A Community Connected by a Love of Nature

Alberta is home to incredible natural spaces comprised of beautiful and varied landscapes, and rich biodiversity reflected in our abundant and diverse flora and fauna. Across the province, natural history clubs and their members are engaging Albertans in the conservation and appreciation of this natural heritage. Nature Alberta represents a network of these natural history organizations in Alberta.
CURRENT MAGAZINE
The Spring issue of Nature Alberta Magazine is now available to read online! To receive your own copy of the Summer issue delivered to your mailbox, subscribe by July 4, 2022.
FEATURE STORY
On the Trail of Disjunct Alpine Plants from Alberta to Ontario
BY ASHLEY HILLMAN
It’s Day 4 on the trail. It’s humid, hot, and did I mention humid? Our packs are impossibly heavy with food, camping gear, and sampling equipment. I wish there was someone else to blame for deciding to mix backpacking with field sampling, but unfortunately it was my idea. I have already cut myself on a rock and slipped into the frigid waters of Lake Superior as we struggle down the coastal hiking trail of Pukaskwa National Park. But all this suffering has rewarded us with just what we were looking for: plants!
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News
Coal Mining Update: Kicking the Can Down the Road (Again)
The message from the year-long public consultation is crystal clear. Albertans do not want more coal mining in the Eastern Slopes. They want this special region to be protected. If you agree, please write to Minister Savage and urge her to take meaningful action now: minister.energy@gov.ab.ca. The government should enact legislation that provides permanent protection for all ecologically important lands within the Eastern Slopes. Kicking the can down the road is not a reasonable alternative.
Read MoreScanning for Life Forms
Using Environmental DNA to Identify Species, Science Fiction Becomes Reality
By Jay White, M.Sc., P.Biol.
Shall We Gather at the River?
Irrigation and the Future of Southern Alberta’s Rivers
BY LORNE FITCH
In the heat dome and severe low flows of 2021, our canoe left smears of colour on several barely submerged boulders of one of Alberta’s prairie rivers. These low water levels had me reflecting on the recent scheme by southern Alberta’s irrigation sector to expand irrigated acreage. I thought of the old hymn, “Shall we Gather at the River.”
Read MoreMaking Citizen Science Count
BY RICHARD SCHNEIDER
As naturalists, we love to watch wildlife, but if we want wild species to remain viable we need to actively contribute to their conservation.
Chinese Mystery Snails in Alberta
Non-native Chinese mystery snail (Cipangopaludina chinensis), first introduced to North America in the 1890s through food markets in San Francisco, was officially sighted in McGregor Lake Reservoir, near the village of Milo in southern Alberta in 2019.
Read MoreYou Came Through, Our Fund Grew!
Thank you. Your help set Nature Alberta up for a bright future. We have never felt more inspired by the generosity of our Community Connected by a Love of Nature. We are truly grateful for your support!
Read MoreSand and Gravel Operations Putting Natural Ecosytems at Risk
The Red Deer River Naturalists Society are concerned that sand and gravel operations in Alberta are increasingly putting Alberta’s natural ecosystems at risk and is calling on the government to resolve deficiencies in the management of these operations.
Read MoreTrails Act Heading in the Wrong Direction
The UCP government has proposed legislation to govern trails on public land in Alberta.
Read MoreSpace: A Frontier No Longer?
BY LORNE FITCH
Outer space may still be a frontier, but the space we call wilderness is getting increasingly crowded. The refrain I hear, from people who remember the Eastern Slopes from a previous era, echoes Yogi Berra’s enigmatic statement that “No one goes there, it’s too crowded.” I know I’m reluctant to visit there now, based on my memories of a place much quieter, with less traffic and fewer people.
Read MoreWhat Happened to the Northern Leopard Frog?
BY LAURA SOUTHWELL
The northern leopard frog is an iconic amphibian, likely the very image that comes to mind when you hear the word “frog.” This once ubiquitous resident of prairie wetlands has faced an ongoing struggle against a changing and increasingly human-centric environment.
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NATURE ALBERTA
email: info@naturealberta.ca
phone: (780) 427-8124
mail: 3rd Floor, Percy Page Centre
11759 Groat Road
Edmonton, AB T5M 3K6
Nature Alberta is incorporated as the Federation of Alberta Naturalists under the Alberta Societies Act and is a registered charitable organization.
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