Photo provided by Red Deer Polytechnic.
A Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) Biology instructor has been awarded a $474,700 grant to advance black bear research.
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) has provided $426,000 to this research over three years. This is the largest grant provided by NSERC that an RDP instructor has ever received.
In addition, Sandra MacDougall has received nearly $50,000 over two years from the Alberta Conservation Association.
With the funding, MacDougall will have the opportunity to examine the characteristics of a recolonizing population of American black bears within the Beaver Hills Biosphere region about 40 km east of Edmonton.
The study will explore how fast the bear population is growing and what bears are eating seasonally, with a lens to predict the impact of black bear predation on Elk Island National Park’s ungulate populations.
“This applied research grant will create a vast impact on Alberta, contributing to academia and wildlife education,” said Dr. Tonya Wolfe, Associate Vice President, Applied Research. “Sandra’s innovative research is one example of the diverse applied research that occurs across the Polytechnic. At RDP, we are committed to advancing our applied research capacity, helping to address a variety of societal and industrial challenges.”
In collaboration with Parks Canada, Elk Island National Park, and Bueddefeld Research and Consulting, MacDougall’s research creates unique opportunities for RDP students.
“The NSERC grant provides RDP students with immersive applied research experiences to enhance their education and training,” said MacDougall. “This summer, we have been able to employ two student research technicians, Meggie Mackenzie, a fourth-year learner, and Kyle Rix, a recent graduate of RDP’s Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences program. This research is one example of how we provide industry-relevant experiences to help our students prepare for rewarding careers.”
Over the summer, Mackenzie and Rix conducted kill site investigations, located bear dens, collected scat samples, and managed data.
The applied research project provides opportunities for dozens of RDP students to track bears using telemetry gear and collect scat samples of black bears. Through the data collected, students learn about bear movement and feeding ecology.
The study is expected to help inform land use planning, wildlife management, and educational outreach, as residential development in the Edmonton region is expected to grow while the black bear population increases nearby in Beaver Hills.
The research that MacDougall is currently engaged in builds on years of experience and research she has conducted while also teaching at Red Deer Polytechnic.
Over the last decade, MacDougall was involved in developing the Alberta Transportation Alberta Wildlife Watch (AWW) Program, which collects and analyzes real-time animal carcass data to identify wildlife-vehicle collision hotspots to support transportation planning.