Scott Parker (advisor), Fathom Five National Marine Park

The Bruce Peninsula regional population is confined to the Bruce Peninsula and Cove Island on the western side of Georgian Bay (and perhaps scattered localities around the periphery of Manitoulin Island). Historically common (LeRay 1930), Massasaugas in this population still occur from near Wiarton (44°45'N) north to the tip of the peninsula (45°15'N) in Bruce (and perhaps Manitoulin) County. As with the Georgian Bay population, habitat heterogeneity and the behavioral ecology of Massasaugas have probably given rise to a series of demographically and genetically isolated local sub-populations across the peninsula (the pattern of sub-population distribution remains undocumented at present). Importantly, prior to about 1950 the Bruce Peninsula and Georgian Bay populations are thought to have formed a single, very large regional population, connected via the southern shore of Georgian Bay (Fig. 1, Weller and Oldham 1993). However, the high degree of genetic divergence between the Bruce Peninsula and Georgian Bay populations suggests that these two regional populations were genetically isolated from one another long before the arrival of Europeans and any major changes to the landscape (Gibbs et al.1997 ).

A new DVD on Working in Massasauga Habitat is available on-line at the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve web site.

Greater Georgian Bay Reptile Awareness Program

As part of Parks Canada's Species at Risk Program (SARA), Bruce Peninsula National Park has worked with the Greater Georgian Bay Reptile Awareness Program (MNR) and the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Recovery Team.

In the fall of 2002 we targeted school groups with SARA Stewardship messages. The stewardship materials were funded by the Habitat Stewardship Fund.

The program was a great success as we contacted over 1000 people in Bruce County and received a very positive response from the audiences. See the attached newspaper article.

Species at Risk/Reptile Awareness Stewardship Program: Nov. 20-28th 2001

Nov 20 - Bruce Peninsula District School (all day) 98 students
Nov 21- Bruce Peninsula District School (all day) 103 students
Nov 22 - St. Edmunds Public School (all day) 79 students
Nov 23 - Meaford-St. Vincent Euphrasia (all day) 145 students
Nov 24-25 - 2 days off
Nov 26 - Amabel-Sauble community school (all day) 120 students
Nov 27 - Hepworth central school all day) 241 students
Nov 27th Evening ? Bruce County Library 12 local
Nov 28 - Chesley (morning) 110 students
Nov 28 - Kincardine public school 120 students
Nov 29th - Homeward Bound

Grand Total = 1028

Particular thanks to Melissa Coady who did an excellent job in accomplishing this.

In the research end of things, Dan Harvey and Pat Weatherhead's thermoecology research study got off to a great start in 2002. 13 snakes were implanted with transmitters and tracked almost daily. Dan returned to school and through the fall Melissa with the help of Doug Sweiger and Drew Bruce followed the 12 snakes (1 was killed by a predator) to hibernation sites. We tallied a total of over 60 snake captures and over 450 telemetry reallocations.