Mountain View County signed a conservation easement with Legacy Land Trust Society in 2020 on the Campbell Pit property—160 acres— near Eagle Hill, Alberta.
The Little Red Deer River winds through the land drawing animals of all shapes and sizes to the area. In the summer, the river and its floodplain wetlands are a haven for waterfowl, and the forests along its eroded banks are home to many songbirds.
During the baseline inventory, a rare species of water bird–a Sora–was discovered in the wetland below the reclaimed gravel pit. Its status in Alberta is listed as “Sensitive”. Since 1994 large declines have occurred in Sora populations (more than 50%), mainly due to the loss of wetland habitat.
Explorations in the winter months discovered footprints of ungulates such as moose and deer, along with mammals like squirrels, coyotes and pine marten.
Cattle graze the upland pasture area of the reclaimed gravel pit during the summer months, contributing to the agricultural industry. The riparian areas are fenced to keep cattle out and an offsite water system has been installed.
The importance of properties like this, in an increasingly fragmented landscape, cannot be stated enough. Here animals and birds find solace from the bustle of the surrounding lands, and can go about their lives uninterrupted.
Thanks to the work of Mountain View County, this land is protected in perpetuity from habitat destruction, through the conservation easement signed with Legacy Land Trust Society.
Sally Banks
Sandy EasterbrookSullivan Lake 2021