Newfoundland Habitat Heroes Recognized as Ducks Unlimited Canada Celebrates 65 Years

St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, August 12, 2003—Steve Way knows that with every little wooden nest shelter placed on Newfoundland’s rocky coast, another eider duck hen gets a greater chance of successfully hatching a nest. Way, a natural resources officer with the Kittiwake Economic Development Corporation, has worked with Ducks Unlimited Canada and people from Newfoundland for two years to place these shelters. Last year, 16 people assisted with the program.

Necessary to protect an eider’s eggs from gulls and ravens, the artificial low-level nest shelters are built from slabs of wood and stones. They are placed in areas where there is little natural vegetative cover (shrubs or trees). Since eiders are faithful to their nesting islands, the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador is ideal for efforts to help restore populations.

As DUC celebrates its 65th year of conservation in Canada, it is featuring the many successes, like the placement of 6,500 nest shelters, that have been achieved through the support of local landowners.

One hundred new nest shelters will be placed this year on the northeast coast. Way will be organizing the DUC program and coordinating with folks from the Gander River Management Association.

“The Ducks Unlimited Canada habitat program is taking place on the Grandfather Islands,” says Way. “The islands were identified by the Canadian Wildlife Service as having nesting pairs but very little cover so these areas will benefit with the addition of new shelters.”

Environment Canada’s EcoAction Community Funding Program is providing financial support for the habitat program. Rick Wadman, the program officer for Newfoundland and Labrador, says they are pleased to continue supporting DUC’s conservation efforts.

“The Canadian Wildlife Service has identified the eider nest shelter program as an important initiative in this province,” says Wadman. “By supporting DUC, local residents will continue to gain valuable conservation experience and this will help secure the future of common eiders for Newfoundland and Labrador.” Eider populations in Newfoundland and Labrador have seriously declined from as many as 150,000 breeding pairs to 12,000.

With the continued efforts of locals who generate public awareness of the birds’ plight and help to raise valuable research funds, DUC is hoping to see an increase in Newfoundland and Labrador’s eider populations.

Since DUC started working in Atlantic Canada, approximately 2,322 hectares (5,739 acres) of habitat have been conserved through DUC programs on Newfoundland and Labrador. DUC’s national landowner network is over 16,000 people strong and has conserved a total of 1.6 million hectares (4 million acres) of Canadian habitat. If you would like to learn more about the DUC Eider Initiative and join our conservation efforts, call Ducks Unlimited Canada in NL at 1-709-738-5405.