The 8Trees Inc. team brings new innovative ideas for building snake hibernacula to Pelee Island.
Having been subject to years of agriculture and drainage, some areas of the island that are now owned by Nature Conservancy Canada and Ontario Nature, are being managed to restore its ecological function.
Pelee Island is home to many species-at-risk, including one extremely rare species, the Blue racer. After years of investigations, it is thought that adequate hibernation habitat is a limiting factor that impacts snake survival. Natural Resource Solutions (NRSI) is collaborating with 8Trees Inc. to investigate the recovering habitat more thoroughly in terms of the underground conditions that occur overwinter. The first step is to monitor what happens naturally over the winter months to see how the temperature and hydrology changes. The next step will be to create suitable, artificially made hibernacula and test for snake overwintering survival.Â
Fingers crossed the data collection goes smoothly this winter!
8Trees staff happy after completing the construction of an artificial snake hibernacula monitoring station.