How the goji berry bushes of Grierson Hill were saved
When Ken Gee was a child in the mid 70s, his grandparents would invite him and his brother to go collect goji berries in the river valley. Goji berries were used in traditional Chinese cooking and soups. To pick these berries, they would drive, at a certain time in summer, down to Grierson Hill.
Once they made it to this hill, Ken’s grandmother would step out of the car and swing her empty one litre milk carton over her neck. She’d then climb up the hill to collect as many berries as she could. When her makeshift container was full, she would take it home, put the berries on a straw mat, leave them to dry in the sun for a couple of days and then store them away.
Many others also took part in picking goji berries from Grierson Hill. And they were all worried when the announcement came that the convention centre was going to be built on this land. To save the goji berry bushes, many women went to the hill with their shovels and dug up them up. Some of these bushes are now at Ken’s parents place, as well as a lot of other Asian households in the Edmonton Area.
https://soundcloud.com/cjsrfm/ken-gee-on-picking-goji-berries
Keep your eye out for this winter raptor
Ryan Schain photo
Are you looking for a challenge this winter? Well then, you need to keep an eye out for the Cooper’s Hawk. This bird is one of Edmonton’s most common winter raptors. It has a large square head with a darker cap, a clean and organized patterned breast, and a rounded tail. When this bird is in flight, it is proportions are longer tail, bigger head, and less wing.
The cooper’s hawk flies fast, and often only offers brief looks. They tear through cluttered tree canopies at high speed while pursuing other birds. They are not easy to identify, even for experienced bird enthusiasts. But you are most likely to see them prowling above a forest edge or field using just a few stiff wingbeats followed by a glide.
Dashing through vegetation to catch birds is a dangerous lifestyle. In a study of more than 300 Cooper’s Hawk skeletons, 23 percent showed old, healed-over fractures in the bones of the chest, especially of the furcula, or wishbone.
An interesting fact about the cooper’s hawk is that they capture birds with their feet and kill it through repeated squeezing. Unlike falcons who kill their prey by biting it, the cooper’s hawk prefers to hold their catch away from their body until it dies. They are also known to hold their prey under water until it stops moving.
River Valley News needs your support
Kyle Schole photo
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The Dos and Don’ts of winter in Edmonton
Welcome back to winter. We’re all seasoned experts in the season of blustery snow. But having a good list of activities to do when the flakes and temperatures drop doesn’t hurt either. Here’s your not-so-comprehensive list of Edmonton winter Dos and Don’ts
Do build a snowman. The best snowman temperatures tend to be just below freezing. Don’t stick your tongue to metal. Your tongue will freeze to it and you’ll be stuck. It hurts. Reeeaaally bad.
Do go skating. Edmonton has plenty of outdoor rinks to enjoy, many of which are in river valley parks. Try the Victoria Park or Rundle Park IceWay for a natural skating trail right in the river valley. Don’t eat yellow snow. It might look like lemon flavour, but it’s not. It’s for sure not.
Do spend time with people you love. As cold as it gets, winter has a way of warming hearts. Take advantage of the season with some of your favourite people. Don’t dress like its still summer. We get it. Some of us want it to be summer all year long. But you’ll freeze. Your skin will get angry. Your mom will be disappointed. Don’t disappoint mom. https://www.edmontoncommonwealthwalkway.com/winter/it-s-winter-what-to-do-not-do
Gold Bar Farm
Marilyn writes “After reading Carrie’s comments about Goldbar Farm, I was wondering if you could forward my email to her. I would be interested in forming a community group to try to save that parcel of land.”
Still Life by Studio F Minus, Grant MacEwan LRT station, YEG
https://www.edmontonarts.ca/public-art/still-life
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