Why forests matter to Albertans
Conservation Volunteers at the HG Lawrence Property (Photo by NCC)
I grew up in Winnipeg. The areas surrounding the city are known for beautiful farmland and open skies that seem to go on forever. Anyone who has lived in the southern prairies has fond memories of staring at the sky while a storm rolled in, or watching ever-changing cloud formations. Many writers, artists and creative people of all types have been inspired by the area.
For the most part, the southern prairies are not known to be forested areas. Growing up, I didn’t spend a whole lot of time running through forests or climbing trees. I do remember travelling to northern Manitoba to visit family and being amazed by the forests that we saw as we drove north. I’m still able to conjure up memories of high, thick forest cover to this day. Even though I didn’t grow up in an area populated by thick dense forest, I know that 10 percent of the world’s forest is right here in Canada, and we all play an important role in caring for and maintaining Canadian forests.
Working for the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC's) Alberta Region I’ve learned a lot about the different landscapes that make up this great country, and the types of plants and wildlife that dominate each area. The kind of conservation work we do in Alberta is extremely varied. I’ve heard of staff and Conservation Volunteers doing anything from counting butterflies, to pulling wildlife friendly fences, to doing all sorts of clean-ups, but forest conservation activities don’t happen every day in Alberta.
HG Lawrence, Red Deer River, AB (Photo by NCC)
That’s why Forest Week this year (September 22-26) is very important and rare for NCC staff in Alberta. The entire week will be spent planting shrubs and increasing forest cover at our HG Lawrence property located approximately 150 kilometres north of Calgary. Volunteers will be coming out by the droves, and by the end of the week we hope to have planted over 3,200 shrubs! People are always looking to come out to planting events, and we’ll have over 100 volunteers from the public, Nexen Energy and Transcanada Corporation joining us to get the job done!
By the end of national forest week the HG Lawrence property will be littered with dogwood, pin cherry, choke cherry and wild rose. These shrubs make up the forest understory, and are important for forest health and biodiversity.
The land was acquired by NCC in 2013. Before the purchase, it had been used for cattle grazing and pasture for over 120 years. After that much use, the land needs to be restored, and planting throughout Forest Week is an important part of that restoration.
The first phase of the planting project kicked off earlier this summer when we planted 4,000 white spruce trees with our partners at Agroforestry & Woodlot Extension Society, and the conservation efforts will continue even after national Forest Week ends.
The HG Lawrence property spans 800 metres of Pine Lake. It’s important habitat for deer, moose, beaver, coyote and white American pelican who call the land home. This will be a multiyear project, with conservation staff already exploring new ways to restore the property in 2015. There are other NCC properties in Alberta where increasing forest cover will continue to be a conservation focus.
Throughout national Forest Week take the time to enjoy the forested areas near your home and appreciate this wonderful part of natural Canada.
