Nature Alberta is proud to support our member naturalist clubs across the province. These clubs provide opportunities for Albertans to experience and explore nature in communities around Alberta. Individuals from these clubs serve Nature Alberta in many ways. They are members on the Nature Alberta Board of Directors, committee members on various ad hoc committees, volunteers at various Nature Alberta fundraisers, participants in Nature Alberta events and programs, and much more. In this regular feature, we introduce you to our current member clubs, giving you an opportunity to get to know more about the organizations and people who make Nature Alberta special.
Based in Stettler, the Buffalo Lake Nature Club (BLNC) was formed in 1973 when a group of naturalists came together with a shared vision of conserving natural areas, native plants and wildlife. Fast forward to today and they remain a strong, membership-based organization offering dozens of workshops, nature walks and conservation programs every year. BLNC is also one of the founding members of Nature Alberta and it has remained a member club for over 40 years.
“I think it’s really important for groups and people to feel connected,” explains Chris Pfeifle, current President of the BLNC Board of Directors. “Being a member of Nature Alberta helps us stay connected to the larger nature community. This keeps us inspired and allows for the sharing of knowledge and resources with fellow naturalists.”
The club encourages people in their community to increase their knowledge and appreciation of natural history by offering a wide variety of educational and outdoor opportunities. BLNC hosts a score of activities which include monthly meetings (featuring guest speakers, authors and experts), educational nature walks and citizen science events such as the Christmas Bird Count, nocturnal owl count and grouse count. In the coming months they have several opportunities for nature enthusiasts including a spring species count, a nature walk at JJ Collett Nature Area, a presentation by the Alberta Lake Management Society and much more.
“I got involved with the Buffalo Lake Nature Club because of my interest in nature, an enjoyment of being outside – camping and canoeing,” says Chris. “By joining the BLNC, and meeting like-minded people, I discovered a keen interest in birding, which further encouraged me to get outdoors and has expanded my appreciation of Alberta’s wilderness.”
In addition to all that they currently offer, as they look to the future, the BLNC wishes to become more actively involved in the Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) Program. Nature Alberta is the provincial coordinator of this global conservation effort and provides support and resources to nature clubs and volunteers who steward these important areas.
“A designated IBA, Ewing/Erskine Lake is a beautiful place,” offers Chris. “We’d like to be more diligent caretakers of this important natural resource.”
BLNC also believes it is critical to engage youth in nature and teach them at an early age why it’s important to protect and conserve our environment. So, to foster the interest of young people in the community, they are looking at setting up a Nature Kids chapter in the area.
For a complete list of coming events and activities, to learn more and to connect with them, visit the BLNC’s website.
The current Board of Directors of the Buffalo Lake Nature Club.
BLNC members following the 2017 Christmas Bird Count.
Nature Alberta is a community connected by a love of nature. Our member clubs are a big part of that collective community. Here are the top 10 things Nature Alberta does to help support our member clubs:
Do you have feedback on ways NA can support you, our member clubs? Let us know; we’d love to hear from you; email us at communications@naturealberta.ca
Nature Alberta was formed in 1970 when the leaders of six local natural history clubs joined together to create a provincial federation of naturalists – Nature Alberta (formerly known as the Federation of Alberta Naturalists). We are grateful to those original six for their wisdom and insight which brought nature clubs from across the province together under one common umbrella and established the foundation for what we have become.
Today we are proud to call nearly 40 naturalist clubs our members. Individuals from the various clubs serve Nature Alberta in many ways. They are members on the Nature Alberta Board of Directors, committee members on various ad hoc committees, volunteers at various Nature Alberta fundraisers, participants in Nature Alberta events and programs, and much more.
In this regular feature, we introduce you to our current member clubs, giving you an opportunity to get to know more about the organizations and people who make Nature Alberta special.
If you live in YYC and area, and are interested in exploring nature, observing wildlife and advocating for conservation, we invite you to read on about all that our long-time member club, Nature Calgary, has to offer.
Calgary is Alberta’s largest city. Within this bustling urban area is an abundance of beautiful nature including mountains, wildlife and those endless Alberta-blue skies. Amidst all of this, Nature Calgary is hard at work connecting the many urbanites living in Calgary with the lovely environment that surrounds them, and advocating for the preservation of natural areas within Calgary.
“In cities it’s really easy to forget that we are part of nature. We live in buildings and we drive cars and we stare at screens and it gets harder and harder to identify with a duck or a ground squirrel,” shares John McFaul, President of Nature Calgary. “But through clubs like Nature Calgary, we reconnect people with nature and we also connect with each other through nature.”
Plan to attend Nature Calgary’s fall banquet.
There seems to be no limit to what Nature Calgary offers their community. From Speaker Series to Bird Study Groups, and Botany Groups to exciting field trips, the events and activities Nature Calgary offers are almost endless. “We always have awesome field trips with incredibly knowledgeable leaders,” explains John. “I’m personally excited about an October 29 trip that will be led by one of our gull experts, and November 4 is our , featuring guest speaker Chic Scott.”
Sandra Mills, a member of Nature Calgary, says the club’s membership is so knowledgeable and very generous with that knowledge. “Each time I go on a field trip or to a meeting I learn so much. And I’ve developed a deeper appreciation for the incredible natural areas that are right in our own backyard.”
Please visit Nature Calgary to learn more about upcoming programs and activities that you can participate in.
Why do you think Nature Calgary and other naturalist clubs are important in a community?
Sandra: Nature Calgary is a living record of our parks and natural areas. Our members spend hours upon hours in these sacred spaces in our city, paying attention to nature and this has a lot of implications. First of all, it allows other people to discover those things as well since passionate people are always happy to share what they’re passionate about. Secondly, it means that we have a lot of first-hand knowledge available to us when those things are threatened. For example, in Calgary we are currently seeing our most biodiverse area, the Weaselhead, damaged by the construction of the South West Calgary Ring Road. The river is being diverted and wetlands are being filled in. People who spend time appreciating an area like this, and the magic it represents, understand that this damage is irreversible. This is a negative example, but a club like Nature Calgary is incredibly well-equipped to provide guidance, information and even opposition when we see instances such as this.
John: Nature Calgary is dedicated to the study, appreciation and preservation of our natural world. We have spent many decades promoting the protection of Calgary’s natural areas and in 2016, the club received an honourable mention at the Calgary Awards in the category of Environmental Achievement.
Nature Alberta was formed in 1970 when the leaders of six local natural history clubs joined together to create a provincial federation of naturalists – Nature Alberta (formerly known as the Federation of Alberta Naturalists). We are grateful to those original six for their wisdom and insight which brought nature clubs from across the province together under one common umbrella and established the foundation for what we have become.
Today we are proud to call nearly 40 naturalist clubs our members. Individuals from the various clubs serve Nature Alberta in many ways. They are members on the Nature Alberta Board of Directors, committee members on various ad hoc committees, volunteers at various Nature Alberta fundraisers, participants in Nature Alberta events and programs, and much more.
In this regular feature, we introduce you to our current member clubs, giving you an opportunity to get to know more about the organizations and people who make Nature Alberta special.
The Alberta Native Plant Council (ANPC) is a dedicated group of volunteers who work to educate individuals, industry, and government about native plants, encourage appropriate use of Alberta’s native plants and preserve natural habitats and plant communities. Nature Alberta is proud to have the ANPC as a member club.
With Alberta’s large mammals and imposing mountains, it may be easy to overlook the beautiful and dazzling world of plants. But the ANPC works hard to ensure Albertans have the tools and resources available to learn more about and appreciate Alberta’s native flora.
The ANPC hosts field trips, offers small-scale grants, conducts conservation projects and is active in education via their newsletters, publications, plant study groups and workshops. All of this helps to achieve their mission of encouraging stewardship of Alberta’s native plants. Please visit their website to learn more, apply for a grant, volunteer or browse their resources.
The ANPC is in the process of updating their Rare Vascular Plants of Alberta publication. If you’re an avid botanist, naturalist or photographer and have plant photos to share, please visit the ANPC website for more information and instructions on how to participate.
Photo credit D. Schlemko.
