Successful Applicant:
South Shore Watershed Association
Award:
$3,000
Project Title:
Call to Protect Endangered Swallow and Bat Populations
Project Gallery:
Project Summary:
In the fall of 2019, South Shore Watershed Association was funded by WCF Fall 2019 for a project with the purpose to protect and improve wildlife, specifically bank and barn swallows and the little brown myotis and the northern myotis bats, that are currently on the endangered Species At Risk list. SSWA's goals were to engage local residents in taking ownership of the plight of bats and swallows living in their community though expert-assisted new articles distributed to SSWA homes, SSWA social media and website, and community events.
In November 2019, the first issue of SSWA Tidings newsletter was released featuring Endangered Swallows - Call to Protect Wildlife. A total of 1600 units of the newsletter was distributed within SSWA boundaries, plus shared through the website (sswa.ca) and social media (Facebook and Instagram), and by email to SSWA members, friends, and the PEI Watershed Alliance. The issues included interviews with Rosemary Curley (President of Nature PEI) Matt Finn (Biologist of PEI Fish and Wildlife Division), and Leanne Toll (Farmland Birds Coordinator at Island Nature Trust). Each one explained the importance of education on the improvement of habitat for bank and barn swallows, which best practices for local wildlife protection. In December, SSWA held a public event featuring two guest speakers - Rosemary Curley and Vicki Hardy (Island Nature Trust). The meeting was well attended (30 people), good outreach for the community, the presence of non-members, and good interest of the audience asking questions of our guest speakers.
In February 2020, the second issue of SSWA Tidings (Winter 2019-2020) was released to residents within SSWA's boundaries. This issue focused on Endangered Bats - Call to Protect Wildlife. This issues had an interview with Tessa McBurney (Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative). Tessa answered a questionnaire with 10 questions and added more knowledge from the book "Guidance on Removing Bats from Buildings, Promoting Bat Conservation." A total of 1600 units of the newsletter was distributed, shared through the website (sswa.ca) and social media (Facebook and Instagram), and emailed to SSWA members, friends, and the PEI Watershed Alliance. In March 2020, a public event featured guest speaker Tessa McBurney. The public meeting was well attended (25 people), good outreach for the community, the presence of non-members (including some from outside the SSWA region), and good interest of the audience asking questions of our guest speakers. The audience was in fact clearly excited by this presentation.