Species at Risk

Northern Bioscience has extensive experience with Species at Risk (SAR) as stand-alone projects or as a component of larger environmental assessments (EAs). We work with federally and provincially protected Species at Risk (i.e., Special Concern, Threatened, or Endangered) and their habitats, as well as other rare aquatic and terrestrial taxa (e.g., S1-S3 ranked). From targeted searches for endemic insects to aerial surveys of over 1.5 million hectares for Woodland Caribou and Wolverine, we have a breadth of experience with SAR.


Our services include, among others:

  • field surveys for mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, fish, insects, molluscs, and other invertebrates, and vascular plants using standardized protocols and custom approaches e.g.,
    • Woodland Caribou – aerial surveys, calving surveys, habitat mapping
    • Wolverine – aerial surveys
    • Bats (Little Brown Myotis, Northern Myotis) – acoustic monitoring and analysis, exit surveys, roosting habitat and hibernacula studies
    • Eastern Whip-poor-will – acoustic monitoring using field observers and Wildlife Acoustics™ song meters
    • Peregrine Falcon, Bald Eagle, and other raptors – aerial surveys, banding
    • Barn Swallows and Bank Swallows – visual surveys, especially for aggregate and construction industries
    • Bobolinks and other grassland SAR – visual surveys and habitat mapping for agriculture, solar development, etc.
    • Blanding’s Turtle, Wood Turtle, Snapping Turtle, and other herpetofauna – visual, nesting, and/or acoustic surveys
    • Lake Sturgeon – larval and adult surveys
    • Monarch and other Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths )– larval and adult surveys, light-trapping, habitat management
    • Bumble Bees – surveys for Bombus terricola and other rare species
    • Odonates (dragonflies and damselflies) – larvae, adult, and exuviae surveys
    • Terrestrial and aquatic mollusc surveys
    • Surveys for aquatic and terrestrial vascular plant SAR such as Small-flowered Lipocarpha, Western Silvery Aster, and Showy Goldenrod
  • impact assessment, avoidance, and mitigation strategies
  • project support for requirements under Ontario’s Endangered Species Act (ESA) and associated regulation such as:
    • Project Registration
    • Completion of Information Gathering Forms (IGF)
    • SAR Mitigation Plans
    • Overall Benefit (OB) permits
    • Monitoring
  • new and update reports for the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) – we are authors of 30 COSEWIC status reports on invertebrates, vascular plants, Broad-banded Forestsnail, and Peregrine.
  • literature reviews, writing, and review of federal and provincial Recovery Strategies, Management Plans, and Best Management Practices (BMPs)
  • SAR and habitat guideline development.

Representative Clients

Our clients have included:

  • Environment Canada
  • First Nations
    • Eabametoong First Nation
    • Keewaywin First Nation
    • Mishkeegogamang First Nation
    • Rainy River First Nation
    • Wawakapewin First Nation
    • Whitesand First Nation
  • Forest Industry
  • Hydropower Industry
  • Mining Industry
  • Renewable Energy Industry (Wind and Solar)
  • Non-Governmental Organizations
    • Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC)
    • Rainy Lake Conservancy (RLC)
  • Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
  • Parks Canada
  • Private landowners
  • U.S. National Park Service