Nature Centre reopens
St. Albert kids will once again get to learn about the birds, bees and trees this summer when the BLESS Summer Nature Centre reopens its doors in just over a week.The Big Lake Environment Support Society announced this week that it had hired University of Alberta conservation biology student Danika Wack as this year’s BLESS Summer Nature Centre co-ordinator.
The nature centre, which is based out of the old RCMP cabin by the St. Albert Trail bridge over the Sturgeon, has for about 22 years provided hundreds of youths with free eco-themed fun during the summer months.
The nature centre is a big part of BLESS’s efforts to provide environmental education, said group spokesperson Miles Constable. Wack was eminently qualified for this position, having a background in both child education and biology.
Wack said she had not previously visited the nature centre, but jumped at the chance to host it when she heard about it.
“Nature and plants have always been my passion,” she said, and she loves working with kids.
“It just seemed to be the perfect fit.”
Wack said she was still getting to know the nature centre and planning her summer activities this week.
“We’ve got lots of cool fun activities in the works,” she said, including games, crafts, and nature walks.
In addition to the usual bird, plant and mammal weeks, Wack said she hoped to hold a “wet and wild” week on aquatic ecosystems and a “scales and slime” one on amphibians. Constable said a plastic waste week was a distinct possibility.
Wack said the nature centre was a fun way to get kids outdoors and invested in nature.
The nature centre opens July 2, and will be open all summer long from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and 12:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays.
Zero waste festival
A new free festival opens next weekend in Edmonton that hopes to help you reach zero waste.
About 200 people are expected to come out to the ATB Financial Arts Barn in Edmonton this June 29 for the inaugural Locale Zero-Waste Festival.
Organizer Anna Owusu said she got the idea to organize this event through her interest in sustainable architecture. She wanted a way to highlight all the local ways Edmonton-area residents could reduce their waste.
“There’s so much information about the waste we create and all the damage we’re doing,” Owusu said.
“People want to know how we can fix it.”
Owusu said this free festival would feature groups such as Waste Free Edmonton offering tips or reusable products guests could use to keep more trash out of the landfill. Godo Stoyke of Carbon Busters will give a talk on zero-carbon homes, and Leftovers Foundation Edmonton will screen a film on preventing food waste. There will also be seminars on yoga and composting.
The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit bit.ly/2WUsUIh or email [email protected] for details.
