Making a difference
THE phrase "Canadian desert" may sound like an oxymoron but there's a block of land in the southern Okanagan Valley in British Columbia where scorpions and rattlesnakes go about their business as if they were in Texas.
This is the Osoyoos, and although it's technically classified as a grassland or shrub-steppe ecology, it's known locally as Canada's "pocket desert".
"Not all of Canada is covered in snow," says Emily Lomas, the snake biologist and master of science student who co-ordinates the rattlesnake research program at the Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre.
"The region contains many plants and animals found nowhere else in Canada, including amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates. And most are rare or endangered."
Much of this habitat has been eroded by human activity. This is not surprising given its hot, dry summers, which guarantee one of the longest growing seasons in Canada and the region's popularity as a holiday destination.
In 2003, the research program was set up as a joint venture between the Osoyoos Indian Band (one of seven aboriginal Okanagan Nations) and Environment Canada with the aim of determining the depth of the problem and identifying solutions. Rattlesnakes, which are frequently killed during encounters with humans, face increasing difficulties due to habitat loss and altered land use. By focusing her work on the largely untouched Osoyoos Indian Reserve, Lomas is able to compare snakes in their natural habitat with those affected by human encroachment.
"An ongoing goal of the project is to identify movement corridors of both the [threatened] western rattlesnake and the great basin gopher snake, from den sites to lower-elevation summer foraging areas, to identify important sites and habitat features and to get an idea of how many snakes live in the area," she says.
"Once we have all the data analysed, we can start to make some conclusions about the population, and from there we can make recommendations that will [have an] impact. Other aspects of the project so far have paved the way for how and where to implement snake fencing, and have investigated whether or not certain snake management practices are beneficial."
The program also plays an important role in raising the profile of these reptiles among residents and tourists, and providing effective solutions.
"These rattlesnakes are a natural part of the ecosystem here. They may play an important pest-management role by feeding on the rodents in the area. [Besides], by conserving rattlesnakes and their habitat, you are also conserving [the] habitat for many [other] rare and endangered species."
Although the nature of this work means there aren't many volunteer researchers, the Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre relies on helpers to convey the importance of its cultural and ecological programs. And visitors are encouraged to get involved with conservation through an adopt-a-rattler program. Funds raised are used to purchase microchips and radio transmitters, and adopters get special access to biologists.
It's just another way in which Lomas can share her enthusiasm.
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