Retired biologist continues to protect the burrowing owl

By Mark Dinicol

What once was work is still a passion for wildlife biologist Dave Low – a passion that keeps him working in the field long after retirement.

Retired for nearly ten years, Low, 77, is still involved with the protection and conservation of the burrowing owl in BC.

“I now happily volunteer my time and money to help the owls," said Low. "I still do a lot of work with them.”

Low graduated from UBC in 1966 with a degree in Zoology.  He has since worked for the Fish and Wildlife branch of B.C. as a biologist specializing in dry-system habitats.

Ralph Ritcey, another senior biologist for the Fish and Wildlife, could only laugh when asked what projects he and Dave Low had worked on together.

“What didn’t we work on?” said Ritcey. “We did everything from songbird surveys to aerial surveys of moose. Later, [Low] also worked a lot in forestry as an advisor for habitat restoration.”

Low recalled a project he was working on in northern Mexico during the mid-1990s, when he as called in to help restore a heavily-logged site that had a devastating impact on the local wildlife community. 

“I can remember it [the project] being such a success that they didn’t want me to go back to Canada.  They wanted me to stay in Mexico full-time and work for them!” Low said.

Growing up in Kamloops, and spending countless summer days on the river as a child, Low always had an appreciation of nature and wildlife and he loved to call Canada his home.

When  asked what he  remembered most about working with Low,  Ritchey replied: “There is one thing that stands out and that I will forever be indebted to Dave for.  He saved my life,” said Ritchey.

Ritchey told the story of when he and Low were doing an aerial survey of Mountain Caribou in a small aircraft in the Blue River area.

“For whatever reason, the pilot blacked out, and Dave, having never flown a plane, took a hold of the controls, and flew the three of them to safety all the way to Kamloops,” said Ritchey.  “He always watched what the pilots would do on these flights and he figured he could do it.  And then he did!  He was always very eager to learn new things.” 

Among his many projects over the years, Low was most closely involved with the Burrowing Owl Recovery Program.  He co-founded the program in 1983 in the Okanagan area, releasing about 500 burrowing owls into the wild over a three-year period.  With the program a success, similar recovery and release projects were established across the province.

Through the Burrowing Owl Conservation Society of B.C. and in partnership with the B.C. Wildlife Park, Low established release projects in the Kamloops region in 1991.  These projects have remained an ongoing success.

Part of the project involves constructing man-made burrows to create suitable habitat for the owls once they are released into the wild.

“I can remember when we first started the program in Kamloops," said Low. "It was pretty much just us building burrows with Boy Scouts and other volunteers from the Fish and Game club. It was a lot of fun.”

Doug Jury, a colleague of Low’s since the late 1970s said: “He’s always had a passion for getting the public involved with different projects and has always been involved with students of all ages.”

There are now a total of 62 man-made burrows on the Kamloops site, and hundreds more across the province.  The planning, construction and maintenance of these burrows is something Low is still very much involved in today.

“I have to go to Merritt this weekend to make some more [burrows], and then after that I’m going to check on some old ones in Knutsford, and then the following week we’re doing some releases,” said Low.  “It’s busy being retired!”

Low is also still  involved in releasing the animals into the wild and is an active member of two breeding programs in B.C. 

Through the B.C. Wildlife Park in Kamloops and Port Kell’s Breeding Program in Surrey, approximately 40 breeding pairs of owls are released into the wild each year. 

“The projects have been a huge success,” said Low. “Our released owls do very well, and their success rates are only increasing.  One [owl]even lived to be 13 years old, nearly a record in North America. We are quite proud of him.”

Almost 30 years after first beginning the Burrowing Owl Recovery Program, Low is the first to admit there is still much to be learned about releasing the animals into the wild. 

“I feel as if only in the last few years have we really begun to understand them [the owls], and their specific requirements.  And by doing so, we are finally getting some really positive results,” says Low, referring specifically to the Kamloops site.

“For years we’d only see two breeding pairs occupying the area, with no more than four young each.  In the last few years we have seen up to six breeding pairs on the site with a high last season of 39 young,” Low said.

Tthough retired, his dedication to the burrowing owls hasn't lessened an iota. 

“As long as I can, I’ll be here helping the owls,” said Low.