Miistakis Institute

10/08/2026

Here they go again! 🦎

It’s time for Alberta’s fall salamander migration! After spending the past few months at their summer breeding grounds, western tiger and long-toed salamanders are now heading back to their underground overwintering sites.

These salamanders are two of the ten amphibian species who call Alberta home. Due to their nocturnal, burrowing lifestyles, they have always been difficult to observe. Unfortunately, they are becoming increasingly difficult to find as they face the combined threats of habitat loss, climate change, pollution, and disease.

Development can reduce amphibian populations through habitat loss and fragmentation. Barriers like major roads make it difficult for these slow, small species to move between habitats, and vehicle strikes are estimated to kill between 40 and 100% of migrating salamanders in some areas. However, through data-informed planning, there are still opportunities to support these salamanders and other amphibians!

Last year, the Miistakis Institute was involved in researching and monitoring eco-passages in Waterton Lakes National Park. These specialized tunnels run underneath roadways, providing safe passage for migrating amphibians, and reducing amphibian fatalities by up to 80%. Camera trap monitoring revealed that both tiger salamanders and long-toed salamanders are using these crossings, along with many other small species!

Sharing this data supports wider amphibian conservation efforts and provides further evidence that targeted infrastructure can help vulnerable species move across the landscape.

You can find a summary of the report at https://bit.ly/4ATuFol, and learn more at https://bit.ly/4dsEjnY. And keep an eye out for salamander crossings on your runs, drives, and bike rides!

Thank you to our project funders: The Alberta Reptile and Amphibian Society - TARAS and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation

09/30/2026

Today we recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day to acknowledge the harms and enduring impacts of colonialism on Indigenous Peoples and to reflect on our shared responsibility to advance reconciliation.

It is a day to hold space, to listen, learn, engage with Indigenous Knowledge Keepers and educators, strengthen relationships, and build community. It is also a reminder that reconciliation is an ongoing commitment that extends beyond a single day.

At the Miistakis Institute, we recognize that this commitment must also be reflected in how we work. We continue to learn how we can build respectful and reciprocal relationships with Indigenous communities, listen to and learn from Indigenous knowledge and perspectives, and ensure they meaningfully inform our approach to conservation.

Community events are being hosted from September 20 to October 4 as part of MRU’s Journey to Indigenization (https://bit.ly/4iVX1aZ), with many more happening in and around Calgary.

Additionally, we invite you to find ways to participate and learn:

🧡 Wear an orange shirt

💬 Start conversations

📖 Read books and resources, such as The Orange Shirt Story by Phyllis Webstad

🌱 Support Indigenous initiatives

🤝 Attend local gatherings

Every Child Matters.

09/29/2026

⚠️ Discretion advised: This post discusses the death of a wild animal.

P342’s story is a powerful reminder of the challenges pronghorn face as they move across the landscape. Her movements, including 14 crossings of Highway 41, highlight the importance of understanding how roads and other barriers affect pronghorn movement and connectivity.

Stories like P342’s help inform the work of Pronghorn Xing as we look for opportunities to make our transportation networks safer and more connected for wildlife.

⚠️ Discretion advised: This post discusses the death of a wild animal.

P342’s movements across the landscape offer a glimpse into the challenges pronghorn face.

Captured in early December 2025, near the U.S. border, P342 spent two months moving between Canada and the U.S before travelling north toward Cressday in February 2026. From mid-February through late July, she remained north of Cressday and east of Bain, crossing Hwy 41 13 times.

P342 died on July 28, north of the area where she had spent the spring and summer. The team recovered a full carcass from the mortality site. Laboratory results are pending to determine the cause of death.

Over the course of her movements, P342 took a lot of risks crossing Hwy 41 a total of 14 times and travelled approximately 250 km as the crow flies.

Her story reflects the many risks pronghorn encounter on the landscape, where mortality can result from factors including predation, disease, weather and human activity.

Pronghorn Xing team: and
🔗 Learn more about ACA’s pronghorn projects: https://www.ab-conservation.com/featured-projects/wildlife/pronghorn-projects/

09/28/2026

We are excited to announce the publication of our most recent report, 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘌𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘢

𝐀 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭:
🔄 Ecological connectivity is the ability of species, processes (like energy flow or nutrient cycling), and water to move across the landscape.

🌿 Establishing and conserving connectivity is a strong tool for managing biodiversity loss, increasing ecosystem resilience, and maintaining ecosystem services.

🤝 In recognition of the importance of connectivity, international, national, and provincial policies are starting to recognize that protected areas need to be connected and part of a broader ecological network.

Municipalities play a key role in translating these policies into action! Through land-use and infrastructure decisions, environmental policies and plans, and community engagement, local governments are well positioned to protect and support ecological connectivity.

And that’s where this report comes in. Incorporating global best practices, provincial policy, Indigenous stewardship, and real-world examples, it provides guidance for all B.C. municipalities, as well as First Nations and other land managers, who make decisions about land-use at any scale.

This planning guide was written over nine months in close collaboration with Nature Squamish, and refined through a day-long workshop with representatives from the District of Squamish, the Squamish Nation, the Squamish Community Forest, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, and the Province of British Columbia.

👋 If you are a planner wanting to maintain ecological networks that support biodiversity, elevate Indigenous stewardship and leadership, and enhance community resilience, we invite you to visit our website and take a look at this resource!
https://rockies.ca/files/reports/EC-PlanningGuide_v2p6_Sept2026.pdf

09/25/2026

Have you shared your feedback yet? The survey closes on Monday!

📣 We want to hear from you!

Have you visited the CitSci Alberta Hub? We’re looking for feedback from Alberta’s citizen science community to help us understand what’s working well, what could be improved, and what you’d like to see from the Hub in the future.

The survey takes approximately 5–7 minutes, and all responses are anonymous.

☕ As a thank you, you can enter to win a $50 Tim Hortons e-gift card!

Whether you visit the Hub regularly or have only used it a few times, we’d value your feedback.

👉 Take the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/95TVD3G

Please share with your citizen science networks 💦🦌🌳💨

09/23/2026

Welcome back to campus MRU students!

Now that you have (hopefully) found all of your classrooms, figured out the fastest route between classes, found where the best coffee is, and generally settled into your fall semester, we thought we would take a minute to introduce ourselves!

We are the Miistakis Institute - a not-for-profit, charitable research institute focused on applied conservation research and we are right here on campus. And we don’t just share space! For over thirteen years, MRU and Miistakis have been collaborating on shared research projects, learning experiences, and community engagement projects. Check out our website to learn more about our work!

Our partnership with MRU allows us to give students opportunities to take knowledge outside of the classroom and into the real world. Through internships, capstone projects, volunteer opportunities, mentorship, and employment, we provide students with the chance to experience applied research that addresses real conservation issues. Students have the chance to learn meaningful skills, work alongside conservation professionals, and gain experiences that help inform their future careers.

We are located on the 3rd floor of the EB building, in the Trico Changemakers Studio. It’s a beautiful, bright space, and open to students all of disciplines - there are some great spots for studying. Come and say hi!

09/21/2026

Today marks the beginning of Mount Royal University’s annual Journey to Indigenization, launched with a flag-raising ceremony commemorating the anniversary of the signing of Treaty 7. In addition to the Treaty 7 flag, the Survivor’s flag, which was designed by Elders from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, was raised along with the Métis Nation flag.

As a member of the MRU community, Miistakis was honoured to join this important gathering and moment of reflection. Treaty 7 is foundational to the relationships, responsibilities and shared history of this place, and its commemoration provides an opportunity to reflect on our collective responsibilities toward reconciliation.

The Journey to Indigenization creates space for learning, listening and meaningful dialogue throughout the MRU community. We are grateful to be part of this journey and remain committed to continuing our own learning and to building respectful, reciprocal relationships with Indigenous Peoples and communities.

Between now and October 4, we encourage you to check out Journey to Indigenization featured events, activities, and presentations, which are open to students, employees, and members of the community.
👉 Learn more & register: https://www.mtroyal.ca/IndigenousMountRoyal/events/journeytoindigenization.htm

09/18/2026

Did you know that September 10 was Swap Ideas Day? A day to celebrate the spirit of collaboration, and promote knowledge sharing and teamwork?

It’s okay, neither did we. It was serendipitous, then, that our Bow River Regional Wetlands Policy Workshop took place on this day!

The workshop brought together fourteen representatives from nine different local governments across the Bow River region for a morning of collaboration and discussion about how spatial wetland information can support municipal policy for wetland conservation efforts.

Together, we discussed case studies, heard from municipalities that are already including wetland protection and conservation in their policies, and shared the challenges, gaps, and opportunities of incorporating technical knowledge into municipal policy.

By sharing experiences and learning from one another, the group gained a better understanding of how spatial wetland data can be used to protect and conserve municipal wetlands.

Thanks to our funders, YourAlberta (Government of Alberta) Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program and an Anonymous Donor.

09/03/2026

Case study hot off the press: Data Meets Dirt - Supporting Producers through ALUS Rocky View. 🌱💧

A case study of the Bow River Regional Wetland Datasets Project that showcases how the wetland datasets can be used to identify areas of high wetland restoration and enhancement potential to promote ALUS projects to potential participants in those areas.

It also shows how the datasets can help prioritize projects to maximize ecological impact when demand exceeds available funding.

While this case study focuses on ALUS Rocky View, this approach could also be applied to other ALUS programs within the Bow River Basin to support wetland restoration and enhancement efforts across the region.

Read Data Meets Dirt – Supporting Producers through ALUS Rocky View:https://bowregionwetlands.ca/files/MIR_ALUS_CaseStudy_BRRWD_MAY2026_v03_FINAL.pdf

Thank you to our case study partners: Rocky View County, ALUS, Bow River Basin Council

09/01/2026

Our 2025–2026 Annual Report is here—and this year, we’re doing things a little differently.

Rather than simply telling you what we accomplished, we’re introducing you to the people behind the work and sharing some of the projects that inspired, challenged and excited us over the past year.

From monitoring wildlife movement across Highway 3 and advancing ecological connectivity in Alberta’s grasslands, to putting wetland data into the hands of decision-makers, experimenting with conservation detection dogs, working with beavers, and helping communities turn conservation science into action—our team has been busy!

There’s a common thread running through all of it: conservation is about people. It happens when people ask good questions, build trusted relationships, share knowledge and work together toward a common goal.

We invite you to Meet Miistakis and explore the people, partnerships and projects behind our work.

Read the 2025–2026 Annual Report:https://www.rockies.ca/files/reports/MIR_2025-2026_AnnualReport_FINAL.pdf

And, as always, thank you to the incredible partners, funders, communities, students, volunteers and collaborators who make this work possible.