U of S Western College of Veterinary Medicine partners in community-based wildlife health monitoring inthe north

Posted April 21, 2005


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 21, 2005 2005-04-07-WCVM
 
U of S Western College of Veterinary Medicine partners in community-based wildlife
health monitoring in the north

SASKATOON - Local youth and harvesters in the Sahtu are better-informed now
about local wildlife issues thanks to a community-based project for
monitoring wildlife populations and health in the Sahtu Settlement Area,
Northwest Territories. Founded in 2003 by a researcher at the Western
College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) and a wildlife biologist with the
Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT), the third annual community
tour has wrapped for another year.
 
"The health and sustainability of wildlife populations is important for
subsistence harvesters as well as the overall economy of the Northwest
Territories - wildlife health is a key area of research," said project
co-founder Dr. Susan Kutz, WCVM and Research Group for Arctic
Parasitology."Global warming, renewable and non-renewable resource
development, and a greater human footprint can alter the patterns of disease
occurrence in wildlife and have a direct impact on both wildlife and human
health."
 
"We travel to all five communities in the Sahtu, to increase awareness of
wildlife health issues and foster long-term community-based monitoring and
management of wildlife," Alasdair Veitch, project co-founder and supervisor,
Wildlife Management, Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) for the Sahtu
region said.  "The project is a sharing of knowledge and information."
 
The team members in 2005 were: Dr. Susan Kutz, WCVM graduate students Dr.
Emily Jenkins and Dr. Aleksija Neimanis, Dr. Brett Elkin, Alasdair Veitch
and Richard Popko (ENR) and Glen Guthrie (Sahtu Renewable Resources Board).
"One of our goals was to bring scientists and the biology of local wildlife
species to every student (kindergarten to grade 12) in the area," Dr. Kutz
added. "We hope to encourage student involvement in wildlife monitoring and
promote careers in science, veterinary medicine, and renewable resource
management."
 
As well as Youth Education at schools about the basic biology, management,
and health of locally important species, the project focused on three other
key areas in 2005:  A Wildlife Health Monitor Program to establish
partnerships and involvement with local harvesters; Focus Group Interviews
with Harvesters on the historical and current occurrence of wildlife
disease, and Graduate Student Education to provide northern community
experiences and exposure to future academic researchers, while strengthening
links between universities and communities.
 
The Sahtu Settlement Area consists of five small communities: Tulita,
Deline, Fort Good Hope, Colville Lake, and Norman Wells. Subsistence harvest
continues to be a mainstay of the region's economy.  Feedback from
elders and local stakeholders clearly indicated that they wished to see
youth better educated about local wildlife issues, as well as local
harvesters involved in various aspects of ongoing research.
 
The project is now a growing partnership among the Research Group for Arctic
Parasitology (RGAP) - Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre (CCWHC,
WCVM, University of Saskatchewan), the Sahtu Renewable Resources Board,
Government of the Northwest Territories, the five Sahtu Renewable Resource
Councils (RRCs), the five Sahtu schools, and others. Funding for the program
is provided by the GNWT and NWT Cumulative Impacts Monitoring Program,
Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, the Sahtu Renewable
Resources Board, NSERC PromoScience, Enbridge Inc (NT), NWT Western
Biophysical Study, and the Climate Change Action Fund, Natural Resources
Canada.
 
Established in 1964, the Western College of Veterinary Medicine enrolls 392
undergraduates and graduates each year and has earned a reputation as one of
the top veterinary colleges in North America.  The College's
accreditation was renewed in March 2004, receiving the highest level, a
seven-year award.
 
To obtain downloadable images of the community tour, visit www.wcvm.com,
click on News and Events, click on College News. You an also learn more
about the College's recent announcements, expansion project and donor
opportunities.
 
For more information contact:
 
Kathy M. Hollands, ABC
Communications Officer
Western College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 955-4571 or 966-7451
Cell: (306) 270-9631