Callan Forrester – LJI reporter

Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS) and the Fédération de l’Union des Producteurs Agricoles (UPA) de la Montérégie have been collaborating on a project since 2020 to help protect endangered species of animals in the region. Phase 2 of the project, which is called “Mobilization of the Montérégie agricultural community for the conservation of species at risk and their habitats,” started in 2023 and has recently been extended to 2026. The project is being supported financially by Environment and Climate Change Canada. The species that are part of this project include birds, reptiles/amphibians, and pollinators.

The project works with farmers in the region so they know what part they can play in protecting these species. Julien Pagé, the first vice-president of the UPA, says “We approached producers about different endangered species so they could look into changing their methods to better what they do to protect the species that are in peril.” Some of the ways they do this are educating farmers on identifying these species and learning what steps can be taken to protect them, such as delaying hay mowing to protect certain birds, or growing alternating flower strips for pollinators.

The UPA also offers resources on its website that inform about the importance of the projects. Pagé says, “We have brochures, and on the website, we really wanted to explain how to identify the birds we want to protect, so we can know what we can do. We have to know their behaviour so we can know what we can do to help.”

Projects like this are extremely important to the ecosystem. “It’s important for everyone. It is hard to measure just how far the impact goes when we lose a species and everything involved with biodiversity … Each time we have a species endangered it’s a threat to the ecosystem,” Pagé says. The project is also a way to reduce the amount of chemical pollution in the region. “When we can naturally reintroduce predators, we can lower the amount of chemical products we have to use,” he adds.

Pagé says that “It’s important to know this project is to show that producers can make the solution and are there for the community.” The goal is to bring in as many producers as possible. The Montérégie is a large region with different territories and has diverse flora and fauna even within a given portion. This means that having different farmers participate throughout the region allows for the recognition of patterns between a diverse array of species.

So far, the measures that have been put in place have been doing well, and Pagé says that they have been impressed with the results to date.