Volunteers to construct burrows for at-risk owls with help from WWF and Burrowing Owl Conservation Society of BC

PENTICTON, B.C., Sept. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- World Wildlife Fund Canada and the Burrowing Owl Conservation Society of BC are teaming up to bring burrowing owls back to British Columbia’s southern grasslands by engaging residents in hands-on conservation efforts. Members of the public and media are invited to help construct burrows and learn more about this endangered species at an event on Saturday, Sept. 8.

About burrowing owls

During the 1990s, populations of this charismatic grassland bird dropped by approximately 90 per cent due to habitat conversion. Habitat loss, namely a lack of suitable burrows, is one of the biggest threats to burrowing owls today. Once installed, the newly constructed burrows will provide much-needed nesting habitat and help support the survival of burrowing owls in the wild.

About the event

This event is one of three opportunities this fall organized by WWF-Canada and Burrowing Owl Conservation Society of BC aimed to make people a bigger part the solution to wildlife loss in Canada. Interested community members can register online.

What: Construction of artificial burrows. This is an opportunity to see burrowing owls at their breeding facility, meet Pluto the education owl and learn from experts about the threats owls face.

Where: Oliver Breeding Facility, Oliver, B.C.

• From Penticton, take Highway 97 to Oliver. Look for the South Okanagan Rehabilitation Centre sign just past Brauns Road. The Oliver Breeding Facility is behind the SORCO building.

When: Saturday, Sept. 8, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Who:

• Lauren Meads, executive director of BOCS BC
• Lia McKinnon, biology tech
• Devika Shah, senior manager of strategic initiatives at the WWF-Canada
• Volunteers from the community

About World Wildlife Fund Canada 

WWF-Canada creates solutions to the environmental challenges that matter most for Canadians. We work in places that are unique and ecologically important, so that nature, wildlife and people thrive together. Because we are all wildlife. For more information, visit wwf.ca 

About Burrowing Owl Conservation Society of BC

Burrowing Owls are a Species at Risk in Canada, a charismatic little ground-dwelling owl of semi-arid grasslands. Our project is largely volunteer driven, designed to restore self-sustaining populations of these birds to the B.C. southern interior grasslands where they were historically found. A reintroduction program began with breeding and release in 1992 and became a full-fledged society in 2000. Our program works with private landowners, government, non-profit agencies and First Nations to protect and enhance grasslands through sustainable range-management practices and stewardship activities.  For more information, visit burrowingowlbc.org

Emily Vandermeer
WWF-Canada
5196161556
evandermeer@wwfcanada.org