to have these dialogues and hear feedback." One of the goals of the project is to develop an assessment tool to determine how different elements of a mine closure plan can be adapted in response to the impacts of climate change. Sanchez says that could be useful to Indigenous governments, NGOs, and the mining industry itself as it develops final closure plans. A major part of the Giant Mine Remediation Project is determining the long-term management of 237,000 tonnes of arsenic trioxide dust at the site. The current method of storing it underground was determined as the best temporary solution by the remediation team. Having an assessment tool would help the GMOB determine a long-term plan for dealing with the arsenic trioxide that accounts for climate change, the researchers suggest.
CBC
22 minutes ago
- CBC
2 birds in Yellowknife test positive for avian flu
Two birds in Yellowknife, a raven and ring-billed gull, have tested positive for bird flu and the N.W.T. government is warning residents on how best to take precautions. In a news release Friday, the N.W.T.'s environment department said there have been nine confirmed cases of bird flu — formerly known as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza — in the territory since 2022. The disease is highly infectious among birds but the department said there are no signs of an outbreak and risk to other birds remains low. In the news release, the territory's chief public health officer said transmission of bird flu to humans is rare and typically mild, but residents should still be careful when handling birds. The territory is warning residents not to handle wild birds that are found dead or acting strangely, and to avoid touching surfaces that could be contaminated. They're also asked to report sightings of sick, injured or dead wildlife to the community's Environment and Climate Change (ECC) regional office. Hunters are advised to wear gloves and wash their hands often while dressing birds, and to process birds in well-ventilated areas. They should also disinfect surfaces, equipment and clothing afterwards, and always cook meat to an internal temperature of at least 74 C (165 F). Anybody experiencing respiratory or flu-like symptoms and who has been in contact with a bird within 10 days is asked to reach out to their local health centre or call 811 for assessment.
CBC
28 minutes ago
- CBC
Doctors Manitoba cheers changes to help U.S. physicians relocate to province
Regulatory changes intended to make it easier for U.S.-based physicians to relocate and practice in Manitoba are being loudly applauded by an advocacy group in the province. "We're really excited about it. Manitoba has one of the worst doctor shortages in the country, and as practising physicians, we see the consequences of this every day," said Doctors Manitoba president Nichelle Desilets. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba and the provincial government recently took steps to streamline the process for qualified physicians from the United States to be granted a full licence to practice in the province, provided they meet certain requirements. They have to first complete an accredited residency program, have certification from the American Board of Medical Specialists and have a licence from a U.S. state medical board. "The training that American physicians undergo is very similar to a Canadian physician. I would even say nearly identical," said Desilets, who practises in Neepawa. "There is much more in common than there is different." Processes the government and college have agreed to remove include things like requiring supervisors and formal assessments, and restrictions on where a new doctor can practise — which can all be costly and time-consuming. Doctors Manitoba advocated for such changes more than a year ago, Desilets said. "Manitoba has been behind in making these changes, so it's really great to see that we're catching up on that," Desilets said. B.C., Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and P.E.I. have already simplified the process, she said. It's also important to underscore the fact that none of the changes will compromise the quality of patient care, she said. "The public should still be reassured that there is still a rigorous process making sure that every doctor that practises in Manitoba is qualified to do so and has been vetted by our college." The province has also followed the lead of Doctors Manitoba by launching recruitment campaigns in the U.S. The provincial government is targeting health-care workers in the nearby states of Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, touting Manitoba's strengths and priorities, including safe and inclusive communities, good schools, strong social supports and comparable affordability with a high quality of life. Doctors Manitoba had ramped up its own recruitment efforts late last year with a similar message in an effort to appeal to physicians in search of stability and respect after Donald Trump was elected U.S. president. "We have the privilege of working in an environment where the government doesn't generally get in between us and our patients, so that was the kind of the selling point that we brought," Desilets said. "We're grateful to see that our public advocacy efforts were able to influence government stakeholders and our own regulatory college to take a look at all of the requirements and to kind of take our lead." She couldn't say, though, if the efforts have prompted anyone to relocate north of the border. "As a front-line working doctor, I wouldn't be privy to that knowledge, but we do know that our office has had people reach out to inquire about the process and what the work environment looks like," Desilets said. "Despite the flaws in our health-care system, and I acknowledge that there are many of them, I am safe when I go to work, I know that the government is going to pay me for the services that I provide to patients, and I know that I have an organization that backs me and my colleagues up when we go to work every day." Doctors Manitoba will continue to promote those benefits through its own recruitment efforts in news media interviews, advertisements, and the website ManitobaMD.com. While the push to open the door more to American doctors is welcome, it's only one aspect of addressing the shortage, Desilets said. The barriers between provinces need to be dealt with, as well. "Even though people expect health care to be nationally available to them, it's still administered on a provincial level. So this is a barrier to recruiting physicians to Manitoba, no matter where you're coming from," she said. "The fact that we don't have enough doctors to serve our population is a multi-pronged challenge. There's not one golden answer … and we're going to continue to advocate. We need more doctors, we need more specialists."
