EMILY HSUEH
CHATS FALLS Jan. 11, 2021
On the evening of Jan. 11, nearly 30 people gathered virtually via Zoom to learn more about the natural wealth of the Chats Falls area.
The presentation, which was held by the Friends of Chats Falls, was the first virtual presentation the organization had hosted and went from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. It was hosted by Daniel Toussaint, a biologist with over 30 years of experience in the field in Quebec. Toussaint built up his . . .
mental encyclopedia of the environment, reptiles and amphibians and is considered a regional bird expert. He retired in 2016, but remains active in his field. He had previously presented this talk in November of 2019 in Quyon.
He began with discussion on general information of the Chats Falls region, including topography and hydrography, and continued onto to show the studies that had been performed there.
“The shorelines are pristine,” Toussaint informed. “It’s a rich habitat because when you have shallow water full of aquatic vegetation, it is very productive … there’s lots of fish so it makes the basis of the food chain in the area.”
“Part of the wetlands now are due to the flooding of the area so I don’t know if we can say that the loss in comparison to the gains are equivalent. Sure there were some losses, but on the other side, some gains from the damming.”
As he mentioned, the wetlands of the Chats Falls are home to many species of flora and fauna, with some being so rare that it is found nowhere else in the province. It is estimated that there are between 300 – 1,000 turtles in the region, with the largest population of musk and blanding’s turtles in the province.
He also highlighted the fact that swallow numbers are declining, but that Chats Falls is one of the hotspots for the bird, which would, in normal circumstances, bring in bird watchers and ornithologists alike from all over the world.
Throughout the presentation, attendees could ask questions and Toussaint would always have an informative answer. It ended with Toussaint discussing many of the conservation projects in effect, including a significant effort to save the turtle population, which is in danger due to human interference.
As the meeting came to a close, muted applause and messages of appreciation flooded the Zoom call, thanking Toussaint for an interesting and educational two hours.
