River Valley News - May 16/24

YEG’s highest value public tree a laurel leaf willow valued at $109,000

Edmonton’s highest-valued public tree is a laurel leaf willow on Mackenzie Drive NW near 95 Avenue NW, whose value in 2020 was $109,552.38. An American elm in Rossdale, near 102 Street and 97 Avenue NW, is estimated to be 100 years old, the same age as the neighbourhood, and is valued at $81,127.69.

The city maintains an inventory of trees growing on or along city-owned boulevards, roadways and parks which account for 380,000 of Edmonton's estimated 12.8 million trees. City crews update this inventory over the course of two years, canvassing one half of the city's canopy one year, as they will do in the east this year, and the other half the next, recording the health and growth of each of the 380,000 trees.

“We look at trees as our green infrastructure, the same way as you would look at a light pole, a sidewalk, or a road," explained Jacqueline Butler, the city's project forestry leader. Butler said Edmonton does this to help encourage citizens or nearby workers to think about its value. "It gives people an idea for value other than the eco benefits that everybody knows about."

The formula is also used to calculate what a person or company that damages a tree could be on the hook for. "When we get trees this big, they're not replaceable in our lifetime, so it's very important to have programs available like the public tree bylaw and protection requirements around our mature canopy.”

https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/edmonton-tree-inventory-shows-almost-2-7b-in-green-infrastructure-1.6882211?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar

Boating in the fur trade hard on paddlers

The first European fur traders adopted an eastern Algonkian-style of birch bark canoe. Every year, hundreds of people in Alberta gathered supplies and moulded lightweight express canoes at major fur trade boat building centres like Fort Edmonton, and Rocky Mountain House. While canoes and physical traces of boat building at these forts have long since decayed, other lines of evidence of early boating are preserved.

Trading posts needed access to good birch and it is no coincidence that the locations of forts were near birch trees. Henday camped by the Birch Hills near Edmonton in 1755 when he and his party built 35 canoes to send furs to Hudson Bay. The Hudson’s Bay Company designed the York boat to increase cargo weight and decrease the number of required men. The first one in Alberta was built at Edmonton House by 1795.

Voyageur skeletons from Fort Edmonton and Rocky Mountain House also tell the story of early boating. Being on the water all day was wearying but it was the burden of packing gear over portages that broke men and deformed their bones.

Archaeologists at the University of Alberta have shown that men bore severe spinal abnormalities due to heavy loads while arm and foot joints had osteoarthritis and huge muscle attachments from endless hours of paddling, kneeling, and packing. Even skulls were altered by the use of tumplines around the forehead. https://albertashistoricplaces.com/2015/08/19/birch-bark-buccaneers-and-prairie-paddlers-an-illustrated-look-at-albertas-early-boating-part-2/

Rusty-patched bumble bee a conservation success story

Edmonton Valley Zoo is hosting Wildlife Rescue: Second Chance at Survival, a travelling exhibit of 12 detailed sculptures showcasing species of animals that have been pushed to the brink of extinction but have been successfully reintroduced to their natural ranges with the help of humans. The exhibition focuses on translating scientific knowledge into exciting works of art.

The exhibit features 12 climbable animal sculptures along with tales of conservation and reintroduction to the wild. Species highlighted include Atlantic sturgeon, bald eagle, black-footed ferret, burrowing owl, cane toad, crested gecko, flame knee tarantula, leatherback sea turtle, northern leopard frog, Orinoco crocodile, rusty-patched bumble bee, and the snow leopard.

The rusty-patched bumble bee was previously a common species in its historical Canadian range in southern Ontario and Quebec, and less common in western New Brunswick. It experienced rapid declines in the 1980s and 1990s and, as a result, was listed as endangered in Canada.

The species remains rare, or possibly extirpated, in Canada as no individuals have been found since 2009 despite extensive search effort and public interest. It is still found in parts of its range, primarily Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois. https://exhibits.littlerays.org/wildlife-rescue/

International Trails day celebration on June 1

International Trails Day, celebrated each year on the first Saturday in June, is an annual celebration of trails, trail development and the healthy lifestyle they encourage. Started by the American Hiking Society in 1992, it has spread to encompass all forms of recreational trail usage in more than a dozen countries worldwide. The day promotes public awareness of and appreciation for trails and the people who build and maintain them.

River Valley Alliance in collaboration with Trans Canada Trail will host the local celebration on Saturday, June 1, 9:30am – 1:30pm at the Alfred Savage Centre, 13909 Fox Dr NW, in Edmonton. Activities include information booths and displays by local organizations that play pivotal roles in enhancing our river valley.

A guided trail walk starts at 10am but will be limited to the first 40 participants. Arrive early to secure your spot. Experience Whitemud Creek trails firsthand and learn about ongoing projects and future plans. A free hot dog BBQ, available from 11:30am to 1:30pm, will be a wonderful place to meet fellow trail enthusiasts and enjoy some delicious food in our beautiful river valley.

The Trans Canada Trail is the longest trail network in the world and connects Canadians and visitors to nature and to one another, from coast to coast to coast, through accessible and inclusive outdoor activities. Through collaboration and partnerships, it builds, maintains and stewards Canada’s unique system of connected urban and rural trails. https://tctrail.ca/

Edmonton and Strathcona 1912 merger created street names uproar

Patrick writes “I love Edmonton’s numbering system. Numbered avenues run east-west; streets run north-south. House numbers on the west side of a street are even; addresses on east side are uneven numbers. House numbers on the north side of avenues are even; on the south side of the avenue, house numbers are uneven.

Decades ago, I lived in Parkview, near 142 street and 92nd avenue. If someone from another part of the city gave me his-her address, I had a pretty good idea of the distance from my house to his/her house. And I’d know how to get there. Yes, numbers may be a tad boring, but numbers on streets, avenues, and houses are very informative.”

Prairie Town by Peter von Tiesenhausen, Edmonton City Hall

https://www.edmontonarts.ca/public-art/prairie-town

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