Protecting Our Flora and Fauna: How Calibre Preserves Biodiversity in Nicaragua, Nevada and Newfoundland
Caring for our environment and protecting biodiversity – the wide variety of plant and animal species around each of our mine sites – is something Calibre takes very seriously. From the moment we begin environmental assessments on a project site, to the time we decommission a mine site and restore the land, every aspect of our work takes habitat and species protection into account.
We believe that effective biodiversity management is crucial on many fronts. From a financial perspective, it helps us to meet the increasing demand for sustainable practices and to minimize the potential costs of legal liabilities. But it’s also so much more to us than that.
Protecting local wildlife has become something we’re truly proud of as stewards of the lands we work on – from witnessing fledging Golden Eagles hatch and grow in their natural habitat, to ensuring caribou herds can pass through their traditional migratory routes, we do all that we can to safeguard the local flora and fauna, and take joy in watching it thrive. Every Calibre employee and contractor is trained in biodiversity, and we love to pass along our learnings to our local communities through educational initiatives like our Little Naturalists program.
Our biodiversity initiatives are also aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals – particularly SDG 15, which aims to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of global ecosystems.
Recently the biodiversity champions from each of our project regions sat down to discuss recent achievements and future plans – Alejandra Madriz, Senior Manager Environment and Permitting in Nicaragua; Dan Ferriter, Vice President, Environmental Affairs at Pan Mine in Nevada; and James Powell, Vice President Regulatory and Government Affairs at the Valentine Gold Mine in Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada). Together, they offered insights into how protecting biodiversity is prioritized in their regions, and how it’s paying off.
Leading the way in Nicaragua
In Nicaragua, Calibre’s key areas of focus for biodiversity conservation are animal rescue and management, plant production and rehabilitation, and community education. Alejandra Madriz says her team is proud to be recognized as a biodiversity protection leader in the community. “We undertake biodiversity monitoring every year at each of our sites,” she says. “And the data we collect provides information for a national database that tracks the population and distribution of different species.”
The first step is to measure baselines. “From our baselines, we can understand the area’s conservation status,” Alejandra says. “Then we can prioritize those areas, and if we’re working around areas that are sensitive, we take steps to conserve them.”
Calibre’s Nicaragua teams have formed animal rescue groups that jump into action when they discover animals in danger. “Our whole community has started to call on our rescue brigade to rescue animals in need of help,” Alejandra says.
Calibre also offers a community education program designed to teach the next generation about the importance of biodiversity protection. “Our Little Naturalists are learning to identify different species using an app. And they’re so excited about what they’re learning,” Alejandra says. “We love working with kids and engaging with schools on environmental education, and we’re really proud to be recognized as a key community partner in environmental protection.”
The true value, though, is in leaving an area in better condition than it was before our work there. That was the case at our Santo Domingo Mine reclamation project. “Our monitoring showed that after reclamation, the environment was left in better quality than what it was before we got there, and there are more species there now,” Alejandra says. That’s something to be proud of.
Protecting migratory birds in Nevada
In Nevada, Calibre’s Pan Mine site is situated in the high desert. Dan Ferriter says the focus here is primarily on minimizing any potential negative effects of mining on the local wildlife, particularly migratory birds.
At Pan Mine, Calibre regularly conducts biological screening to ensure no birds or nests are present when working in a new area. “And if they are, we stay out,” Dan says. “Over the seven years that Pan Mine has been operational, we’ve conducted an extensive amount of Sage-Grouse monitoring – particularly when we were in the permitting stage.”
In addition to protecting the sage-grouse, Calibre’s Nevada teams also pay close attention to another resident bird: the Golden Eagle. “Our biological monitoring for the Golden Eagles in the area is extensive,” Dan says, “and requires helicopters to see if they’re present. If they’re near the mine, we take steps to protect them – especially through their breeding season.”
Calibre monitors golden eagle nests through all of their growth stages – from eggs to fledglings. “We’re able to track that whole process until the young eagles can fly,” Dan says. “We can actually see the results of our conservation work!”
Safeguarding rare plants, fish habitat and migrating caribou in Newfoundland
In Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, at our Valentine Gold Mine, which is still in its construction phase, the team has made robust plans to protect the local flora and fauna. As part of Valentine’s permitting process, for instance, the team has already conducted several environmental assessments (EAs), which are serving to inform construction and operational plans.
“We’ve brought that initial work into our construction environmental monitoring and management plans,” says James Powell. “And we continue to monitor our environment to assess potential effects so that we can improve our environmental protection and management plans as we move into operations.”
All of the findings have been reviewed by the project’s stakeholders, including local Indigenous groups, and community organizations we work closely with, such as the Newfoundland and Labrador Outfitters Association.
For Valentine Gold Mine, biodiversity protection comes down to several key areas of focus: water and wildlife habitat management, and community education and outreach. “With numerous sub-watersheds within the project area, the Valentine team will actively manage water in each watershed in order to maintain flow to the various streams and lakes to protect fish habitat,” James says. “During the EA, the team looks for rare plants – and did find some called nodding water nymphs. The team transplanted them to a site approximately 25 km from the project site, into similar habitat, and the plants have taken hold and flourished.”
The Island of Newfoundland has the largest population of woodland caribou on Earth. One of the caribou herds in central Newfoundland migrates through the mine site twice each year, and Valentine Mine has put a protection and mitigation plan in place to minimize effects on the herd as they migrate each spring and fall.
As the site moves from construction into operations, Calibre will welcome new team members, James says, and this will require ongoing educational efforts to ensure conservation efforts remain consistent. “We’ll be doing a lot of education so that everyone understands the importance of these environmental aspects, and their roles and responsibilities.” The team also extends its outreach into local schools to educate the next generation about the connection between mining and maintaining biodiversity.
A secure future means a strategic focus on conservation
Whether Calibre is working in Nicaragua, Nevada or Newfoundland, one thing remains consistent in our approach to biodiversity conservation: a strong and enduring commitment to go above and beyond regulatory requirements. “It’s the expectation today, from stakeholders, shareholders and investors,” James says. “If Calibre wants to be considered a top-tier mining company, then biodiversity has to be a strategic focus, and it clearly is.”
You can learn more about our environment and biodiversity management initiatives in our latest Sustainability Report.