Proposal to Wek'éezhìi Renewable Resources Board for additional funding

The FoTC team has used innovative ‘audiologgers’ (simon cite) to collect fine-scale movement and audio information from caribou from the past.  These audiologgers collect audio and movement data for continuous monitoring periods that span for several weeks at a time.  They can record real-time responses to audible disturbances, like traffic or aircraft overflights, and capture key life-history events, such as calving and predation.  In collaboration with GNWT-ECC, we deployed 30 audiologgers in 2025 on caribou within the Bathurst, Bluenose East and Beverly Herd (note: Bathurst animals were not targeted specifically for collaring based on responses from YKDFN to our permitting request). 

10 of these recorded during the spring (March 15-April 19), with half intended to capture far-from-mine reference information on caribou behavior and the remaining meant to capture near-mine information on caribou interactions with infrastructure. Only one individual interacted with infrastructure during this monitoring period.  However, we collected important reference information on caribou foraging behaviors far from infrastructure.