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magazine / jf04
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January/February 2004 issue |
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FEATURE
CANADA’S BOREAL WOODS
The singing forest
One in three birds across North America depends on Canada’s boreal woods. How we manage this wilderness will determine their future
Excerpt of story by Candace Savage
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE
CG In-depth:
Boreal birds
Take a look at Canada’s northern forest and the life it supports in this installment of CG In-depth. |
August 1, 2003: From the dark wall of forest on the opposite shore, a clear flutelike voice
pours out, wistful and melancholy. Dear-sweet-Can-a-da … dear-sweet-Can-a-da, Can-a-da,
Can-a-da. The anthem of the boreal forest.
It’s the first morning of a six-day canoe trip, and our paddles have brought us here,
to the shore of Wallace Island at the northeast end of Besnard Lake in central Saskatchewan.
The sky glows softly with the silver light of dawn, and at my feet, silver water ripples
against ancient rocks.
Anne Janssen, one of nine fellow pavement-pounders-turned-wannabe-voyageurs, pads up beside
me, her face still soft with sleep. “It’s a white-throated sparrow,” she says happily.
The bird is hidden somewhere in the foliage, and when the notes ring out again, it’s
as if the song has risen from the very heart of the forest.
On the tongue of rock behind us, the rest of our party are rubbing tired muscles and packing
up their gear, preparing for a day of hard paddling down Besnard Creek and into the Churchill
River. There is no sign that anyone else has heard.
If the boreal forest is singing to us — a song of abundance, beauty and hope — what
will it take to make us stop and listen?
For the rest of this story, visit your local newsstand or go to our store to buy this issue.
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