Please join us on Tuesday mornings this summer for a season of social stewardship through Biodiversity Conservation in the Centennial Natureground and Whispering Woods – tucked away in a corner of Brentwood, in northwest Calgary.

The Wainwright Dunes Ecological Reserve contains one of the world’s last large remnants of the aspen parkland. Situated adjacent to the southern boundary of the Camp Wainwright military reserve, this protected area is a unique combination of ecosystems. Aspen groves and sand dunes are interspersed with marshy bogs and the valley of Ribstone Creek. Relatively isolated and remote, this natural wonder allows for quiet moments of discovery.

Considered one of the best representations of montane wilderness in Alberta, the Whaleback is a diverse landscape with many distinct flora and fauna species. Located within the Bob Creek Wildland Provincial Park and Black Creek Heritage Rangeland, the Whaleback is named for the resemblance of its prominent forested ridges to the spine of a breached humpback whale. Join us on an exploration of a beautiful fall setting with the glowing golds of turning leaves paired with the subtle reds and browns of the grass meadows is a brilliant way to appreciate this spectacular landscape.

This field trip is an all-day road trip beginning with visiting Frank Lake, near High River, which is a shallow water slough where hundreds of bird species have been identified. We will then drive past and view the nearby large orphan Mazeppa gas plant. Driving southwards and then westwards of Stavely we will visit the Pine Coulee Reservoir and the beautiful Willow Creek Municipal Park nestled in the valley of Willow Creek. In the Porcupine Hills, we will stop by the site of an orphan gas well assigned to the Orphan Well Association for abandonment and site remediation. The trip will continue westwards over the crest of the Porcupine Hills, reviewing the underlying geology and enjoying stunning views in all directions. The trip ends in the village of Longview viewing oil-producing sites and discussing issues related to future wells abandonment and wellsites environmental remediation.

Help us to clean the province by choosing locations throughout the summer and picking up all the garbage that is potentially harming wildlife and the ecosystems in our area.

We are hoping to gather a crew of at least 10 people to help us out, but if you are unable to join our crew there are some other ways you can participate below!

How you can participate (starting June 14):

1. Join our crew- minimum donation $20, fundraising goal (minimum $200 including your donation), join us on at least one crew pick up day or coordinate your own
2. Donate to our cause –any amount welcome! our fundraising goal is $2000 by the end of August so help us spread the word!
3. Request of a location you’d like to see cleaned up (minimum donation $50) – if you know of a spot with a lot of garbage that has been bothering you every time you see it you can sponsor us to come clean it up!
4. Do your own garbage pickup – minimum donation $20, post picture of your garbage bags

Crew pick up days: Throughout the summer we will select locations that are large enough to allow for safe social distancing for picking up garbage. We will provide garbage bags, gloves, sanitizer & coordinate with the city to pick up collected garbage. Come and join us at designated location for approximately 1 hour of clean up.

Hike up a steep ridge on open wildflower meadows, framed by aspen and mixed woods; then continue along the ridge for a rest stop overlooking the Ghost River and Lesueur Creek valleys. The descent is steep and leads to a trail along Lesueur Creek through meadows and mixed woods.

The Milk River Ridge, also known as the Hudson’s Bay Divide, is the height of land south of Lethbridge seen on the horizon towards Montana. On the north side water eventually finds its way into Hudson’s Bay; on the south to the Gulf of Mexico. On the Ridge are found large tracts of native foothills fescue and mixedgrass prairie, abundant wetlands, lakes and deeply incised ravines. The Ridge harbours an abundance of wildlife, including rare plant and animal species. This is still one of the few places where grizzlies still wander out onto the northern Great Plains and the local ranchers like having them around.

Offering some truly extraordinary views of the Sheep River valley and surrounding foothills, this scenic hike west of Turner Valley is not particularly busy, but is often a favourite of those who do know of it!

Share your past adventures in Alberta’s wilderness through the art of photography!

A summer stand-up paddle board down the North Saskatchewan River with a picnic.

Come test out your trivia chops at this fun-filled afternoon with food, drinks, entertainment and more! This will be a pub-style charity trivia competition, held outdoors to facilitate social distancing.