From Barnyard to Backyard
Topics of Interest from the MD Agricultural & Environmental Services Department
Benefits of a Healthy Riparian Area
Winter 2015
Riparian areas perform serveral ecological functions that would otherwise be extremely costly and difficult
to replicate. A riparian area is the zone between a wetland or waterway and the adjacent upland. Often
riparian areas are distinguished by the different vegetation, topographic features and the type of soil.
Functions of a riparian area include:
Reduce and Slow Runoff - As runoff water travels overland the riparian area will absorb much of the water
and slow the rest down before it enters the water system. This reduces the severity of flooding.
Storage for Flood Events - Riparian areas can act as temporary storage areas which reduces flood impacts
downstream.
Reduce Speed and Power of a Flood - The vegetation in a riparian area will absorb some of the water’s
energy and slow down the speed at which it’s traveling.
Recharge Aquifers - Underground water storage can be
replenished to allow waterways to flow year round.
Buffer and Filter - As water flows over land it picks up
sediment and contaminants. The vegetation in the riparian area
What’s Inside
will act as a filter removing particles and cleaning the water.
Ideal Habitat - Many different species rely on riparian areas and
Riparian Area Benefits........ 1
80% of Alberta’s wildlife rely in whole or in part on
Did You Know?..................... 2
riparian areas during their lifecycle.
Ladies Livestock Lessons....3
Regulate Water Temperature - Vegetation around the water can
Tree Pruning Tips................. 4
provide shade preventing the sun from overheating the water.
Ranching Opportunities.......6
This is important for the survival of some aquatic life.
Annual Forum: LNE 2016....7
Aesthtics - Many people enjoy using wetlands and riparian areas
Upcoming Events................. 8
for recrational uses.
Contact Info.......................... 8
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Did You Know? Bighorn’s First Industry
It’s no surprise, the first industry developed in
the MD of Bighorn was trapping. In 1832, the
Hudson’s Bay Company established a trading
post at Old Bow Fort (also known as Peigan
Post). This fort was abandoned in the winter
of 1834-35. It was burnt to the ground and
other posts that were know for fair business were
developed nearby. In any case, the fur trade
never really died out. There are still many
registered trap lines in MD. However, today
they are part time jobs or hobbies as furs are
not as valuable as they once were and financial
expectations are much higher. Most likely
the last two trappers that made their sole
living from the harvesting of furs were Art
Waterstreet and Louis Zimmerman. Art’s
father, Joe, was a renowned trapper and had
several articles about his exploits written in
the popular publication “Hunter Trader and
Trapper Magazine”. Art took on Louis as a
partner and together they established a trapline
on the Fallen Timber and Burnt Timber Rivers.
They had five cabins which they traveled
between as well as a cache cabin. The only
cabin remains I know of is on the Fallen
Timber Creek by Benjamin Creek road. The cache
cabin was hidden in the bush above this cabin.
It was hidden to prevent the theft of the furs. It
also had to be well built and ensure there was
no way that rodents could get in. You could
not put a piece of paper between the logs. By
the early 1930’s the government bought back
the traplines and both Art and Louis moved to
places north west of Water Valley along the Little
Red Deer River. Art set up a successful market
garden and people came for miles to buy his
strawberries. Louis set up a beaver rearing farm
which was successful and in 1953 he took a
job as Park Warden in Banff. Their cache cabin
remained in perfect condition until the 1970’s.
My family along with the Forestry Service
contacted Heritage Park to have it moved there.
Unfortunately it was destroyed before this could
happen. Both men lived into the early 1980’s.
The only words other than
his name and the dates
on Mr. Zimmerman’s
gravestone say “Hunter Trapper - Park Warden”.
by Dwight Tannas
Art Waterstreet (left)
Louis Zimmerman (right)
Page 2
Hang up your hat and attend the 2016
Ladies Livestock Lessons winter workshop.
An opportunity to learn, socialize & connect
with farming women!
Register Today!
Saturday, January 23rd
Weedon Pioneer Community Hall
42299 Weedon Trail, Cochrane, AB
8:00 AM to 4:30 PM
*Afternoon sessions are held at the Cochrane & District
AG Society Arena*
$50 includes meals, coffee & snacks
With Curt Pate
Please register online via Eventbrite at:
http://2016ladieslivestocklessons.eventbrite.ca
Registration closes January 18th, 2016
Dr. Melody Chan from Zoetis
For more information or for registration details
contact Carrie at Mountain View County
Agricultural Services
Phone: 403.335.3311 Ext 204
e-mail: [email protected]
Stan Cena from the Cochrane Roping Club
*As space is limited, pre-registration is required*
Dr. Edward Bork from the U of A
Shannon Argent from Verified Beef
Kneehill County, Mountain View County, M.D.
of Bighorn, Cows and Fish, Foothills Forage & Dr. Alycia Chrenek from Zoetis
Grazing Association, Wheatland County, Rocky
View County
United Farmers of Alberta
Page 3
When to prune?
•
•
Tree Pruning
•
•
For beginners doing pruning in their yards.
For any large pruning please contact
professional certified arborist.
Why prune trees?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
To remove “3D- Dead, Diseased or storm-Damaged”
branches
To thin the crown to permit new growth and better
air circulation
To reduce the height of a tree or to remove
obstructing lower branches
To shape a tree for design purposes
To reduce potential fire hazards
To encourage flowering, to promote fruit production
To address safety issues for people or property
Coniferous trees, like spruce or pine, can be pruned
any time of year. For most trees, the best is time from
March to mid-April or during the winter
Birch and Maple – prune ONLY during the growing
season – June and July – leaves must be fully
developed
Elm trees – DO NOT prune from April 1 till October 1
Hardwood trees, like aspen or ash, and shrubs
without showy flowers, prune in the dormant season
• to easily visualize the structure of the tree,
• to maximize wound closure in the growing season
after pruning,
• to reduce the chance of transmitting disease, and
• to discourage excessive sap flow from wounds
How much to prune?
•
•
•
•
Every time you prune a tree, it stresses the tree and
increases vulnerability
Pruning increases the opportunity for insects and
diseases to invade trees
Generally speaking, prune no more than 25 % of
living branches
The amount of live tissue that should be removed
depends on the tree size, species, and age, as well
as the pruning objectives
Pruning techniques
•
•
Basic principles of
pruning
•
•
•
•
•
•
Visualize the shape of the plant at maturity
– how the tree will look like after pruning
Remove dead, damaged and diseased
wood
Select the key branches or main stems
that you want to keep
Remove weak crotches, crossed branches,
suckers and watersprouts (new branches
growing near bottom of the tree)
Cut back to branch collar to leave the
smallest wound possible
Remember that more is not always better
– you can always prune next year
•
•
Cleaning is the removal of dead, dying,
diseased, crowded, weakly attached, and
low-vigor branches from the crown of a tree.
Crown Thinning is the selective removal of
branches to increase light penetration and air
movement through the crown (the branches
and leaves extending from the trunk or main
stems). Thinning opens the foliage of a tree,
reduces weight on heavy limbs, and helps
retain the tree’s natural shape.
Raising removes the lower branches from
a tree in order to provide clearance for
buildings, vehicles, pedestrians, and vistas.
Reduction reduces the size of a tree, often
for clearance for utility lines.
Page 4
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FEB.04.2016
For registration details contact Carrie at
Mountain View County
Phone: 403-335-3311 Ext. 204
Email: [email protected]
Olds College Alumni Centre
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Registration at 8:45 AM—Free Parking!
Ranching in the 21st Century
Discover new ways to manage your livestock, explore options for marketing
your product, and learn about the challenges and achievements of successful
ranchers
$45 ($25 for Students)
Follow us on Twitter at #RanchingOpportunities
Presentations will cover:
• Cattle Handling Demo
• Beef Grading & Butchering
• Information from FarmOn
• Producer Panel on Winter
Feeding
$45 includes lunch
To Register Contact
Carrie Mabin
403-335-3311 Ext. 204
Email [email protected] or visit
https://2016ranchingopportunities.eventbrite.ca
*deadline is January 28th
TRADE SHOW WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND INDUSTRIES WILL BE PROVIDED
Page 6
Presented by the MD of Bighorn and our Generous Partners
Living in the Natural Environment 2016
Friday February 5, 2016
The Land Supports Us All
Cochrane
RancheHouse
101 RancheHouse Road
5:00 – 9:30pm
Doors open at 4pm
Tickets $35
*NO REFUNDS
Ticket Purcahse Deadline
JANUARY 27th
Tickets available by
phone or in person at:
MD of Bighorn
(403) 673-3611
Mountain View
County
(403) 335-3311 Ext.184
Rocky View County
*in person only
(403) 520-7273
More Details
www.mdbighorn.ca/
living-in-the-naturalenvironment
5:00 pm
The Importance of Connected Landscapes in Alberta’s
Eastern Slopes
Presenter: Dr. Michael Quinn, Associate Vice President of Research,
Scholarship and Community Engagement at Mount Royal University
This presentation will discuss how the process of fragmentation can
be detrimental to the flows of ecological processes such as wildlife
movement, hydrologic function and nutrient cycling. Research
conducted in the surrounding area will be presented to demonstrate
the challenges and solutions to maintain landscape connectivity.
6:30 - 8:00pm Dinner and Cash Bar
8:15 pm
Between Rock and Hard Places: Wolverines in
Multi-use Landscapes of Alberta
Presenter: Dr. Tony Clevenger, Wildlife Biologist
Dr. Clevenger will present his ongoing non-invasive (camera and DNA
based) surveys occurring over the last 5 years. The research will
provide science based information on a ‘sentinel’ species and will
inform ongoing and future land use planning decisions in the Rockies
and across the east slopes of Alberta.
4:00 - 8:15 pm Visit our Trade Show in the Hall of Vision
Page 7
Agricultural Services and
Environmental Advisory
Board (ASEAB)
Council Appointments:
Erik Butters (Deputy Reeve) - Ward 4
Paul Clark - Ward 3
Farmer Representatives:
Jackie Gemmill (Chair)
Patricia Macmillan
David Pizzey
Bryne Weerstra
Alberta Agriculture Key Contact:
Doug Macaulay
Agricultural Services Staff
Kendra Tippe
Environmental Fieldman
403-673-3611 Ext. 234
[email protected]
Sean Allen
Assistant Environmental Fieldman
403-673-3611 Ext. 241
[email protected]
Mark Your Calendar for these Upcoming
Events.....
Ladies Livestock Lessons
January 23, 2016
Weedon Hall - located just north of Cochrane on Hwy 22
$50 per person includes lunch, snacks, drinks
REGISTRATION INFO:
Call Carrie at 403-335-3311 Ext.204
Email [email protected]
Deadline for Registraion is January 18, 2016
*More info on page 3
Ranching Opportunities Conference
February 4, 2016
Alumni Centre at Olds College
$45 per person includes lunch, snacks, drinks
REGISTRATION INFO:
Call Carrie at 403-335-3311 Ext.204
Email [email protected]
Deadline for Registration is January 28, 2016
*More info on page 6
Living In The Natural Environment
February 5, 2016 $35 per ticket
Cochrane RancheHouse
5:00 - 9:30pm (Doors Open at 4:00pm)
Call 403-673-3611 to purchase tickets
Deadline to purchase tickets is January 27, 2016
*More info on page 7
Bears, Wolves and Deer - Wildlife Workshop
February 10, 2016 9am - 4pm
Cremona Community Hall
FREE but registration is required, lunch and drinks included
REGISTRATION INFO:
Call Carrie at 403-335-3311 Ext.204
Email [email protected]
Deadline for Registration is February 5, 2016
www.mdbighorn.ca
Page 8