New funding to aid Massasauga rattlesnake population recovery in Windsor-Essex

New funding from the provincial government is aimed at protecting the endangered Massasauga rattlesnake, the only venomous snake in Ontario.

In front of a crowd at the Ojibway Nature Centre, David Piccini, minister of environment, conservation and parks, announced Wednesday $423,580 in funding to Wildlife Preservation Canada (WPC).

"The key word today is partnership," Piccini said. "That's why the team is doing a fantastic job. We're about to sit down here at the table with Three Fires Group, and others to look at building on partnerships and working together to protect biodiversity here."

Jonathan Choquette, lead biologist with WPC, couldn't be happier.

"It's part of our history," Choquette said. "The people of Essex County have shared the land with these animals ever since there's been people here. It's a symbol in our community. The LaSalle Vipers have it as a mascot. It's a symbol of wilderness. It's a symbol of a natural environment."

Piccini and Choquette said we all learn from the Massasauga rattlesnake.

"It's an animal that teaches us how to co-exist with something that not all of us are in love with," Piccini said. "It's not everyone's favourite animal. It teaches us how to share the land with all creatures."

Ontario's Species at Risk Stewardship Program provides funding to assist projects aimed at protecting, recovering or researching species at risk.

The work of the WPC, which is leading the project at Ojibway Prairie, will involve protecting habitat and evaluating techniques to manage the population of the species.

"Among the most striking aspects of the Ojibway Prairie Complex is its tremendous diversity of vegetation and animal life. That's why protecting species at risk through community stewardship is essential, as we continue to ensure that the Ojibway Prairie Complex remains a cornerstone of our community for generations to come." Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie said in a press release.