Every year on the fourth Sunday in September, people around the world celebrate the many values of Earth’s waterways. It’s World Water Day! We are celebrating by highlighting the incredible Magpie River in norther Quebec (traditionally known as Mutehekau Shipu).
The Magpie River is one of Quebec’s great wild rivers, spanning a length of 280 km/ 174 miles. It is located on the Nitassinan (ancestral territory) of two Innu communities, Ekuanitshit and Uashat mak Mani-utenam. It is recognized as one of the top 10 whitewater rivers in the world for recreation, and it is the first river in Canada to be recognized as a “legal entity”. The river and its watershed also provide important habitat for migratory birds like Common Merganser and Rusty Blackbird along with many other wildlife species.
To learn more about the birds that rely on the region, Audubon and SNAP Quebec are working in collaboration with the Innu of Ekuanitshit and Uashat mak Mani-utenam to deploy autonomous recording units (ARUs) along the shores of the Magpie and Moisie rivers. These devices are programmed to turn on and record birdsongs during certain hours of the day in the migration seasons. The recordings are then analyzed to determine which species are present in the area.
This information will be used to help support the protection of the watersheds of both the Magpie and nearby Moisie River. The following video showcases the Magpie River and this important work.
