A day in the field with Brian Keating is always an adventure!
Staff hike at Bunchberry Meadows, AB (Photo by NCC)
It was the kind of morning that was just mild enough for a brisk winter walk. Around 15 staff of the Nature Conservancy of Canada's (NCC’s) Alberta Region had bundled up to get a glimpse of Bunchberry Meadows, the next big potential NCC property and project in the province. We were still pretty excited about Brian Keating’s Going Wild presentation from the evening before in Edmonton. After a successful night talking about conservation, we all decided to get outside and scout the potential property.
Always up for an adventure, Brian Keating also came along to take a look at Bunchberry Meadows. Some may argue that this adventure was a bit more tame compared to his polar trips to the Arctic and Antarctic (not to mention his jaunts to other far-off places that people only dream of visiting one day) but this trip definitely had its own unique feeling of adventure and excitement.
Brian Keating examines feathers found on the hike (Photo by NCC)
The Bunchberry Meadows property is just outside of the Edmonton, located in Parkland County, and very close to the Devonian Botanic Garden. For NCC, this property is a wonderful opportunity for us to conserve an area near a major city. It will very much be a project of the people, by the people and for the people if we are able to garner enough community support. Once conserved, it’ll be a woodland retreat for everyone to enjoy, just a short drive outside of Edmonton.
But back to our hike, and the reason Brian had joined us on this chilly morning: it was a treat for many NCC staff assembled to get out of the office in the middle of winter. Brian, along with most of the group present, had never been to the property. With a few senior staff leading the way, we started along the path of what most thought would be a short site inspection.
Brian Keating gazes up at an old tree on Bunchberry Meadows, AB (Photo by NCC)
The first thing everyone noticed was the stunning trees and other natural features located along our hike. The trees on the property are unlike anything you’ll see in a city. These trees are old; they have character. Their age is apparent from the way the bark seems to naturally peel off. The area is picturesque, with wetlands spotted along the pathways.
While we didn’t see any wild animals on this particular day, we were lucky enough to see traces of wildlife. The property was peppered with feathers; we could see them within the branches of the trees. We also spotted animal tracks of all sorts, including deer, porcupine and even a moose.
Brian Keating's "moosestache" (Photo by NCC)
Did you know that if you find animal hair and it breaks, it's is a clue the hair is from an ungulate (hoofed mammal), as their hair follicles are hollow? And if this piece of hair is identified as moose hair and placed just below your nose, you can quickly create a "moosetasche," as Brian wasted no time in demonstrating!
Maybe it was the shenanigans of all the snowballs being thrown, or the number of tracks being identified, but everyone seemed to forget about the weather and it was a site visit thoroughly enjoyed by all. When the walk was over, we were all very excited about being the first NCC employees to see this magnificent potential property.
That was back in February, and since that time NCC staff and Edmonton board members have dedicated time towards a feasibility assessment to better understand the community support of the Edmonton and surrounding area to assist in making this project a success story. For more information about this specific project please contact Wanda Kowalchuk at 780-978-6118 or wanda.kowalchuk@natureconservancy.ca.
