Although we’ve been tricked by second, third, and fourth winter here in Edmonton and its surrounding areas, warmer weather is just around the corner!
Warm weather will have many of us itching to get outside, but it’s important that we all do our part to keep everyone around us safe. While we wait for health officials to lift restrictions and declare it safe to visit natural areas, you can still visit our lands from the comfort of your home! Tour the following conservation lands through a series of videos, and plan your adventures for the future.
Pipestone Creek
Located in Wetaskiwin County, Pipestone Creek is 104 acres of woodlands, aspen parklands, and dry grassland slopes. Notable on this land is the oxbow lake, which can be seen at a look-out point found along the trail system. The free-standing water oxbow was stranded after fast flowing water eroded the outside edges of the creek, while depositing soil inwards.
Throughout the winter EALT volunteers and staff have been busy removing black knot fungus. The spores of black knot fungus become active in temperatures over 15C, so we will not remove any fungus again until the fall. Learn more about black knot here.
Bunchberry Meadows
Bunchberry Meadows contains 640 acres of open meadows with abundant tall grasses and spotted with forest stands of tamarack, jack pine, birch, and poplar. Don’t be surprised if you come across a garter snake! Bunchberry is located in Parkland County and was previously conserved by several families for 40 years. It is part of an ecologically significant habitat corridor which allows wildlife to remain connected to the surrounding regions.
In fall of 2019, a volunteer day was hosted with EALT and the Nature Conservancy of Canada to stake poplars at Bunchberry Meadows with the goal to bring back the original forest complex and create a diverse habitat round the parking lot area. Read more about the restoration progress at Bunchberry Meadows here.
Boisvert’s GreenWoods
Boisvert’s GreenWoods is another wildlife corridor similar to Bunchberry Meadows, however, it is located north of Edmonton in Sturgeon County. Boivert’s GreenWoods is surrounded by agricultural land, which is rather noticeable when watching the drone footage below. This means that its 80 acres are a crucial natural habitat for many animals.
This natural oasis still contains a little bit of evidence of its previous human uses. In particular, the only water feature on this land is a dugout. Dugouts are created by humans for the purpose of trapping and storing fresh water, usually for cattle to drink. However, this accumulation of water has created a new habitat and ecosystem for various creatures, including Great Blue Herons.
Larch Sanctuary
Located within the City of Edmonton, Larch Sanctuary is a section of Whitemud creek just upstream of its confluence with Blackmud creek. These 59 acres of land include the only oxbow lake located within Edmonton which is an important habitat for aquatic species, amphibians, and waterfowl. There is also a bat box near the entrance of Larch Sanctuary which was installed by volunteers and staff during Fall 2019.
Officially opened in 2017, EALT worked with the City of Edmonton to provide Larch Sanctuary with an additional level of protection known an a Conservation Easement.
Glory Hills
amiskwaciy Academy developed the Cree name maskihkîy meskanaw, meaning “Medicine Trail” for Glory Hills. Located in Parkland County, Glory Hills is 110 acres which acts as a transition zone between the boreal forest and aspen parkland regions. The wetlands on the property are part of a chain of wetlands which help filter and protect our water supply.
A notable feature at Glory Hills is the loon platform which was installed by EALT staff and volunteers back in 2015 as part of an Earth Day celebration.
Learn More
All of these lands are featured under our conservation lands pages, with more in depth information about each land. You can also find more videos by EALT on our youtube channel! Finally, to hear the latest updates at EALT, sign up for our newsletters below.