Hares now found in most YEG neighbourhoods
Hares belong to the Lagomorph family, a family that also includes the mountain-dwelling pika. One of the interesting characteristics of this family is that individuals produce two types of fecal pellets: dry and moist. The dry ones are expelled and left behind. The moist pellets, called cecotropes, are expelled but immediately re-ingested so remaining nutrients can be absorbed.
Alberta has two types of hares, snowshoe hares and white-tailed jackrabbits. Despite their name, white-tailed jackrabbits are our largest hares. Hares tend to peak every 10 years. Baby hares, called leverets, are born with fur, can see, and are mobile within an hour of birth. Hares do not keep a customary den, but will find or dig out shallow depressions, called forms, for resting and birthing their young.
Hares change from brown in the summer to white in the winter and will readily dine on bark and twigs. They will hide among and under rocks, outbuildings, hollow logs, and other covered spaces. When faced with danger, hares usually try to run away and outmanoeuvre their pursuers.
Hares tend to pair up only to mate and are widely distributed across the prairie and parkland regions of the province. They have found cities so much to their liking that university campuses, parks, and most urban neighbourhoods in Edmonton now support large populations. More at https://naturealberta.ca/rabbits-and-hares/
Beaver Hills designated as a UNESCO biosphere in 2016
A biosphere is the natural shape of an ecosystem. Within the distinct contours of the Beaver Hills rests about 1600 sq km of terrain. It stretches over 21 Alberta townships, extends into parts of 5 different counties and is home to more than 13,000 people. As an oasis of boreal mixed wood forest and wetlands within the Beaver Hills sub watershed, it’s also a critically important home to a vital ecosystem sustaining over 300 species of wildlife.
A United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designation is international recognition of a community striving to preserve balance with nature. It acknowledges a collective commitment to protecting significant habitats through conservation and sustainable economic development.
Federal and provincial legislation protects a green core consisting of Elk Island National Park and Miquelon Lake Provincial Park. These parks are supported by a buffer of recreation areas, a game bird sanctuary and an abundance of parcels set aside by municipal governments and private land trusts. Together the core and buffer areas keep nearly 1/3 of the Beaver Hills safe from development pressure.
Biospheres are also containers of historical and cultural significance. The Beaver Hills are full of old stories and were of central importance to Indigenous peoples who relied on this diverse ecosystem for shelter, hunting and natural resources. These hills are part of Treaty 6 territory. Watch A Biosphere in Our Own Backyard https://www.beaverhills.ca/explore/videos
Sedum lanceolatum a succulent plant that thrives in dry exposed sites
Sedum lanceolatum is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae known by the common names spearleaf stonecrop and lanceleaf stonecrop. It is native to western North America, including Alberta. It is a succulent plant.
Succulents are drought resistant plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water. Succulents are characterized by their ability to thrive on limited water sources, such as mist and dew, which makes them equipped to survive in an ecosystem that contains scarce water sources.
This flowering plant is the host plant of the butterfly species Parnassius smintheus or Rocky Mountain apollo, a high-altitude butterfly found in the Rocky Mountains. The butterfly primarily feeds on the leaves of the plant as larvae and on its nectar as adults. The plant produces a deterrent so that herbivores do not feed on it. The butterfly's larvae sequester sarmentosin from the plant for their own defense.
This hardy succulent produces bright yellow star-like flowers and the green waxy foliage turns reddish in the fall. Use in rock gardens, dry exposed sites or with low spreading evergreens. A great choice for isolated flowerbeds that get little or no attention. Learn more https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedum_lanceolatum
What happened to Baden Powell Park
Mark writes “Another good weekly newsletter. As an old scout & scouter, and one who once met Lady Baden Powel, I much appreciated the notes on Baden Powell Park...something we should revive/restore.”
Sound Columns by Darren Copeland and Andreas Kahre, Queen Elizabeth Pool. An installation that invites people to immerse themselves in the audio streams located at the entrance to the Pool. https://www.edmontonpublicart.ca/#!/details/29
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
