CCA Involvement

Canadian Cattlemen can make a huge difference in establishing an environment in which the Eastern Loggerhead Shrike could flourish.

Recognizing this fact has lead the Canadian Cattlemen's Association to become a member of the Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery Team to assist and coordinate recovery efforts.

Through education and extension, cattle producers in the birds’ habitat area are being encouraged to maintain and expand existing pastureland so the shrikes may hunt. They are also being encouraged to maintain and plant trees and shrubs at the edges of pastures and fields to serve as perches and nesting places for shrikes. And they’re being thanked for letting their cattle graze, which helps keep the grass short enough for shrikes to spot their prey.

The Team has received over $350,000 in contributions from the federal government's Habitat Stewardship Program and use the funds to

• help landowners repair or install fencing to ensure that cattle graze on and thus preserve habitat favourable the shrikes.

• support landowners who remove trees and shrubs that limit both the amount of pasture and shrike habitat.

• help the Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery Team establish Recovery Action Teams (RAGS) in communities where shrikes are found. RAGS include landowners and representatives of farming organizations and other interested groups. Together, they are responsible for implementing recovery action plans developed by the Recovery Team.

No one appreciates wildlife more than those who actually live and work alongside them. The Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery Project is just one example of cattle producers helping in the recovery of a species at risk.