Wildlife populations are often wiped out accidentally just because no one knows they exist. Imagine a subdivision being built on a wetland where rare amphibians live, or a stand of endangered trees being chopped down to make way for a road. It happens regularly.
A small patch of rare lupine plant species (Lupinus Lepidus) was almost destroyed in the 1990s. B.C. Tel had plans to lay a transmission line on Vancouver Island. The company had no idea that this special wildflower grew there. Luckily, the province had developed a computer database, or Conservation Data Centre (CDC), to keep track of rare and endangered wildlife. When the computer was asked to check the planned path of the transmission line, it quickly zeroed in on the potential mishap. B.C. Tel engineers then rerouted the trench so the rare lupine plant can bloom in peace.
Lend a hand to CDCs by:
• telling landowners and other community members about your province's CDC;
• encouraging them to check with the centre before starting any construction or agricultural work;
• posting information signs around special habitats;
• informing your community and your provincial CDC about unusual plants or habitats in the area;
• or organizing a "neighbourhood watch" for a habitat that needs protection from poaching or vandalism.
If there’s no CDC in your part of the country, write to your provincial or territorial government urging it to establish one.
Contact one of the following CDCs to find out what you can do to help out:
Alberta Conservation Information Management System
Atlantic Canada
British Columbia Conservation Data Centre
Manitoba Conservation Data Centre
Ontario Natural Heritage Information Centre
Centre de données sur le patrimoine naturel du Québec
Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre
Yukon Conservation Data Centre