Seen in the Sanctuary:

Woodpecker holes on a fallen log.

Not all evergreens have needles

Sharp-eyed visitors to the Sanctuary this time of year may notice the occasional patch of plants that hasn't turned brown with the coming of the cold temperatures. In this particular case the plant in question is Pink Wintergreen (Pyrola asarifolia).

While this wintergreen isn't the wintergreen used to flavour gums and mints, it has historically been used to ease toothaches, calm sore throats, and even stop or slow down bleeding.

Pink wintergreen can be found on the floor of moist conifer forests in central and northern Alberta. The small, round, leathery leaves appear to grow stemlessly from the ground. As the plant's common name implies, the leaves tend to stay greenish (but tend toward red in the winter) throughout the year. Each plant sends up a flower stalk in early to mid summer. The pink, cup-shaped flowers are attractive but easy to miss amongst the forest floor litter.

On the Wishart Trail

A look at part of the abandoned river channel. Obviously this picture was taken before our recent snowfall...

Seen in the Sanctuary:

It's not too hard to find moose tracks along the trails at the moment. My foot should give you a sense of the scale of the tracks here (sometimes you just have to work with what you've got...).

Even though we're probably past any dangers from this year's rut, animals in the Sanctuary should always be treated with caution. Wild animals are called wild for a reason, after all.

A decorated trail

Path art courtesy of Nature Nursery.

Halloween Party Time

The Tuesday morning Nature Nursery kids had their Halloween party this week. Spooky games and snacks, costumed kids and a candy-filled, pumpkin-shaped pinata that just wouldn't break.

An evening stroll

Being out with a group of Junior Forest Wardens last night reminded me that this is actually a very nice time of year for an evening walk in the Sanctuary. It's still warm enough to be comfortable, and it doesn't get dark all that early (yet. The end of daylight savings time later this month will change that, unfortunately).

Some of you may not realise it, but the Gaetz Lakes Sanctuary is easily accessible for walks even when the Nature Centre itself is closed. There's a turnstile gate to the north of the building that visitors are more than welcome to use.

Please remember, though, that Sanctuary rules (no running, in-line skating, bikes, or pets) apply to evening strolls as much as they do to daytime ones. As we say in our programs calendar, this is one place where the needs of the wildlife must come first.

Changes: Seasonal and Staff

When I left for my vacation on September 23, the leaves were golden and red and those that had fallen were crunchy under your feet. As I traveled west, returning to the coast and my childhood home, I was reminded that not all places go through such dramatic colour change. Passing across the continental divide and driving through places like Salmon Arm, Hope and finally Vancouver, I found that fall hadn't quite arrived. Deciduous trees in my parents' neighbourhood were still green; just about to change. Lawns were still lush. There was no crunch, crunch, crunch, as the kids walked down the street to school.

When we left on the 9th of October to head home, things were just starting to change. Leaves were changing (to brown instead of orange, yellow and red) and some were starting to fall; often to form damp clumps in the ditches and gutters. Back home in Alberta I found I was happy to see a nice thick coating of brittle leaves from the paper birch in our front yard. All the trees are well on their way to becoming bare and in fact most are now looking nicely ready for winter: Naked branches contrast on bright blue skies. This is the autumn I never had as a kid. I like living in a place that has four definite seasons - even if one of them is blindingly cold.

The onset of a change in seasons has brought about a change in staff as well. Jo-Anne has obtained full-time work with a local properties management company and will be leaving her daytime interpretive work behind her. She will remain with us for weekend and evening programs and visitor services shifts. We wish Jo-Anne the best of luck in her new field. Joining us is Caroline. This transplanted American comes to us fresh from completing her degree in Environmental Policy and an internship at the Thomas Irving Dodge Nature Centre in Minnesota. Welcome aboard Carrie.

For those of you living in Central Alberta, there are still spaces available for Jo-Anne's Winter Camping program on October 22. Call the Nature Centre at 346-2010 or email us for more information.

Recycling

I have to admit that one of my favourite parts of the Sanctuary is the dark forest in the shadow of Michener Hill. Its almost mountain-like feel is a reminder that Red Deer exists in the middle of a real traffic jam of plant communities. In a fairly small area you can find everything from marsh and grassland to full spruce forest.

Our Sanctuary forest contains a fair amount of deadwood, and visitors may occasionally wonder why we don't clear up the mess of fallen trees or at least remove the standing snags.

The fact is that there is a lot of natural recycle value in those dead trees. While standing, they provide homes and feeding spots for all kinds of animal populations; insect, mammal, and avian. Imagine a forest without chickadee nests or woodpecker foraging holes. I don't think it would be nearly as interesting.

Once a tree falls (or often even before), the insects, fungi, and mosses really get to work. As they help break the tree down, its component nutrients are gradually returned to the soil and help provide fertilizer for new plants coming up. If the dead trees were continually removed instead of being allowed to rot naturally, we would eventually end up with sterile, nutrient-poor soil that wouldn't be good for much of anything.

Just a little something to think about the next time you're looking at a mossy log. That's not waste -- it's recycling at its finest.

Squirrel midden

A Red Squirrel midden on the Wishart Trail. Midden is, appropriately, an old word for garbage dump (more or less). Squirrel middens contain the remnants of spruce cones and shells left behind as the squirrel seeks out the seeds enclosed in them. Sometimes squirrels use the middens themselves to burrow in and hide more food.

Scientists occasionally sift through squirrel middens to learn what food resources the squirrels are using over the course of a year.

Heading up the Wishart Trail

Geese on the West Gaetz Lake beaver lodge

A shot from the Wishart Trail earlier this week. Fall is definitely here -- maybe the water's getting chilly on their feet?

As always, click on the picture for a larger version.

far away wild

Its interesting comparing the wildlife of eastern Canada to our own back in Red Deer. The cordillera of Ontario was like the Rocky Mountains with out the mountains - just rocks, trees and water. Instead of magpies, there are ravens which called incessantly this morning keeping my friend up. Lots of interesting bird noises which has been referred to as a magpie trying to imitate a flamingo.. doubtful but interesting guess. Instead of dangers of rutting moose, there was a danger of a bear nearby our Ontario campground. And it was neat to see a skunk (striped I think) to cross the road successfully.

Trail Report 20 Sept 05

It was a nice, quiet morning for a walk so I decided to spent an hour or so out on the Wishart Trail today. Things are certainly well into fall now. Some of the trees are already looking bare, but there is still plenty of colour out there.

Trail conditions are generally pretty good, but keep in mind that the combination of morning dew and fallen leaves can make some of the steeper sections a bit slippery. When in doubt take your time.

As far as animal sightings go, it was mostly a morning for squirrels and robins, with the occasional chickadee or native sparrow thrown in for some variation. The lakes were actually pretty empty today, but I did notice a pair of Canada Geese perched on top of the old beaver lodge on the West Gaetz Lake. Maybe the view's better from there?

As Todd mentioned earlier, please keep an eye open for moose and deer. There are a lot of moose tracks on the trail right now, and since it's rutting season the moose can be fairly unpredictable. Remember to make some noise while you're walking to let the animals know you're out there. Speaking as someone who's been chased by a moose before, let me say that it really isn't the best way to experience nature in the Sanctuary.

Stay safe, and enjoy the fall scenery!

Seen in the Sanctuary:

Not the greatest picture since I was using the zoom, but I saw this White-Breasted Nuthatch on a spruce tree on the Wishart Trail last Wednesday. It was obviously trying to pretend I didn't see it if it didn't move.

Nuthatches always seem like they have a different grasp on the whole gravity idea than I do. That much time spent upside down would just give me a headache.

Love Is In The Air

This is what happens to your bird feeders when the local male moose decides to show his girlfriend how tough he is. Imagine the thought process: "I'm the mate for you. Look I've destroyed a helpless bird feeder to prove the fitness of my genes".

On a more serious note, visitors to the Sanctuary should keep in mind that we are at the start of the fall moose rut which means that the local males are defending their territory against anything they perceive to be a threat. If you should encounter a moose (male or female), simply back away quietly; attempting to keep a large object - like a tree - between you and the animal. Do not turn and run away. Moose can run faster than you.

This is a good time of year to actually make noise while you are walking along the City's many trails. It won't help with the males but it will alert the females to your presence.

Last of the Butterflies?

This is one of the best butterfly pictures I've seen. How often do you get to look into a butterfly's eye? Click the image to enlarge it. This Painted Lady is not part of the odd migration of these butterflies into our area that took place at the end of June. Rather, because this little critter is in such excellent shape, it probably is an offspring of the summer travelers.

This photo was taken by Diane on an apartment balcony last week. The cool weather slowed the butterfly down so that she was able to get to within inches of it without it flying away.

Seen in the Sanctuary:

A look back at the Nature Centre from the Wishart Trail.

Waskasoo Creek from the ACR Trail

Nature Nursery News

Nature Nursery has started again. This is an unparented playschool program for 3-5 year olds. We have four classes running:

Tuesday mornings (2 1/2 hours per week)
Tuesday/Thursday afternoons (2 1/2 hours per afternoon - 5 hours per week)
Wednesday/Friday mornings (2 1/2 hours per morning - 5 hours per week)
Wednesday/Friday afternoons. (2 1/2 hours per afternoon - 5 hours per week)

We still have a few spaces left in all but the Tuesday morning classes.

For the week of September 12-16 our themes are "bears" and "migration." The following week we have Erin Young from Medicine River Wildlife Centre visiting the classroom. She will be sharing pictures and a story and bring a wild animal with her (we don't know yet which one she'll bring.)

Duck and Ducklings has also started for the season. This is a adult and tot program for 2-4 year olds. We offer two classes for the Duck and Ducklings, Monday and Thursday mornings. This class runs for 1 1/2 hours from 10-11:30. We will also be doing bears for the week of September 12-16 and squirrels and chipmunks the following week.

This week, the children have been lucky enough to watch mama barn swallow feeding her newly fledged babies at the front door to the Nature Centre. The 4 cuties have been parking themselves on the light outside the front door and will wait patiently for mom to drop a juicy bug into their mouth.