burrowing owl
 
  • Recycled aluminum reduces pollution by 95 percent.
  • Four pounds of bauxite are saved for every pound of aluminum recycled.
  • Enough aluminum is thrown away to rebuild our commercial air fleet four times every year.
  • Recycled aluminum saves 95 percent energy versus virgin aluminum; recycling of one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours.
 

Arctic Shorebirds

As their name suggests, shorebirds, which include sandpipers, plovers, and curlews, are generally found on the shores of oceans, lakes and wetlands. When it comes time to breed, spectacular shorebird flocks complete some of the world's longest migrations to raise their young in one of the harshest environments on our continent: the Arctic tundra. Indeed, shorebirds are an exception to the Arctic's generally low biodiversity: roughly 30 million of the world's 100 million shorebirds breed in the Arctic.

Current Researchers 

Anna Hargreaves 

 

Project Details

Despite their apparent hardiness, shorebirds around the world are declining, including two thirds of Canadian species. Arctic-nesting shorebirds are especially vulnerable, due to the risks associated with their long migration and the increased likelihood of habitat disturbance due to climate change. The causes of shorebird declines remain a mystery, but one hypothesis is exposure to toxic pollutants.

To protect shorebirds and halt their declines, we must find out:

  • which toxins they are accumulating
  • whether toxin concentrations approach harmful levels
  • when and where exposure occurs

To answer these questions, Anna Hargreaves - a researcher at the Centre for Conservation Research - conducted field work on the remote arctic tundra in the summer of 2008. She is now analyzing the blood, egg, feather and soil samples she obtained while in the field. This study represents the first assessment of pollutants in shorebirds from Canada's Arctic islands, and will provide essential baseline data for future monitoring as well as critical insights into the role of pollutants in North American shorebird declines.

Click here to find out how you can help.