Highlands Scenic Drive now part of Dawson and Kinnaird parks
Constructed between 1932 and 1937, Highlands Scenic Drive was in what is now Dawson and Kinnaird parks between 82 and 67 Street. It was initially envisioned as an extended Jasper Avenue, but it soon morphed into a gently inclined drive along the bank of the river, and across the mouth of Rat Creek and thence in a north-easterly direction leading up to Ada Boulevard near 71 Street.
Opponents included Gladys Reeves, who asked “if the real beauty of the bank is best not viewed better from the top road, rather than cutting a gash right through the centre of those lines of beauty and thereby destroying fully a third of the growth as in the new scenic drive. To us it is like trying to view a beautiful picture by standing in the middle of the canvas.”
As the years passed, worsening road conditions, an unstable bank, and shifting policy surrounding the North Saskatchewan River valley, with an increased focus on recreation and conservation, spelt its demise, and between 1975 and 1978, the City undertook a naturalization program.
Bolstered by a $40 million provincial contribution, the area around the drive’s right-of-way, including an ex-dump, were transformed into Dawson and Kinnaird parks. All that remains is a dirt walking trail along the road’s old path. https://www.forgottenedmonton.com/blog/the-highlands-scenic-drive
Motus tracks birds that fly within 15 km of tower
Beaverhill Bird Observatory (BBO) has a Motus Wildlife Tracking System (Motus) which began operation on its 80-foot tower in August 2021. Motus is an international collaborative research network that uses coordinated automated radio telemetry to facilitate research and education on the ecology and conservation of migratory animals.
An important set of records occurred when 25 different Bank Swallows visited in the second half of July. These birds had been tagged near St. Albert, Alberta; Fox Creek, BC; Whitehorse, Yukon; and Fairbanks, Alaska. The tagging projects seek to better understand the migration routes and migratory phenology of the species, which is listed as threatened under Canada’s Species at Risk Act.
The two projects tagged 178 swallows and 25 visited on their southward migration. Bank Swallows, like other swallows, are renowned for their flying prowess. This was exemplified by a trip undertaken by one bird from Fairbanks to BBO, 2326 km, in only four days. The bird averaged 27 km/h for four days straight.
When a bird with a nanotag flies within 15 km of the BBO tower, the tag's signal is picked up and its serial number is decoded. The record is then automatically sent to Birds Canada’s central computer where the information is made available on their website https://motus.org/
Study finds outdoor cats hunt and scavenge 2,000 species globally
A new study has found cats roaming free prey upon almost any animal, reptile, insect, and amphibian around the world, their hunting so prolific and so successful, the authors found, that it poses a legitimate threat to global biodiversity.
Almost half of the victims were birds, followed by reptiles and mammals. Researchers also found a surprising number of insects, including emperor dragonflies and endangered monarch butterflies. The paper said the cat is among the most successful and problematic invasive predators in the world, a claim that has been made about cats before.
The menu includes nearly 350 species that are threatened, vulnerable or endangered, including the little brown bat and green sea turtles. Cats proved especially lethal on islands that have evolved without as many natural predators.
Most victims were small, weighing less than five kilograms, but cats scavenged the carcasses of animals much larger than they could kill themselves, like camels. The paper said the cats also ate spoiled and wasted food people left outside. https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/cats-are-killer-in-case-you-weren-t-aware-1.7059683
40 qualified field technologists needed for 2024 summer program
Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) is seeking up to 40 qualified summer Field Technologists to survey terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity indicators. Field work is done in shifts of up to 10 days, in groups of two throughout Alberta: sometimes up to 500 m from a partner and often in bear country.
This position is part of a large scale, broad-based monitoring program that informs on the state of biodiversity across the province of Alberta through field data collection (forest stand, soil, ecosites, wildlife monitoring, vascular plant identification, wetland assessments, ground validation) in all regions of the province.
Data collection is physically demanding with uncooperative weather, wildlife encounters, difficult terrain, and persistent insects. All technical training and certifications are provided. Deadline to apply is February 29, 2024 https://abmi.ca/home/careers/career-listings/Summer-Field-Technologists--up-to-40-Positions-0.html
Snow Valley, near the Whitemud Freeway at 119 Street in Rainbow Valley, was opened in 1961 by members of the Eskimo Ski Club.
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