NSRVCS News - June 11, 2020

308 varieties of plants and animals found only in Canada
A new report has developed the first comprehensive list of plants, animals and fungi that can only be found in Canada. It identified 308 species, subspecies and varieties that have been documented from our country.
 
Alberta has 54 nationally endemic species, the third highest in Canada behind British Columbia and Quebec. An example is the Lake Louise Arnica, a colourful wildflower that can be found on exposed alpine slopes and calcareous rockslides at high elevations.
 
This imperiled yellow wildflower is found only in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta and BC. Also known as snow arnica, this species grows at high elevations on exposed alpine slopes and rockslides.
 
Edmonton’s river valley and its natural areas are important not only for people but plants, animals, insects, and other creatures. There is no reason why we need to lose any local species due to our neglect of this Ribbon of Green. Learn more about this new report at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/23b1ba2f0e2e46ce9a8c27412f414fc1

Alberta parks closure town hall
The Edmonton Chapter of The Council of Canadians is hosting a webinar titled Alberta Parks Threatened on Wednesday June 17 at 7:00 pm. The town hall will feature two expert speakers: Steve Donelon and Chris Smith from the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.
 
Donelon began a career with Alberta Parks in 1981, becoming the Regional Director for Kananaskis Country and then overseeing Alberta Parks provincial operations programs until his retirement in 2018, Steve was privileged to lead the Alberta Parks Program as Assistant Deputy Minister and co-lead Pathway to Canada Target 1, a national initiative developing a road map to meet Canada’s International commitments under Aichi Target 11 of the Convention on Bio-Diversity.
 
Smith has worked in three different countries and four Canadian provinces, contributing his experience to industry, government, and non-profits. Chris started with CPAWS Northern Alberta as a volunteer in 2018 and shortly after was brought on full-time as Parks Coordinator working on the Love Your Headwaters campaign.
 
The event will include question and answer opportunities. Registration at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jN_8NsukSkez6vam40_UEA

Building homes for bats
Bats are an important component of our ecosystem and are beneficial to people. As insectivores, bats feed heavily on moths, flies and mosquitoes and consume forest and farm pests. In fact, a single little brown bat can eat up to 600 mosquitoes in one hour.
 
The loss of old, large-diameter trees because of human development, agriculture, and resource extraction has reduced the number of natural roosting structures. Look around your area and ask the following questions. Are there mature trees, but they will be cut down soon because of safety reasons? Are there trees, but not the kind that will provide roost-features for bats e.g., peeling bark, crevices, old woodpecker holes?
 
Bats that use bat houses in Alberta will also roost in trees. However, not all bats that roost in trees will use bat houses. Trees are also important for providing foraging habitat and flight corridors for bats.
 
Bat houses can provide alternate roosting habitat in areas where suitable features are lacking. Learn how to build a bat house at https://www.albertabats.ca/wp-content/uploads/ACBP-Bat-Houses-in-Alberta.pdf Share river valley event, job posting, or news
If you have a river valley event, job posting, or news that you would like to see published in this newsletter, please send the info 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/

NSRVCS Newsletter May 28, 2020

River valley centre gets a poetic update with solar cells
The update of Edmonton Convention Centre’s iconic multi-level atrium that follows the slope of Edmonton’s river valley is nearing completion. The update includes Canada’s largest building-integrated photovoltaic system. The 35-year old skylight modernization includes a poetic message for visitors of the Centre and the river valley. 
 
The pattern of the cells opens to a circular oculus with lines of Morse code that spell out a poem. It is an excerpt of Gifts of a River by E.D. Blodgett, a former Edmonton Poet Laureate. The poem is legible from left to right within the atrium, but the visual appeal extends outside and across the valley. 
 
The new solar cells will convert sunlight into clean electricity while maintaining the transparency of the Centre’s current glass atrium. All 696 sloped panels on the atrium have been replaced. Even with the PV cells covering approximately 50% of the surface, more light is getting through to the atrium compared to the previous tinted panels.  
 
It is estimated that more than 200 Megawatt-hours of electricity will be generated each year and that the panels will reduce anticipated greenhouse gas emissions by over 150,000 kg. Read the poem and learn more at https://www.canadianarchitect.com/edmonton-convention-centre-gets-a-poetic-update-with-canadas-largest-bipv-system/

Pollinators and your garden
While you may not be concerned about maximizing the harvest from your garden, having native pollinators can be helpful. Native bees in your garden can increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you can grow. Native pollinators can also help encourage your flowerbed to increase flower production. When a flower has increased success with producing seeds one year, they will increase the number of flowers they put out the year after.  
 
June 22-28 is designated National Pollinator Week to raise awareness of the many challenges facing pollinators today and highlight ways to help them. Native bees in Alberta are pollen-collecting bees and are 2-3 times more effective at pollination than the honeybee. Wasps, flies, beetles, butterflies, and moths are also important pollinators.
 
If you want to encourage more native pollinators, here are seven native plants you can add to your yard to improve your local ecosystem and help bees and other pollinators living nearby https://www.ealt.ca/blog/plant-this-not-that-20

Indigenous Environmental Stewardship and Reclamation 
Yellowhead Tribal College is still accepting applications for Fall 2020 from students interested in two exciting programs: Indigenous Environmental Stewardship and Reclamation (IESR) and Renewable Energy Installation Assistant-Photovoltaic (REIA).
 
IESR prepares students for the demanding and evolving field of environmental safeguarding, reclamation, and restoration. REIA is a one-year, 12-course certificate program that prepares and trains students for careers in the growing field of photovoltaic panel, also known as solar panel, installation.
 
Both programs provide students with a background in theory and practice, including laboratory work and field experiences. Learning from academics, Elders, industry, and community experts, students will learn how environmental science or renewable energy technology  and Traditional Ecological Knowledge are vital in balancing traditional values and the needs of the industry and communities in either the continued development of resources or the development of green energy. Learn more at https://ytced.ab.ca/ Share river valley event, job posting, or news
If you have a river valley event, job posting, or news that you would like to see published in this newsletter, please send the info 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/

NSRVCS News - June 4, 2020

Are illegal bike trails a growing problem?
Wildflower News, the newsletter of the Edmonton Native Plant Society, has an article on the disrespectful and willful damage being done to our river valley called Are We Entitled to Treat our River Valley as One Giant Gym?
 
The piece states one problem that has become increasingly obvious over the last few years to those who frequent the river valley, especially people who visit different parks and areas, is the explosion of narrow, beaten earth side trails that has taken place. They emanate from the main trails and are especially abundant on the banks and escarpments of the ravines.
 
These trails are not sanctioned by the City and in fact contravene the parkland bylaw that forbids destruction of vegetation. Although some hikers may use them, the chief trail-makers are mountain bikers, who use these short-cuts with their steep slopes and root-knotted hazards, to give them their recreational thrills. These illegal trails are now so numerous that they form an extensive network throughout the entire river valley and ravine system.
 
Ecologically they are a disaster; they scar the landscape; they fragment habitat ensuring that there are few parts of the river valley were wildlife can be free of human influence, and they facilitate the spread of weeds. Read the complete article at http://cloud2.snappages.com/be296ab53ae397c57bac9e522bed2bb32a5a17f8/June%202020%20Wildflower%20News%20.pdf

Indigenous landmarks and spaces in Edmonton
Amiskwaciy Waskahikan, also known as Edmonton, is home to many breathtaking Indigenous landmarks and spaces. Connect with the city's past, present, and future while taking in everything from outdoor art installations to beautiful serene gardens.
 
One example, located to the west of the Edmonton Convention Centre and behind the old Edmonton Visitor Information Centre, is the Community Medicine Wheel Garden. This garden is located on the rooftop of the Riverview Room and provides stunning views of the gorgeous river valley.
 
The garden itself is in the shape of a medicine wheel, a symbol that honours all four directions, medicines, cycles of life and animals. The garden was created in guidance with local Cree Elder Francis Whiskeyjack. The garden is filled with dozens of plants indigenous to the area, and medicines that the Indigenous peoples often used in food, for healing, and for ceremony.
 
Complete information for all the landmarks and spaces at https://exploreedmonton.com/articles/indigenous-landmarks

High Level Bridge - Edmonton’s most iconic structure
Construction began in 1910, but the project had its start in 1903, when the CPR decided to move forward with plans to extend its line from Strathcona to Edmonton. The federal government passed legislation requiring the crossing to be 150 feet above the water of the North Saskatchewan River, so that meant a high level rather than a low level bridge.
 
The deck at the top of the structure carried three tracks: the centre for trains, the two outside for electric streetcars. The road deck was located twenty feet below, with two sidewalks eight feet wide supported on cantilever brackets.
 
With the final girder in place, on June 2, 1913 the first CPR passenger train with seven cars and 200 passengers steamed into Edmonton over the newly completed structure. August 11, the first streetcar made the journey across the upper deck. One passenger reported the trip this way: “From the streetcar, one looks down from a dizzy height into the murky waters of the Saskatchewan without so much as a handrail to break the gaze into the abysmal depths below.” 
 
Streetcars ran across the bridge every day for the next 38 years until service was terminated on September 1, 1951 as part of the dismantling of the city’s streetcar service. After a few years, the streetcar tracks across the bridge were removed, while the railway track saw further use until the 1980s. Luckily, it was never lifted and serves today as right-of-way for the High Level Bridge Streetcar service provided by the Edmonton Radial Railway Society. Learn more at https://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2014/07/17/the-high-level-bridge-at-100/

Recipes for White Spruce salt and sugar
White Spruce trees are one of the most widespread conifer trees in Alberta’s boreal forest. They grow in well-drained, moist soils and can be found throughout western, central, and northern Alberta. This evergreen tree is a common winter food source for many birds and mammals, especially squirrels, who rely on their cones as a primary food source.
 
White Spruce trees also have a variety of uses for people. The branches have been used to make lean-to shelters and wind barriers, and larger wood pieces, once dried, act as good canoe frames, paddles, and snowshoes. The needles or tips are stiff and have a bright green colour and add a citrusy flavor to salt and sugar.
 
Indigenous peoples used white spruce for a wide variety of culinary and medicinal purposes. Spruce resin was used by many different nations across Canada and the U.S. as chewing gum. Add spruce tip salt to fish, eggs, vegetables, or anywhere else you’d like a natural, lemony flavour. Recipes for this and spruce tip sugar, which makes a wonderful shortbread, can be found at https://www.ealt.ca/natures-nourishment-1/spruce-tip-salt

Share river valley event, job posting, or news
If you have a river valley event, job posting, or news that you would like to see published in this newsletter, please send the info 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/