My BIG Alberta Backyard – Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary

BY NICK CARTER

Alberta is a great place to live. It’s a big, beautiful province full of all kinds of natural wonders. In My Big Alberta Backyard, we introduce you to the unique and interesting wild spaces that you can find in your province, and the diverse wildlife that live there.  This time, let’s explore the Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary! 

The Sanctuary

The Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary is a protected natural area southwest of Edmonton in Parkland County. First established in 1978 by the Clifford E. Lee Foundation, the Sanctuary has grown over the years to its current size of 140 hectares (348 acres). 

The Sanctuary is a place where the plants and animals are meant to be safe from being affected by people. That’s why it’s important to be a responsible visitor, which means we shouldn’t pick flowers or berries, let pets — or ourselves! — run around off the trails, leave garbage on the ground, or feed the animals.

Things To See and Do

The Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary provides lots of different habitats for a variety of wildlife, and walking the network of trails through the property will allow you to get a good look at all sorts of species. Just past the main entrance there’s a picnic area surrounded by trees where you can sit and watch the resident birds, squirrels, and bugs go about their business. 

A lot of the Sanctuary is a wetland, and the Boardwalk Loop Trail passes through this environment where you can see all sorts of water-loving birds like American coots, eared grebes, and many different types of ducks. You can also see wetland songbirds like swamp sparrows and blackbirds, as well as colourful dragonflies. In the spring and fall, American tree sparrows stop for a migration break here. This trail continues into an open meadow and down through a dense forest, which are great places to find butterflies, before arriving back at the wetland. 

Eared Grebes are among the many different bird species that come to the Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary every year to lay eggs and raise their young. NICK CARTER

The Aspen Ridge Trail is a short but beautiful walk through a trembling aspen forest in the middle of the Sanctuary, and is a good place to see woodland songbirds like warblers. The Pine Knoll Loop goes through a patch of paper birches up to a sandy hill covered in jack pines. Keep an eye out for black-capped chickadees and blue jays here year-round. From there, the Woodland Flower Train winds through the forest to the south end of the Sanctuary. 

From spring to fall, dozens of different butterfly species, like this silver-bordered fritillary, can be found throughout the Sanctuary. NICK CARTER

Why is the Sanctuary Important?

The Sanctuary is surrounded by places where people live. The forests around the property are filled in by country neighborhoods, and past that are farmlands and the growing city of Edmonton. The living things in this area need a safe place like this that people won’t disturb. 

It’s good for us, too. The Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary is an easy, nearby place to go for people who want to get out of the city and enjoy nature. By being responsible visitors, we can help keep this special place safe, clean, and protected for everyone.

Nick Carter is a naturalist and science communicator from Edmonton, and is Nature Alberta’s Nature Kids Coordinator. He studied biology at the University of Alberta and has had a lifelong fascination for all things in the natural world.