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Cottage Life

Buy the Way: An inland cottage was the move for these ski enthusiasts

Photo by Philip Preville

The backstory: Philip Preville’s fondest childhood memories are of skiing on the slopes of Quebec and Alberta, where he grew up. “Getting up early on a cold winter morning and grabbing my skis is part of who I am,” says the 53-year-old freelance writer and Cottage Life contributor. Philip introduced his beloved sport to his wife, Lynn, a 46-year-old surgeon, and their three sons: 15-year-old, Luke and 12-year-old twins, Noel and Ivor. Skiing became the family’s favourite winter pastime, with the boys all joining racing programs from an early age. After the family moved from Toronto to Peterborough, Ont., in 2011, they became season’s pass holders at Devil’s Elbow, a local ski resort. But when Devil’s Elbow closed in 2018, the family needed a new place to ski. Friends invited them to the Muskoka Ski Club, operating out of Hidden Valley Highlands, near Huntsville, Ont., which is about two hours north of Peterborough. The family rented an Airbnb in 2018 and fell in love with Hidden Valley’s picturesque peaks and tight-knit community. And while ski club family memberships can cost upwards of $70,000 in Ontario, the Muskoka Ski Club’s membership was about $11,000. Instead of continuing to rent Airbnbs, Philip and Lynn decided to buy a Huntsville cottage to use as a permanent homebase during ski season. “Unlike most people seeking a summer getaway, we were looking for something with winter specifically in mind,” says Philip.

The search: In the fall of 2019, the family began looking to buy a three-bedroom cottage. “A waterfront property was also on our checklist, but it wasn’t a must-have,” says Philip. “The priority was finding something as close as possible to Hidden Valley.” They hoped to spend less than $500,000 on their new cottage, but quickly realized they were priced out from any waterfront properties, which were listed at $750,000 and above. The family shifted their search to more affordable inland cottages. That October, they toured a three-bed, two-bath cottage that was a 10-minute drive from Hidden Valley. Part of a recently built subdivision on the outskirts of Huntsville, the one-storey home sat on a 15,000-sq. ft. wooded lot that backed onto Deerhurst Highlands Golf Course. Though the interior has a good amount of living space, “At 1,500 sq. ft, there isn’t a lot of room for guests,” says Philip. The cottage was listed for slightly higher than their $500,000 ceiling, but the couple still made an offer. The sellers accepted, and the family took possession in November, just in time for the 2019-2020 ski season.

The silver lining: That winter, the family spent most weekends and Christmas at their new inland cottage. Despite sporadic COVID-related closures at their ski hill in the two years since, the family continues to savour their weekly winter escape. When they’re not skiing, they enjoy hiking the nearby woods and cozying up together for movie nights. They also mountain bike in the summer. “Skiing transforms your entire experience of winter,” says Philip. “You can socialize and have fun, no matter how cold it is outside. That’s why it’s worth making the long drive every weekend, without a doubt.”

Philip’s reasons to consider an inland cottage

1. Water activities aren’t your main priority
If your passion happens to be skiing, cycling, hiking, or even bird-watching, Philip cautions that a waterfront cottage may go unused and become a superfluous perk. “Why pay for premium waterfront when you might never be on the water?” he says.

2. You get more of a plug-and-play cottage experience
Philip’s inland cottage is hooked up to municipal water and hydro on a road that also has services such as garbage pickup and snow plowing. Those conveniences eliminate much of the work that comes with roughing it in more isolated waterfront cottages.

3. There are always other ways to access the water
This past summer, Philip made a habit of biking three kilometres from his Huntsville cottage to a public beach on nearby Peninsula Lake for a morning swim. “We don’t have our own private waterfront,” he says, “but there’s plenty of rivers, marinas, and beaches close by.”

Did you recently buy a cottage in a non-traditional way? We’d love to hear about it! Email alysha@cottagelife.com.

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Cottage Life

Cottage real estate region: Georgian Bay

Photo by Janet Griffin/Shutterstock

The Group of Seven were among the first to publicize the sublime beauty of Georgian Bay’s Thirty Thousand Islands, a vast paradise of blue water, wind-bent pines, and undulating pink granite islands stretching from Severn Sound to the French River. It didn’t take long for cottagers to see the area’s potential, especially in the mix of protected water next to open stretches of Georgian Bay. Boating options range from sea kayaking or canoeing among tiny islands to big-water cruising, although low water levels have made some cottage docks inaccessible to large boats. An endless vista looking west across the bay has made sunset cruising a favourite pastime here.

As highways 400 and 69 are widened, cottagers have been coming here in increasing numbers and pushing prices up, especially as the area takes in spillover cottagers from Muskoka. Attractive shoreline abounds since so many cottages are on islands—but getting to these cottages in winter can be challenging.

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Cottage Life

Cottage real estate region: Georgian Bay

Photo by Janet Griffin/Shutterstock

The Group of Seven were among the first to publicize the sublime beauty of Georgian Bay’s Thirty Thousand Islands, a vast paradise of blue water, wind-bent pines, and undulating pink granite islands stretching from Severn Sound to the French River. It didn’t take long for cottagers to see the area’s potential, especially in the mix of protected water next to open stretches of Georgian Bay. Boating options range from sea kayaking or canoeing among tiny islands to big-water cruising, although low water levels have made some cottage docks inaccessible to large boats. An endless vista looking west across the bay has made sunset cruising a favourite pastime here.

As highways 400 and 69 are widened, cottagers have been coming here in increasing numbers and pushing prices up, especially as the area takes in spillover cottagers from Muskoka. Attractive shoreline abounds since so many cottages are on islands—but getting to these cottages in winter can be challenging.

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Cottage Life

NCC receives historic donation of island near Montreal

Photo courtesy of Google Maps

Waterfront property near an urban center may be highly coveted, but for years, Thor Vikström refused offer after offer for his island near the Montreal suburb of Laval. The desire to protect it has now paid off in a historic donation of an island that Vikström, 93, made to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in December.

Situated in a region known as the Rivière des Prairies, the three-hectare Île Ronde was a piece of paradise for Vikström and his family, who used it as a nature escape and at times kept animals like sheep, according to the NCC. Vikström immigrated to Canada from Sweden in the 1960s and became a successful entrepreneur, purchasing Île Ronde shortly after he bought his home in Laval, just across the small waterway from the island.  

Holy carbon sink! League of Trees takes on climate change 

Annie Ferland, a project manager at the NCC, said the land was very well cared for. “Mr. Vikström was always preoccupied with preserving this little paradise,” Ferland said, “and nature was more important than money.” Part of that is reflected in the presence of a tree species rarely found in Southern Quebec, the shagbark hickory. “It’s a tree that was heavily cut… so it’s a very exceptional thing to find them there,” Ferland said.

The land will be designated as a private nature reserve with no immediate plans to allow public access, which Ferland said will provide an important conservation opportunity. The map turtle, for example—a species listed as being of “special concern” by the government—can use the shore to lay eggs, and waterfowl and amphibians can continue their natural reproduction, protected from any threats. 

While land donations aren’t entirely uncommon for the NCC, Vikström’s is historic in that it’s the Conservancy’s first acquisition in the Rivière des Prairies, according to Ferland. What makes it even more crucial, she said, is that only about 20 per cent of Montreal’s natural habitats remain; of those, only ten per cent are formally protected. She said the NCC is working towards raising that percentage to at least 17, but there’s still a long way to go. 

Donations like Vikström’s can play a big role in land restoration, and in the overall conservation of natural areas. “Around a third of the land value the NCC has are private gifts of land or money,” Ferland explained, “so it’s very substantial.” Any landowners interested in donating or better protecting their land can contact the NCC for help, Ferland said. Even if they’re unable to take on or manage the land, the Conservancy can provide information and advice on how best to protect natural habitats.

In a video accompanying the donation announcement, Vikström reminisced about the many times he got to witness birds and ducks raise their young around the island. “I thought, ‘This is unbelievable, I have this opportunity to see nature the way it is,’” he said. He was always concerned with what would happen to Île Ronde in the future. “It’s a dream for me now that it’s preserved, forever.”

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Cottage Life

Property owners threatening to revoke access to Ontario snowmobile trails

Photo by Sean Donohue Photo/Shutterstock

Ontario’s snowmobile season is in full swing and Family Day is is one of the most popular weekends for riders. The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs says this year has been one of the most popular years on record with just over 100,000 people purchasing snowmobile permits. Yet, despite the growing interest, the OFSC is concerned that future trail use may be in jeopardy.

At the end of January, the OFSC launched its Save Our Trails campaign after landowners, who voluntarily provide parts of their property for snowmobile trail use, stated that they would restrict access due to negative interactions with riders. The federation has established a network of 30,000 kilometres of prescribed trails running across Ontario, 60 per cent of which fall on private land.

“Largely, it’s trespassing,” says Ryan Eickmeier, CEO of OFSC. “It’s leaving marked trails.” An example would be going into a farm field off of the trail or accessing the trail during times of the year when it’s not permitted.

There isn’t a concrete number on how many trails could be pulled, but with 18,000 partnered landowners, Eickmeier says it’s an issue affecting all 16 of the federation’s districts.

When access to a trail is revoked, it interrupts the OFSC permitted trail network, making it more difficult for snowmobilers to get to their desired destination. “You can only reroute in so many places,” Eickmeier says. He adds that it can also cause snowmobilers to lose access to a town they may have relied on for gas, food, or accommodations—in turn, impacting the revenue those businesses earn from snowmobilers.

To avoid this, the OFSC is asking snowmobilers to stay on the marked trails and to respect the rights and property of landowners. “I would reasonably say that some people do not understand the full significance of going off-trail,” Eickmeier says. “It may seem harmless, it may seem like something that they’re just doing and it’s not going to impact anyone. But it does.”

The OFSC has introduced an educational video about trail use that every snowmobiler must complete before being able to purchase a trail permit. Eickmeier says the federation is hoping that between the video, provincial radio PSAs, and their group of volunteer ambassadors, people will get the message.

“I think that the group that’s going to be most influential is the 100,000-plus permit buyers who literally count down the days before permits go on sale and watch weather forecasts for their first time out,” he says. “They’re the ones that are going to lose the privilege of accessing this land because a handful of people have decided that they’re above the rule of law.”

Law enforcement is patrolling trails and has been very active this year, Eickmeier adds. If a snowmobiler is found off-trail on private property, the landowner can press trespassing charges.

“We want to ensure that this incredible 30,000-kilometre network of trails that our clubs roll out each and every year is going be around for the next 50 years.”

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Cottage Life

The art of the perfect backyard skating rink

During our 35-year history, we’ve met plenty of readers who thought building a backyard hockey rink was as simple as spraying down flattened snow and waiting for the Canadian cold to do all the work. But a skatable rink takes both planning and elbow grease—both of which are more than worth the effort once you lace up and enjoy that first skate with your family. To make the process easier, we’ve compiled the finer points of building and maintaining your backyard skating rink.

Perfect ice needs perfect weather

According to Tim Armata, the engineer who oversees the world-famous outdoor ice rink at Chateau Lake Louise, the best weather for rink-building is a temperature of -10 degrees Celsius with no snowfall, no direct sun, and absolutely no wind, which prevents ice from freezing uniformly, leading to seams and bumps in the ice—along with face plants when you discover them. For the smoothest skating surface, look for a shady area that’s sheltered from the chilly breeze.

Respect your slope

Of course, finding a spot that’s sheltered from the wind means nothing if you’re building a backyard rink on a grade. And even though your property “looks pretty flat,” we’ll bet our Patrick Roy rookie card that it’s not as level as you think. An imperceptible pitch can have a major impact on every other part of your rink, including its square footage and the height and bracing of your frame, so be sure to measure your slope before you gather your materials. And while you can overcome some amount of slope by building higher and flooding deeper, your best bet is to build a smaller rink in a space that’s as flat as you can find. To measure your slope, pound four stakes into each corner of your would-be rink, and run taut string between them. Adjust the string until it’s level, and the differing heights of its anchor points on each steak will tell you what kind of slope you’re dealing with. 

New year, new liner

There’s no secret sauce to building and bracing your rink frame—just make sure your boards sit tall enough to accommodate the pitch of your yard. But the liner is where many rink-builders get it wrong. We’re not big on wasted plastic, but don’t expect your liner to last forever. Holes happen, and if you’re not careful about avoiding them, you’ll wonder why you’ve been running your hose all day and your rink still isn’t full. And never put your liner in until you’re ready to fill it. All it takes is a few sharp twigs or one curious raccoon to poke holes in the plastic, and you’ll be flooding your yard instead of filling your frame. By the same token, make sure you clear your yard of sticks, stones, and pinecones before you lay your liner down. To get the longest life out of your liner, look for plastic that’s at least 4mm thick.

Clear snow the smart way

Clearing the snow from your rink is an all-or-nothing endeavour: either you keep it meticulously clear all the time, or you let the fallen snow protect your ice until right before a game of shinny. Of course, clearing snow before a skating session can sap energy and waste a chunk of your too-short winter day, so constant snow clearing is a good habit. And the right tool, like the Greenworks 80V 22″ Snow Thrower. Its battery-powered, foldable design makes it easy to carry to your rink, and its dual LED lights are perfect for evening snow clearing. Plus, its rotating chute throws snow up to 30 feet in the direction of your choice, so you won’t be piling it up in the centre of your rink. Unlike much-heaver snow blowers, snow throwers are quiet, so early-morning or late-night sessions will be less likely to irk your neighbours. Once you’ve used one, you won’t want to go back to your “shovel sprint” warmup.

The nighttime is the right time

A crisp winter night under a starry sky is the perfect time to clear your head with a skating session. But it’s an even better time to tend to your rink. Whether you’re filling it for the first time or living out your Zamboni-driver fantasies with some quick upkeep, the evening hours are best, as there’s less wind and no sunlight to cause dimples in your ice.

Give the nod to the neighbours

Don’t situate your rink in a spot where wild slap shots will shatter windows, and be respectful of the fact that pucks hitting the boards after dark are louder than you realize. A good skating rink should bring a community together, so consider inviting your neighbours over for the occasional skate. Even better, host a once-a-week “neighbourhood skate” night for the other families on your road.

A fire pit brings out the whole family

Building a backyard rink is a labour of love, with emphasis on “labour.” But even though you’re focused on creating the perfect surface for the skaters in your crew, your entire family will get a lot more enjoyment out of the rink if you add comfortable seating. A nearby fire pit—not too close, naturally—will provide a warm place for grandparents or other relatives to sit and enjoy family skates, even if they’re not keen on lacing up.

Looking for the perfect maintenance tool for your backyard rink? Learn more about Greenworks snow throwers.

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Cottage Life

Creative ways to keep warm at the cottage

Image courtesy of various brands

Our editorial team independently selects these products. If you choose to buy any, we may earn a commission that helps fund our content. Learn more.

Cold floors and drafty windows can be a part of a cottage’s rustic charm. But, if yours doesn’t have a substantial fireplace to curl up by, it can be hard to keep warm (without running a huge energy bill, at least). Here are some ways to stay cozy at the cottage, while you enjoy the great indoors.

heated sweatshirt keep warm cottage Photo courtesy of Bosch/Lowe’s

Heated hoodie

This heated hoodie warms your core, chest, and lower back evenly with three heat levels. It is also washer and dryer safe.

 

Buy from Lowe’s
$169
$126.75

Buy from Amazon
$183.42

insulated boots keep warm at cottage Image courtesy of MEC

Insulated boot slippers

These insulated slippers will keep your toes toasty warm. They’re designed to trap heat, while still letting your feet breathe. Plus, they have anti-slip soles, making them perfect to wear on the deck or on a camping trip.

Buy from MEC
$89.95

Hot water bottle

This old-school method of warming up your bed is a classic for a reason. Plus, this one comes with a cozy cable knit cover.

Buy from Indigo
$29.50
$9

cold gear tights for cottage warmth Image courtesy of Under Armour/Amazon

Cold weather tights

These tights. are purposely designed for working out in cold temperatures. They are fast-drying on the outside and heat-trapping on the inside. Wear them on your hike, or on chilly days at the cottage.

 

Buy from Amazon
$54.55

Buy from UnderArmour
$65
$48.99

heated throw keep warm at cottage Image courtesy of Royal Mink/Walmart

Sunbeam heated throw

This patterned throw not only looks cute on your sofa, but it also has three heat settings, auto shut off, and is machine washable.

Buy from Walmart
$59.97

Buy from Amazon
$108.88

heated gloves Image courtesy of HotHands/Amazon

Heated mittens

These cozy fleece mittens have built-in hand warmer pockets. Plus, they’re touch screen compatible.

Buy from Amazon
$29.36

foot warmer keep warm at cottage Image courtesy of Kissbride/Amazon

Heated foot warmer

This washable, heated foot warmer will keep your feet warm while you read a book or watch a movie. You can charge it through your computer using a USB cord.

Buy from Amazon
$39.99

portable heater for cottage warmth Photo courtesy of De’Longhi/Amazon

Portable heater

This ceramic portable heater is compact, and can easily fit in that drafty corner of your cottage. It also features a thermal shutoff function to prevent overheating and it automatically shuts off, if the unit falls over.

 

Buy from Amazon
$59.93

Buy from Best Buy
$74.99

heated poncho keep warm at cottage Image courtesy of Beautyrest/Amazon

Heated poncho

Snuggle up in this heated poncho. It has a two-hour shutoff safety feature that will also save you money on your electricity bill if you accidentally forget to turn it off.

Buy from Amazon
$112.55
$100.90

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Cottage Life

Wild Profile: Meet the boreal chickadee

By Romeo Andrei Cana/Shutterstock

Look, it’s a black-capped chickadee! No, wait, it’s a boreal chickadee. Every Canadian can recognize the former, and its calls. But the lesser-known boreal chickadee has the same tiny body, big head, and round belly. (Adorbs.) Look carefully, though, and you’ll note the differences between the two species. The boreal chickadee has a brown cap, and darker, cinnamon-coloured sides. (Why isn’t it called the brown-capped chickadee? Good question.)

Where does the boreal chickadee live?

In North America, this songbird sticks almost exclusively to spruce and fir forests in Canada, and a few neighbouring states, such as Alaska. You can find these chickadees in almost every province, and, like black-caps, they don’t migrate (though they’ll move slightly south in the winter if there are food shortages). They prefer to feed off older trees. They’ll cling to tree cones, and poke around with their beaks to get at seeds or bugs. Their short bills are also tough enough to loosen tree bark and uncover insect eggs and larvae.

What does the boreal chickadee sound like? 

The species produces a call that’s similar to its black-capped cousin’s, but it’s a little rougher and harsher, less sweet and melodic: tschick-a-dee-dee. Like other birds, boreals have all kinds of vocalizations, for alarm, warning, courtship, and aggression—everything from a low gargle to a twitter to a series of short chirps and squeals. Still, it’s a lot less chatty than the black-capped chickadee—one reason why some birders consider the boreal reclusive. And unlike our other chickadee species, the boreal chickadee doesn’t vocalize to announce its breeding territory. (For such a wee bird this can be a large chunk of real estate: up to 13 acres.) Instead, to scare off intruders, males will use a chin-up motion, or a “ruffle display”: they puff up their feathers and wings. Oh, stop frontin’, chickadee. Just kidding. We know that you’re tough.

Are they endangered? 

Because boreal chickadees have a more remote and northern range than many other bird species, it’s hard for experts to monitor their numbers. Still, one survey estimated that population increased by 38 per cent between 1970 and 2017, and according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, their numbers appear stable. So even though a lot of avian species are struggling, the future looks bright for this bird.

 

 

 

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Cottage Life

Do slow drains mean septic problems?

By winnond/Shutterstock

My kitchen sink and bathroom sink drain very slowly to the septic tank. There is no issue with the toilet or the shower drain. The septic tank has been checked and the baffles are clear. Any thoughts on what might be causing this slow drainage? Could the problem be because of a venting issue?—Slowly Going Crazy

It could be, yes. Assuming that each fixture is vented separately, the vents from the kitchen and bathroom sinks may have been installed improperly—pipes that are too small, have too little or too much slope, or are located too far from the traps. Or maybe the plumber didn’t install vents at all. “We have a joke about plumbing in cottages,” says Matt Girard, the owner of M&J Plumbing in Peterborough, Ont. “It follows ‘cottage-country rules.’ Sometimes the hardware store is a little far away,” he says. “You gotta MacGyver it.”

Signs and symptoms of septic failure

According to Max Burns, the author of Country & Cottage Water Systems, another possibility is that an individual vent stack is blocked by, for example, a bird’s nest. (Look on your roof.)

If the sinks aren’t vented or are vented incorrectly, they’ll need a plumbing rejig to fix the draining problem. That’s a job best left to an expert.

But, wait—lack of venting may not be the cause of your slow drains, says Burns. He suspects that the traps under the individual sinks are clogged. (Traps, with their U-shapes, are common spots for blockages.) Newer plastic traps have a clean-out plug at the bottom, but older metal ones may not. To loosen and dislodge the gunk, you’ll need something like a long bottle brush, says Burns. Stay away from chemical de-cloggers. “I would not put drain cleaner in any system that’s on a septic,” says Burns. “It kills all the good bacteria.”

You’ve already got plumbing problems. No need to create new ones!

 

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Cottage Life

Why wolves love trails (and caribou, not so much)

Photo by C_Gara / Shutterstock

Zoom in and explore the northern boreal forests of western Canada on Google Earth and you’ll see long straight lines making their way through the forest. These lines are cleared trails through the forest to extract resources, creating roads for forestry and seismic lines searching for underground oil and gas deposits.

Now picture yourself faced with the task of moving across this landscape: Will you push your way through dense trees and underbrush, or will you choose to walk on the trails?

Like humans, wolves often choose the path of least resistance, moving faster and farther on human-created trails through the forest. Increased wolf movement is believed to play an important role in the decline of the threatened boreal woodland caribou—an iconic species in Canada (just look at the quarter in your pocket).

When wolves move farther, they encounter their prey more frequently, and caribou are being hunted by wolves at rates they cannot sustain.

a cleared path through a forest
A seismic line created by searching for underground oil and gas deposits.
(Natasha Crosland/Caribou Monitoring Unit), Author provided

Smaller territories

But now, we’ve also found that wolves living in areas that make it easier for them to get around need less space to make a living. The relationship is particularly strong when prey are scarce.

We tracked 142 wolves using GPS collars across British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan—spanning over 500,000 square kilometres. The tracked wolves spanned areas with low to high prey density (measured using a metric of habitat productivity, or how much vegetation there is for species like moose), and had varying access to human-created trails.

Wolves living in areas with high densities of human-created trails took up an area roughly 20 times smaller than wolves without trails, but only when they lived in areas with low habitat productivity. Comparatively, trails didn’t change the area needed for wolves when they lived in areas with high habitat productivity.

A diagram showing how the areas covered by wolves are affected by human activity
The territories covered by wolves are changing.
(Created by FUSE for Caribou Monitoring Unit/UBC-Okanagan/Regional Industry Caribou Collaboration), Author provided

Think about picking berries. If the berries are hard to find, you have to go looking far and wide to get enough to fill up your basket. But if something makes it easier for you to find the berries, then you don’t have to look around as much. You can just grab all the ones that you see close to you. The advantage of being able to easily find berries would be less important if there are a lot because you can skip over a few without noticing. But it becomes more important when there are few to begin with, and every last berry counts.

This is exactly what we are seeing with wolves: Instead of choosing to travel far and wide, wolves with access to lots of trails stay close to home and get by with what they have.

Watch: Tiny wolf pups practice howling together

The space animals use to carry out their lives is called a home range, or if defended from conspecifics like in the case of wolves, a territory. If animals have smaller home ranges, that means more animals can crowd into a given space, increasing the density of that species. It is well documented that animals need less space when there is an abundance of food around—and now we know that easier access to that food can also decrease home range size. We found that increasing a wolf’s access to their prey, through things like cleared trails through the forest, can decrease their home range size, likely increasing the regional density of wolves.

Habitat restoration

But why do we care about how big wolf home ranges are? One of the biggest conservation challenges in Canada is that of woodland caribou. Caribou live across large areas, overlapping places where the energy and forestry sectors are actively extracting natural resources like oil, gas and timber.

a caribou stands next to a cleared path in a forest
A remote camera capture of caribou in the boreal forest. Changes in wolf-hunting patterns are threatening the already endangered caribou.
(Melanie Dickie/Caribou Monitoring Unit), Author provided

Habitat restoration and protection have been identified as key steps needed to recover declining populations. Despite existing efforts and policies, caribou habitat loss continues to accelerate across much of western Canada.

Habitat restoration is imminently needed, but is expensive and time consuming. Prioritizing habitat restoration in areas where it will be most beneficial to caribou as soon as possible is necessary for effective caribou management.

Habitat restoration has two main goals: to reduce wolf hunting efficiency by limiting their use of trails and slow their movement when on them and to return the forest to caribou habitat. But now we have reason to believe that slowing wolves down can also reduce wolf density on the landscape — forcing individual wolves to take up more space and push others out—especially in low-productivity peatlands, where the effect on home ranges is stronger.

Effective habitat restoration is going to be important for moving away from other management actions like wolf management in the long term. But, we have a lot of work ahead of us. There are hundreds of thousands of kilometres of these cleared trails that need to be restored. Our study points us towards prioritizing low-productivity areas to see the biggest effects sooner.The Conversation

Melanie Dickie, PhD candidate, Biology, University of British Columbia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Read more: Photographer captures rare images of coastal wolf