Photo by Brett Bolkowy
In spring 2022, EALT was informed of a red-sided gartersnake hibernaculum located just outside the boundary of one of our conservation lands in Parkland County. This hibernaculum was located right next to a busy township road, putting the snakes at high risk of being struck by vehicles. Because of the risk to the snakes and close proximity of a conservation land, we undertook the project of constructing a new hibernaculum for them within the conservation land where they would be safer.
This fall was the third season where EALT staff and volunteers relocated the gartersnakes to their new overwintering site. Thank you to all of the citizen science volunteers who made this project possible!
Thank you to Adrienne Lamb from CBC for featuring this project.
You can also check out this news article here: Volunteer snake wranglers have hands full protecting at-risk reptiles from Edmonton roads
Check out the Edmonton AM Radio segment on this story: Vehicle traffic poses threat to garter snakes
Learn more about snakes in Alberta here.
