Wildlife passages reconnect natural ecosystems fragmented by urban development
Kurt Bauschardt photo
In Edmonton, the integration of wildlife passages, which allow land, aerial and aquatic animals to move safely through their habitat, reconnected dozens of natural ecosystems fragmented by urban development. It also reduced collisions involving vehicles and animals by more than 50 per cent between 2006 and 2015, according to the city.
Grant Pearsell, a former City of Edmonton executive who led the creation of the city’s ecological planning system, recalls one of the key challenges of designing these wildlife passages: Getting everyone on the same page. “What we found when we started the project was that ecologists and engineers didn’t speak the same language,” he recalls. “So, talks would break down.”
The solution: Create a tool that provides the specifications engineers need such as the dimensions, components and locations of a passage, based on the size, movement and habitat preferences of the various creatures in the city.
Working with animal behaviour experts at the University of Alberta, the city developed engineering guidelines that, among other things, organized the city’s animals into design groups, moose and deer, for example, are in the large terrestrial group while grey partridge and sharp-tailed grouse are in the ground-dwelling birds group.
Examples of recommendations in the guidelines include gently sloping underpass sidewalls for moose or deer, which could confuse straight walls for ledges where predators can hide. For amphibians like frogs, steel structures which conduct heat, trapping cold in the winter should be avoided because amphibians won’t use a passage if it’s too cold. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-green-space-and-wildlife-passages-preserve-urban-ecosystems-and/
Horses can sleep standing up but must lay down daily to get REM sleep
Horses slumber while standing to balance their need for sleep against the ever-looming threat of predators. They are big animals, and it takes time and energy for them to get off the ground. A standing horse is therefore much better able to run away when roused from sleep.
Horses have specialized anatomical features known as a stay apparatus that enable them to stay on their hooves while catching some z's. When a horse relaxes its leg muscles, the stay apparatus ligaments and tendons act as tension bands that stabilize the shoulder, knee and ankle joints in the legs. This enables the horse to remain standing without having to maintain much tension in their muscles.
Adult horses can get by on as little as 5 hours of sleep per day, and most of it while standing up. But an adequately rested horse requires at least 25 minutes of REM sleep per day, which can only happen while lying down. Because of this, horses must lie down every day.
Horses need to feel comfortable and safe before they are willing to lie down and sleep. In feral horse populations, if multiple horses lie down to get REM sleep at the same time, there will always be at least one horse that remains standing, likely to watch for potential predators. https://www.livescience.com/animals/land-mammals/why-do-horses-sleep-standing-up
Indigenous voices lacking in Edmonton’s Hawrelak Park project
In an opinion piece, Kristine Kowalchuk says as Indigenous History Month begins, it is worth reflecting on Council committee meetings on both the City of Edmonton’s Indigenous Framework annual report and the lessons learned in the Hawrelak Park project.
As far as we know, Hawrelak Park has never been the subject of Indigenous consultation. The current rehabilitation project was a major opportunity to correct a historic mistake. Yet this has not happened. When Edmonton River Valley Conservation Coalition and members of the Indigenous community raised concerns about the lack of Indigenous consultation for this project, we heard many excuses.
Consider what the $134-million budget for Hawrelak Park could do if it were redirected instead to Indigenous-led systems in our city, including river valley stewardship. This change would be transformational. We encourage city council to seriously reflect on the need for decolonial decision-making on all issues to end the colonial violence that continues in the river valley and city streets today.
We urge them to halt the Hawrelak Park project as a first act of ensuring that city land-use decisions align with the Indigenous Framework and begin again with meaningful consultation. https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-indigenous-voices-lacking-in-edmontons-hawrelak-park-project
1913 Magrath Mansion in Highlands declared an historic resource
Completed in 1913, the mansion was owned by William and Ada Magrath. William and his partner, Bidwell Holgate, formed the Magrath-Holgate Company to buy land in Highlands to build a suburb catering to Edmonton’s entrepreneurs and professionals. Ada Boulevard running in front of the mansion was named for Mrs. Magrath.
They hired architect Ernest Morehouse to design their stately mansion and the other high-end houses to be build in the new development. Morehouse designed 13 neighbourhood buildings between 1912-1915, including the Gibbard Block and the Highlands Methodist (now United) Church. Edmonton’s economy plunged into a recession in 1913 with only 50 of the 550 lots in the area having been developed.
William Magrath died in 1920 and the mansion was seized by the City in 1931 for unpaid taxes. The mansion’s classical revival style of architecture is shown in the side central staircase and the two-storey colonnade supported by classical columns. The grandeur of the mansion was intended to convey the vision the Magraths had for Highlands.
Concordia University of Edmonton, Alberta’s second oldest post-secondary institution, now owns the Magrath mansion. It is currently used for educational activities and donor, community, alumni and fundraising events, with all proceeds going toward student support. https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=6768
Pollinator week celebrates bees, birds, butterflies and other pollinators
Rod writes “Thanks for the informative article about Pollinator Week, June 19-25. Note that mosquitos are pollinators as well, including for some orchid species and some smaller flower species in wetlands. Credit where credit is due! https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-month/aedes_communis.shtml#:~:text=In%201913%2C%20it%20was%20first,that%20live%20in%20wetter%20environments
Pehonan by Tiffany Shaw-Collinge, INIW River Lot 11. Connor McNally still.
https://www.edmontonpublicart.ca/#!/details/186
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Please note that articles may not reflect the position of NSRVCS. River Valley News is meant to be a clearinghouse for the wide variety of opinions and ideas about Edmonton’s River Valley. Email river valley photos, event information, comments, or questions to nsrivervalley@gmail.com
Sincerely yours,
Harvey Voogd
North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society
780.691.1712