In Fort Frances, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s (MNRF) Stewardship Youth Rangers (SYR) are wrapping up another successful summer! The program promotes rangers’ environmental education and, in turn, the rangers’ projects have a positive impact on their environment.
In Fort Frances District, the ministry works in partnership with local Indigenous organizations, the Shooniyaa Wa-Biitong Training and Employment Centre and the United Native Friendship Centre, to fund and staff two SYR teams.
Both teams are equally comprised of youth from local Indigenous and non-indigenous communities. The two teams work closely together all summer.
Here are some highlights:
The rangers helped Naicatchewenin and Mitaanjigamiing First Nations members install “beaver bafflers”, a humane way to manage heightened water levels caused by beaver dams. The bafflers allow water to flow through the dam and downstream, rather than creating a pond upstream of the dam.
This keeps water levels stable and the beaver dam intact. To build them, rangers installed drain pipes through the dam, with one end in the deep part of the water body and the other downstream, far from the dam. They work by “baffling” the beavers in that they can’t hear the running water, which they would instinctively work to dam up!
The two SYR teams helped out at the annual Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship by monitoring the dissolved oxygen level and temperature in the live holding tanks to ensure the fish stayed safe.
They also weighed and measured fish as well as helped ministry staff carefully take a small sample of the bass’ dorsal fin, which will be analyzed to determine the age of the fish. This valuable information gives the ministry insight into the state of the fishery.
They prepared for their overnight canoe trip in Quetico Park by completing the Ontario Recreational Canoeing and Kayaking Association’s (ORCKA) Basic Level 2 Training. They practiced their strokes -- the “C”, “J”, pry and draw -- and safely tipped their canoes to practice rescue techniques.
At the United Native Friendship Centre, they enjoyed an Elder’s Guidance Day with Elder Nancy Jones. She spoke to the rangers about Anishinaabe culture and showed them how to make traditional birch bark baskets.
Maya Chacaby engaged them with her Cultural Competency Workshop which enhanced their appreciation of the culture and history of Indigenous People.
The SYRs helped build pine marten nesting boxes with Rainy River District Trappers Council member Brian Love.
Rangers installed several in the Mine Centre area to provide homes for pine martens and their young when they reproduce this winter. Rangers have built and installed at least 500 nesting boxes in the Fort Frances area over the past several years!
Applying their small power tool safety training, the rangers helped clear campsites at Couchiching First Nations pow-wow grounds, located about 60 kilometres driving distance from Fort Frances. They also cleared trails and removed brush and debris from popular waterfront recreation areas around Fort Frances.
The 2016 season is the fourth year for the SYR partnership program in the Fort Frances District.
There are 45 SYR teams across the province based out of MNRF Districts and Provincial Parks. In the Northwest, teams were based in Fort Frances, Armstrong, Atikokan, Red Lake, Sioux Lookout, Dryden, Thunder Bay, Terrace Bay, Nipigon and Kenora.
For the 2016 season, rangers must have been born in 1999 (turning 17 before December 31, 2015 but not 18), been a student and a resident of Ontario. Next year, students born in the year 2000 will be able to apply.
Team leads and assistant team leads can be any age, and are usually hired for their mix of natural resource management and leadership skills.
The SYR positions are posted each year on Ontario.ca/careers in about mid-February. The deadline to apply is usually in April. More information on the Stewardship Youth Ranger Program can be found on the MNRF website.
