James Bay is an essential stopover site for thousands of migrating shorebirds - Hudsonian and Marbled Godwits, Whimbrels, Red Knots, and more. But this once reliable habitat is threatened. 

Back in August, Cléa Frapin of Birds Canada, headed to a shorebird camp in James Bay to see it for herself. She spoke with Indigenous Elders, wildlife biologists and locals, to better understand the threats that Canada's North is facing, and why we must all tune into this issue and work together - for the birds and for the people.

Learn more about the Mushkegowuk Council here, and the James Bay Shorebird Project here. 

A warm welcome to our newest sponsor, Birding Ecotours! Be sure to check out their selection of birding tours from all across the globe at birdingecotours.com

Cléa Frapin is originally from France, but moved to New Brunswick in 2018 to pursue a MSc in seasonal trophic interaction modeling across the Arctic biome. She has worked with Birds Canada on Piping Plover and Bicknell Thrush monitoring programs in the Atlantic, and now works on Northern habitat conservation and contributes to the development of Indigenous-led conservation initiatives with the Science in the North program. 

Edward Sutherland is is from Kashechewan First Nation, and works as the Community Engagement Coordinator with Mushkegowuk Council's Lands & Resources Department. 

Vicki Sahanatien has 25+ years of experience leading natural resource conservation programs and multi-disciplinary teams in the Canadian Arctic. Currently she works as the Knowledge and Research Manager with Mushkegowuk Council. 

Christian Friis works at the Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada. Christian is interested in shorebird ecology, with a focus on migrants in Ontario and James Bay.

Andrea Gress (she/her) secretly thinks Piping Plovers are better than all the other birds...studied Renewable Resource Management at the University of Saskatchewan. She pivoted towards birds, after an internship in South Africa. Upon returning, she worked with Piping Plovers in Saskatchewan, and then as the Ontario Piping Plover Coordinator. 

Support the show