TABLE OF CONTENTS Video Summary Related Content Video
TABLE OF CONTENTS Video Summary & Related Content Video Review Before Viewing While Viewing Talk Prompts After Viewing The Story Activity #1: Critical Thinking Role Play Activity #2: Endangered Canadian Species Graphic Text Sources CREDITS News in Review is produced by CBC NEWS and curio. ca GUIDE Writer: Chris Coates Editor: Sean Dolan VIDEO Host: Michael Serapio Senior Producer: Jordanna Lake Packaging Producer: Marie-Hélène Savard Associate Producer: Francine Laprotte Supervising Manager: Laraine Bone Visit www. curio. ca/newsinreview for an archive of all previous News In Review seasons. As a companion resource, go to www. cbc. ca/news for additional articles. CBC authorizes reproduction of material contained in this guide for educational purposes. Please identify source. News In Review is distributed by: curio. ca | CBC Media Solutions © 2018 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation 3 4 5 8 11 14 19 24 26 28
MAN-MADE EXTINCTION: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds Video duration – 09: 48 Its image adorns our Canadian 25 -cent coin — the magnificent Canadian caribou. It once roamed this country abundantly. Now the woodland caribou is listed as an at-risk species, and southern mountain caribou herds in B. C. 's Southern Interior are especially vulnerable. Although the causes of the decline are varied, it cannot be ignored that much of the blame is due to continued pressure on the caribou’s habitat. From pipelines to forestry, man is chipping away at the herds’ nomadic life. RELATED CONTENT ON CURIO. CA • Arctic Refuge: The Struggle Continues • Billion Dollar Caribou • News in Review, April 2015 – B. C. Wolf Cull: Saving Endangered Caribou? curio. ca/newsinreview /3
VIDEO REVIEW curio. ca/newsinreview /4
BEFORE VIEWING Formulating higher-level thinking questions Your teacher will create six numbered stations on the walls of your classroom, with one image posted at each station. You will also find the Levelled Questioning Chart posted at each station. 1. Your teacher will assign you a number and direct you to one of the stations. 2. As a group, use the Levelled Questioning Chart to generate four questions about your assigned image — one from each level/ skill type: Factual Prediction Analytical Synthesis/application 3. Share the questions your group creates with your class. Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds ? ? NOTE TO TEACHER You will need to print out the following: • Six images (samples listed on p. 6) • Six copies of the Levelled Questioning Chart* (see p. 5) *Source: The Education Review Office , New Zealand government curio. ca/newsinreview /5
Levelled Questioning Chart Purpose: To help formulate higher-level thinking questions How: Select a word from the column on the left, add one from the top row, and then complete your question – e. g. How can we track the movement of caribou herds? Levels: Where your selections from the left column and top row intersect, you can determine the level and skill-type of your question (level 4 highest). is/are did can would will might should Who What Where FACTUAL PREDICT Level 1 Level 3 ANALYTICAL SYNTHESIS & APPLICATION When Why How Level 2 Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds Level 4 curio. ca/newsinreview /6
Caribou Image Samples Station 1: Caribou running from truck: https: //warriorpublications. files. wordpress. com/2015/01/caribou-3 -alberta-running. jpg Station 2: Clear-cut forest: https: //ecologyaction. ca/sites/ecologyaction. ca/files/images-documents/Clearcut%20 pic. jpg Station 3: Caribou under oil pipeline: https: //wisingup. arts. ubc. ca/files/2015/12/Caribou_Pipeline-768 x 508. jpg Station 4: Northern caribou population trends in Canada – Figure 1: Current distribution and status designations of Caribou (Rangifer) in North America (page no. 2 in document): www. biodivcanada. ca/F 84 ED 404 -B 33 B-4313 -BE 96 -2 EE 71 DA 65 E 46/8218 No. 10_Northern_Caribou_Feb%202012_E. pdf Station 5: Decline of woodland caribou populations in B. C. : www. princegeorgecitizen. com/news/local-news/woodland-caribou-facing-extinction-1. 1941981 Station 6: Tagged caribou eating from a grain trough in a maternity pen (7 th photo in article): www. cbc. ca/1. 4762122 Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds curio. ca/newsinreview /7
WHILE VIEWING 1. Ten years ago, when Bryce Comer initially ventured into the forest in Kootenay Pass, B. C. , southern woodland caribou populations were increasing. TRUE or FALSE? 2. What factor changed the story behind Comer’s documentary? a) Caribou populations continued to grow. b) Caribou populations started to decline. c) Powerful groups in the forestry and tourism industries tried to stop him from filming. d) He lost his funding from the National Film Board. 3. More than half of B. C. ’s 54 separate groups of woodland caribou are in decline. TRUE or FALSE? 4. How is the habitat for the caribou that Comer is following in South Selkirk, B. C. changing? a) Predator risks are increasing. c) Power lines and pipelines are being built. b) Forests are being cleared for logging. d) All of the above Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds curio. ca/newsinreview /8
5. According to Leo De. Groot, what is the biggest challenge in addressing the decline of caribou populations? a) The caribou groups are increasingly hard to find. b) The number of caribou herders in B. C. is shrinking. c) Economic activities that affect habitats, like logging and tourism, are important to the economy. d) Faulty construction of protective pens for the caribou. 6. Caribou shepherd Ryan Desjarlais does not believe the disappearing caribou are a result of human actions. TRUE or FALSE? 7. What does Bryce Comer believe is the solution to the problem of declining caribou populations? a) Protection of forests b) Build more maternity pens c) A government grant for his film The Last Mountain Caribou. d) Increase the relocation of caribou to promote procreation. Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds curio. ca/newsinreview /9
8. What has the Quebec government decided to do with regard to its declining caribou population? a) Tag and track each caribou in the province b) Spend $76 million on conservation projects c) Relocate the majority of its caribou d) Nothing Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds curio. ca/newsinreview / 10
TALK PROMPTS NEW curio. ca/newsinreview / 11
TALK PROMPT #1 Consider pausing the video and giving students the opportunity to talk to an elbow partner for a few minutes or use these questions as part of a class discussion. Pause the video after Bryce Comer expresses how difficult it was to learn that the caribou herd he was following was down to three females, none of whom is pregnant, @ 00: 00 – 03: 47 1. What measures could be taken to stimulate population growth among this fragile caribou herd? 2. How might Bryce Comer’s film make a difference to the future of woodland caribou populations? Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds curio. ca/newsinreview / 12
TALK PROMPT #2 Pause the video after Briar Stewart describes the failed conservation pen in Revelstoke, @ 03: 48 – 07: 38 1. Why do you think the hot weather caused some calves to struggle? 2. Why is it “that no money or effort can guarantee these decimated herds can be grown again”? TALK PROMPT #3 Play the video through to the end. Consider Bryce Comer’s observation: “The problem is, we’ve been talking about this for two decades and nothing has changed because we keep talking about it. We’re not acting on anything, ” @ 07: 39 – 09: 48 1. Why has there been so much talk about taking action by government and so little execution of any kind of plan? Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds curio. ca/newsinreview / 13
AFTER VIEWING 1. On the CBC website for The Nature of Things, go to the Interactive Map: Caribou Conservation. This map depicts how likely caribou populations in Canada are to become self-sustaining: www. cbc. ca/natureofthings/features/carib ou-conservation • Form a group of three and access the map. • Review the map according to the category assigned to your group by your teacher. o Group 1 assigned “Likely” o Group 2 assigned “As Likely as Not” o o Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds Group 3 assigned “Unlikely” Group 4 assigned “Very Unlikely” Group 5 assigned “Unknown” Group 6 assigned “Industrial Disturbances” curio. ca/newsinreview / 14
• Groups 1 to 5 – choose a caribou population from one of the areas shown on the map under your assigned category and conduct research. For example, Group 1 will select a caribou population that is “Likely” to survive from either the Northwest Territories, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, or Newfoundland Labrador. You can use the table below to record your research findings. Will population be self-sustaining? Geographic location Details about your caribou population What the government has done or needs to do Likely As Likely as Not Unlikely Very Unlikely Unknown Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds curio. ca/newsinreview / 15
• Group 6 – select a minimum of three industrial disturbances, conduct research to complete the chart below. Industrial disturbance Geographic location Details of impact on caribou Potential Solutions #1 #2 #3 Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds curio. ca/newsinreview / 16
2. With a partner, create a T-Chart in which you list the pros and cons of protecting caribou habitats. Consider factors such as the environment, the economy, government spending and local communities as you brainstorm. Pros Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds Cons curio. ca/newsinreview / 17
Thicker and thicker they came, until the whole pass was a mass of moving molegrey forms from which a forest of branched antlers sprouted, clashing and clicking together. For two hours and a half we watched them passing us (. . . ) we could only guess at their hundreds. – Hilda Glynn Howard, Journalist and author (1926)
THE STORY The Last Mountain Caribou The set of antlers Bryce Comer handles like an artifact belongs to a woodland caribou buck he once captured on camera. The caribou died or was killed in the spot where Comer stands. This barbed patch of sub-alpine forest in Kootenay Pass, B. C. , was once a place of comfort for the filmmaker who, a decade ago, found his first caribou group while documenting a then-rebounding population for a nature film. However, as the number of caribou has dwindled in the area, Comer’s only consolation is the thought that the majestic beast featured in The Last Mountain Caribou returned to the land that once sustained his herd prior to his death. A species at risk That buck was one of approximately 1 500 southern Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds mountain woodland caribou left in the world. Historic caribou population totals are only estimates, but accounts as recent as 90 years ago in what is now Wells Gray Provincial Park suggest numbers were once plentiful: curio. ca/newsinreview / 19
“Thicker and thicker they came, until the whole pass was a mass of moving molegrey forms from which a forest of branched antlers sprouted, clashing and clicking together. For two hours and a half we watched them passing us (. . . ) we could only guess at their hundreds, ” wrote Hilda Glynn Howard in 1926 about the herds. Today in B. C. , where 98 per cent of the world’s woodland caribou population live, there are 54 distinct groups and the majority are in decline. Seven are expected to die off and two of those herds are almost gone. As for the South Selkirk, the group featured in Comer’s film, only three remain — all females — none of whom is pregnant. Habitats and predators Biologists and environmentalists saw this crisis coming as early as the 1960 s when logging, mining, pipeline construction, and other economic activities began to threaten caribou Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds habitats across Canada. According to Leo De. Groot, a wildlife biologist working on species recovery for the B. C. government, clear-cutting trees removes the nutrientrich arboreal lichen that caribou depend on for survival. To make matters worse, the plants and grass that grow in their place attract “It’s human error. It’s only right that humans do something about it. ” – Ryan Desjarlais, caribou shepherd curio. ca/newsinreview / 20
competitors from surrounding areas, like deer and moose. This, in turn, makes the caribou more vulnerable to predators, such as wolves and black bears. “They’re not as skittish as a deer. They’ll stand there and look at you, (whereas) a deer will just take off. So they don’t kick hard like a moose. They’re just likely more vulnerable, ” says De. Groot. A delicate balance Provinces are struggling to both encourage industries that drive the economy and protect caribou herds. Despite a 2012 Canadian government order that provinces conserve habitats under the Species at Risk Act, a five-year federal progress report shows an increase in industrial activity in these areas and a correlating decline in the caribou population. Whereas the law insists that caribou ranges contain 65 per cent undisturbed land, in places like Woodlands County, Alberta, economic activity has Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds encroached on 95 per cent of the caribou habitat. Economy vs. caribou There is growing concern among communities that blocking off large sections of land that could be used by forestry or energy companies will hinder economic progress. “It’s often cast as jobs versus caribou, ” says Jim Schaefer, professor of Trent University. curio. ca/newsinreview / 21
Earlier this year, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley announced the province is backing away from plans to create new provincial parks to protect caribou, citing the prohibitive estimated cost of $1 billion over the next four decades. Quebec has similarly balked at the $76 million price tag for its caribou and has decided instead to focus on species more likely to survive. If the trade-off between the economy and conserving habitats is a challenge, so too northern to southern part of are efforts to reverse the caribou’s trend toward extinction. B. C. , to its credit, has been trying to protect the caribou with questionable results. A 2015 cull that saw thousands of wolves killed was deemed too cruel and called “speciesism” by animal experts. This left caribou vulnerable to a resurgent wolf population. Relocating caribou groups within the province has yielded mixed results, with one notable attempt that moved 19 caribou from the Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds the province resulting in 15 deaths. Likewise, maternity penning projects, where pregnant caribou are captured and nurtured by shepherds and veterinarians until after they deliver offspring, are considered dicey due to health risks associated with hot weather and disease. No Guarantees There is simply no guarantee that human intervention can bring the caribou back from the brink of extinction. While angered at the lack of curio. ca/newsinreview / 22
Comer feels that the solution starts with conserving the forest: “The problem is, we’ve been talking about this for two decades and nothing has changed because we keep talking about it. We’re not acting on anything. ” For now, it seems like we are waiting for nature to take its course. TO CONSIDER 1. What factors are contributing to the decline of the caribou population? 2. Why are provinces reluctant to preserve caribou habitats? 3. What measures are being taken to encourage population growth among caribou herds? Have these measures been effective? Why or why not? Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds curio. ca/newsinreview / 23
ACTIVITY #1: Critical Thinking Role Play The issue of diminishing caribou populations is complex and involves a variety of stakeholders across the social, political and economic spectrums. PART I • • Select a stakeholder from the list on the following page. Be sure to clear your choice with your teacher to avoid role duplication in Part 2 of this activity. Conduct some online research that allows you to understand their perspective. • In a well-developed response of approximately 250 words, address the following in relation to this issue: o Your role and its responsibilities o Your position on caribou habitat and population conservation o What actions you think need to be taken Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds curio. ca/newsinreview / 24
The Stakeholders Role 7: Perry Bellegarde, AFN National Chief Role 1: Catherine Mc. Kenna, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Role 8: Rachel Notley, Alberta Premier Role 2: Leo De. Groot, Wildlife Biologist for B. C. Fish and Wildlife Role 3: Doug Donaldson, B. C. Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Role 4: Michelle Mungall, B. C. Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Role 5: Ryan Desjarlais, caribou shepherd Role 9: Philippe Couillard, Quebec Premier PART II Form a group of nine (9) with each group member assuming the role of one of the stakeholders. Engage in a collaborative discussion where the group develops five (5) recommendations to help preserve the caribou population. Role 6: Bryce Comer, director of The Last Mountain Caribou Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds curio. ca/newsinreview / 25
ACTIVITY #2: Endangered Canadian Species Graphic Text The Species at Risk Act (SARA) became law in 2002 and identifies ways that individuals, communities and governments can help preserve species facing extinction. The caribou are only one such species protected under this legislation. Individually or with a partner: • Access the SARA website www. registrelep. gc. ca/species/schedules_e. cfm? id=1. • Scroll down to “Part 2: Endangered Species” and select one of the species listed. You can choose a mammal, bird, a reptile, an amphibian or a fish. • Conduct research on your selection with particular focus on your species’ role in the ecosystem and on what would happen if they became extinct. • Next, locate and gather information on individuals and groups who are active in their fight for protection of this species. • Go to Canva, a digital graphic text creation program, at www. canva. ca and create an “Education” profile. Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds curio. ca/newsinreview / 26
• With your research, create a graphic text about your selected species. o You can find infographic templates on Canva. o Or you can visit CBC’s The Nature of Things to see these sample infographics to give you some layout ideas: Ø www. cbc. ca/natureofthings/features/ wild-facts-about-the-horse Ø www. cbc. ca/natureofthings/features/ moose-everything-you-ever-wantedto-know • Share your graphic text with the class. Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds curio. ca/newsinreview / 27
SOURCES Meyer, C. et al. (June 27, 2018). Scientists Have Assembled Research Exposing Industry Denial of Disappearing Caribou. National Observer. Retrieved from: www. nationalobserver. com/2018/06/27/news/scientific-study-shows-logging-industry-disinformationcaribou-uses-climate-denial. Ministry of Forests Lands and Natural Resource Operations. (January 5, 2017). Southern Mountain Caribou. Province of British Columbia. Retrieved from: www 2. gov. bc. ca/gov/content/environment/plants-animals-ecosystems/wildlifeconservation/caribou/southern-mountain-caribou Shokeir, P. (March 26, 2018). Province suspends caribou conservation plan. Whitecourt Star. Retrieved from: www. whitecourtstar. com/2018/03/26/province-suspends-caribou-conservation-plan/wcm/97 f 4 a 2 aa-f 713 -9292 -097 ad 81992 a 44 e 66 Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) and The David Suzuki Foundation. (December 2013). Population Critical: How are Caribou Faring? Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. Retrieved from: http: //cpaws. org/uploads/Boreal. Caribou. Report. CPAWS_DSF. pdf Thomson, S. (August 7, 2017). Protecting the Caribou or Saving Jobs? Governments Facing Dilemmas and Deadlines. National Post. Retrieved from: https: //nationalpost. com/news/politics/forestry-industry-concerned-about-governments-caribou-protection-plan Wormworth, J. (Winter 1998). Mountain caribou take to the trees: the dependence of these high-country dwellers on old-growth forest lichen puts them in direct competition with the logging industry. Beautiful British Columbia. 40. 4. p 30 -35 Man-Made Extinction: Canada’s Disappearing Caribou Herds curio. ca/newsinreview / 28
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