River Valley News - Oct 13, 2022

Guest User

October 14, 2022

New interactive atlas a bird watcher virtual paradise
The Bird Migration Explorer mapping tool, a new online atlas of bird migration, includes interactive, animated maps of the full annual migration for 458 species; more than 4.2 million point-to-point migratory bird connections across the hemisphere; and visualizations for 19 selected Conservation Challenges that migratory birds are exposed to throughout the year across the Americas.

The Bird Migration Explorer mapping tool, available free to the public, is an ongoing collaboration between 11 groups that collect and analyze data on bird movements, including the National Audubon Society, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Birds Canada, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, and the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center.

The site will bring together online data from hundreds of scientific studies that use GPS tags to track bird movements, as well as more than 100 years of bird-banding data collected by USGS, community science observations entered into Cornell’s eBird platform, genomic analysis of feathers to pinpoint bird origins, and other data. The Bird Migration Explorer is available at https://explorer.audubon.org/home?threatOverlay=expand&zoom=3&x=1306099.1620122588&y=2810864.562197212

City’s current black knot focus is southwest Edmonton
With over 380,000 trees in the Open Space and Boulevard tree inventory, the City of Edmonton has a four-year pruning cycle for trees impacted by black knot. Pruning takes place between late fall to early spring when tree and spores are dormant, knots are easier to see, and temperatures consistently below zero. Edmonton’s southwest quadrant is the focus of the fall 2022-winter 2023 pruning schedule.

Black knot is caused by the fungus Apiosporina morbosa and attacks various trees and shrubs. It infects trees within the Prunus genus, which includes different types of plum and cherry trees. The fungus has also been known to infect shrubs in the Rose family. The spores spread in warm and wet weather.

It is spread through spores by rain, wind, birds, and insects that have had contact with infected trees. The spores spread in the spring and infect other trees, then in the summer the infection creates green swellings at the tip of the branches. In the following years, these swellings blacken and enlarge.

Black knot is an increasingly common disease. Trees on private property are the owner’s responsibility. When pruning trees in your yard, destroy infected pruning immediately, as they can continue to produce spores for months after being removed. Galls should be sealed in a plastic bag and placed in your black garbage cart for disposal. More information at https://www.edmonton.ca/programs_services/pests/black-knot

This plant named for North American explorer Meriwether Lewis
Wild Blue Flax, Linum lewisii, is a Prairie flax that grows 18-20 inches tall. It rarely stands straight up, but rather leans at an angle. Flowers are pale blue. Each stem produces several flowers, blooming from the bottom upward. The seeds are produced on the lower flowers while those above continue to bloom.

Graceful airy stems covered in blue flowers bloom early summer and repeat blooms more lightly throughout summer. Not long-lived, allow volunteer seedlings to replace the older plants. Mature plants do not like to be transplanted, but small seedlings transplant well.

This plant is a great drought-tolerant species for dry areas. It stays small in the first year of growth but will grow rapidly and bloom in 2nd year. Info at http://eng.snappages.com/native-plants-l

Comment or contribution
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

Guest User

October 7, 2022

River Valley News - Oct 6, 2022

Guest User

October 7, 2022

Manitou Asinîy, also known as the Manitou Stone, to return home
The Government of Alberta has signed a co-stewardship agreement to work with the Manitou Asinîy-Iniskim-Tsa Xani Center to return the Manitou Stone to its historic home where it will be protected and shared.

The meteorite returned to Alberta in 1972 when the University of Toronto loaned it to the Royal Alberta Museum, and it was renamed the Manitou Stone. In 2002, the UofT transferred stewardship of the stone to the museum. Studies determined the 145-kilogram rock was more than four billion years old.

Methodist missionary George McDougall felt the stone hampered his ability to convert Indigenous people to Christianity. So, he stole it and moved it to his churchyard near Smoky Lake. It sat there for 10 years before he donated it to his alma mater Victoria Methodist College. For a century, it remained in Victoria College, which became part of the UofT.

Edmonton ward Sspomitapi honours the Buffalo Old Man meteorite, now named Manitou Stone. Sspomitapi means star person in Blackfoot. The ward name was given in honour of the Buffalo Old Man meteorite that was located within Blackfoot territory. They permitted all tribes to share and perform ceremonies before the meteorite was taken away in 1866.

In Blackfoot cosmology, the sun is the father, and the moon is the mother. There are many stories acknowledging the sky beings which include the stars. Sspomitapi was sent to earth by the creator for the Blackfoot and the bison to have a reciprocal relationship. It is also brought sacred teaching which are still used today. Watch video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmUhuqbGIJY

Not all owls are nocturnal
Owls are top predators and help control populations of rodents, including mice. Most populations are secure in their status, but some are Sensitive in Alberta, and the Burrowing Owl is endangered in Canada. Conserving forest, grassland and open habitat is important for ensuring healthy populations.

Owls do not build nests, but use tree cavities, abandoned nests of crows and hawks, or mammal burrows. Some also use artificial nest boxes or platforms. They swallow their food whole, and regurgitate a pellet of the inedible fur, feathers and bones a few hours later.

Not all owls are nocturnal. Some are active during the day, and some are most active at dawn and dusk, referred to as crepuscular. The Great Horned Owl is Alberta’s official bird. Edmonton & Area Land Trust has prepared an Alberta Owls info sheet https://static1.squarespace.com/static/569ec99b841abaccb7c7e74c/t/62b0dcabc39f03541beb9b12/1655757997412/Infosheet_Owls.pdf

Roper Pond natural area a YEG hidden gem
Located at 7004 McIntyre Rd, Roper Pond was constructed in 2004 as a naturalized stormwater treatment facility and was built to mimic a riverine marsh ecosystem. The site consists of a large open water area with an emergent vegetation fringe and surrounding upland deciduous forests along the southwest and southeast perimeter of the wetland.

Roper Pond is connected to riparian areas of Mill Creek that form a relatively continuous corridor southward. The Mill Creek riparian corridor also extends northward to the North Saskatchewan River; however, portions of the creek are culverted causing interruptions in the corridor.

It has a loop trail that can easily be done in less than ½ hour. Driving by this industrial area, you would never know this neat natural area existed in the heart of Edmonton. Moose, deer, rabbits, coyotes, gophers, and a large variety of birds, including owls, plants and insects, have been seen here. Information at
https://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/environmental_stewardship/roper-pond-constructed-wetland

Fall owl banding at Lady Flower Gardens until October 28
Boreal Avian Research & Conservation Association (BARCA) is doing owl banding at Lady Flower Gardens every Thursday and Friday evening until October 28. On September 22, they successfully released a rehabilitated Long-eared owl from WILDNorth. They also captured and banded three Northern Saw-whet owls, two hatch-year and one second year.

After breeding season ends and young saw-whet owls become completely independent, they start moving away from breeding grounds. Data suggests that the juvenile owls are the first to start this journey, followed by older birds. In Alberta, post-natal dispersion of these small owls, as well as Fall movements, are still not well understood.

By trapping and banding owls during September to October, BARCA wants to investigate the timing and the magnitude of Northern Saw-whet owl migration, as well as document the importance of forested habitats near large urban centers or industrial areas.

One of its main study sites is at Lady Flower Gardens, an 80-hectare floodplain forest, situated on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. Dominant trees are balsam poplar and trembling aspen, with pockets of white spruce. It is one of the few native forest pockets in the highly industrialized area around Edmonton and Fort Saskatchewan. More information at https://www.barcaalberta.org/news

Guest User

September 29, 2022

River Valley News - Sept 29, 2022

Guest User

September 29, 2022

National Urban Park plan does not include federal administration
Concern has been raised that a proposed national urban park in Edmonton & Area would mean loss of control of our North Saskatchewan River Valley. Recently, a Parks Canada representative told Saskatoon councillors local leadership would remain central to operating a national urban park.

According to Parks Canada, Ottawa has broad priorities for its proposed network of national urban parks, but they don’t include day-to-day management. “I’d like to emphasize that we do not anticipate federal administration for the Saskatoon-region site,” Parks Canada project manager Laurel Carlton said during a presentation to city council’s community services committee.

She said policies are still being developed, but the program has three overarching goals: conservation, fostering connection with nature, and reconciliation with Indigenous people. The federal government’s $130 million plan for a network of as many as seven parks was first announced in Saskatoon last summer.

The City of Edmonton wants your input into the benefits and challenges of a National Urban Park. Share your thoughts, ideas, and concerns about what an Edmonton & Area National Urban Park could look like via a survey open from September 26 until October 10 at https://engaged.edmonton.ca/nationalurbanpark

Infill developers are key decision-makers in YEG’s private urban forest
Tomorrow Foundation for a Sustainable Future, an environmental charity, has released a report working to understand the impacts of how new housing infill developments affect the City of Edmonton’s climate mitigation, resilience and adaptation strategies.

In summer 2021, they conducted a pilot project in Queen Alexandra Neighbourhood, a mature neighbourhood where a lot of residential infill development is occurring. The resulting report is titled Private Urban Forest: Estimating the Value of Trees for Sustainable Housing Densification.

Private urban forest refers to trees on private property, not maintained by the City of Edmonton. The oldest private trees typically sit on properties of the oldest homes because they are often planted when a property is developed. Due to their size, older mature trees provide the most benefits for climate and other ecosystem services. The larger they are, the more they can do to clean our air, absorb stormwater, reduce GHG emissions from our atmosphere, and provide potential energy savings to homes.

Infill housing development sites are a place where the city’s tree inventory is actively changing; older trees are often removed while new trees are being planted. As infill occurs, mature trees are lost due to the land being cleared for new development. Therefore, infill developers are key decision-makers in preserving trees in the city as well as deciding what new trees will be planted. Read report at https://tomorrowfoundation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/PUF-Final-Report.pdf

Premier Lougheed and the Capital City Recreation Park
On April 26, 1974 Premier Peter Lougheed announced approval of the Capital City Recreation Park for Edmonton. This unique urban park, estimated to cost $35 million dollars, promised five main features.

A series of new provincial and city parks and recreation areas involving over 3,000 acres of land on either side of a 16km stretch of the North Saskatchewan River, beginning at the High Level Bridge and ending 2km north of the Beverly Bridge and including the Legislature area.

A series of six pedestrian and bicycle river and highway crossings, strategically located along the river and connected to 46km of foot paths, bike trails, observation posts, park bench areas and horticultural displays throughout the 16km stretch of the river valley. A Natural Resources Science Centre depicting the growth of Alberta’s natural resources.

Several man-made lakes in river parks and the possible creation of a river valley lake by placing a weir across the river to permit recreational sports events. A Water Conservation Area encompassing a minimum of 240m set-back from each shoreline of the river, with appropriate bank protection, terracing and landscaping along the river. The announcement stated, “This Park is our vision of a good quality of life to be enjoyed by the people of Edmonton and by their children.”

A 3-sided pillar in Gold Bar Park contains these words and other plaques celebrating the announcement. Catch a flavour of the work done by reading Edmonton Restores Its River Valley: A Capital Case for Reclamation at https://www.jstor.org/stable/44669647?seq=12#metadata_info_tab_contents

River valley trees and beavers
City of Edmonton responded to the question about tree caging with the following email "Overall, the trees we wire are the "prize" trees, usually mature trees in prominent areas of parks, near walkways and trails, or that might cause infrastructure damage if they fell. We don't wire small, young trees, and the vast majority of the river valley and ravines are left for beavers to chew as they will. This year to date we have wired about 450 trees. Out of the estimated 4 million or so trees, that comes to effectively zero percent. Many of the trees wired each year are actually re-installations after the previous wire has been removed, damaged or is getting too tight for the tree."

River Valley News not too short, not too long, just right
Masood writes “After reading the River Valley News emails for months, I can’t hold back the urge to tell you how much I look forward to these emails. They are ‘just right’! Not too short, not too long, informative, but not preachy, progressive, but not obnoxiously so. They remind me why I love Edmonton and reinforce my intent to never live anywhere else.”