June 8, 2021
A new project puts moose droppings under the microscope to improve knowledge about moose summer diets. The data gathered can inform future conservation actions in the Parsnip sub-region.
The multi-year project, led by the University of Northern British Columbia, with funding from the Fish &
Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP), will collect moose droppings in the summer and apply techniques
like microhistology and DNA barcoding analysis.
Analyzing moose droppings will make it possible to identify the plants — and, by extension, habitats — important to moose in summer.
Peace Region manager Chelsea Coady says, “This project takes an innovative approach to supporting moose in the Parsnip. Zeroing in on the plants that moose rely on in the summer months will allow us to target future conversation habitat efforts for maximum impact.”
The project is one of 26 fish and wildlife projects and $1.3 million approved by the FWCP’s Peace Region board for 2021–2022. Other projects approved this year seek to benefit fish and wildlife in ways such as improving fish passage, restoring wildlife habitat, supporting endangered and at-risk species, and filling gaps in data for species such as caribou and Arctic grayling.
This year, the FWCP is funding approximately $9.4 million for 100 projects across its Coastal, Columbia,
and Peace regions.
Photo: Chris Gale / Wild North
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Learn more about FWCP projects, results, and how you can apply for a grant. Visit fwcp.ca and subscribe to the e-letter and newsletter at fwcp.ca/subscribe. All FWCP-funded projects align with the region’s action plans, which identify local priorities and projects eligible for FWCP funding.
The FWCP is a partnership between BC Hydro, the Province of B.C., Fisheries & Oceans Canada, First
Nations, and public stakeholders to conserve and enhance fish and wildlife in watersheds impacted by
BC Hydro dams
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