Since its founding in 1984, the Wildlife Foundation has always fulfilled its mission to protect diverse wildlife environments. In addition, it provided financial and technical support to organizations to carry out projects to protect, develop and improve wildlife and their habitat.
• Also read: Zecs du Québec: Introducing young people
• Also read: Special Hunting File: Remember to prepare a replacement
• Also read: Suggestions of useful articles for hunters
Ultimately, hunters and fishermen benefit fully from the foundation’s measures. All of these interventions ensure that the future of the resource is secured.
Additionally, thanks to all this collaboration, Quebec has abundant game and fish resources. Certainly the moose population is currently struggling, particularly due to global warming allowing ticks to wreak havoc, but the population of this big game, accessible to hunters, is still very acceptable. It’s certainly not because of the abundance of the last few years.
To finance its projects, the Foundation can count on the commitment of its partners, thousands of donors and stable and recurring funding that comes from fees for the purchase of hunting, fishing and trapping licenses. Each of us plays a key role in ensuring that the organization achieves its mission.
Funded projects include protecting habitats of critical importance to wildlife, developing and restoring sites to promote wildlife habitat connectivity, and implementing forestry developments that address wildlife needs. The foundation supports projects to create ecological corridors between natural environments to promote the movement of wildlife species that have a large range, such as elk or white-tailed deer.
EXAMPLES
The foundation took part in the project to acquire 25 hectares in Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs through Héritage plein air du nord. Although this region is urbanized, there are many mammals there, including fishermen, elk, white-tailed deer, and coyotes. We wanted to protect this sector, which is under pressure from the huge residential development in the northern suburbs of Montreal.
Another example that can be mentioned is the support that the organization provides to the project of the Terra-Bois forest owners’ cooperative in the Lanaudière region. The aim of this project is to create a reference document that will allow owners to better integrate the elements necessary to maintain the quality of habitat and the needs of the white-tailed deer into the planning of forestry operations. This promotes the preservation of the species in its natural environment.
The foundation is also involved in the creation and dissemination of wildlife management manuals. As an example, we can cite a series of three guides that explain, among other things, how to maintain a suitable habitat for the snowshoe hare and black grouse.
These are just very small examples of what the Wildlife Foundation is doing to ensure the sustainability of the species and hunting, fishing and trapping activities in Quebec. We are lucky to be able to count on such an organization.
