Research and monitoring

Ecological initiatives

Half-moon hairstreak conservation program

Parks Canada and the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo are working together to protect the endangered half-moon hairstreak butterfly in Waterton Lakes National Park.

The half-moon hairstreak (Satyrium semiluna) is listed as endangered under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). Its only habitat in Alberta is the Blakiston Fan in Waterton Lakes National Park. This floodplain, carpeted with grasslands and wildflowers, is designated as Critical Habitat for the half-moon hairstreak. Invasive plants and the 2017 Kenow wildfire are thought to have caused significant decline of this isolated butterfly population.

Long-term population monitoring is being pursued. Genetic material is being collected to assess the possibility of wild-to-wild translocations from other populations in British Columbia or Montana.

The program greatly improves our understanding of this endangered species. We work towards knowing more about life stages, survival rates, larval behaviour, interactions with ants, and egg over-wintering conditions. Conservation efforts also include restoring the butterfly’s habitat and managing invasive plants.

Project leads: Robert Sissons (Parks Canada), Natasha Lloyd (Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo)
Sponsors: Parks Canada, Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo

Bat inventory

White-nose syndrome (WNS can devastate bat colonies while they hibernate). The disease has not yet been detected in Waterton Lakes.

As a world leader in conservation, Parks Canada has developed its own national bat monitoring protocol consistent with the North American Bat Monitoring Program. Parks Canada is working closely with colleagues at Environment and Climate Change Canada and other partners to ensure that gathered information will help inform larger conservation initiatives and the recovery of endangered bat species.

Acoustic recording devices are used to detect and identify bats throughout Waterton Lakes National Park. Parks Canada is also assessing their winter use of the park. We are partnering with biologists in Glacier National Park, Montana to monitor spring and fall bat migrations along the Belly and Waterton rivers travel corridors.

Project leads: Rob Found, Helena Mahoney
Sponsor: Parks Canada

Vegetation monitoring projects

The diversity of plant life in the area is one of the many things that make this place special. Parks Canada monitors plant life in the park to assess its ecological integrity.

Long-term vegetation monitoring involves repeatedly collecting data including species presence, ground cover and density of native and introduced species. This information helps us understand how vegetation changes over time and how this may affect wildlife, water quality and soil health.

The Fescue Across Borders project is a collaboration with our neighbours to protect the foothills fescue grasslands. Invasive species are actively controlled and monitored. The effectiveness of efforts is assessed by comparing data across the years.

Project lead: Jason Eerkes
Sponsor: Parks Canada

Northern leopard frog reintroduction

Northern leopard frogs, once widespread, started to disappear across Alberta in the 1970s without known cause. They are currently listed as a species of special concern under Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA) and are designated as threatened under the Alberta Wildlife Act.

In 2015, Parks Canada began translocating northern leopard frogs from Grasslands National Park to Waterton Lakes. Over two years, scientists collected 12 egg masses (approximately 42,000 eggs). The masses were deposited in three carefully selected ponds in Waterton Lakes.

The eggs matured and new generations have successfully bred at several sites. This is a significant step toward re-establishing a local self-sustaining northern leopard frog population. These efforts are ongoing and have expanded to other areas of the park and neighboring lands.

Northern leopard frogs are an important native species and play vital roles in complex ecosystems. These and other amphibians are indicators of the health of freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems.

Parks Canada’s northern leopard frog initiative is one of several efforts to improve the species’ status in Alberta, British Columbia and Montana. Lessons learned from the successful efforts here are benefiting northern leopard frog populations in other areas of their range.

Project leads: Kim Pearson
Sponsor: Parks Canada

Learn more about Parks Canada's conservation and restoration work across the country

Monitoring wildlife using remote cameras

Much of the wildlife living in the area is rarely seen. We are using motion-triggered cameras and occupancy modelling to monitor wildlife abundance and distribution in Waterton Lakes National Park.

Cameras have also been used to determine how wildlife move through the Waterton valley critical travel corridor. The data gathered aides decision making regarding wildlife movement through this area.

Project leads: Rob Found, Kim Pearson
Sponsor: Parks Canada

Biocontrol of non-native plants

In addition to manual and chemical control methods, Parks Canada has implemented a long-term biocontrol strategy to lower the density of invasive plants.

To target Spotted Knapweed two species of weevils have been repeatedly introduced into Waterton Lakes National Park at multiple sites. One species targets the plants roots while the other targets the seed heads. Weevil establishment and the effectiveness of this new approach is monitored on an annual basis.

Project lead: Roderick Watt
Sponsor: Parks Canada

Restoring five-needle pine populations

Whitebark and limber pine are keystone species providing food and habitat for birds, bears, small mammals and acting as shelter to establishing plants. These trees are threatened by a variety of factors including non-native white-pine blister rust, mountain pine beetle infestation and replacement by more shade-tolerant trees, exacerbated by historic fire suppression and rapid global climate change. Research and monitoring efforts have shown a high mortality and infection rate of whitebark and limber pine in Waterton Lakes National Park.

Parks Canada actively works to protect and restore these species by collecting seeds from potential blister rust-resistant trees and protecting them from mountain pine beetles. Each fall, park staff and volunteers plant the resulting seedlings in various locations of the park, including areas lost in the 2017 Kenow wildfire. In some cases, carefully planned prescribed fires are used to open the canopy in targeted areas to prepare them for planting.

Project lead: Robert Sissons
Sponsor: Parks Canada

Video: Saving Waterton's Whitebark Pines

Tracking ticks

The Rocky Mountain wood tick and the American dog tick are pest and disease vectors in western Canada. Ticks are collected from several locations, including Waterton Lakes National Park.

Determining species abundance and density throughout their geographic distribution and comparing this to environmental variables allow evaluation of continued range expansion and changes in population density. Risk maps for ticks and disease transmission can be produced.

Investigating genetic differences among tick populations provide insights into differences in biological characteristics that influence transmission of the pathogens.

Project lead: Tim Lysyk
Sponsor: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Using fire to restore grasslands

Decades of fire suppression has had many ecological consequences, including the loss of native grasslands through encroachment of aspen and shrubs. This has cascading effects through the ecosystem.

Parks Canada carries out carefully planned, controlled fires to restore grassland communities. We also monitor fire severity, response of grasslands to elk browsing, and effectiveness of the prescribed fires in meeting restoration goals.

Project lead: Matt Rance (Parks Canada), Cristina Eisenberg (Earthwatch Institute)
Sponsors: Parks Canada, Earthwatch Institute

For more information, send us an email at waterton.info@pc.gc.ca