WINNIPEG, Manitoba, April 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- APRIL 1, 2020 ALERT. Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) today announced the launch of the Super Beaver Inspector Task Force Initiative (SBITFITM), a program that uses North American beavers equipped with GoPro cameras to inspect remote conservation sites that are difficult or time consuming to reach by vehicle or on foot.
Each beaver is assigned to “b-zones,” pre-designated monitoring areas within the 6.4 million acres of Canadian landscape under DUC care. The footage these working rodents collect will be used to determine if repairs or enhancements are needed to the wetlands, watersheds, or water control structures. The monitoring scope includes both above and below the water.
“The Super Beaver Inspector Task Force represents the future of nature-based solutions in Canada – and across the world,” says Nigel Simms, director of communications and marketing at DUC. “We want to showcase that Ducks Unlimited Canada is at the heart of nature-based conservation solutions that solve nature’s challenges.”
Anatomical sciences were deployed as part of the initiative’s development, securing the cameras to the beaver in two ways. First, a stabilizing strap is placed behind the scapula and over the thoracic vertebrae and ribs. Then the custom-fit, patent-pending head strap is placed between the postorbital process in the frontal skull, which is then pulled over the occipital bone toward the parietal region, carefully securing around the external auditory meatus. The animal is not harmed wearing the camera harness.
To learn more about DUC’s work in natural green infrastructure, visit ducks.ca/naturalinfrastructure.
For all media inquiries related to SBITFI, contact media@ducks.ca.
About Ducks Unlimited Canada
With a conservation community of more than 120,000 supporters strong, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is the leader in wetland conservation. A registered charity, DUC partners with government, industry, non-profit organizations, and landowners to conserve wetlands that are critical to waterfowl, wildlife, and the environment.
For more than 80 years, DUC has been a leader in science-driven conservation. To date, DUC has completed 11,023 habitat projects, conserved 6.4 million acres of habitat, and influenced 177.2 million acres through the advocacy of strong policy. The total economic value of DUC’s work is estimated at 5.2 billion dollars.
A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/da39033b-a25c-4edf-82ed-2c50ba192e62
“This announcement was created in the spirit of April Fools Day.”