Beaked hazelnut flower sign of spring
Nuts are the hard-shelled fruits of flowering trees or shrubs. Within each shell are one or more seed kernels that are easily separated from the outer shell. Most nuts are edible, nutritious and are sought after by many animals as well as people. There are about 20 edible nut species native to Canada.
Nuts found in western Canada include the beaked hazelnut, whitebark pine seeds, and garry oak acorns. The beaked hazelnut is now flowering in the river valley. Hazelnuts are bushy, deciduous shrubs growing up to 3 m high. The nuts, which grow on their own, in pairs or in small clusters, are smooth, round, and hard-shelled. Each nut is enclosed in a green, leafy sheath.
Hazelnuts were harvested by Indigenous Peoples in late summer, sometimes from the caches of squirrels. The name for squirrel in some Indigenous languages relates to these nuts. To remove the husks, the nuts were buried in damp ground. The kernels were eaten raw, roasted, boiled in soup, or mixed with berries and fat and made into nutrient rich cakes.
Hazelnuts were stored for winter or put aside to be traded for other foods. People sometimes burned or coppiced the bushes to renew their growth, and the bushes were also transplanted to new territories. More info at https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/wild-nuts-in-canada
Fishing in Edmonton
Spring has sprung and so have the fishing rods along the river valley. The North Saskatchewan River cuts through the city and offers an incredible amount of different fishing spots that play host to walleye, sturgeon, pike and other fish. Great local spots include Big Island, Dawson Bridge, Dawson Park, Gold Bar wastewater treatment plant and Strathcona Science Park.
Five species of sucker can be caught in the river: silver redhorse, shorthead redhorse, quillback, white and longnose sucker. The mountain sucker is also occasionally caught in the Edmonton area. All are easily identified as suckers by their thick downward pointing lips which they use to suck food from the river bottom.
Mountain whitefish often move in schools from one pool to another. Occasionally, you can see them just downstream from the north end of the Quesnell Bridge. City fishing information at
https://www.edmonton.ca/activities_parks_recreation/parks_rivervalley/fishing.aspx
Hermitage Park to Fraser Ravine trail
Hermitage Park is a gem of east Edmonton that is also a connection hub to other parks and trails, namely Rundle Park to the south and the East End Trails system to the north. Hermitage Park has an off-leash dog area, stocked fishing ponds, picnic sites and the opportunity for paddling activities.
This trail heads north from Hermitage Park, following a paved trail along the riverside before climbing upwards to the Bannerman neighbourhood and the Fraser Ravine. The turnaround point offers great views of the river and surrounding valley, along with a bench to really rest and take in the vistas.
To keep this route at 5 km, the turnaround point is the Fraser Ravine lookout, but you could easily continue along the East End Trails that lead up to the Anthony Henday bridge and beyond to the Quarry lookout.
This is an easy trail that is moderately flat with some inclines, and stairs. It is a wide paved shared-use path. Bikes are allowed as well as dogs both on-leash and off-leash where indicated. Lots of parking at Hermitage Park. Learn more at https://rivervalley.ab.ca/news/trailtrek-how-to-hermitage-park-to-fraser-ravine/
Edmonton homeless camp enforcement paused during pandemic
Edmonton has halted the removal of homeless camps on public land during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing safety reasons. The city’s encampment response team has paused enforcement operations, meaning they are no longer giving occupants of camps on public land notice to vacate, city spokeswoman Adrienne Cloutier said.
The city’s encampment response team includes City of Edmonton employees, police officers and staff from Homeward Trust and Boyle Street. In normal times, the team responds to reports of camps on public lands and tries to connect residents with housing and services before giving them a deadline to move along.
Ward 6 Councillor Scott McKeen said the city needs to strike a balance between supporting the homeless and protecting communities where camps are commonly found. He cited fires in Dawson Park last spring, which Riverdale residents linked to homeless camps. Residents have also raised concerns about garbage left behind by campers. Read more at https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/edmonton-homeless-camp-enforcement-paused-during-covid-19-pandemic/
Share river valley event, job posting, or news
If you have a river valley event, job posting, or news that you would like to see published in this newsletter, please send the info to nsrivervalley@gmail.com
Sincerely yours,
Harvey Voogd
North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society
780.691.1712
nsrivervalley@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/NSRVCS/
http://www.edmontonrivervalley.org/