BioBlitz in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains: Biodiversity and Conservation Assessment

December 12, 2024

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Executive Summary

The Cardinal Divide Conservation Coalition (CDCC) hosted a bioblitz in Whitehorse Wildland Provincial Park including the Cardinal Divide and surrounding region from July 14 to 16, 2023. The Cardinal Divide Conservation Coalition is a group of biologists, botanists, park stewards, and environmental organizations invested in the ecological integrity of the region. It has members from the Alberta Native Plant Council including the Whitehorse Wildland Provincial Park Stewards, PlantWatch Alberta, Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA), and CPAWS Northern Alberta. Bioblitz’s are an engaging way to connect the public to nature while participating in a meaningful activity that contributes to collective scientific knowledge! The objective of the bioblitz was to collect and document as much information on species occurrences throughout the region throughout the weekend. This information will help inform conservation management of the region in a way that engages the community in experiential learning.

Participants, Key Findings & Highlights

443 Species Identified in the Area | 1838 Recorded Observations | 15 Invited Experts

The bioblitz brought together 29 participants from all over the province, including 15 invited experts and nine public volunteers who joined CPAWS Northern Alberta and AWA staff for the entire weekend or for one day. A few experts decided to make another trip to the area on the weekend of August 5 to 7 to record more species observations in an area not accessible in a single day trip, the Cardinal River headwaters region. Altogether, we identified 443 species in the area, including 260 plants, 56 insects, 77 fungi, 33 birds, 10 mammals, and 4 arachnids.

All observations were recorded through the iNaturalist application.

Several at-risk species were observed, including Porsild’s bryum moss (Threatened under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, Endangered under Alberta’s Wildlife Act), Barn Swallow (Threatened under Canada’s Species at Risk Act), Harlequin Duck (Listed as Special Concern under Alberta’s Wildlife Act), and grizzly bear (threatened under Alberta’s Wildlife Act, Special Concern under Canada’s Species at Risk Act).

Main Recommendations and Implications

The results of the bioblitz support previous reports of high biodiversity and ecological value of the Cardinal Divide region. The high natural value of the area must be considered in future land-use planning and management decisions for the area. For example, off -highway vehicle use must be kept below ecological thresholds and out of sensitive areas such as the Whitehorse Wildland Provincial Park, alpine and sub-alpine habitats, and key wildlife habitats. Restoration and land management of adjacent industrial features such as coal mines should manage for integrity of native vegetation assemblages in nearby areas, and work to restore ecological function on disturbed sites.
The CDCC would like to acknowledge Alberta Conservation Association who supported this project through a grant. This bioblitz could not have happened without the generous support of experts in species identifi cation who volunteered their time and expertise to collect observations and identify those observations on iNaturalist. We would also like to thank all the volunteers and individuals who showed up to attend the event and contributed their passion for nature.

Full report here.