“I’m Cody Pytlak, bringing you this morning’s bird calls for June 1st, 2014. It’s sunrise here in Peace River and the time is 5:08 am. Enjoy the birds!” I shout into the microphone, ten feet away, and for the next ten minutes I sit still in a small woodlot, headphones pressed to my ears, listening to [...]
It’s June in Alberta. In response to the shift from spring to summer, Trembling Aspens in the Parkland have flowered and unfurled their leaves, migratory songbirds have returned to the expansive boreal forest, and Great Plains Toads in southern Alberta are searching for temporary wetlands in which to lay their eggs. But on top of [...]
We hear a lot about Alberta’s oil sands(1); in fact, the bitumen deposits in the province’s northeast are rarely far from the news. Most readers will have heard that oil sands production is expected to double in the next ten years(2), placing pressure on government to manage this industrial activity and its potential environmental effects. [...]
by Alex MacPhail It’s early March and a fresh blanket of snow reveals the scurry of rodents and the trudge of moose in the forest. The moment is serene and tranquil—nearby sounds are of the sway of aspen trees and the flaps of intermittent flocks of Snow Buntings flying overhead. A closer listen, however, reveals [...]
A pristine boreal wetland such as this can be home to hundreds of species, including aquatic invertebrates, water-loving plants and migratory birds. Exploring the word that drives our monitoring program –biodiversity– “’Biodiversity’ is another word for the ‘unknown’”–Ola Pierossi, ABMI Information Coordinator This week, the world celebrated the United Nations’ International Day of Biological Diversity. [...]
Bryologist Richard Caners studies a moss specimen in a peatland near Cold Lake, Alberta. “The best aspect of my job is the fact that I get to study and work with bryophytes every day.” – Richard Caners, Bryologist for the ABMI and the Royal Alberta Museum – Anyone who meets Dr. Richard Caners walks away a convert. [...]
A dung moss, also known as Splachnum ampullaceum. Photo: R. Caners If you can get past the unflattering name, dung mosses might just be one of the most fascinating groups of species you will ever come across. As the name suggests most species in this moss family are closely associated with dung. But they do [...]
Field season. It is the means by which the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) keeps its metaphorical finger on the pulse of Alberta’s many diverse species and ecosystems. Each spring and summer, the ABMI launches an enormous effort to monitor Alberta’s biodiversity across the province, from boreal bog to prairie pasture. Field season involves some [...]