Adventures for Wilderness, Wainwright Dunes – Jun. 24, 2023
June 24, 2023
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Text and photos by Lindsey Wallis
Led by Chris Wallis
The Waiwright Dunes are a small protected area and part of the larger Parkland Dunes, one of AWA’s areas of concern. After spending the night in Provost, the group gathered and hiked in along the sandy trail into the Ecological Reserve.
We were met with the songs of least flycatchers, vireos and ovenbirds, and stopped to admire the eye-popping colours provided by wood lilies, thistles, sunflowers and more which lined the trail. Cliff Wallis and Cleve Wershler shared their extensive knowledge of the area’s history and ecology.
Crossing a 100 metre long beaver dam while being loudly chastised by a pair of Yellowlegs who felt we were too close to their nest provided the adventure quotient for the day. After lunch on the top of one of the active dunes we continued through a few active dunes, noting some rare nutgrass and some endemic sand heathers along the way.
This adventure provided participants with the chance for participants to explore a part of Alberta that is otherwise difficult to access.
