Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust
203 - 4882 Delta Street V4K2t8 Delta, BC, Canada

We want to say a big thank you to our funders, supporters and the Delta and Richmond farmers! We had a great year all thanks to your hard work and support and we are looking forward to a bright year ahead in 2021! Happy New Year everyone!

See below to learn more about who we are as an organization!

Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) has been a long-term supporter of DF&WT. This partnership began thirty years ago where DUC administered a project called Greenfields from 1990-1993 which was the predecessor to DF&WT’s Winter Cover Crop Stewardship Program. Since then, DF&WT has been working closely with DUC on issues surrounding waterfowl management in the Fraser River estuary. Through the years DUC has generously provided over $860,000 in funding to our organization resulting in the planting of roughly 19,110 acres of cover crops. In addition to DUC protecting and restoring wetlands, they also work directly with farmers across the country to promote waterfowl conservation including farmers here in Delta.

The Christmas Bird Count, which began in 1900, is North America's longest-running science project with citizen involvement. Throughout the Western Hemisphere there are over 2,000 locations where people can participate. The information collected by volunteers since it began has resulted in one of the world's largest sets of wildlife survey data. The data is used by conservation biologists which assists with assessing bird distribution and population trends. There are several l...ocations and dates throughout BC. Over the next few days we are going to be sharing with you the locations and dates in our area. The first one is this Sunday in the Ladner/ Delta area. Come out and help gather important data! The count will take place outside where social distancing will be maintained. To join this weekend's Christmas Bird count contact Mrs. Jude F. Grass at: [email protected]

It was another successful year for our stewardship programs. We’re pleased to announce that the total cost-share payments we disbursed was a new record for the organization! As always, none of this would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of Delta and Richmond farmers to sustainable agriculture. Forty-three farmers and landowners participated in the programs this year. In addition to the commitment of our local farmers, funding for the programs wouldn’t h...ave been possible without the generous contributions of the BC Waterfowl Society, City of Delta - Local Government, Delta Agricultural Society, Ducks Unlimited British Columbia, Environment and Climate Change, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Wildlife Habitat Canada and City of Richmond - Local Government. As 2020 winds to a close (finally!), DF&WT would like to give a big thank you to the Delta and Richmond farming communities and all of our funders and supporters. Thank you!

Did you know that the Barn Owl is listed as Species of Special Concern under Canada’s Species at Risk Act? They can be found in Delta where they live all year long. Due to the cool winters Barn Owls roost in barns to stay warm. They have very sharp hearing which helps them hunt in total darkness and areas with abundant ground cover. They feed mostly on small mammals which are abundant in Grassland Set-asides. Providing feeding grounds for the endangered Barn Owl is one of the many benefits of our Grassland Set-aside program.

Meet Tehlu! Tehlu is DF&WT’s new Field and Research Technician. He is responsible for monitoring and evaluating our Winter Cover Crop and Grassland Set-aside stewardship programs over this upcoming winter that will include assessing waterfowl habitat use and distribution patterns across farmland in Delta and South Richmond. He will also be monitoring habitat use of species at risk including Barn and Short-eared Owls and other raptors in reclaimed grassland habitats enrolled i...n the DF&WT Grassland Set-aside program. Tehlu began his academic studies in engineering back in India, but shortly after discovered a passion for wildlife conservation. After changing course, Tehlu decided to pursue an M.Sc. in wildlife science. His thesis focused on estimating ungulate populations, and assessing the home range and movement patterns of tigers in Sundarban Tiger Reserve (known for the world’s highest human-tiger conflict). After completing his M.Sc., Tehlu worked with the Rajputana Society of Natural History (RSNH) researching habitat use patterns of birds in human settlement areas. Working with RSNH and its community-based approach to conservation highlighted the importance of community involvement for the success of conservation projects. After RSNH, Tehlu continued working in tiger conservation where he joined the Wildlife Institute of India to estimate tiger, co-predator and prey populations in Rajaji Tiger Reserve. He worked there until he moved to Canada to pursue an M.Sc. in Ecological Restoration at Simon Fraser University and BCIT. Tehlu’s graduate research included the assessment of critical limiting factors for restoring prairie dog populations in Grasslands National Park located in Saskatchewan. After graduating in April 2020, he worked for three months with Fraser Valley Conservancy as a Conservation Technician where he assisted with the control of the invasive bullfrog population in Chilliwack to conserve native amphibians. In the future, Tehlu is hoping to continue his studies and pursue a Ph.D. in species reintroduction. He also aspires to be a leader in global conservation where he hopes to contribute to the conservation and restoration of endangered species using modern ecological methods and environmental stewardship. We at the Trust are fortunate to have such a passionate and talented individual helping out this winter season!

Our Winter Cover Crop stewardship program helps farmers establish vegetative cover on their fields before winter. They are important for managing agricultural soil, and provide feeding areas for migratory waterfowl.

Hey everyone! We often share with you about our projects and today we want to share with you more about what we do, our programs, and how we complete these amazing projects. Check out below to learn more about what we do

Winter is coming which means the return of migratory birds! The Fraser River estuary is designated as Canada’s top Important Bird Area. Each year an estimated 5 million birds pass through the region including a projected 200,000+ Snow Geese this year returning from their breeding grounds on Wrangel Island off the coast of Russia. This Fraser-Skagit flock of Snow Geese has recovered from a low of 15,000 in the 1970s. Through DF&WT's Winter Cover Crop stewardship program and ou...r partnership with Delta and Richmond farmers over 3,000 acres of cover crops have been planted this year to provide important foraging habitat for returning waterfowl as well as support soil health. #covercrops #waterfowl #conservation #sustainableagriculture #sustainableag #localfarmers #localfarms

Every fall, Delta and Richmond farmers plant 2,500 to 3,000 acres of winter cover crops. Cover crops provide an array of benefits to both soil health and biodiversity. These benefits include: - reducing soil erosion from the heavy winter rains - fixing nitrogen if it is a legume crop - scavenging the soil for leftover nutrients... - increasing soil organic matter over time - reducing soil compaction - improving water infiltration - suppressing weeds - increasing yields of cash crops - providing food and habitat for soil microorganisms - providing forage and habitat for migratory birds DF&WT’s Winter Cover Crop Stewardship Program offers a $60-65/acre cost-share to incentivize the planting of cover crops. Since the program was established over 82,000 acres (roughly 9.5x the size of Burns Bog) of cover crops have been planted and $3.7 million has been disbursed to Delta and Richmond farmers to support this sustainable practice. #covercrop #waterfowl #localfarmers #localfarms #conservation #sustainableagriculture #sustainableag #bcfarms #familyfarms #buybc #localfood #local

DF&WT stewardship programs are science-based and are continually evaluated to improve their benefits for both soil fertility and wildlife conservation. Check out the latest journal article recently published that was part of our five-year research project assessing the impact of grassland set-asides on various soil properties in partnership with the University of British Columbia.

All gamebird hunters in British Columbia are required to purchase a Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit, which includes a Canadian Wildlife Habitat Conservation stamp (https://whc.org/the-stamp/) to validate the permit. Proceeds from the sale of the stamp are allocated to a conservation grant program administered by Wildlife Habitat Canada (WHC) a non-profit, charitable conservation organization. The mission of WHC is to provide financial assistance to conservation projects ...and initiatives related to waterfowl and migratory game birds’ management. DF&WT has been fortunate to be awarded multiple annual grants over the years from WHC, totaling $190,000. These funds have been used to support the provision of roughly 3,680 acres of cover crops and tens of thousands of waterfowl that forage on cover crops in the Fraser River Estuary each winter season. #covercrops #waterfowl #conservation #sustainableagriculture #sustainableag #localfarmers #localfarms

Although waterfowl have not yet returned from their breeding grounds in the north, they will soon. And with their return winter cover crops and remnant crops left in the field after harvest will be heavily foraged over the winter season. By spring of next year, a majority of the winter cover crop fields that were seeded over August and September of this year will be grazed. Last winter we completed a vegetation survey to monitor the extent and intensity of waterfowl grazing o...ccurring on cover crop fields. . The full report can be found on our website at https://bit.ly/3kEoexs. DF&WT's Winter Cover Crop Stewardship Program covers a portion of the costs for farmers to plant a cover crop. However, the soil benefits from cover crops is declining as the extent of waterfowl grazing continues to worsen leaving many fields completely bare. This has left some farmers finding it more difficult to justify the costs associated with planting a cover crop and has resulted in a subsequent decline in total acres planted. DF&WT is currently wrapping up a cost-benefit analysis of the Winter Cover Crop program that also included a survey of long-term program participants. The analysis should hopefully assist in identifying options for increasing participation and total acres enrolled in the program to past levels. #covercrops #waterfowl #localfarmers #localfarms #conservation #sustainableagriculture #sustainableag #bcfarms #familyfarms #buybc #localfood #local