What’s cute, fuzzy, and sleeps through winter? Bumble bees! Find out where they hunker down in winter, and what cues tell them it’s time to emerge and forage in spring.
The Oldman Watershed Council (OWC) has received many requests for information about coal mining. In this FAQ blog, we answer the most common questions and provide links for readers seeking additional details and information.
What is natural infrastructure, and how can it benefit communities? Read the first blog in our new series to find out!
A historic donation has been made to OWC and the province’s WPACs.
Dr Sonia Graham from Australia has submitted a guest article about a study in southern Alberta. Ranchers, private companies, government organisations and non-government organisations (NGOs) were interviewed as part of a social research project titled “Collective Weed Management in Canada”. Read more about this weedy subject ...
You've asked: "What does it matter how many trails there are? What does it matter if the trail is made by motorized vehicles or, say, horses? What does it matter if an abandoned access road is used as a trail? How can anybody say the backcountry isn't healthy - after all, I just saw a moose back there!" OWC's Rob Taylor answers all ...
Editor's Note: Thanks again to wildlife photographer Rick Andrews for this guest blog postwith his stunning images! I had the privilege of having lunch with Rick recently. Our conversation quickly turned to our mutual love of the watershed - and well ... kids these days. Specifically, our own! How, we wonder, can the watershed be protected for future generations when many kids aren't given the opportunity to be out there, without electronics and understand what it means to slow down to Nature's pace - in order to be actually take notice and cherish the little things that need protection?
Pelicans and Garter Snakes text and images by Rick Andrews
The sound of a wing slap on the water startles me and I look up from my camera’s LCD screen just in time to get splashed in the face. The guilty culprits, about a dozen American White Pelicans are quickly swimming away while glancing back over their shoulders like mischievous children wanting to be chased. While I usually allow wildlife to establish their own comfort zone by approaching me, I wonder if they’re telling me I’m perhaps a bit too close, so I back up and give them a little more room, just in case.
I’m spending the morning down at the weir photographing some of my favorite wildlife subjects. People often assume that to photograph wildlife you need to go “somewhere,” but here in Lethbridge we’re fortunate, we don’t have to go anywhere, wildlife is all around us.
The weir is a small dam built by the city to create a deeper body of water, making it easier to divert river water into the water treatment plant. But like a lot of dams that have no fish ladders to aid fish swimming upstream, it traps thousands of minnows that are now easy pickings for hungry predators.
I watch the pelicans as they swim back to the edge of the weir driving the minnows into deeper water where they readily scoop them up. Yesterday I watched from the other side of the river as a group of pelicans drove minnows into shallow water. Then turning their heads and bills sideways, they scooped up the minnows with their bill pouches. Clever birds these pelicans.
But pelicans are not the only hunters here today - there are others that are neither bird nor mammal. Reptiles have come to feed on the minnows too, and the pelicans are unwittingly helping them by driving some of the minnows into the shallows.
Wandering garter snakes, a subspecies of the western terrestrial garter snake, are very skilled swimmers and hunters, and I watch as they slip silently into the water. In the shallows I can see them darting about, and it doesn’t take long before they return with a fish in their mouths.
Given their numbers today, I wonder if I’m not sitting on top of their hibernaculum, especially when I see them climb back up the river bank before disappearing into its numerous cracks and crevices all around me.
A sure sign of a healthy ecosystem!
A few days later I return, this time bringing local naturalist and snake expert Ken Moore with me. Ken tells me that wandering garter snakes can be found throughout the Oldman River valley, and though they are the least common of Alberta’s three species of garter snakes, in Lethbridge they are the most common. But its a very hot day, perhaps too hot for reptiles, and so we see only one. But that could also have something do with the red-tailed hawk we just saw sitting in a nearby tree as we approached. Along with other raptors such as osprey and owls, herons, weasels, raccoons, foxes and coyotes are all known to prey upon garter snakes too, but today its the garter snake that is the predator.
Snakes smell and hear ... like us ... only they smell through their tongues and have no ears!
I also learn that on land it finds its prey by smell together with a chemical sensory system known as the Jacobson's organ. During this process garter snakes flick their tongues, sweeping the air for scent molecules, before inserting their now scent enriched tongue tip into two tiny pits in the roof of its mouth. Once their prey species has been located, the actual attack happens very quickly.
Ken also tells me it’s doubtful this is their hibernaculum as its most likely located at least halfway up the coulee - well above the waterline. Besides, their hibernaculum is where they typically den during the winter months, then after mating in the spring, they head out, sometimes traveling as far as 25 km to spend their summers alone. Adults can grow to about a meter in length, but the one we see today is much smaller, so its perhaps a juvenile or maybe a young adult male.
Out on the water, the pelicans continue to feed and are soon joined by others that have been spending their day fishing elsewhere up river. But its getting really hot now and after making its way back up the riverbank, our garter snake disappears into one of the many crevices to cool off. Taking a cue from this little wanderer, we too wander back up the coulee before heading over to Tim’s for a little air-conditioned comfort and a nice cold Iced Capp.
Ya gotta love summer in Lethbridge.
To see more of Rick's images check out his website at www.rickandrewsphotography.com
EDITOR'S NOTE: The OWC is proud to feature Guest Posts from all community members and does not endorse any one particular political party.
by Romy S. Tittel
I was invited by a number of concerned landowners to come out and see Grassy Mountain. This mountain is the proposed site of the Benga Mining/Riversdale Resources open-pit coal mine north of Blairmore.
I had already been made aware of this project when I had a booth in the Coleman Lifestyle Show back in April of this year. Our booth happened to be situated directly across from the Riversdale Resource booth. Their booth hosted a number of large pictures of alpine meadows and blue skies all very idyllic except for the part of removing a mountain to get to the coal seam.
This mine had already been worked back in the 1950’s and had since been abandoned, the scars still evident these many decades later. The group of landowners took me for a tour of their properties at the foot of this mountain. Then they showed me Gold stream, part of the watershed that formed part of the habitat for an endangered westslope Cutthroat trout species, native to this part of southern Alberta. I had just posted a couple of articles announcing the closure of many fishing spots in the area due to low water levels and the heat stressing the fish.
I had already posted an article detailing the United Church of Canada’s decision to divest from fossil fuels. This mirrored the decisions of many major institution over this past year, all coming to the same conclusion; the tide has turned on these forms of energy. The future lies in renewable resources and taking firm action on mitigating climate change by taking real steps towards lowering our carbon emissions.
This week also had me enjoying the company of two musicians, Ceslo Machado and William Beauvais, who had come to teach and perform at this year’s Mount Royal University’s Guitarfest West. It was at Ceslo’s performance that I had the chance to talk with one of the attendees, Jason Donev, about entering politics. It turn out he is a senior instructor at the University of Calgary and he and his students are writing an energy encyclopedia to help us navigate our way to the new energy future.
I also had confirmation this week that my name was going to be on the ballot in the upcoming Federal Election. It is issues such as this coal mine that have me excited to be part of the new parliament. We Canadians are standing at a crossroads with not only our energy future but our country’s future and our beautiful Earth’s future. Let us all stand together and bravely and confidently take the first steps towards our future.
Romy S. Tittel
Green Party Candidate/CEO Foothills EDA
Twitter: @romytittel
Facebook: www.facebook.com/romy.tittel.3
(Editor's Note: We are being invaded by a noxious species. It looks sweet and innocent, but Oh-HO!!! what a nasty beast! Major environmental deterioration, loss of beef production, damage to crops. Individual plants can produce over 150,000 seeds PER SQURE METRE. It has an immensely long taproot and sucks the area dry. Literally. You can help. Please bring along your family July 16th from 7-9pm and FIGHT THE INVASIVES!!!)
Here's what Knapweed looks like. It's disguised as pretty. It's effects are devastating.
Its that time again..... the third knapweed pull of the 2015 season is coming up fast!!
I am very excited about this weed pull because it is the site of our most successful weed pull so far. In 2013, we had our first City of Lethbridge weed pull at Elizabeth Hall Wetlands and it was a HUGE SUCCESS.
We pulled out over 50 bags of knapweed and had a super fun time doing it!
Here's where to meet :-)
Elizabeth Hall Wetlands
Next: Thursday August 20th 7-9pm Location TBA
Next: Thursday September 17th7-9pm Location TBA
Why is Elizabeth Hall Wetland is such a special place - hidden away in the center of the city?
Our goal is to work on invasive plant education and awareness. Through this process we can prevent the further introduction and spread of invasive species, and in this case specifically knapweed.
We have chosen to focus specifically on Knapweed control in the Oldman River valley because it is a highly competitive introduced plant that invades native vegetation and threatens the health of our watershed. If left unchecked, the loss to farmers, ranchers and recreational users could be disastrous. It is a prohibited noxious weed in Alberta.
We have chosen a multifaceted approach incorporating the physical efforts of hand pulling, through events like this, and direct herbicide application. The combination of mechanical and chemical methods has been shown to be a great success in the past.
We love our volunteers!
Over the past several years I've photographed wildlife in many locations throughout the Canadian and US Rockies, as well as remote locations such as Nome Alaska and Hokkaido Japan. Along the way I've met many wildlife photographers from those just starting out to seasoned veterans. In fact since the introduction of digital cameras, wildlife photography has never been as popular as it is today, so if you are one of those people who share my passion, here are a few tips to help improve your wildlife photography and keep you safe while doing it.
(Editor's note: After being inspired at the Garden Days events you'll want to get started on your own yard and OWC can help! We've got the 50 best plants for Southern Alberta, tips on xeriscaping, a photo library of inspiring local gardens and more practical resources on the Prairie Urban Garden Project Page).
What have you got planned for Garden Days? You won't want to miss these events!
A fantastic lineup of activities is set to kick off Garden Days in Alberta and across Canada, this Friday, June 19. In an annual coast-to-coast celebration that always takes place on the Father's Day weekend, Garden Days celebrates Canadian gardens, gardening and environmental stewardship. It's also about bringing awareness to what you do, within and for, your own community.
Across Alberta, public gardens and groups are celebrating Garden Days with three days of fun activities for all ages in beautiful outdoor spaces. Find out more about what's happening in your area, and check dates and times on the "Activities" schedule at <www.gardendays.ca>
Alberta's Devonian Botanic Garden (5 km north of Devon, on Hwy 60) launched our provincial flagship event in 2014. This year, their Garden Days program opens Friday with discounted daily admission and an evening opera, followed by a weekend that offers a photographer's drop-in morning, a family program of insects and butterflies, sunrise yoga, garden tours and Father's Day BBQ.
Lethbridge:
Waterton Lakes National Park:
Calgary:
Red Deer:
Olds:
St. Albert:
Edmonton:
Enjoy the Garden Days celebrations!
Alberta Spokesperson for Garden Days
June Flanagan is a Lethbridge botanist, environmental horticulturist and author. She has published five regional books, including the local plant guide Common Coulee Plants of Southern Alberta and gardening guides Edible Plants for Prairie Gardens and Native Plants for Prairie Gardens. See June's web site for details, and follow what's in bloom with her on Instagram or "like" her Facebook Author Page:
www.juneflanagan.ca
facebook.com/pages/June-Flanagan/616537095101785
www.instagram.com/juneflanagan
