Divii Project
In partnership with the Gwich’in Renewable Resources Board (GRRB), the UVic Applied Conservation Macro Ecology Lab, and the UVic Arctic Landscape Ecology Lab, the goal of this project is to monitor population changes of Dall’s sheep annually by collecting traditional knowledge and scientific information on recruitment, ratio of ewes: nursery, classification of males, habitat changes, predation, and other variables that are known to affect population size. This information will assist the GRRB, Gwich’in Renewable Resource Councils, Environment and Natural Resources, Yukon Government and other partners listed on the Dall’s sheep management plan in monitoring the population while directly involving community members and youth.
Estimating Sheep Demography With Camera Data
We can learn a lot about wildlife from camera data, but one rarely examined aspect is the demographics of wildlife being surveyed. This community-led initiative was driven by a desire to understand how many offspring were being produced by Dall’s sheep, and the ratio of male to female individuals.
This project was championed by Sydney Wagner-Goward, one of the first students I had the pleasure to work with in my current lab group. Sydney produced an elegant way to compare helicopter survey data to camera data, showing comparable results between the two methods. While helicopter surveys will always have their place in biology, Sydney’s work demonstrates a cost effect and community accessible method for obtaining reliable wildlife demographic data. This work is currently in review, with plans to submit additional research from this project soon!
