Conservation Blog
The Case of the Missing Prairie Bandit
BY ARYA HORON
One hundred years ago, the prairie bandit was abundant across North America grasslands. By 1979, scientists believed it was extinct. This led to the question: where did the prairie bandit go?
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Bear Tracks
BY COLLEEN CASSADY ST. CLAIR
How can we protect grizzly bears from trains in the mountain parks?
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Dancing Without a Stage – The State of the Greater Sage-Grouse
BY TIMOTHY SHAPKA
As of 2020, the Alberta population of greater sage-grouse was estimated to be 72 individuals — down from the thousands that were present when we started keeping track in 1968. Timothy Shapka reviews the causes of the decline and what is being done to recover the species.
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Alberta Environmental Policy Update – July 2021
In this post we examine the changes in Alberta environmental policies that have occurred over the past year.
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Life in a Warmer World
Time Travelling into Alberta’s Future
BY RICHARD SCHNEIDER
How warm is it going to get, what will the ecological responses be like and where do we go from here?
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Rare Alberta Birds Get Close Scrutiny
The Alberta Bird Record Committee (ABRC) is the body responsible for evaluating records of rare birds in the province. It periodically publishes the results of its deliberations, and its newest report, the thirteenth in the series, is now available. The report documents the Committee’s decisions on almost 90 records of bird rarities that have been recorded in the province over a span of about six years.
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Out of Sight: How Scientists are Listening in on Nature in Alberta
BY RICHARD HEDLEY
Imagine being a biologist: do you want to go on a long difficult journey to reach a site to conduct a breeding bird survey at dawn…or wheel your rollie chair over to your desk to use an acoustic survey? What are the cons of this scenario, if any? And how does it stack up to traditional surveys?
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Plight of the Bumble Bee
BY NICHOLAS BOYCE
There is a good chance you have heard the slogan “save the bees” somewhere, perhaps on social media or on a flyer at the local coffee shop. But to clarify, which bees does this sentiment refer to? Which bees need saving? Read about the plight of the bumble bee, who cares, what is being done and, most importantly, what you can do to save the bees.
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The Swift Fox: A Canadian Conservation Success Story
BY LU CARBYN, NIKKI PASKAR, KRISTY BLY, AND RICHARD SCHNEIDER
The swift fox reintroduction program successfully brought the fastest member of the wild dog family’s population from Extirpated to Endangered, and finally to Threatened. Although it began with an illegal publicity stunt by a game farm, structured efforts soon followed. Habitat conservation continues to be a key issue for swift fox populations.
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Making Sense of the Situation in Alberta’s East Slopes
If you are like most people, you may be having a hard time keeping track of what is going on in the East Slopes. First, the coal policy was rescinded. Then it was reinstated — sort of. Leases were awarded and then leases were cancelled. Yet a major coal mine is in the final stages of review. Keep reading to make sense of it all and keep your head from spinning!
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