Leafcutter BeeSally Banks

Cut It Out!

Have you ever wondered what makes small, circular cutouts in your garden leaves? Leafcutter Bees - Sarah Leach (PDF)

Rufous Hummingbirds

Don’t think just bees when it comes to pollinators! Some birds, such as hummingbirds, also help get the job done. Rufous Hummingbirds - Bob Griebel (PDF)

Northern Leopard Frog Conservation in Alberta

How did these frogs become an indicator species for Alberta's wetland ecosystems? Alistair Baron explains. Northern Leopard Frog Conservation in Alberta (PDF)
How to Help BeesSally Banks

How To Help Our Native Bees

Save the Bees has become a rallying cry to help declining bee populations but although the sentiment is well-intentioned it often leads to misunderstanding about where and what the real problem is. How To Help Our Native Bees - Aalistair…
Losing the Dark - Night sky in Central Alberta

Losing the Dark

Have you checked out the night sky lately? On a clear night a hundred years ago, the Milky Way appeared bright enough that it cast several different shadows from sunset to sunrise. Nowadays, we are lucky to notice it at all! Losing the Dark…
Rivers and Run OffSally Banks

Rivers and Runoff

During spring runoff, it can be difficult to identify exactly how much water is too much. Mountain View County has experienced a significant amount of moisture so far this spring. In April, ice jams created floods across Alberta, including…
Stickleback

Some Fish of the Red Deer River Watershed

As the spring arrives and life returns to the riparian zone, I’ve been thinking about some of the aquatic neighbours we have in Mountain View County and the Red Deer River watershed. Here’s an introduction to a few of the fish species…
white nose syndrome in bats

White-Nose Syndrome in Bats

Untold numbers of North American bats have died because of white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal infection that gets its name from the fuzzy white coating that appears on a bat's wings, face and nose... White-Nose Syndrome in Bats (PD…