The American badger (Taxidea taxus)

Both the provincial governments in British Columbia and Ontario have established American Badger Recovery Strategies respectively. Each document highlights the need for deeper research in badger ecology as well as the need to foster greater public appreciation of the mysterious nocturnal species that some Canadians hardly know. The provinces acknowledge that habitat preservation is imperative but recognizes that this is a multi-stakeholder effort. Whilst the provinces have designated their localized subspecies as endangered and can apply appropriate legislative tools on Crown lands, American badger protection requires cooperation with farmers and other private landowners. Most certainly, as badgers can be found around human-influenced habitats, it is important to bring the agricultural sector on board with American badger conservation through the promotion of farming practices that foster coexistence.

American badgers wandering around farms are fond of hedgerows, overgrown fence lines, field and forest edges, and fallow fields. They do not interfere with growing crops. Farmers simply need to let these areas develop naturally for badgers to benefit and hunt prey. In the case where farmers adopt a proactive stance for badger conservation, they can choose to supplement these unused areas with native plants akin to those that grow in tallgrass prairie landscapes. The sowing of native plants combats the spread of invasive species that have negative effects on soil erosion and irrigation. Examples of such cooperation exist, such as the BadgerWay Program that was facilitated by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) and Environment and Climate Change Canada. This initiative offered financial incentives to farmers who created travel corridors as well as suitable habitats for badgers to live in. Media coverage highlighted the symbiotic relationship between the endangered creatures and the farmers who could help in their conservation.

Habitat conservation on a larger scale is needed as well. The protection of ecosystems under threat may not be a direct effort of badger conservation, but the species undoubtedly receive room to grow once expansive swathes of land are safeguarded from development. Organizations in unison with the federal government, like the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada and other land trusts, lead the way in this regard, particularly with the Natural Areas Conservation Program. It might not be a badger-centric program, but the plight of the American badger is often mentioned when they secure new acquisitions of tallgrass prairie. For example, in August 2020, the NCC announced the purchase of 866 hectares of native grasslands near the Upper Qu’Appelle Natural Area in Saskatchewan where “wildlife listed under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, such as Sprague’s pipit, bobolink, Baird’s sparrow, the northern leopard frog and the American badger” are found. As well, in 2020, the NCC added 260 hectares to the 1,255 hectares of the Kootenay River Ranch Conservation Area in British Columbia as a way to expand the habitat for endangered species in the areas as well as create wildlife corridors. This is an important area for taxidea taxus jeffersonii protection.

The procurement of greater habitat areas for the American badger will hopefully decrease the rate of road mortalities, but these unfortunate events will remain a factor in low specimen numbers. However, some remedies can be further researched and implemented at the infrastructure level, managed by ministries of transportation in applicable provinces. Both wildlife overpasses and underpasses are viable options for American badgers — as well as other transient animals — to avoid crossing busy highways. One novel idea can be found at the Columbia River Wetlands – Edgewater property in British Columbia where the Nature Trust of B.C. and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure collaborated on the installation of dry culverts especially for badger crossings during a road resurfacing project. These are expensive additions to any public works projects, but they are long-term investments aligned with badger recovery strategies that are focused on long-term species preservation. 

One cannot overlook the importance of local initiatives and the passion of citizen scientists for American badger awareness and conservation. Organizations like Badgers in BC and Ontario Badgers are vocal advocates for endangered species and provide a wealth of knowledge to concerned citizens. They offer hotlines or other forms of reporting mechanisms to report badger sightings. Nature conservancies and stewardships where American badgers are found, such as the Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship, perform the important role of education, outreach, and monitoring of the species at the local level. In turn, these educational opportunities advise people about how they can coexist with badgers and how actions they take can benefit the species. For instance, Tallgrass Ontario particularly focuses on the conservation of tallgrass and savanna species in southwestern Ontario, which in turn assists badger recovery in the province. Landowners are consequently educated about ways they can tweak their land use to become badger habitats and apply responsible pest management systems, so the endangered species can thrive. Helping American badgers thrive is an interconnected effort almost akin to the tunnels stemming from one burrow!

It is evident that American badgers in Canada face continued threats, but the preservation of this waddling fur-bearing nomad is in reach with robust habitat conservation and attending to the issue of highway mortality rates. Recognition of taxidea taxus jeffersonii and taxidea taxus jacksoni as endangered species is vital to sourcing the attention and resources for their survival. Wishful thinking posits that interest in these species will extend to their cousin taxidea taxus taxus and the dangers it faces will be diminished in its expansive range. American badgers are ecologically beneficial to Canadian ecosystems and it would unfortunate if their numbers continue to dwindle.