Toad-ally Worth It

This joint conservation property between the Nature Conservancy of Canada and Edmonton & Area Land Trust is a refuge for plants and wildlife. The property is the last large block of natural habitat left on the southwest edge of Edmonton. The landscape is made up of a unique mix of upland meadows, wetlands, jack pine, tamarack and black spruce.

The wetlands at Bunchberry Meadows Conservation Area cover close to 20 percent of the land and create important habitat for waterfowl, such as bufflehead duck. The mature forest stands are home to species like wood frog and boreal chorus frog. Having been virtually untouched for 40 years, the trees at Bunchberry Meadows Conservation Area are old and beautiful. You’ll find some of the only true old-growth forests remaining in Central Alberta. Many jack pines with a girth of over two metres have been discovered on the property.

NCC acquired Bunchberry Meadows with the assistance of the Government of Canada’s Natural Areas Conservation Program (NACP), a unique public-private partnership to accelerate the pace of land conservation across southern Canada.

We’ll begin our evening by conducting visual surveys for amphibians on the property, documenting any species we find along the way. Right before sunset, we’ll break for coffee and snacks and lead you in an engaging workshop that will put your ears to the test! Together, we’ll listen to recordings of the various frog and toad calls and learn how to identify each species by sound. Then we’ll put your new knowledge to the test! Since amphibians call more at night, we’ll be embarking on the auditory half of our survey approximately half an hour after the sun has gone down.

Who doesn’t love learning about the creatures behind those croaks you hear in the distance! The data we collect helps NCC document the current health of the local habitat, and will also be used to help determine future stewardship needs for the property.

Contact Zoe Arnold: alberta@conservationvolunteers.ca