update! CHEEP ACCOMODATION IN DOWNTOWN TORONTO

UPDATE: Feb. 2022. In the fall of 2021 the inside of the replacement habitat chimney was inspected. (There is a special hatch door in the design at the bottom of the chimney for this purpose.) One nest was observed on the side of the chimney eight feet from chimney base, and two half eggshells were observed at the base of the chimney under the nest. The conclusion is that it appears the chimney is successful in providing habitat for producing more young. This is great news, because, as far as we know, this is the second replacement chimney structure in the province Ontario to have confirmed nesting activity.

UPDATE: July 2021. Swift (multiple swifts) interest and activity has been documented around the chimney. Confirmed at least two birds overnight in the chimney, possibly this pair is nesting.

When the celebrated Toronto firm Kohn Shnier Architects was awarded the contract to build a new school for the Toronto Catholic District School Board in Toronto’s Christie Pits neighborhood, they didn’t expected that the first ‘shovel in the ground’ would be for the neighborhoods special seasonal resident, the Chimney Swift.

Chimney Swifts are among the finest aerial insectivore acrobats in the bird world.

During the day they are often seen in small groups, chittering and circling high in the sky. Often mistaken for bats, they swoop and dive with open beaks scooping up insects all day long. You’ll never see a Chimney Swift perching on a branch or at a bird feeder. In fact, they can’t perch, as their long claws are designed to cling to vertical surfaces. Amazing yes, but this also limits where they can find suitable places to nest, and like other aerial insectivores, Chimney Swifts are in decline.

One of the main problems this bird is facing is a biggie — loss of habitat. A few hundred years ago they lived primarily on cliff faces or in hollow trees, but when we colonizers altered the landscape to make way for civilization these birds had nowhere to go. Interestingly, they adapted to the new world by choosing to nest in something that to them, possibly, resembled the hollowed tree cavities in their old stomping grounds: chimneys. Now Chimney Swifts are listed as threatened under the Ontario Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Before building the new school, the old school had to be torn down. Demolition was set to begin when a notice came from Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) stating that the school was a known habitat for Chimney Swifts. The news came as a surprise to architect Marty Kohn, “We received notice from MNR indicating that we had to go through an investigation.” Ultimately, the demolition was postponed and could not proceed until replacement habitat was built.

With city permits in hand, demolition was set to begin when a notice came from Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) stating that the school was a known habitat for Chimney Swifts.

Although the MNRF offers minimum requirements for building new habitat it’s up to the architects or developer to come up with the final engineering and design. Fortunately for the Swifts Marty was on their team. Marty discovered that about fifty Swift towers have been built in Ontario. Twenty were masonry constructions, the rest were timber. Unfortunately, none of the timber structures have been occupied by Swifts, and of the remaining masonry towers, only one has resident Swifts. So, masonry it would be.

The resulting free-standing chimney is a wonder to behold.

Towering 10 meters high, the stand-alone chimney is set apart from where the new school building is to be constructed. The exterior is clad in white brick to match the overall project design. Under the brick is a layer of insulation, then a cinder block structure. The exterior brick is pointed, while the interior has rough mortar joints, making it suitable for nesting. The opening is the recommended 35mm wide, enough to allow access for the Chimney Swifts. The structure also has a vent for airflow and a small access door, allowing for annual maintenance and for monitoring the temperature.  The cost was $125,000. 

When the building is completed, on-site information on Chimney Swifts will be available, and the school can become involved in monitoring activities.

On the whole, awareness of Chimney Swift habitat is extremely low, not just among the general public, but also among urban planners and developers and building owners. Given the rate at which old chimneys are being capped or demolished, it would be beneficial if there were more builders following the lead of Kohn Shnier Architects. It would certainly be helpful for developers to be informed of the MNRF regulation in advance so they could plan and budget accordingly.

It is interesting to note that in the spring 2018, the newly elected Ontario Government moved Species at Risk from MNRF to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP). It’s unclear if MNRF still has a role to play in the implementation of the ESA as MECP has little operational presence across Ontario. Importantly, in order for the MNRF to act to protect Chimney Swift habitat, they rely on reports from citizen scientists who monitor and participate in Swift Watch groups.

Around the world animal habitats continue to shrink as human population increases.

In the case of Chimney Swifts, after its original habitat disappeared they adapted to chimneys, but now these are disappearing too. While many nesting sites remain in the downtown areas where there is a greater concentration of older low-rise buildings, these are now being replaced with condos and new developments, leaving many demolished chimneys in their wake.

Can we, with our modern ways of living find better ways to share our habitat with our animal companions?

Soon this idea will put to the test. Chimney Swifts are impressive migrants, wintering in South America and returning to eastern North America in the spring.  And this year, we will be watching! The hope is that these threatened birds will rest and roost in the new tower and ultimately a pair will successfully nest and raise the next generation.

If you happen to be at the north end of Christie Pits on Barton Avenue twenty minutes before or after sunset please watch the new tower! Share your swift sightings with ebird or another citizen science app, and with @BirdsCanada (OntarioSwiftWatch@birdscanada.org) and @SongbirdSOSfilm. If you want to know more about spotting Chimney Swifts this spring and summer, we will be posting more in the weeks ahead. Stay tuned!

Note: The official Birds Canada Swift Watch is canceled due COVID-19. But you may be surprised what you can see from your own back window, patio or roof deck.

by Mark Bell & Su Rynard, special thanks to Marty Kohn

Die Gotterdammerung – Reason and Mercy

Die Gotterdammerung is the last in Richard Wagner’s cycle of four music dramas titled Der Ring des Nibelungen or The Ring Cycle.

Last year I wrote a short blogpost about The Forest Bird in Wagners Siegfried. This year, I was lucky enough to see the COC production of Die Gotterdammerung, and found myself pondering the role of birds, both in music and in the stories we tell.

 

Like the opera Siegfried, birds are featured once again in Die Gotterdammerung, but this time we meet two ravens called Reason and Mercy. Tragically (this is opera after all) these ravens are the messengers who decree Siegfried’s death. Birds have something to tell us indeed.

 

Screen Shot 2017-02-19 at 5.46.29 PM The raven is perhaps humankinds most storied bird. The mythology of the Haida is based on the epic cycle of stories about the Raven and his various exploits.  One of the best-known of these stories tells how the Raven disguised himself in order to enter the house of the Sky Chief, from whom he stole the sun, moon and stars to give to humankind.

 

Be it stories or music, birds are our long time cultural companions. British composer David Matthews believes that western music inspired by birdsong goes back at least as far as the 16th century. You can read more about his ideas in this essay. Matthews also understands what it means to be losing our birds.

 

 

 “Many of our birds are in decline – the cuckoo among them: fewer people now hear this essential sound of spring. Fortunately we still have blackbirds in great numbers, but we had better take care of them, and our other songbirds, otherwise we shall end up with the silent spring that Rachel Carson warned us of in her famous book of that title. Birds were singing millions of years before we evolved: they were the inventors of music. Maybe our future depends on theirs.”

 

Wise words indeed.

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Gratitude

With gratitude, 2016 was a good year for The Messenger. 2017 will be a challenging year for our environment and the world we live in. We hope that the film will continue to inspire and inform.

Winner: Prix Buffon, Paris Science, Le festival international du film scientifique, 2016

Winner: Special Jury Award, Visions of Nature/Voices of Nature Environmental Film Festival 2016

Special Mention for Best Documentary, CinemAmbiente, Italy 2015

Winner: Best Environmental Film Prize, Festival de l’Oiseau et de la Nature, Abbeville Cedex, France 2016

Winner: Best of Fest, International Wildlife Film Festival Missoula, Montana 2016

Winner: Best Theatrical Feature, International Wildlife Film Festival Missoula, Montana 2016

Nominated: Best Cinematography in a Feature Documentary, Canadian Screen Awards 2016

Nominated: Best Editing in Feature Documentary, Canadian Cinema Editors Award 2016

Nominated: for Dutch IntL Science Film Festival NTR Audience Award & Youth Jury Award, 2016

Winner: Whistleblower Award Cinema Verde Environmental Film & Arts Festival, 2016

Winner: Favourite Documentary Feature, North Bay Film Festival, 2016

Winner: Best Conservation Film, Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, 2015

Winner: Top Ten Audience Award, Hot Docs 2015

Recipient of the 2015 Carl Nunn Media and Conservation Award presented by Ontario Nature

 

Now available on itunes in Canada and the USA.

Canada: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/movie/the-messenger/id1177748023

USA. https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/the-messenger/id1082871787

 

The 6th edition of DREFF – Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival, Santo Domingo

Can’t say enough good things about Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF).

This was a very different kind of film festival.

DREFF is an initiative of Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and the Global Democracy and Development (FUNGLODE) Foundation. Their goal is to promote environmental films and raise the level of public awareness.

 

publico-4They do this by connecting the film a dedicated audience. The Messenger was paired with several high school groups and screened at different locations in Santo Domingo. Teachers had prepared the students for the screening (including assignments) so they were very attentive!  Filmmakers accompanied their films into the classroom, engaging in lively Q&A’s. It’s great to see environmental films reaching these younger audiences and to see these audiences connecting with the material.

The screenings were rewarding, as was the company. All filmmakers stayed in the same hotel, and spent many wonderful evenings talking — exchanging ideas, perspectives and stories from around the globe. Our screening days took us in very different directions, as many filmmakers travelled all over the Island to present their works to a variety of cities, towns and communities. Programming included films from Chile, the Yukon, South Africa, the UK, the USA and more.

 

screemin

Personal Highlights included a walk through the botanical garden accompanied by a local bird guide who pointed out many resident species that I had previously never seen or heard.

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On the last day of the festival we participated in a beach clean-up. Hundreds of people were present, combing through layers of debris, most of which were discarded plastics. The site of all this garbage along the beach was sobering.  Shocking as it seems, recycling programs are rare in Caribbean countries and there is so much waste! (What ever happened to glass bottles and deposits?) And bottled water is such an environmental tragedy on every level).

garbage-clean-up

While the beach clean-up left us with the feeling that so much work needs to be done, the festival was a shining example of what can be done, and what is being done with positive and tangible impacts.

GO TWEETLESS on April 12

We’re asking people to go tweetless for a #silenttweet hour on April 12th at 12PM EST, which is Bird Impact Reduction Day – show your support!

Bird Impact Reduction Day is part of National Wildlife Week, put on by the Canadian Wildlife Federation, which runs April 10th through 16th.

Their theme this year is “Giving Wings to Wildlife Conservation.”

For anyone who has seen The Messenger, you are aware of the devastating number of birds that collide with skyscrapers across North America.

In Canada alone, 25 million birds die from collisions annually.

In The Messenger, we document the important work being done by FLAP in Toronto, to track collisions and improve commercial buildings in order to reduce them.

Michael Mesure of FLAP

Michael Mesure of FLAP

For Bird Impact Reduction Day, the Canadian Wildlife Federation has asked commercial buildings to turn off their lights for an evening to support the safety of migratory birds.

GO TWEETLESS!

On April 12 at 12pm EST, we’re asking people to go tweetless on Twitter with us for one hour for the birds. #silenttweet

What would Twitter be without its infamous songbird? The truth is, songbirds are declining at an alarming rate and indicating something much bigger for our planet. The TWEETS are at risk.

So join us as we recognize a moment of silence for our fine feathered friends.

What can you do to reduce collision deaths? See the full list here.

  • Turn off lights when not in use.
  • Draw blinds and/or drapes when working at night.
  • Urge your building manager to extinguish all architectural, landscape and roof-top lighting during bird migration seasons: March through May and August through October.
  • Apply visual markers to your windows.
  • Place bird feeders 10 metres or more from your windows.
  • Keep your cats indoors.

You can read more about the risks birds face from collisions, and how to reduce them, from the Canadian Wildlife Federation and from FLAP.

Join us for a tweetless hour! #silenttweet