The following is an update from Landon Birch, whose research on Stone’s sheep is being supported by the B.C. Wildlife Federation:
Good afternoon everyone,
I hope you’re all doing well. I wanted to provide a brief update on the Stone’s sheep project as we head into 2025-2026, our final year of work on the project.
Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve been up to this year so far:
- Assessed forage quality and quantity on summer ranges in July for all 19 sheep that survived into the summer
- Conducted four mortality investigations (two wolf, one wolverine, one grizzly)
- Completed our annual lamb production survey in July, counting 118 sheep total, including 34 lambs
- Gathered 29 body fat measurements from 19 sheep, with the final round of measurements planned for December and March
In the coming year, we’ll focus on winter forage assessments, continue monitoring survival and reproduction, and finalize our habitat enhancement recommendations. I’ve attached the project infographic and the latest newsletter for more details. I’ll keep you all posted with more updates as we reach each milestone, but feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Thanks again for your ongoing support!
Regards,
Landon Birch, BSc.
MSc. Candidate, UBC Okanagan
Thank you to everyone who is supporting this project, including the Abbotsford Fish & Game Club.