River Valley News - Oct 10/24

Vote for Edmonton's official city bird
Gerald Romanchuk photo

Bird Friendly Edmonton has launched an online vote to designate Edmonton's city bird. It consulted hundreds of local naturalists and members of the public to narrow the list of candidates down to six birds found in many Edmonton neighbourhoods and natural areas throughout the year.

The six birds on the election ballot are Blue Jay, Downy Woodpecker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Black-billed Magpie, Boreal Chickadee, and Northern Saw-whet Owl.

Vote to choose a bird to represent our city, raise awareness about how important urban wildlife and biodiversity is, and to celebrate Edmonton's birds. More than 300 bird species have been recorded in Edmonton. Some live here year-round, while others visit while migrating to and from their breeding territory.

Everyone in the Edmonton area, of any age, is invited to cast one vote, in each of the voting rounds, to help choose Edmonton's City Bird. The vote is anonymous. The first round of votes between the top 6 birds will conclude on December 31. The top 3 birds, as determined in the first round of voting, will then be opened for a second round of voting until March 31. Information on each bird and Click Here to Vote at https://www.birdfriendlyedmonton.org/city-bird--vote.html

Battery Creek trail walk in Devon on Oct 26
River Valley Alliance is hosting a trail walk in Devon with a fall colours and Halloween fun theme on October 26, 2024 from 10 am to12 pm. Feel free to come dressed up in your favourite Halloween costume, anything goes. Halloween treats will be provided at the end of the walk. Registration is required.

Turn north off Highway 19 onto Devonian Trail, new traffic lights and a new entrance into Devon. Follow Devonian Trail and take the first right north onto RR 262. The Battery Creek trailhead is at the end of the road. There is ample parking available.

The walk will last about 90 minutes at a leisurely pace, with plenty of opportunities to enjoy nature and take breaks as needed. The trail is mostly flat, making it accessible for many participants. The only exception is a staircase at the end for those who wish to walk down.

Enjoy a beautiful fall walk along the top of the riverbank with majestic views of the North Saskatchewan River and the vibrant fall colours. Register at https://rivervalley.ab.ca/events/october-community-walk-in-devon/

Prairie Smoke’s medicinal properties heals sore throats and canker sores

In Canada, Geumtriflorum is common from British Columbia to Manitoba. Due to its wide distribution in North America, it has many common names, most are allusions to the appearance of its distinctive seeds with their feathery plumes. It is often known as prairie smoke for the resemblance of the seed heads to wisps of smoke. It is also called old man's whiskers, due to the seed plumes being like gray, fuzzy hairs.

The flowers produce both nectar and pollen. They are frequently visited by bumblebees, which can force their way into the mostly closed flowers and reach the nectar. They also buzz-pollinate to dislodge pollen from the stamens and gather it to feed their young. As it blooms early in the season and in large amounts in suitable habitats, it is one of the plants that is critical to the success of queen bumblebees in establishing their first brood.

People of the Blackfeet Nation made an infusion of the roots to treat sore throats, canker sores in the mouth, and application to wounds and the infusion was also mixed with grease to create a salve used for the treatment of rashes, blisters, sores, and wounds. Infusions of the whole plant were used to treat severe coughs. The roots were scraped and mixed with tobacco and then smoked by the Blackfeet to clear the head. They also drank a tea made of the whole plant to promote general health. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geum_triflorum

Chief Ketchamoot part of the heritage of the Beaver Hills

Julie writes “Thank you for the link to the video of Chief Ketchamoot. Such an interesting and engaging story and a beautiful production.”

Milled Wood by Destiny Swiderski, Mill Woods Seniors & Multicultural Centre

https://www.edmontonarts.ca/public-art/milled-wood

Comment or Contributions

Please note articles may not reflect the position of NSRVCS. River Valley News is meant to be a clearinghouse for the variety of opinions and ideas about Edmonton’s River Valley.

Email river valley photos, event information, comments, or questions to nsrivervalley@gmail.com

Forward this link to anyone you think may want to sign up for this newsletter https://www.edmontonrivervalley.org/newsletter-signup

River Valley News - Oct 3/24

City provides update on the national urban park initiative

At this time, the Edmonton National Urban Park (NUP) initiative remains in the pre-feasibility phase. The partners are exploring what the next phase of the initiative, the planning phase, would entail and what the partnership should look like moving forward.

The NUP Partner Committee is monitoring political developments at the provincial level, particularly Bill 204 (the Municipal Government [National Urban Parks] Amendment Act, 2023) and Bill 18 (the Provincial Priorities Act, 2024) as these may impact the next steps in exploring a national urban park in the Edmonton region.

Bill 204 came into effect in May 2024, and requires municipalities to meet specific conditions before beginning negotiations with the Government of Canada on the creation of a national urban park. The conditions referred to in the bill have not yet been provided. City Administration is waiting for the information required to move this project forward and this has impacted project timelines.

Project partners recognize that Bill 204 may change the Government of Alberta’s role within the NUP Initiative and will work with it to understand the actions required to comply with this new legislation. The partner committee is eager to receive input from the province and looks forward to advancing discussions about a national urban park in the Edmonton region once further information has been provided.

https://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/initiatives_innovation/national-urban-park

Blanket flower a beautiful herbaceous perennial native wildflower 

Gaillardia Aristata, commonly known as blanket flower, is an herbaceous perennial wildflower in the daisy family native to Alberta and the rest of Western North America. The genus name Gaillardia was named in honour of Gaillard de Marentonneau, a patron of botany in the 18th century. The species name aristata is from the Latin word arist meaning bristle, which refers to the hairy stems and leaves the plant possesses.

Blanket flowers have an extended blooming period from June through September. You will find blanket flowers in open prairies, meadows, and on hillsides with full fun and dry soil, ranging from the Northwest Territories all the way down to Arizona.

Indigenous peoples across western North America traditionally use this plant for medicinal properties: the Stoney steep and drink tea made of the flowers to relieve menstrual problems, and the Blackfoot use the root to help relieve stomach pain and discomfort. Recently, the seeds of the plant have been used in wildflower sod for native plant rehabilitation and restoration of natural areas.

Blanket flowers produce a lot of nectar, which attracts many pollinators such as butterflies, bees, and beetles, which use it as a steady food source through summer. Its importance as a food source is not limited to insects, as birds enjoy eating the seed heads of the flowers. https://inaturalist.ca/posts/81016-plant-of-the-month-common-blanketflower-gaillardia-aristata#

October autumn colours bike tour

River Valley Alliance invites you to bring your bike or e-bike to the Terwilliger Dog Park on Sunday, October 20 from 10:30am to 1:00pm and enjoy a beautiful autumn ride through Edmonton’s stunning river valley. Registration is required.

This 25km bike tour offers the perfect opportunity to experience vibrant fall colours as it crosses four uniquely different bridges, passes through meadows, and traverses’ various forests. The route has a few small hills, making it accessible yet invigorating for all participants.

A helmet and bell are mandatory for all participants. Please make sure your bike is in good working order. An RVA member will be available to help with any bike issues and will have a first-aid kit. Wear weather appropriate clothing and bring a water bottle to stay hydrated.

The bike tour begins and ends at Terwilliger Park. This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow cyclists, enjoy the beautiful fall colours, and experience the best of Edmonton's River Valley. Register at https://rivervalley.ab.ca/events/fall-colours-bike-tour/

Chief Ketchamoot part of the heritage of the Beaver Hills

Beaver Hills Biosphere Region Association recently received a Heritage Award, in the Heritage Awareness category from the Government of Alberta, for the Beaver Hills Biosphere Video Project. The Heritage Awards, which are presented every two years, recognize the people, organizations and communities that are actively engaged in heritage promotion, protection and preservation.

One of the videos is about Chief Ketchamoot who came to help the local Cree against their traditional Blackfoot enemies. Beaver Hills was abundant with buffalo, moose, deer, beaver and thousands of all kinds of waterfowl. The Blackfeet were raiding the south end of Beaver Lake around 1860.

Not wanting to lose this great hunting ground, the Cree persuaded Chief Ketchamoot to come from Ft. Pitt, northeast of present-day Lloydminster, with 400 Cree warriors. They were joined by local Cree and travelled southwest, passing through Camrose to south of Wetaskiwin where they fought the Blackfeet at Battle River.

The Blackfeet were routed, Chief Ketchamoot remained in the Beaver Hills and was buried on the banks of the creek that bears his name, Ketchamoot Creek at Beaverhill Lake. Video at https://vimeo.com/902447163

YEG river valley stillness, Rhonda Taft photo

Comment or Contributions

Please note articles may not reflect the position of NSRVCS. River Valley News is meant to be a clearinghouse for the variety of opinions and ideas about Edmonton’s River Valley.

Email river valley photos, event information, comments, or questions to nsrivervalley@gmail.com

Forward this link to anyone you think may want to sign up for this newsletter https://www.edmontonrivervalley.org/newsletter-signup

River Valley News - Sept 26/24

Why do leaves change colour

Bencito the Traveller photo

Leaves change color when chlorophyll, a substance plants use to turn light into sugar that makes a leaf look green, is breaking down and the plant is not rebuilding replacement molecules as the days get shorter. Other pigments, a class called the carotenoids, show as yellow and contribute to the appearance of orange and brown.

Carotenoids are always on some level in the leaf, but instead of being overwhelmed by the green as they are in the summer, they appear as the chlorophyll, and thus the green, fades away. Reds are from a more ‘expensive to make’ pigment, anthocyanin, and they develop in fall. The reds and yellow together give us the orange fall colors in some tree species.

The big factors that affect the colours we see are the length of day, temperature and the weather. The change in the length of day triggers several processes to get ready for the autumn and winter. These changes can influence the shift in color to occur. Temperature can induce or accelerate those changes. Light also plays a role. Light energy is used to make anthocyanin, so sunny days can intensify the color development.

Wind and rain are mechanical forces which can cause the leaves to detach and fall. Since different tree species hold their leaves and lose their leaves in different ways, wind and rain can influence what is present in the plant community color palette on a landscape scale. https://www.rutgers.edu/news/why-do-leaves-change-color

Animals use different tactics to prepare for winter

Tony Leprieur photo

Animals need to prepare for the winter months to come. This doesn’t look the same for all animals as they’ve evolved different techniques to brave the cold and survive. Migration is common in birds, who can fly long routes across the globe pursuing warmth. Migration for elks means spending the colder months at lower altitudes, where the weather is slightly warmer.

Many animals who stick around for winter months spend their time hiding or resting in protected environments, like nests in trees or holes in the ground. Moles, who already burrow underground during warmer months, move their tunnels deeper underground to stay away from the freeze, and store snacks for rainy days in special, secret storage tunnels.

Mice, shrews, and voles spend most of their time under the snow, in subnivean tunnels in the layer between the ground and the snowpack. Here, it’s cozy as the outside world freezes over, and food is readily available in the form of plants, seeds, shrubs, and sticks left scattered around.

Other animals hoard food. Many species of squirrel forage for extra acorns, nuts, seeds, and mushrooms during the fall, hide them in secret spots, and then go back to eat them throughout the cold months. These animals like to scatter their stashes, hiding their provisions in hundreds of hollowed-out nooks and crannies in trees or underground. https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/6-different-tactics-that-animals-use-to-prepare-for-winter

Fragaria vesca, refers to the fragrance of wild strawberry

Fragaria vesca, Fragaria is from the Latin fraga the classical name used for the strawberry fruit, referring to its fragrance. Strawberry is from an old Anglo-Saxon word streowberie derived from the age-old practice of laying straw around cultivated plants to keep the fruit off the ground, or to describe how the plants are strewn across the ground.

Wild strawberries are perennial herbs that grow from a fibrous root with short rhizomes or creeping roots. They have long, slender, leafless runners, often reddish in colour, which root when they contact the soil to form new plants. Wild strawberries grow in open, well-drained places in lowland to subalpine zones. These plants can be found in fields and meadows, in disturbed areas, and in open forest.

Wild strawberry fruits are eaten by several birds and mammals, which disseminate the seeds in their droppings. Squirrels like to feast on the strawberries. Deer also favour the plants. Strawberry-leaf tea is a good vitamin C supplement. It also has various medicinal uses. For example, the root is a strong astringent and is used as a treatment for diarrhea and other digestive orders.

Herbalists suggest a tonic made from the leaves is good for the female reproductive system and to soothe inflammations of the skin and eyes. Large amounts of strawberry fruit in the diet are said to slow dental plaque formation. https://plantwatch.naturealberta.ca/choose-your-plants/wild-strawberry/index.html#

53 Degrees 30 North by Thorsten Goldberg, Kathleen Andrews Transit Garage

https://www.edmontonarts.ca/public-art/53-degrees-30-north

Comment or Contributions

Please note articles may not reflect the position of NSRVCS. River Valley News is meant to be a clearinghouse for the variety of opinions and ideas about Edmonton’s River Valley.

Email river valley photos, event information, comments, or questions to nsrivervalley@gmail.com

Forward this link to anyone you think may want to sign up for this newsletter https://www.edmontonrivervalley.org/newsletter-signup