livingcover |
||||||||
|
Of course having a large river valley running through the centre of the city helps to provide every resident with convenient access to a natural space . Also within easy walking distance of the nature centre are two of the best places to see wildlife within city limits , the Lethbridge Nature Reserve and Elizabeth Hall Wetlands . These function as teaching parks , enabling outdoor educational programming , as well as self-guided interpretive experiences . In addition to regular sightings of deer , porcupines , and a wide variety of waterfowl and shorebirds , the Elizabeth Hall Wetlands also offers a rare opportunity to spot Western Painted Turtles in Alberta . Experts are still not sure how this turtle population landed in the wetlands , but you can observe these guys laying eggs , swimming in the water , or sun bathing on the logs by the shore .
Anyone who ’ s walked the river valley paths has most likely seen evidence of another critter in the area , the iconic Canadian beaver ,
|
Frogs act as great pest control in your garden .
The wetlands are an important reminder that we must understand more than what we can see , but also the connections invisible to the naked eye .
|
Photo : Ken Orich |
Remember to brush up on rattlesnake safety this season ! |
“ Don ’ t panic since the snake has no interest in hurting you . Pretty much the only dangerous rattlesnake is the one you don ’ t see – if you ’ ve already seen it , you ’ re in the safe zone .”
often spotted along the banks of the Oldman River . The wetlands offer a great viewing opportunity , with a large beaver lodge located right in the middle of the pond there . One might also spot the resident muskrat that has created a burrow along the banks as well .
The wetlands are an important reminder that we must understand not only what we can see , but the connections invisible to the naked eye , as well . Created slowly over time by the ever-changing channels of the meandering Oldman River , the wetlands are actually an old oxbow of the Oldman , which is still connected to the river underground , and also fed by three springs .
“ We try to not just teach people about the species , but about all of the relationships and interconnections , so that people have insight into how things don ’ t just exist in a bubble ,” Coreen emphasizes . “[ We offer people ] better understanding that helps them to live with wildlife in a much more positive frame of mind .”
There aren ’ t many people who can say they embody that positive frame of mind towards all living creatures more than Ryan Heavy Head .
“ I started raising boa constrictors when I was eight years old , so it ’ s been a long-term relationship with me and snakes ,” Ryan laughs . “ They evoke a lot of powerful feelings in humans , but not all cultures view them in a negative light the way mainstream western culture does .”
To his thousands of online followers on social media and many more viewers on YouTube , Ryan is the “ Rattlesnakes of Lethbridge ” guy . But rest assured he ’ s much more than a one-trick pony . His work locally with rattlesnakes is an extension of his responsibility within the Blackfoot tradition , along with his wife Adrienne , as the keepers of the Beaver Bundle .
“ The Beaver Bundle is the very first bundle in the Blackfoot tradition , which is an embodiment of the very first treaty that occurred , between the humans and the animals ,” Ryan explains . “ We ’ re charged today with trying
|
Photo : Ken Moore |