Wilder in the News

Northwest Profiles | KSPS PBS: From endangered whooping cranes to Vancouver Island marmots, the Wilder Institute in Calgary, Alberta is working to protect some of the world’s most at-risk species. In this episode of Northwest Profiles, Chief Conservation Officer Dr. Gráinne McCabe and her team share how community conservation, species translocation, and hands-on recovery programs are helping restore wildlife populations in Canada and beyond.

The Hill Times: Canada is often defined by nature. From the Atlantic coastline to the boreal forest, from prairie grasslands to Pacific rainforests, our landscapes and wildlife are woven into our national identity. They are why people travel here, why communities thrive, and why many of us feel a deep sense of belonging to our country. But beneath those postcard views, something is quietly going wrong.

Two Vancouver Island University (VIU) Technicians working in collaboration with the Wilder Institute have spent almost two years building an electronic weigh scale to provide valuable research data on marmots in the wild. Engineering Technician Devin Ayotte and Resource Management and Protection Technician Michael Lester are working on a tool to help researchers investigate how body weight affects survival during hibernation and the number of pups female marmots wean in the spring.

CTV News: Dr. James Glasier, an ecologist at the Wilder Institute, explains how to get started with ant-keeping. While ants are often small and overlooked — sometimes even stepped on — they are now marching into more than just backyards. As the trend of ant-keeping gains popularity in Canada, these tiny insects are making their way into homes as well.

CBC Radio One: Explore this insightful interview with Brian Keating, where he discusses his collaborative efforts with Donna Sheppard, a Community Conservation Specialist from the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo. He highlights their shared commitment to wildlife conservation and the impactful projects that have emerged from their partnership.

CBC Newfoundland: The Long's Braya is a small, endangered plant, native to a few areas along the Northern Peninsula. Some students from Canon Richards Memorial Academy in Flower's Cove helped researchers recently to protect the plant species. The researchers were from a non-profit group called Intervale. Together, they removed Long's Braya plants from Sandy Cove beach and planted them in a safer location nearby. The CBC's Sanuda Ranawake spoke with some students and their teacher.