Panels at the Osoyoos Desert Centre, in a travelling exhibit, discuss issues of migratory animals and habitat connectivity. (Photo supplied)
A new travelling exhibit about habitat connectivity is showing this season at the Osoyoos Desert Centre.
The exhibit, “How Do We Get From Here to There? Travelling the Green Highway,” features nine panels and was put together by the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program (OCCP).
It describes the Okanagan Valley as an important wildlife corridor connecting the B.C. Interior grasslands with the Columbia Basin grasslands of the United States.
As well as showing some of the human developments that impede animal migrations or interfere with habitat, it also shows specific examples such as Bighorn Sheep and gopher snakes and how they are affected.
“There are a lot of migratory animals that go through our valley in particular, being one of the major north-south corridors of North America,” said Tanis Gieselman, OCCP’s projects co-ordinator.
Because the dry south meets with the northern forest, there are many unique species that come together in the Okanagan, she said. The exhibit supports the goal of ensuring that migratory animals can get from one place to another.
In addition to larger mammals like Bighorn Sheep, other migratory animals include birds and butterflies, she said.
Maintaining core habitat for these species is a challenge, but also preserving wetlands and access to water in general is a concern. As well, there are “pinch points” for migrating animals at barriers such as roads.
Connectivity is important for animal survival not only for things like access to water, but also for getting away from fires or maintaining genetic links across the valley, Gieselman said.
She hopes the exhibit will encourage people to think about what they can do to make a difference.
Although the travelling exhibit has 12 panels, only nine are on display because of space limitations and because some of the content is duplicated in other exhibits at the Desert Centre.
The display started last summer at the Allan Brooks Nature Centre in Vernon and then spent the winter at the Environmental Education Centre for the Okanagan (EECO) in Kelowna.
It finishes at the Desert Centre on Sept. 15 and then moves on to Penticton.
The exhibit is sponsored by the Environment Canada EcoAction Program, Telus, the Okanagan Basin Water Board and the Vancouver Foundation.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
