F25 Non-Game Enhancement
This annual and ongoing project focuses on maintaining habitat features such as roosting and nesting sites for non-game species including Vaux’s swift, western painted turtle (Rocky Mountain population), western toad, Townsend’s big-eared bat, common loon, western screech-owl, yellow-breasted chat, and common nighthawk.
Monitoring enhancement projects is critical to make sure they continue to benefit wildlife.
Update: 7 non-game enhancement projects
Working on our behalf, the Province of B.C. delivered seven habitat enhancement projects this year.
In the East Kootenay, eight roosts for Townsend’s big-eared bats were monitored. Wildlife fencing was maintained to reduce badger mortality. Western painted turtle nests at Elizabeth Lake in Cranbrook were protected from predators and 570 hatchlings emerged from 63 nests.
In the West Kootenay, 18 nest boxes for Vaux’s swifts were monitored. Five floating nesting platforms on Whatshan Lake were monitored - this new habitat is being used a pair of loons.
At Summit Lake, nearly 350 adult western toads were tagged as part of mark-recapture surveys, and 600 metres of toad-sized highway fencing was installed to reduce roadkill.
Executive Summary
Non-Game Enhancement includes 7 different projects on non-game birds, mammals,amphibians and reptiles. Townsends Big-eared Bat maternity roosts were monitored and maintained in the East Kootenay. Fencing was maintained at a Highway underpass to reduce Badger Mortality in East Kootenay. Loon platforms were monitored at Whatshan Lake where all5 nesting platforms were used by Loons. At Summit Lake, Western Toads were monitored during breeding and migration. In 2025, breeding was observed from April 14- April 27. Mark-recapture work on western toads continued with 347 Toads marked this year. Turtle nesting areas were monitored and maintained at Elizabeth Lake. At Elizabeth Lake, 570 turtle hatchlings were produced in spring 2024 from the 63 nests laid in 2023. 1 nest site was predated prior to emergence. The 2024 turtle breeding season had peak laying occur on June 12. A total of 34turtle nests were documented and their nesting success will be followed in 2025. 18 Nesting boxes for Vauxs swifts were monitored in August 2024 and maintained in October 2024 and 1nest site was documented in a Smallwood Creek nest box.
These seven non-game enhancement projects continue to address different priority actions across the upland Dryland, reservoir and Large lakes, Small lakes and Wetland action plans.