Adventures for Wilderness, Beavers and Watersheds – Oct. 29, 2022

October 29, 2022

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• Adventures for Wilderness
• Events
• Hikes and Tours

Text: Kathryn Hull (Cows and Fish and Elbow River Watershed Partnership)

Photos: L. Wallis and A. Sullivan

Note: Although it was postponed for a week due to heavy snowfall on the original date, the AWA was thrilled to partner with Kathryn Hull and Ann Sullivan representing Cows and Fish and Elbow River Watershed Partnership who lead a day of learning about the importance of beavers in our watersheds.

Thank you to everyone who came out to share the day with us on Saturday, October 29 in West Bragg Creek!  Despite somewhat icy and slippery conditions in the afternoon, we enjoyed a sunny day in a beautiful watershed just west of Calgary.  Starting at a newly installed interpretive sign overlooking a very impressive beaver pond, we progressed westward to see firsthand some of the range and riparian enhancement projects in the West Bragg/K Country area.  We delved into some great discussions about beaver, their role in our watersheds as ecosystem engineers, and the benefits of finding ways to coexist with these buck-toothed creatures.  Although it has meant losing a few lowland trails in West Bragg Creek, the beavers’ return has brought a pond that is alive with bird songs and other wildlife, especially in the spring and summer.  This area has been markedly shaped and formed over millennia by beaver, lending to its rich biodiversity and lush fen meadows and wetlands.  Our hope with this tour was to help share this perspective of the landscape, showcase some local stewardship efforts, and encourage others to get involved with ongoing volunteer opportunities in the area.

More beaver resources:

• Elbow River Watershed Partnership: https://www.erwp.org/

-The article “Climate Models Show a “Surprisingly Resilient” Elbow River” can be accessed by scrolling to the bottom of the previous link.

-The recent Elbow River State of the Watershed Report is also available from the previous link

• Cows and Fish: https://cowsandfish.org/

-Our Eastern Slopes Story Map: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/a764b21cdf3d4cc0911cf18df82f9855

• Bragg Creek Trails: https://braggcreektrails.org/
• Our collaborative beaver page:  https://rockies.ca/beavers/