Edmontonians want river valley protected
This past Tuesday, Council began its Public Hearing on Epcor’s request to rezone 99 acres of river valley parkland from Metropolitan Recreation Zone to a Direct Development Control zoning that will allow development of the site to a major utility consisting of a solar power plant with 45,000 solar panels that will generate 10 MW of electrical power.
Due to the number of speakers, the public hearing will continue next week. Our society opposes this industrialization of the river valley. The owl photo was taken at the location yesterday. If you are concerned, send your comments to City Council before 1.30 pm next Tuesday at council@edmonton.ca or 311@edmonton.ca
An opinion piece states the city’s own ecological planners criticized Epcor’s environmental assessment. Their review predicts “significant, long-term, adverse impacts on wildlife” in an area that has been “identified provincially as a key wildlife and biodiversity zone, regional biodiversity corridor, and core biodiversity area.”
Culturally, this land is irreplaceable. Epcor’s archaeological survey discovered over 20,000 cultural objects, some dating back to 9,000 years ago, making it the oldest known cultural site in the Edmonton area. How do we know, as Councillor Aaron Paquette asked last summer, that this land is not worthy of UNESCO cultural heritage status like Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump?
The great thing about solar panels is that they can go anywhere. And they do not need to destroy land. They can go on rooftops or in brownfields, thereby intensifying our land use and maximizing carbon sequestration, all while leaving habitat alone. Read Kristine Kowalchuk’s opinion piece at https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-edmontonians-want-river-valley-protected
Fall foliage to get a boost as city looks to add 2M trees
For many Edmontonians, fall is the prettiest time of year, thanks in part to the city's efforts in maintaining its urban forest. "There are 12.8 million trees in the city of Edmonton all together; about 380,000 of those trees are on boulevards and parks," says Grove Darren Grove, supervisor of the city's natural areas.
An estimated 5.8 million trees live in natural areas like the river valley-ravines system, with the remainder on private property. Now the city is hoping to add another two million trees to its streets and parks, Grove says.
Much will depend on the city's budget, Grove says, but he expects a blend of ash, elms, oaks, maples and other ornamental trees would be planted in parks and green spaces, while more natural areas would be planted with poplar, spruce and pine.
Many of those natural areas are seeing significantly more use from people enjoying Edmonton's wooded areas during the COVID-19 pandemic, Grove says. Watch a beautiful video at https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/trees-edmonton-darren-grove-adriene-lamb-fall-1.5745778
How to raise your own bird to eat for Thanksgiving
City statistics show there are 311 registered hens kept by Edmontonians. You can apply to keep up to 6 hens in your backyard, through the City’s Urban Hens Program.
Permits are not issued from November to March, but applicants are welcome to go through the Development Permit Approval process and start building their chicken coops and runs prior to being approved. They will then be able to obtain their hens until the spring,
The program requirements suggest chickens are in charge of the program as there is a lengthy to do list. Applicants must complete an urban hen keeping course, notify their neighbours prior to application, obtain a Provincial premise ID, submit a site plan location and dimensions of the chicken coop and run, and apply for an urban garden permit and residential electrical permit if they plan on hardwiring electrical into their coop.
Learn about Edmonton’s Urban Hens Program at https://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/initiatives_innovation/food_and_agriculture/urban-hens-project.aspx
Basics of bird migration
Geese winging their way south in wrinkled V-shaped flocks is perhaps the classic picture of migration, the annual, large-scale movement of birds between their summer breeding homes and their winter nonbreeding grounds. Of the more than 650 species of North American breeding birds, more than half are migratory.
Birds that nest in the Northern Hemisphere tend to migrate northward in the spring to take advantage of burgeoning insect populations, budding plants, and an abundance of nesting locations. As winter approaches and the availability of insects and other food drops, the birds move south again. Escaping the cold is a motivating factor but many species, including hummingbirds, can withstand freezing temperatures if an adequate supply of food is available.
Migrating birds can cover thousands of miles in their annual travels, often traveling the same course year after year with little deviation. First-year birds often make their very first migration on their own. Somehow, they can find their winter home despite never having seen it before and return the following spring to where they were born.
The secrets of their amazing navigational skills are not fully understood, partly because birds combine several different types of senses when they navigate. Birds can get compass information from the sun, the stars, and by sensing the earth’s magnetic field. They also get information from the position of the setting sun and from landmarks seen during the day. There’s even evidence that sense of smell plays a role, at least for homing pigeons. Read more at https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/the-basics-how-why-and-where-of-bird-migration
Newsletter sign up and contributions
Know someone who would enjoy receiving this weekly newsletter? You can sign up for this newsletter at https://www.edmontonrivervalley.org/
If you have a photo, news, an event, volunteer or employment opportunity involving Edmonton’s river valley and would like to see it in this newsletter, please email the material to nsrivervalley@gmail.com
Sincerely yours,
Harvey Voogd
North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society
780.691.1712
nsrivervalley@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/NSRVCS/
http://www.edmontonrivervalley.org/