Calen Wong completed his undergraduate degree at the University of British Columbia – Okanagan, and he became the third MSc student to work on our road ecology project at White Lake, South Okanagan.   The rattlesnakes at this location were continuously monitored from 2015 – 2024, with a focus on assessing and mitigating the impact of road mortality on the population.  Stephanie Winton established the project, Jade Spruyt monitored the snakes immediately after road underpassages were built, and Calen documented the longer-term response of the population.  His study included surveys for road deaths and mark/recapture work at the dens to quantify population changes.  He also used radio-telemetry to compare the behavioural ecology of the ‘Big 3’ threatened snake species (rattlesnakes, gopher snakes, and racers) , thus furthering our understanding of how these animals are susceptible to road mortality and the use of road underpasses.

Calen’s project received support from the South Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program, Environment Canada and the BC Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.  The project took place on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan People,  and on the White Lake Basin Biodiversity Ranch