Program ID: Innovation Anthology #231
Program Date: 06/04/2009
Program Category: Conservation, Energy, Forests, Oil Sands, Wildlife
Wildlife Corridor Research Enhances Syncrude Reclamation
When Syncrude is finished mining oil sands from a particular pit, work begins on reclaiming the land to its natural state.
But it takes the helping hand of scientists to get it right.
Ron Lewko is an engineer and the Team Leader of Environmental Research at Syncrude Canada.
RON LEWKO: Our biggest study right now is in wildlife corridor research. We’re looking at how wildlife use a corridor, preferences for corridors, and their adaptability to industrial corridors. So with that we’re going to use that information to enhance our reclaimed landscape.
The corridor study will focus on the movements of many species, including moose, deer, wolves and fox. And as Ron Lewko explains, it involves plenty of collaboration.
RON LEWKO: So right now we are with the Canadian Oil Sands Network of Research and Development or CONRAD. And that is with our six other industry partners. And we’re doing it through university based research.
The wildlife corridor study will be conducted in two phases over five years, but Ron Lewko expects findings will be implemented as they become available.
Thanks today to Syncrude Canada.
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I'M CHERYL CROUCHER
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Ron Lewko
