It is probably without surprise that you will be reading this news. Since the Park is closed until further notice, we have to cancel the anura survey for this year. However, we hope to be able to go ahead with the other components.

For the moment, we are unable to confirm when the activities will be able to resume, so the Program’s registration period has been postponed.

If you participated in the 2019 edition of the Program, we will notify you by e-mail when dates or cancelations will be confirmed. If you haven’t participated in 2019, you can get updates here or by contacting us.

Simon Landry

Galloper or bounder?  Fox or coyote? Awesome, fisher tracks! There’re lots of hare tracks here!

These are some of the thoughts that go through participants' minds as they carry out their field surveys for the Animal Tracks Inventory. This inventory is one of the many activities of the Citizen Science in Gatineau Park program, a collaboration between the Friends of Gatineau Park and the National Capital Commission.

This winter component allows a better understanding of the use predators, such as coyotes, lynx, martens or fishers, make of the ecological corridors linking Gatineau Park to the other natural areas surrounding it. The ecological links between the Park and these natural environments are important for the health of these species. This survey supplements the one carried out by students from the University of Ottawa, who are assigned corridors located more toward the northern end of the Park.
The second year of this component came to a close in March, with 26 participants having taken part in 22 outings spread over 5 weeks and 5 corridors, from Wakefield to Aylmer, via Chelsea and Hull.

Learning to identify animal tracks in the snow, contributing collectively to a better understanding of the Park’s ecological integrity, spending time in the forest while taking the time to observe and be amazed, these are the advantages of participating! We are already looking forward to doing it again in 2021 and we invite you to join us (again, or for the first time).

Catherine Dumouchel (trans. Simon Landry)
Photo: Carolyn Cahill and Jon Stuart (cropped)