Lethbridge Christmas Bird Count
Dec
14
8:00 AM08:00

Lethbridge Christmas Bird Count

“Prior to the turn of the 20th century, people engaged in a holiday tradition known as the Christmas “Side Hunt”. They would choose sides and go afield with their guns; whoever brought in the biggest pile of feathered (and furred) quarry won. Conservation was in its beginning stages around that era and many observers and scientists were becoming concerned about declining bird populations. Beginning on Christmas Day 1900, ornithologist Frank M. Chapman, an early officer in the Audubon Society proposed a new holiday tradition – a “Christmas Bird Census” – that would count birds during the holidays rather than hunt them. So began the Christmas Bird Count.”

Source:  www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count 

 

This year is the 125th annual Christmas Bird Count in North America. Records show that Lethbridge volunteers and bird enthusiasts have participated in the count since at least 1983. Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) are conducted between December 14th and January 5th each year. Each count takes place in the same established 24 km. (15 mile) wide diameter circle every year. The center of the circle for Lethbridge is the old water tower on Mayor Magrath Drive and 3rd. Ave. south. CBCs are a very important part of Citizen Science. Lethbridge’s CBC is on Saturday, December 14th  this year. New participants are always welcome. If you are interested you can contact the coordinator Ken Orich at korich@telusplanet.net .

Ken must know if you are interested no later than Wednesday, December 11th.

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Milk River Christmas Bird Count
Jan
4
8:00 AM08:00

Milk River Christmas Bird Count

“Prior to the turn of the 20th century, people engaged in a holiday tradition known as the Christmas “Side Hunt”. They would choose sides and go afield with their guns; whoever brought in the biggest pile of feathered (and furred) quarry won. Conservation was in its beginning stages around that era and many observers and scientists were becoming concerned about declining bird populations. Beginning on Christmas Day 1900, ornithologist Frank M. Chapman, an early officer in the Audubon Society proposed a new holiday tradition – a “Christmas Bird Census” – that would count birds during the holidays rather than hunt them. So began the Christmas Bird Count.”

Source:  www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count 

 

This year is the 125th annual Christmas Bird Count in North America. Records show that volunteers and bird enthusiasts have participated in the count since 2010. Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) are conducted between December 14th and January 5th each year. Each count takes place in the same established 24 km. (15 mile) wide diameter circle every year. The center of the circle for the Milk River count is the Junction of Hwy. 4 and Hwy. 501. CBCs are a very important part of Citizen Science. Milk River’s CBC is on Saturday, January 4, 2025. New participants are always welcome. If you are interested you can contact the coordinator Ken Orich at korich@telusplanet.net .

Ken must know if you are interested no later than Friday, December 27, 2024.

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Annual General Meeting 2024
Nov
13
8:00 PM20:00

Annual General Meeting 2024

NATURE LETHBRIDGE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AGENDA

8:00 PM Wednesday, November 13, 2024

  1. Call to Order

  2. Approval of the Agenda

  3. Approval of the Minutes of the 2023 Annual General Meeting

  4. Reports of Officers:
    a. President’s Report
    b. Treasurer’s Report

  5. New Business
    a. Election of Officers 2024/2025
    b. Appointment of Auditors 2024/2025

  6. Business Arising
      

  7. Adjournment

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Snow Geese Field Trip
Nov
9
8:00 AM08:00

Snow Geese Field Trip

'Tis the season for Snow Goose migration!

Join us as we head out in search of large Snow Goose flocks south and east of Lethbridge. Flocks numbering in the thousands or tens of thousands are possible, and they are among the greatest avian spectacles Alberta has to offer! Of course, we hope to see birds other than Snow Geese as well.

Meet in northwest corner of south side Fairway Plaza Safeway parking lot 8:00 am.

Leaders: David Scott (ds1908@live.ca), and Ken Orich (korich@telusplanet.net).

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Dr. Jenny McCune - How Do Trails Affect the Plants Growing Near Them in the Castle Parks?
Oct
9
7:00 PM19:00

Dr. Jenny McCune - How Do Trails Affect the Plants Growing Near Them in the Castle Parks?

People benefit a lot by getting out into provincial and national parks to enjoy nature. Lucky for us, those parks are criss-crossed by roads and trails that help us access our favourite spots. But these roads and trails can also affect the plant and animal species that live in wilderness areas. In this talk, Jenny will tell us about a study she and her students did to test how roads and trails affect plants in the Castle Provincial Parks here in southern Alberta. They learned that the impact of trails on plants depends a lot on the type of trail use, and the vegetation type the trail crosses. They also showed that exotic plants tend to turn up at higher elevations near off-highway vehicle trails. Trails are important for accessing and appreciating nature, but it is worthwhile to consider their impacts on the wild species we are hoping to protect.

The presentation will be held at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre community room, located in the Lethbridge river valley at the north end of Indian Battle Road South.

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Riparian evening nature walk in Six Mile Coulee
Jul
4
7:00 PM19:00

Riparian evening nature walk in Six Mile Coulee

  • Directions to meeting place – turn south at traffic light on corner of Scenic Drive & 20th Street South, proceed south on Tudor Crescent 2 blocks to Tudor Blvd, turn right (west). This angles back north and dead ends at a turn-around parking area.

  • Meet here 7:00 pm.

  • Leaders: Norine Ambrose (nambrose@cowsandfish.org), and Graeme Greenlee (pgreenlee@telus.net), ph 403-328-8977.

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Great Blue Heron nesting colony
May
29
6:30 AM06:30

Great Blue Heron nesting colony

  • Meet in northwest corner of south side Fairway Plaza Safeway parking lot 6:30 pm

  • Directions: south on Hwy 5 to Twp Rd 70  (approximately 16 km), turn left (east) and go 5 km to concrete bridge, cross the bridge, turn right (south) and go ½ km, turn left (east) into the farm yard of Rory Russell and Rhiann Thomas

  • Leaders: Graeme & Pat Greenlee (pgreenlee@telus.net), ph 403-328-8977

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Six Mile Coulee evening nature walk
May
22
7:00 PM19:00

Six Mile Coulee evening nature walk

  • Directions to meeting place: turn south at traffic light on corner of Scenic Drive & 20 Street South, proceed south on Tudor Crescent 2 blocks to Tudor Blvd, turn right (west). This angles back north and dead ends at a turn-around parking area.
    Meet here 7:00 pm.

  • Leaders: Graeme and Pat Greenlee (pgreenlee@telus.net), ph 403-328-8977

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May
11
9:00 AM09:00

Whimbrels, northeast of Taber

  • Meet in northwest corner of south side Fairway Plaza Safeway parking lot 9:00 am, or at Bennett farm 10:00 am

  • Directions: 4 miles east of Taber on Hwy 3 to range Road 160 (just east of the large green Viterra building), go north 3.5 miles to Lloyd’s farm, address #104043 RR160

  • Leaders: Lloyd Bennett (loydyoli@gmail.com), ph 403-223-0456, and Graeme Greenlee (pgreenlee@telus.net), ph 403-328-8977

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Janna Casson - Agriculture Impacts on Environmental Quality and Sustainable Agriculture Systems
Apr
10
7:00 PM19:00

Janna Casson - Agriculture Impacts on Environmental Quality and Sustainable Agriculture Systems

This presentation provides a basic understanding of what the impacts are, how producers can identify the risks, and what sustainable agricultural systems (ag) provides, of what the impacts are, how producers can identify the risks, and what sustainable ag systems are.

These days the buzz phrase “regenerative agriculture” is being used a lot.
The presenter will attempt to describe what regenerative vs organic vs conventional ag systems are and how they differ.

The presentation will be held at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre community room, located in the Lethbridge river valley at the north end of Indian Battle Road South.

Unfortunately, we are not able to offer an online version of the presentation - sorry for the inconvenience!

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Amy Wiedenfeld - Tracking Population Change in the Endangered Wood-poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)
Feb
14
7:00 PM19:00
Guest Speaker

Amy Wiedenfeld - Tracking Population Change in the Endangered Wood-poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)

The wood-poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) is federally endangered in Canada, with few known populations. Though the wood-poppy is rare, little is known about the population dynamics, and whether or not the remaining populations are likely to remain viabl

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Nov
8
7:00 PM19:00

Kirby England - Busy Beavers in a Big Prairie City

Learn about Lethbridge’s urban beavers and its recently developed adaptive beaver management strategy.

Join Kirby England (P.Biol.) the lead author of the recently published City of Lethbridge Beaver Management strategy to learn about beavers and their role as the best dam wetland managers on the landscape.

From a brief background on beaver ecology, we will discuss beaver management science and practices as well as an introduction to groups, such as the Beaver Institute, working to better live alongside North America’s original ecosystem engineer. Then we will hit closer to home by sharing findings from the fieldwork in Lethbridge associated with the development of the beaver management strategy. Finally, we will discuss current and planned applied research ongoing at Lethbridge College related to beavers, fish, and southern Alberta streams.  

The presentation will be held at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre community room, located in the Lethbridge river valley at the north end of Indian Battle Road South.

Furthermore, Nature Lethbridge is offering to join this event via zoom.

Please use the following link to access the presentation: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81279959242?pwd=FgbT6EgROJGMCiupyaNZ8DxaXYygFA.1

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Oct
11
8:00 PM20:00

Annual General Meeting 2023

The Board of Directors of Nature Lethbridge invite you to join us for our Annual General Meeting of Members to be held on Wednesday October 11, 2023 starting at 8:00 PM, after the guest speaker presentation.

The meeting will be held at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre community room, located in the Lethbridge river valley at the north end of Indian Battle Road South.


NATURE LETHBRIDGE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AGENDA

8:00 PM Wednesday, October 11, 2023

1. Call to Order

2. Approval of the Agenda

3. Approval of the Minutes of the 2022 Annual General Meeting

4. Reports of Officers:
a. President’s Report
b. Treasurer’s Report

5. New Business
a. Discussion of Nature Lethbridge’s direction/activities for 2023/24
a. Programming (field trips and presentations)
b. Membership
b. Appointment of Auditors 2023/2024
c. Election of Officers 2023/2024
i. President (2-year term)
ii. Treasurer (2-year term)
iii. Secretary (2-year term)

6. Adjournment

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