National Wildlife Week is a time to celebrate the incredible wildlife living in our backyard. Conserving and protecting wildlife and their habitat, as well as providing a healthy environment and clean water, is most important to us as landowners.

What steps are we taking to ensure wildlife habitat is a priority?

1.  We continue to invest in research to learn more about wildlife species such as deer, birds, moose, and fish. We have collaborated with dozens of researchers and more than 100 graduate students to understand how wildlife population is changing. We use that information to adapt our management.

Deer: We are focused on understanding how deer are using forests and what factors impact their population. In the last three years, more than 100 deer have been tracked and monitored in real time with precise GPS collars.

Moose: Research is currently underway to understand the relationship between climate change, winter ticks and moose population decline. 324 moose are monitored with high-precision GPS collars.

Learn more here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fUu4wZYEAM&t=75s

Birds: We are trying to understand songbird diversity and habitat needs now and modeled into the future. Songbird data is being collected with auto-acoustic recording devices during the breeding season across 17 different forest types and age classes.

Atlantic Salmon: We work to understand where cold water comes from on the landscape, so that it can be protected. We are using new genetic procedures and technology,

2. Our award-winning conservation program has a strong focus on wildlife and caring for their habitat on the land that we own or manage. 

Did you know, the total amount of conservation forest is 24%? That is more than 571,000 hectares or 1,400,000 acres of forest!

3. Our Woodlands division field staff and contractors are encouraged to identify legacy trees on the landscape we manage. These trees may possess critical wildlife features such as wildlife dens or cavity nests. Once a tree has been identified, our team works to ensure it remains protected.

4. Our harvesting machines are equipped with onboard telematics, which will allow us to understand the machine's location. Machine locations are known within one metre accuracy, using GPS to navigate in the operating block to ensure the protection of critical habitat.

These are only a few steps we are taking to ensure our wildlife population and their habitats are protected. We know having a diverse forest is better for everyone – especially those who live in it. The best way to measure a healthy forest is by having a healthy wildlife population!

Interested in learning more? Our State of the Forest Report offers more detailed information. Visit https://irvingwoodlands.com/JDI-woodlands-stories-stateoftheforest-2020.aspx.