Owl Ridge Conservation Easement 2018

Owl Ridge Conservation Easement, a 114-acre parcel of Lower Foothills habitat owned by Doug and Barbara Collister, lies adjacent to Winchell Lake Environmentally Significant Area (ESA) in the southwest corner of Mountain View County.

A professional biologist, Doug discovered the property while owling and returned on several occasions. When the property came up for sale in 1987 he and Barb walked it together and decided to buy it with the intention of preservation.

As the name suggests multiple owl species—including Great Gray, Barred, Northern Saw-whet, Boreal and Northern Pygmy—call Owl Ridge home. Other owl species like Northern Hawk Owl and Great Horned Owl visit from time to time. The property also hosts a diversity of songbirds, including Connecticut Warbler, Ovenbird and Townsend’s Solitaire, as well as many other wildlife species.

“Although we recognize the importance of agriculture,” says Doug, “we feel strongly that there needs to be a range of habitat quality on Alberta landscapes. A supply of non-grazed and otherwise undisturbed habitat helps to balance out the biodiversity-reducing effects of other more intensive land-use activities.”