(Editors note: Thank you to Kelly Hall for this guest blog...
We welcome submissions to our blog from throughout the watershed - get in touch - what's your perspective?)
I can hardly believe that the end of 2014 is fast approaching!
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| Kelly Hall posing with a "gem" of the foothills - Alberta's endangered Limber Pine (Pinus flexilis) as designated under Alberta's Wildlife Act |
Two Thousand and Fourteen has
been an amazing year for The Timber Ridge Conservation Site. A year of many firsts and certainly a great
deal of hope for the future. It all
started on January 1 with a beautiful winter wedding, pictures on the cabin
steps with the snow covered ridge as the background. The deepest, longest, coldest winter in many
years had us more than ready for spring vegetation!
Our free flowing thermal
springs have continued to amaze us. For
the first time in our history we have seen flow increase in the fall,
specifically after the eighteen inches of heavy wet snow on September 8 and
then again November 2. The trout in the
pond are pink, tasty, and happy in the beautiful, cold, clear water! Our many visitors can attest to that,
especially the ones that had to use a net to bring in their catch.
Some of the natural changes
are becoming more apparent. The old
growth aspens are coming down and new meadows are alive with diversity. We've seen more Parry Oat Grass , more
grouse and the newly protected wetland has responded well! The wildlife sightings on the property
continue to grow, including a first for us this year - Elk not far from the cabin deck.
Timber Ridge has acquired
many new friends this past year - we've now collected hair on Bear Rub Trees,
began the process of collecting any and all bugs, Botanists have identified even more species,
students have planted Limber Pine seedlings and we continue to collect some
amazing pictures thanks to the pin hole and trail cameras. A pair of chipmunks have now called the cabin
deck home and the competition at the bird feeders is increasing and really
quite entertaining.
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| Glen Hall, standing on a blast mat (recycled tires) which surround his motion-sensored, solar powered, off-stream watering system - a Beneficial Management Practice helped put in place by the OWC's Watershed Legacy Program |
Timber Ridge is living proof
that it does take a collaborative effort to manage our watershed. Our best day
yet was Celebrating Collaboration on September 18, 2014. We have to say thank you to all of our
partners for years of knowledge, assistance, financial support and for joining
us on the tour! A special thank you goes
to Leta Pezderic (OWC) and Brad Taylor (ACA) for all their help planning for the day. We were so pleased to be part of the OWC's
film project and believe the message within is so very important.
Timber Ridge is a treasure
that we will continue to learn about and want to share with others. The cabin
continues to be a wonderful venue for inspiring conversation, renewing
friendships and gathering allies as we strive to leave our legacy. We've now checked off an item on our
"bucket list" - bringing our partners together at that special
place. September 18 would have been my
Mom's birthday - she was our first partner!
Landowner, Timber Ridge Conservation Site
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