OWC Outreach Assistant - 2 Month Internship

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Garden Days kicks off on Friday!

(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>

Provincial Flagship Event:

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:

• Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden is hosting an appreciation day for gardeners with reduced admission, cake and guided garden tours.
• The Galt Museum will serve you complimentary coffee as you browse their native plant garden, south garden and nurses' garden. 
• Learn all about trees from an arborist in the guided tour of Fairfield Gardens at the Lethbridge Research Centre. 
• Bring your own picnic lunch and find out what's growing at the Interfaith Food Bank's learning garden. 
• Join the Lethbridge & District Horticultural Society on their Waterton National Park excursion to admire Alberta wildflowers and to consider their cultivation potential for city gardens.

Waterton Lakes National Park:

• Choose from many botanical-themed activities during the Waterton Wildflower Festival that coincides with Garden Days.

Calgary:

• Take a guided native plant tour of trees, shrubs and flowers in the Canadian Wilds at the Calgary Zoo.

Red Deer:

• Parkland Garden Centre celebrates the home garden with family activities that include food vendors, "Ask the Experts", a course on BBQing with herbs and garden tours.

Olds:

• Olds College Botanic Gardens celebrates its 50th anniversary with garden tours, demos, a plant sale and the launch of a new garden database for staff and visitors.

St. Albert:

• Visit St. Albert Botanic Park for gardening demonstrations, tours and seed planting for children

Edmonton:

• The Edmonton Native Plant Group is hosting two guided tours - one at John Janzen Nature Centre, where you can learn how to grow native wildflowers and pot one up to take home, and another at their native plant demonstration bed at Muttart Conservatory with a gift of free wildflower seeds for visitors.
• Inhale the fragrance of heritage peonies at Fort Edmonton Park and listen to heritage gardeners tell the story of this historic reproduction of a significant Western Canadian peony collection.
• Visit Muttart Conservatory for guided tours of indoor botanical collections in their pyramid glasshouses, as well as orchid talks and a kid's plant discovery corner.

Enjoy the Garden Days celebrations!

June Flanagan

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

Alberta WPACs ...Seeking Library Wizard!

Alberta's Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils seeking Library Wizard!

Alberta has shaken the blues and .... orange you glad we're in the rose of health?

In time for the weekend, something to think about ...

Well, we've done it this time - picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off and made it to the polls in greater numbers than in the last 22 years. Premier-designate Rachel Notley could make the difference for some of the challenges our watershed is currently facing.

WPACs of Alberta (Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils) have an important role to play: to advise government. And we've been doing it a long time. Key pieces of research like the State of the Watershed Report and the Integrated Watershed Management Plans, as well as key input into the South Saskatchewan Rgional Plan have had much work  - and much hope - put into them.

It was interesting to note that both rural and urban Albertans want change and are willing to work together. Combining the orange and the rose will make a brighter future for everyone who lives, works and plays in our beautiful and unique Oldman watershed. (Suddenly Jayme Cabrera Lopez' photo of the sunrise at the top of ths blog seems serendipitously appropriate.)

We look forward to the support of both NDP and Wildrose MLAs to make things different - and to make them better.

Here's what our Executive Director, Shannon Frank, had to say about the recent election and its implications for watershed management and health .... you may need to adjust your speakers a little ... have a peek at this recent video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AAsJJ8-5QE <<< CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW!!!

We'd love to hear your thoughts about this topic!

You're Invited: Waterton Grizzly Film Premier May 8th

(Editor's Note: We love teddy bears and shoot grizzlies. Yet the world reveres Canada for its majestic, natural landscapes and wildlife. Our farmers and ranchers who steward this landscape are telling another side to the story. Waterton Biosphere is releasing a new film this Friday  - what happens when increasing population, expanding agriculture, loss of habitat, and teddy bear/killer bear legends collide?) 

Sharing the Range:  a film about ranch families living with grizzly bears in the Waterton Biosphere Reserve to be released May 8^th, 2015.

Pincher Creek, AB – April 29, 2015 – The Waterton Biosphere Reserve is proud to announce the upcoming release of a short film, Sharing the Range, on May 8, 2015. The film tells the story about the challenges of living with large carnivores and how people in the Waterton Biosphere Reserve (WBR) are meeting those challenges.

The southwestern corner of Alberta, Canada, where the Waterton Biosphere Reserve is located, is home to a large number of people involved with agriculture; it is also home to a high population density of bears. With so many people and carnivores sharing the same habitat, there are bound to be conflicts.

 "We have bears in all this country; lots of sows with little cubs. They've denned near here – so it's not just in the mountains and not just on public lands that we are seeing a lot of grizzly bears. It's on private lands all over the place." Jeff Bectell, rancher, Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association Chair and Coordinator of the WBR Carnivore Working Group

As the Waterton Biosphere Reserve has worked with the local community and wildlife managers to address the issues of living with large carnivores, the need has arisen to share the story of the farmers and ranchers who directly face the many challenges of living with large carnivores; challenges that impact both their livelihood and the safety of their families.   Despite these challenges, southwestern Alberta families are working hard to solve the problems that arise when animals like bears and wolves share the landscape with people and agriculture. It is important for people who care about large carnivores, and people who care about the landscapes of southwestern Alberta, to recognize the effort spent and costs incurred by farmers and ranchers stewarding these lands.   

And so it is that Sharing the Range was produced, offering a glimpse into the lives of farm and ranch families and their struggle to share the land with large carnivores. The farmers and ranchers of the Waterton Biosphere Reserve appreciate the unique landscape in which they live, knowing that their land is prime habitat for wildlife. However, making a living in this environment is not without challenges and wildlife can pose significant concerns for rural families in terms of safety and economics; along with the stress that comes from both worries.

Sharing the Range tells their story:  real people, with real families who work hard to produce healthy food in a sustainable way that allows room for large carnivores to roam.

 "I wish we had a better way of communicating with the general public about who we are. Often I think people misunderstand farmers' and ranchers' feelings about wildlife.  What I would like people to know is that we enjoy seeing a grizzly bear or big bull elk as much as anyone, but when our livelihood and our families are threatened by wildlife over which we have little control, it can be very upsetting to us. My hope is that Sharing the Range will allow people a glimpse into our lives, and a better understanding of the situation which we are living in here in southwestern Alberta." – Tony Bruder, rancher and Area Coordinator for the WBRA Carnivore Working Group

Filmed by award winning filmmaker Leanne Allison, with footage contributed by Jeff Turner, famous cinematographer and wildlife filmmaker; Sharing the Range not only tells an important story of the people in the Waterton Biosphere Reserve, but offers stunning imagery of southwestern Alberta and the grizzlies who call this area home.

The full documentary will premiere May 8^th, 2015 at 7pm in the Remington Carriage House Museum Theatre, Cardston, AB.  Everyone is welcome, and we hope you will join us.

View the Sharing the Range trailer and learn more about the film:  www.sharingtherange.com

Contact the WBRA:

Jennifer Jenkins

Communications Coordinator

Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association

jjenkins@watertonbiosphere.com

403 627 9598

Website: www.watertonbiosphere.com

Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WatertonBiosphereReserve

OWC April 2015 E-Newsletter

To view April's E-newsletter, click here

Nature's burstin' out all over!

(Editor's Note: Are you one of the many people who are itching for green in your garden and thinking about what to plant? There are many ideas out there for great gardens, beautiful flower beds - and watching for nature's spring plants. The Oldman recently disovered a nice selection of prairie plant seeds at the Galt museum - and here, thanks to botanist June Flanagan, some tips on what to look for on your spring walks. Remember to plant something for the butterflies - and enjoy!)

You're in for a treat if you head out wildflower hunting in the Oldman River Watershed this week, as warm weather is coaxing buds to break earlier and faster than usual.

Prairie crocus enthusiasts will still find fuzzy flower buds (Anemone patens) emerging from cool, damp areas on north-facing hillsides.   And for gardeners, the arrival of golden beans (Thermopsis rhombifolia) is a reminder that temperatures are now perfect for sowing lettuce seeds. 

Keep your eyes close to the soil for cushion plants like plains milk-vetch (Astragalus gilviflorus) bearing white pea-shaped flowers tucked between soft silver leaves, or the very tiny tufted milk-vetch (Astragalus spatulatus) with lavender blossoms. 

 

It's likely you'll see moss phlox (Phlox hoodii) plants pressed against dry ridges and south-facing slopes, smothered with white star-shaped flowers that resemble patches of receding snow, and you may spot the small white daisies of prairie townsendia (Townsendia hookeri) scattered among grassy flats.

 

Some sunny beauties you might discover are yellow prairie violets (Viola nuttallii), and the flat floral umbrellas of leafy wild parsley (Musineon divaricatum). A few yellow bells (Fritillaria pudica) continue to echo the buzz pollination of bees, but many are already setting seed.  

 

To help you identify what's blooming, University of Lethbridge Library continues to host a free download of our local guide to native prairie plants called "Common Coulee Plants of Southern Alberta".  The updated edition with photographs and searchable links by flower colour travels easily on your smartphone or tablet.  Get your free copy in EPUB or PDF format  at <https://www.uleth.ca/dspace/handle/10133/3376> or find more information on my web site.

Enjoy spring!

June

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

Seeking New Board Members - Love Your Watershed

      Join the Oldman Watershed Council's Board of Directors!

OWC is now holding 2 elections - one for sector organizations and one for members at large.

You must be a member by

April 30

to join the Board or vote in the election.

You don't need to be a scientist to join the Board, we also need expertise in fund development, volunteer management, communications and of course passion to get involved and help out! 

We would like to invite you and/or your organization to get involved in the OWC so that your voice can be heard at the Board table. We encourage you to

become a member

(it's free), nominate someone to OWC's Board of Directors and vote on who makes up the OWC's Board of Directors.

The OWC board is comprised of 19 individuals serving two-year terms and is structured as follows:

  - 4 members are appointed by their organization (1 from the Federal Government,

    2 from the Provincial Government, 1 from the City of Lethbridge),

  - 4 members-at-large are elected at the OWC Annual General Meeting

    (bringing perspectives from the general public),

  - 2 members bring First Nations perspectives, and

  - 9 members are elected by their organizational sector.  

The categories for the organizational sectors are:

Academia

Agricultural Producers

Commercial/Industrial Companies

Environmental Non-Government Organizations

Health

Irrigators (election held at AIPA) 

Rural Municipalities (election held at Mayors & Reeves of Southwest Alberta) 

Towns/Villages (election held at Mayors & Reeves of Southwest Alberta) 

Wildlife Conservation Organizations

As an

individual

you can nominate yourself or someone else as a

Member at Large.

This year we have 2 vacant positions.

As an

organization

you can nominate someone from your organization to bring perspectives from your sector to the OWC Board of Directors. See the

Board of Directors job description

for more details.

Process to Participate in the

Sector

Election

(for organizations only)

Step 1:

Complete the

OWC membership form

for your organization by

April 30, 2015

. Membership is free and is valid for one calendar year. Only members of OWC are eligible to vote for and/or serve on the Board of Directors.

Step 2 (optional):

Complete the

nomination form online

or

word doc

or

pdf

to nominate someone to run in the OWC sector election by May 20, 2015. This person must be willing to bring perspectives from your sector.

Step 3: 

Vote in the sector election by June 5, 2015 for your sector's position on the OWC Board of Directors through an online vote. We will send you instructions by email once we have your membership form. You can still vote regardless of whether or not you submitted a nominee for this position, so long as you are an organizational member.

Process to Participate in the

Member at Large

Election 

(for individuals)

Step 1:

Complete the

OWC membership form

for yourself by

April 30, 2015

. Membership is free and is valid for one calendar year. Only members of OWC are eligible to vote for and/or serve on the Board of Directors.

Step 2 (optional):

Complete the

nomination form

online or

word doc

or

pdf

to nominate someone to run in the OWC Member at Large election by May 20, 2015. This person must be willing to bring perspectives from the general public. Nominations from the floor are not accepted at OWC's AGM.

Step 3:

Voting takes place in person at the OWC's Annual General Meeting on June 23, 2015 at the Readymade Hall.  Registration for this event opens soon and all members will be emailed an invitation. You can still vote regardless of whether or not you submitted a nominee for this position, so long as you are a member. Nominee biographies are included in the AGM package and nominees will be given 5 minutes to speak prior to voting.

For more information, please contact Shannon Frank, Executive Director at

Shannon@oldmanbasin.org

or 403-382-4239.

Oldman Watershed Council

|

100, 5401 - 1st Avenue South

|

Lethbridge

|

Alberta

|

T1K 4V6

|

Canada

Kids These Days ...

Yesterday, in a fit of cynicism, I wondered whether designating one day as Earth Day made any difference. Here's what happened today:

I picked up the Lethbridge Herald on the way to work and began to peruse it as I sipped coffee at my desk. Would there be any local coverage of Earth Day, I wondered? Look no further than page A3, Hometown News. Tijana Martin's got a photo in there to accompany an article by Melissa Villeneuve. The photo shows Ty Marshall, 17, from Victoria Park High School. To compliment his very cool Black Sabbath T-Shirt and shades, his plastic gloves indicate serious business as he scours the coulees for garbage. So whoever said garbage-picking isn't cool?

Lethbridge Herald featuring the "Free the Children" Earth Day clean-up action.

It wasn't just him. 100 students were out there, cleaning up the mess we have left behind.

But there's more: in addition to participating in the Earth Day cleanup, they applied for, and were successful in procuring, $1,000 through the Telus "We Give Where We Live" program. These kids donated that money to the Lethbridge Food Bank. Environmental AND Social awareness?! Makes the Oldman just tear up at the thought of it. Seriously.

So who are the great teachers inspiring these kids? You don't have to look far - there is Mr. Sadlowski in the photo, bent over with garbage bag, right behind his student, camera slung over his shoulder, hoofing it up the coulee. Reading further, there is an additional teacher involved as co-facilitator - Karla Wright. Both teachers meet every Thursday at noon with the group, called "Free The Children".

It doesn't take the Oldman long to pick up the phone to thank the teachers and the students for their great work. A Thank You goes a long way - there is an endless supply of them, yet so few in circulation. Yes, you can quote me on that. I ask whether Mr. Sadlowski thinks the group would be interested in the OWC's Film Project. Part of the project involves reaching out to students. Donations from anyone under 18 to the Film Project are honoured with a professional photo opportunity with the OWC and a special blog posting (did you know our blog has had nearly 15,000 hits?!) Best of all, students will be invited to a free "How To Film The Watershed" seminar (to be offered in Taber, Lethbridge and Pincher Creek).

Follow #oldmangoestohollywood on Twitter for updates on the Film Project and great photos!

So next Thursday, the OWC is going to Victoria Park High School in Lethbridge to meet these outstanding watershed warriors and invite them to get involved with our Film Project. I am hoping to inspire them to create their own watershed videos and upload them to our new OWC You Tube channel.

Communication, after all, isn't only about "getting our message out there". It's also about supporting each other's efforts to make our watershed a better place to live, work and play - hearing each other's messages and acting on them.

Congratulations, "Free The Children" and Victoria Park School ... and THANK YOU :-)