Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation
Km 18, Highway 88 N T0G 2A0 Slave Lake, AB, Canada

Happy World Water Day! To anyone planning to enter our poster contest, please have your entries in by the end of the day today, March 22nd, 2021 to the LSWC! We look forward to picking winners from the bunch! #abwater #CanadaWaterWeek

Today is the International Day of Forests. Did you know that over 300 bird species breed in the Boreal Region? You can get to know the Whooping Crane, Black-bac...ked Woodpecker, and other fascinating birds in this Boreal Forest StoryMap: https://arcg.is/CzPXf The StoryMap is published by Birds Canada and Nature Conservancy of Canada / Conservation de la nature Canada See more

With spring in the air, it is time to start packing things up after another busy winter season. So this weekend (Mar 20/21) will be the LAST WEEKEND FOR EQUIPMENT RENTALS for skis and snowshoes at the Boreal Centre. To download the equipment rental form, just check out http://www.lslbo.org//NEW_COVID_SKI_SNOWSHOE_RENTAL-FORM-u We are glad to see so many happy people using the equipment this season! Enjoy the last of winter.

There has been a death in the boreal forest, and we need you to help solve the crime in the MELVIN THE MOOSE MURDER MYSTERY! As a member of the Forest Bureau of Investigation, you will use your finely-honed detective skills, visit the crime scene, study all the evidence, interview the suspects and analyze forensic results from the crime lab. This new on-line mystery allows students to work their way through the clues, eliminate the suspects and figure out who killed Melvin! ... During their on-line adventure, students will learn about moose habitat, hunting, predators, winter ticks and the science behind aging moose using their teeth! There are tons of videos and interactive media to engage students in learning about moose, their boreal forest habitat and connection with other wildlife and humans. The program also fits with the grade 6 Alberta Learning curriculum "evidence and investigation". To check out the mystery, you can visit the LSFES website at: https://lsfes.org/programs/melvin-the-moose-murder-mystery/ A big thank you to our education partner, the Lesser Slave Forest Education Society for adapting this special event program into fun on-line learning!

World Water Week is coming soon. So check out our YOUTH POSTER CONTEST and let us know some of the benefits of a healthy wetland ecosystem! Check out the poster contest promo for details. Deadline for poster submissions is Monday, Mar 22nd.

CANCELLED: Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions on outdoor gatherings, this program with the Town of Slave Lake has been cancelled. We hope to be able to reschedule this program in the New Year. So stay tuned.

The Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory is hosting the 26th Annual Slave Lake Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, December 19th and we hope that you can join us! To register, email [email protected] or call 780-849-8240. You will also received the link for the pre-meeting on Wed, Dec 16th which will include a winter birding ID refresher.

The Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation may be closed to the public right now, but our Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory (and our wonderful education partners) educators are busy working to bring WINTER SCHOOL EDUCATION PROGRAMS to you! So if you are a teacher looking for winter programs and resources for your students, or a home schooling/at home learning family looking for a winter outing, check out our most popular winter curriculum-based education programs below, then... call us to work out a plan! BOREAL FOREST NATURE CLUB: We know that it will be really important for local families to enjoy outdoor recreation opportunities during COVID. So we will be bringing the Boreal Centre on the road for local families and residents this winter! Stay tuned for news on some of our upcoming events. To ensure safe physical distancing, space will be limited for these programs and advance registration will be required. For more information, contact the LSLBO at 780-849-8240 or email [email protected] or [email protected]

Looking for some outdoor winter fun? We are partnering with the Town of Slave Lake for a Family Snowshoe event at Northshore Day Use area next month! Space is limited for this program, so we recommend that you register soon. Call the town office or visit: http://anc.ca.apm.activecommunities.com//search/detail/3264

In the mood for a little Christmas Cheer? Check out the beautiful gingerbread house built by our creative staff for a local competition this weekend. Hopefully it looks a little familiar. Wish us luck!

With the wrap-up of our Northern Saw-whet Owl Fall Migration Monitoring program last weekend, we wanted to thank all the funders and supporters who helped make ...this season happen! With your support, we were able to complete all of our avian monitoring and research programs despite the many operational challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and most importantly, we kept our staff safe and healthy this season. Stay tuned for the Annual Report later this year with all the highlights of the season. Special thank you to Vanderwell Contractors (1971) Ltd, West Fraser, Tolko Industries, Alberta Conservation Association, Environment Canada and Climate Change, Canada Summer Jobs Program, Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta, and Alberta Environment and Parks. And of course, our members, individual supporters and donors who are always there for us each season. Thank you everyone and we hope that you will be able to visit the station next season. We have missed you!

HAPPY (almost) HALLOWEEN! It’s Friday, which means it’s our last day for Bat Week! Bats need our help, so today we’ll be showcasing some of the ways that you can help bats in your community. Whether it is providing healthy habitats and roosting sites, or contributing to citizen science projects to help scientists learn more about bat populations, there are lots of ways that you and your family can help to keep bats in our world. Building and putting up a BAT BOX or bat hou...se is an easy way to provide extra roosting sites for bats. To avoid overheating in your bat box, experts recommend that you go big with a bat condo, or put numerous and diverse bat boxes up in close proximity so bats have different micro-climate options for them and their pups. Check out some other tips on installing your bat box from Bat Conservation International: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oznj-LdLpyg Looking for a good bat box design? Visit the Alberta Community Bat Program for some suggestions on the best bat box designs for Alberta: https://www.albertabats.ca/bathouses/ Multi-chamber bat boxes are recommended as they provide a variety of microclimate options and are less likely to overheat. You can download the Bat Conservation International plan for a 4 chambered bat box here! https://www.batcon.org///4-Chamber-Nursery-House-Plans.pdf Finally, you can help scientists learn more about local bat populations in Alberta! If you are lucky enough to have bats roosting on your property, share your observations by participating in the ALBERTA COMMUNITY BAT CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT: https://www.albertabats.ca/citizenscience/ Thank you everyone for joining us for Bat Week this year! We had so much fun learning, baking and sharing our love of bats with all of you.

The Alberta Community Bat Program has just put out a new activity book for kids. Check it out! https://www.albertabats.ca//upl/ACBP_Bat_Activity_Book.pdf